Fansided

Cubs actually aren't blocked from adding top free agent this winter

The Cubs have more flexibility than once thought.

By Zachary Rotman

Aug 24, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer looks on at the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Aug 24, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer looks on at the batting cage before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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The Chicago Cubs have had a disappointing 2024 season and are unlikely to make the postseason, but their lackluster performance as a team does not mean that there have not been some positives to come from the year.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all has been the play of Busch. The Cubs acquired Busch in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers expecting him to be a productive player for them, but he's exceeded expectations.

The 26-year-old enters Friday's action slashing .249/.335/.430 with 17 home runs and 56 RBI, appearing in 137 games and finding a home at first base.

Busch has performed at a very high level at first base, ranking in the 84th percentile in OAA according to Baseball Savant, but his flexibility could allow the Cubs to explore the possibility of bringing in one of the best free agents this offseason, Pete Alonso, according to Jon Heyman of the NY Post.

"Cubs 1B Michael Busch is playing well two ways, so you wonder whether Pete Alonso is a fit there now. One possibility: Busch is so good defensively, they could move him to 2B," Heyman wrote.

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Michael Busch's defensive versatility could allow Cubs to sign Pete Alonso

Normally moving first basemen over to the keystone is uncommon, but in Busch's case, he was brought up through the minors primarily as a second baseman. The 241 minor league games he has played at second base are the most he has appeared in at any position by far. In fact, Busch only appeared in 18 minor league games at first base, yet he has been well above average at the position in the majors.

Busch's ability to play second and even third base if the Cubs needed, allows them to explore the possibility of adding a much-needed big bat like Alonso in free agency. Chicago ranks 21st in the majors in home runs as of this writing, so the need for additional power is glaring, especially after they traded Christopher Morel away at the trade deadline.

Alonso in particular is a good fit for the Cubs not only because he has hit 30+ home runs in each of his five full seasons (excluding 2020), but he has scorched the ball over his career at Wrigley Field, slashing .271/.405/.729 with eight home runs and 18 RBI in just 17 games at The Friendly Confines.

He's in the midst of a down year in 2024, but Alonso still has 31 home runs entering Friday's action despite playing half the time at one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the majors. He's going to be seeking a large contract, but Alonso is the kind of difference-maker who can potentially help this Cubs team get over the hump and get back to the postseason for the first time in a full season since 2018 (excluding 2020).

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