6 Dream Free-Agent Pickups for Chicago Cubs
Excitement is undoubtedly in the Wrigley Field debris-filled air on the North Side of Chicago. The Chicago Cubs will introduce Joe Maddon as their new manager on Monday, which seems to be indicative of wanting to compete starting in 2015. Obviously, being able to do that hinges largely on what they're able to do this offseason.
There are plenty of free agents the Cubs could be after, but there are a clear few who make more sense than others. In particular, there are three pitchers and three hitters that make sense for the Cubs in 2015 and going forward. Broken down here are their extensive major league resumes and why they fit in perfectly with the winning culture the Cubs are trying to create.
RHP Max Scherzer
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Major League Resume:
Scherzer has followed an unconventional route in becoming one of baseball's top pitchers. He began his career pitching for the Diamondbacks, but he never really figured it out. Then, in 2010, he made his way to the Tigers, where he joined a relatively stacked rotation. Since coming to Detroit, he's won at least 12 games every season.
His biggest improvement, though, came in 2013, when he was the runaway AL Cy Young winner, with a 21-3 record and 2.90 ERA. Obviously, his record was helped out by pitching for a team with a stellar lineup, but he was still extremely impressive regardless. At the age of 29, he's now in his prime.
Why He Fits With The Cubs:
The Cubs have home grown their hitting talent with the intention of signing top pitching talent. That top pitching talent could come in the way of Scherzer. He would give them a great top-of-the-rotation pitcher to pair with Jake Arrieta. He also is young enough that he would be in his prime while the Cubs are trying to win titles, likely in the next two to three years.
LF Jonny Gomes
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Major League Resume:
Gomes isn't one of the sexier names on the major league free-agent market, but he's a 12-year veteran who can still get the job done. He will never hit for a high average; the highest average of his career was .282, and he hit .234 last season. However, he does get on base at a solid rate, doing so at a .327 clip in 2014.
He's a solid locker room guy and isn't going to make dumb mistakes. When it comes down to it, that's the type of guy you want. How much money he's looking for is going to go a long way in deciding if the Cubs want to bring him on board or not.
Why He Fits With The Cubs:
A team with so much young talent needs some veteran leaders. Gomes is exactly that, in more ways than one. He's been through the ringer, so he's going to have credibility with the team's younger stars. His plate approach may also rub off on some of them. For a team that has a lot of free swingers, inheriting a more patient approach at the plate could do wonders.
While the team does have a lot of young outfielders, adding a proven one to give some outfield depth makes sense. He's not going to be a game-changer, but sometimes those types of pickups can end up being just as important as a big splash.
RHP James Shields
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Major League Resume:
Shields is a nine-year veteran and has experienced considerable success throughout his big league career. He's won at least 11 games in all eight of his full seasons in the major leagues, and some of those were with some iffy Tampa Bay Rays teams. He really turned the corner in 2011 when he posted a 16-12 record to go along with a 2.82 ERA for the Rays.
Perhaps Shields' biggest asset is his propensity to come up in big games. Even though he didn't perform very well in the 2014 playoffs for the Royals, he is traditionally known as a shutdown guy in big-game scenarios. Something concerning is that he has never been incredible in the postseason, but in huge regular-season games, Shields always appears locked in.
Why He Fits With The Cubs:
For starters, Shields' former skipper in Tampa Bay just got the Cubs managerial job. That has to be worth something to him as he looks for potential suitors. All things equal, that could be a difference-maker. More than that, though, he would give the Cubs an ace.
Shields has played on winning teams routinely, so he has experience pitching when the lights are brightest. If all goes according to plan, the Cubs could be in that position as early as next season as well.
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RF Michael Morse
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Major League Resume:
Morse is a hard guy to read in terms of production because he's been so inconsistent during his major league career, but he's shown the potential to be a major contributor. In 2011, while playing for the Nationals, he blasted 31 home runs while driving in 95 runs. Even though he hasn't duplicated that production since, it shows the kind of talent this guy possesses.
He showed off that talent for the World Series champion Giants during the playoffs this past season, hitting .300 across the NLCS and World Series. At 32 years old, Morse still figures to have a few good years left in him.
Why He Fits With The Cubs:
The Cubs could use a veteran bat, and Morse makes a whole lot of sense. He's a proven run producer, as he's driven in at least 61 runs when playing more than 100 games in a season. That could play well if the Cubs batted him in the six or seven spot in the order. With plenty of young talent in front of him, he could have plenty of RBI opportunities.
LHP Jon Lester
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Major League Resume:
Lester is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, and he's also one of the best modern playoff performers in the league. His career postseason ERA is 2.57 and his ERA in the 2013 World Series was 0.59, which is good enough for third-best in major league history.
As crazy as it may seem, Lester actually had the best season of his career in 2014, going 16-11 with a 2.46 ERA for the Red Sox and Athletics. If Lester can maintain that sort of production for the next three to four years, it could be scary for his opponents. At the age of 30, that's very possible.
Why He Fits With The Cubs:
Lester makes more sense for the Cubs than any other free agent available. That's because he's familiar with the Cubs front office, who he worked with for many years in Boston. The Cubs fanbase is also comparable to the ones Lester grew comfortable with in Boston. Also, the Cubs play in the National League, which is traditionally known as an easier league for pitchers to pitch in because of the lack of a designated hitter.
As a lefty ace, Lester is a hot commodity and the Cubs know that. Adding him would make them a popular pick to make the playoffs in 2015 if the team also added another key free agent. However, the Cubs know all of these things are going to add up to a hefty price tag.
C Russell Martin
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Major League Resume:
At the age of 31, Martin had one of the best seasons of his career in 2014, hitting .290 and blasting 11 home runs while driving in 67 runs. The veteran backstop also gets on base at an incredible clip. Last year, his on-base percentage was .402, which is something every team needs.
He's only 31 years old, and after one of his best offensive seasons, he's due for a big pay day. However, he's earned it because he's solid offensively and defensively. The biggest thing standing in any potential suitor's way is the fact the Pirates will pursue their current catcher aggressively.
Why He Fits With The Cubs:
Once considered the future behind the plate for the Cubs, Welington Castillo has underperformed the past two seasons. When he's even been able to stay healthy, Castillo hasn't been able to live up to his 20-plus home run potential. For that reason, the team could seriously consider pursuing Martin.
The price tag on Martin could get driven up by the Pirates, which may deter the Cubs, but if the team really isn't sold on Castillo, they could decide he's worth the price. Once players like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell are in place, having Martin behind the plate could ensure the team has almost no holes in its batting order.
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