CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 18: Executive Vice President and General Manager Jed Hoyer of the Chicago Cubs talks to media as he walks in to the dugout before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on April 18, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Jed Hoyer and the Chicago Cubs have a lot of work to do this offseason, so it’s definitely not too early to look ahead a few months.
Chicago still has plenty to figure out leading up until the offseason, including the progress of several young pieces, and whether they can afford to spend big this winter. Until the Ricketts’ family has that information in hand, it’s safe to assume they’re going to have a cautious approach this offseason.
Now, were this 2017, the Cubs could consider adding any number of big-name free agents to a core that at one time included Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez. Now, only Willson Contreras and Kyle Hendriks remain, and to call them a core is a bit of a stretch.
Chicago Cubs: Max Scherzer doesn’t fit the timeline
Max Scherzer is expected to be one of the biggest names on the free agent market as it pertains to starting pitchers. Yet, he’s 37 years old and simply not worth an expensive contract for a team still a few years away from contention.
The fact remains that we don’t know the urgency of Cubs’ ownership as it pertains to putting a contending ball-club on the field. For a team like the St. Louis Cardinals, which is loading up for a run in 2022, Scherzer makes a ton of sense. He’s also a St. Louis-area native. The Cubs are of the opposite mindset.
Scherzer had a 2.76 ERA with Washington, and has bettered that production to the tune of a 1.74 ERA in Los Angeles. Who knows? Should the Dodgers go on to win the World Series, they may use their giant money pit to help Scherzer end his career out West, anyway.