BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Trey Mancini #26 of the Houston Astros acknowledges the crowd before playing against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 22, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. Cubs (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs should look at these free agents as the finishing touches for the 2023 roster.
The Chicago Cubs landed Dansby Swanson this offseason and added Jameson Taillon to the rotation. Other than those two moves, they’ve been relatively quiet.
The Cubs shouldn’t have any serious intentions of competing in 2023. They might be able to sneak into the playoffs. Their mission should be building something for possibly 2024.
With this in mind, Jed Hoyer should be looking around for players who can help the team now and in the near future. It’s these three final free agent targets he should have in mind.
1) Cubs rumors: Trey Mancini is the first baseman to sign
The best available first baseman still unsigned is Trey Mancini. What makes him a good fit for the Cubs and a few other teams is that he can also play both corner outfield spots. Although he isn’t a particularly good defender, it’s nice to be able to have a first baseman with some power that can fill in somewhere else, too.
Mancini is coming off of a down year where he hit .239/.319/.391 with 18 home runs. Those numbers come combined with the time he spent as a member of the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros. He was used sparingly by the Astros in the playoffs, receiving 24 total plate appearances in 8 games. The results eren’t good. He went only 1 for 21.
The Cubs shouldn’t get too gun shy about his postseason struggles. A well-liked teammate with the Orioles, he turns 30 this March and is definitely worth bringing in for 2023 with an option for 2024.
Mancini has averaged 27 home runs per 162 games in his career. The power might not be as present as it is with other players at his position. With few choices left for the Cubs, he’s the one to target.
If not him, there’s this other guy.