Another Suitor Has Emerged For Chicago Cubs' Potential Free Agent Target
It's the offseason that just never ends for the Chicago Cubs. They've continued to be mentioned as a potential suitor for just about every free agent this cycle and have yet to land any of these high-profile players.
That's likely selling Japanese star Shota Imanaga short. He's reportedly living up the hype so far at Spring Training, but compared to the other names who were available, he definitely takes a back seat.
As the Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman rumors continue to be discussed ad nauseam, any updates on these players have to be mentioned.
This time, it seems like a different team is seriously considering signing Chapman.
"The Mariners have discussed the possibility of adding Chapman to fill the starting third-base spot previously held by Eugenio Suarez. The Mariners' current plan is to use a platoon of utility infielders Luis Urias and Josh Rojas at the position. Neither is considered to be optimal options from a defensive standpoint, while their combined offensive contribution is uncertain," reports Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times.
Sounds familiar to the Cubs' situation.
Sticking with the Seattle Mariners' angle for a second, the perennial Gold Glover would be a major upgrade over what they have right now.
Earlier in the offseason, they traded Eugenio Suarez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a fringe Major League reliever and catcher.
Some might say there was no point in the Mariners trading last year's third baseman if they were going to hand out a deal to Chapman, but Chapman is a much better player on the defensive end and has never had a below average hitting season based on OPS+, unlike Suarez who strikes out a ton.
Divish also mentioned that Seattle had tried to trade for the 30-year-old in the past when he was still with the Oakland Athletics, indicating there has been some previous interest.
If Chapman does wind up with the Mariners, that might not be too negative for Chicago who is reportedly giving their young third baseman another shot at the position.
This would indicate they are likely out of the Chapman sweepstakes.
That could come back and haunt them if the third base position continues to be unsolved in 2024.
Either way, another suitor has emerged for one of the Cubs' potential targets and he could be off the market and in another jersey soon.
