Chicago Cubs Might Regret not Spending More Money this Offseason

As many consider the Chicago Cubs the favorite in the NL Central, they may regret not spending more money to put them over the top.

Oct 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros third base Alex Bregman (2) hits a single against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of game two of the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Minute Maid Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

With pitchers and catchers arriving for the Chicago Cubs, the highly anticipated 2025 campaign will be starting soon.

It has been a strong offseason for the Cubs this winter. The franchise has made a lot of upgrades in areas that they needed to, starting with bringing in a new superstar to lead the lineup.

The addition of Kyle Tucker was certainly one of the best moves of the offseason for any team in baseball. The young slugger might have flown a bit under the radar in terms of his skill with the Houston Astros, but he is a proven star.

In addition to adding Tucker, Chicago did a nice job upgrading a bullpen that needed help after a poor 2024 campaign. With Ryan Pressly and Eli Morgan coming in via trades, the unit should be much stronger in 2025.

While the offseason has been a strong one, it has come from mostly the trade market and not free agency. That has been a bit of a frustration for a franchise that certainly has the resources to be one of the bigger spenders in baseball.

However, there is still one player out there who could improve the team immensely and make the lack of spending this winter a moot point.

Even though they haven’t spent a lot of money this offseason and their payroll is well below what it was last year, that could all change very quickly.

Chicago does appear to be one of the teams that could be in the mix for free agent Alex Bregman still. That large surplus in payroll from last year would disappear quickly if they ended up signing the former All-Star.

Currently, the Cubs are slated to go with a talented prospect at third base, Matt Shaw. The young infielder has been good in the minors and certainly deserves a shot to prove what he can do in the majors. However, this is a Chicago team that feels like they are in a win-now mode in 2025.

If that’s the case, pursuing a proven player like Bregman makes a lot more sense than starting a rookie at the hot corner.

However, the former All-Star is still looking for a significant payday day and the Cubs simply haven’t been spending like many would want them to.

It will be interesting to see the direction that Chicago chooses to go in at third base heading into the campaign. Both options have their pros and cons, but the Cubs could regret not spending the extra money to do everything in their power to win.