Cubs Insider Says Team Could Have Interest In Recently Cut Former MVP

Maybe it's a longshot, but the Chicago Cubs could look to bring in a former MVP to see if he can turn things around with them.

Apr 5, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros first base Jose Abreu (79) during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs are in real trouble if they don't figure things out soon.

It feels like whenever one struggling area finally performs well, then another unit drops the ball.

This has resulted in them losing seven out of their last 10 contests to put them four games under .500 as they are now 8.5 back of first place in the NL Central and 1.5 out of the Wild Card.

How desperate the Cubs' front office gets ahead of the deadline will be seen, but there is some thought that Jed Hoyer might not be overly aggressive and will let things play out despite the clear need for upgrades on this roster.

One way Chicago could take a small risk without having to give up assets or capital is signing recently released former AL MVP Jose Abreu.

Since his tenure with the Houston Astros was a complete dud, this move might not be viewed that favorably by Cubs fans, but one team insider thinks this call might be made as it would present a low-cost option to bring in a power bat.

Wouldn't shock me if the Cubs made a phone call (league minimum), but it's possible Abreu is just cooked. At 37, all of his numbers - the results, the underlying metrics, the contact quality - have been unthinkably bad. Like, FAR worse than any Cub this year, for context. https://t.co/uprZHy6CPr

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) June 14, 2024

Like it's suggested in that social media post, there is a really high chance that Abreu won't be able to find any semblance of being even a league-average player.

In his first season with the Astros, he had the worst slash line of his career (.237/.296/.383) and posted an OPS+ below 100 for the first time ever. His struggles only got worse this year as he slashed .124/.167/.195 with just two homers and seven RBI through 35 games before getting released.

Making this move would signal just how desperate Chicago might be to bring someone in who has even a little potential of providing a boost to this offense.

Because of injuries, they have been forced to cycle through multiple players already, and not many of those moves have provided a spark to get this team out of the rut they're currently in.

Abreu would be a low-risk option financially, but it could just as easily be a disaster on the field.