Chicago Cubs Target Predicted To Sign for Less Than $100 Million in Free Agency

It's tough not to be too worried about what the Chicago Cubs are doing this offseason.

Trading for Kyle Tucker was a step in the right direction, and if he plays at the level he's expected to and they sign him to a long-term deal, this winter should ultimately be viewed as a win. However, there's a real scenario of Tucker not signing with the Cubs next offseason.

It's the unfortunate part of trading for guys on one-year deals, but if Tucker had more seasons on his current contract, Chicago would've had to move much more in the deal than it did for him.

Beyond Tucker, all the Cubs' moves have been marginal. That doesn't mean a few marginal moves can't help this team win the National League Central, but after trading for a player of Tucker's caliber, why not go all in and try to win a World Series?

From the outside looking in, it seems like the front office is content with giving Tucker his first campaign with the organization and trying to re-sign him from there. If they do, that's when they might plan to spend.

That'd be a risky decision but something Chicago could certainly be doing.

However, if the front office wants to compete for a World Series as early as 2025, more has to be done, and there's a guy like Anthony Santander still sitting on the market who could significantly impact this lineup.

Reports have indicated that Santander is open to a short-term deal, but Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report doesn't expect that. Miller has Santander going to the Toronto Blue Jays for $89 million over five years.

"However, at 30 years old, fresh off a 44-HR campaign and on a three-year stretch with 95 home runs and 460 out of a possible 486 games played, it's hard to imagine his value will increase or even hold steady. Now is the time for Santander to cash in, and it's likely he'll hold out for longer than Flaherty will before settling for a two-year contract."

$17.8 million AAV would be a steal for a switch hitter coming off a 44-home-run campaign, and frankly, if he signed anywhere else besides with the Cubs, fans should be upset.

Is Santander a perfect player? Of course not. He's a below-average defender, and there are worries about how that would play at Wrigley Field.

Still, the Cubs' offense was terrible for most of the 2024 season, and adding Tucker shouldn't make them confident that all of their struggles will change. Santander would at least give them an elite duo offensively, even if that comes with below-average defense.