Inside The Cubs

Cubs Drop In Midwinter Power Rankings Despite Cabrera Trade

The Chicago Cubs are starting to patch up some holes in their roster, but have still dropped off.
Maddy Dickens|
Edward Cabrera
Edward Cabrera | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs didn't have the end to their season they wanted. They were sent home in the NLDS against their division rivals after clawing their way back from a 2-0 deficit.

The heartbreak comes from the talent on the roster, with numerous Gold Gloves on defense and multiple Silver Sluggers. This offseason, Jed Hoyer has been working to fill the holes that exposed them in the playoffs, but there is still work to be done.

ESPN recently released their Midwinter power rankings, and following their "way-too-early" ranking back in November, which placed the Cubs at number 6, they now find themselves dropping three spots to nine, despite the acquisition of Edward Cabrera.

Edward Cabrera throwing a pitch
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

"The Cubs had yet to make that big winter splash until acquiring Edward Cabrera from Miami this week. It deepens their starting staff in a significant way. Now they need to replace a bat after trading away Owen Caissie for Cabrera. They're a bit thin at the plate," said Jesse Rogers.

At the end of the day, Chicago has made it clear in this trade that they are interested in winning, and not in the distant future, so while the team is showing positive strides forward, they still need a bat to replace the likely loss of Kyle Tucker.

Who the Cubs are still after

It seems more than safe to assume that the Cubs' starting rotation is no longer a concern of Hoyer's, and with the low cost that Cabrera will likely warrant (he's only in his second year of arbitration), the organization can now spend elsewhere.

The two most interesting available free agents that the organization is linked to are outfielder Cody Bellinger and third baseman Alex Bregman.

MORE: Cubs Insider Reveals Team's Preference In Star Outfielder Pursuit

With the departure of Caissie, the Cubs could be looking for an upgrade in the outfield to keep Seiya Suzuki at DH and not count on rookie Moises Ballesteros to take on a lion's share of the reps. This would be quite the reunion with Bellinger, as he was only gone for 2025. And after hitting .272 with an OPS of .813 with the Yankees, Hoyer would definitely want him back.

Even though Hoyer expressed his positivity about Matt Shaw, they are still pursuing Bregman, once again. Just last offseason, the Cubs found themselves in a bidding war over the 3x All-Star, but came up short against the Red Sox. Could that happen again? Possibly.

Spring training is inching closer and closer. Time is running out to sign another offensive weapon, and if the Cubs want a shot at the World Series in 2026, then they need to act fast.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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