Cubs Lose out on Price

Rumor had it that the Cubs were in on the David Price market, but it appears they have lost out to the Red Sox.  Price certainly made sense for the Cubs.  He and Greinke are the two genuine aces on the market this winter.  Plus, signing him would not cost a draft pick.  Price, however, signed a humongous deal with Boston.  Personally, although he is a terrific pitcher, one wonders whether anyone is really worth that kind of commitment over seven years at his age.

With Zimmerman gone, probably the only really elite arm available is Cueto, who recently turned down a bunch of money from Arizona, six years, $120MM.  Cueto is good, but he is also on the verge of his thirties now and has lost some time to injuries recently.  He also would not cost a draft pick, but I have some doubts the Cubs want to go that long and that high.  I think Samardzija makes a lot more sense for the Cubs, especially as he would be slotted in as a #3 starter and reunited with Bosio who seems to understand his style.  Still, I would not be disappointed in getting Cueto at all and the price is not that great when you compare it to Lester, for example.

The Cubs need to add at least one starting pitcher this off-season.  Maybe two, as Hammel is definitely not the most reliable pitcher and he has shown himself to be a first-half star throughout his career.  However, I don't think it is time to push the panic button.  The Cubs match up pretty well with the Indians, Padres, and Braves if they are looking to make a trade.  I could see them parting with Castro or Baez and some minor leaguers who are blocked, but not with Soler.  At least I hope not, as I think there is a reason everyone wants this kid and so a good reason not to let him go cheap.

People are forgetting that the Cubs won 97 games last year despite not having a reliable fifth starter and actually not having a particularly reliable fourth starter through the second half.  They also were missing their everyday right fielder for big chunks of time and went on a substantial winning streak in August when they played Chris Coghlan at second base most of the time.  Not to mention they had no bench whatsoever until September.

Aside from the pitcher, the Cubs need a center fielder, preferably one who can lead off and get on base.  This is on the assumption they cannot bring back Fowler, which, I think, is a fair assumption.  Austin Jackson makes sense as a fourth or fifth outfielder, but they really need to go after another player in the Fowler mode.  I would suggest going hard for Jason Heyward if I thought he could play center field on an everyday basis, but this does not seem very likely.  The other aspect of things I would not discount is the Cubs having an underachieving pitcher on their radar.  They have had great success resurrecting players in that mold in the last few years, Arrieta being the most impressive find.