The Chicago Cubs are still adamant that they are not rebuilding.
Instead, the term they are using is “reloading.” That was the case in 2021 when they traded away most of the remaining core of their championship squad. That was the case last year when their offseason spending spree did not bring the expected results. And that is the case again this year as the Cubs are again looking to add to their roster in free agency.
Three players for Chicago Cubs to target
Maybe this will be the year that the Cubs return to prominence. The NL Central is in a state of flux as the Brewers appear to be set to take a step back and the Cardinals have plenty of questions on their roster. If the Cubs continue to spend in free agency, as there is every indication will be the case, they could make those claims that they were reloading into reality.
The Chicago Cubs could be a factor in the NL Central next year. Let’s take a look at three players to target for that to become a reality.
Kodai Senga
One of the biggest problems for the Chicago Cubs is the starting rotation.
Marcus Stroman is a solid pitcher to slot towards the top of a rotation. Justin Steele and Keegan Thompson could be part of the pitching solution as well However, the Cubs would still have a rotation littered with question marks, a need for depth, and would still be lacking the type of upside required to truly make a move in the division.
Kodai Senga may be a question mark himself, but there is the chance that he could be what the Cubs need. He was one of the best pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball, his plus fastball and devastating forkball eviscerating the best hitters in the league. The hope is that his excellent performance will translate to the majors.
There is some risk in his profile. Senga may have a pair of plus offerings in his arsenal and excellent command, but his other offerings are considered fringy at best. It is possible that he ends up in the bullpen, albeit as a high leverage arm, due to those two pitches being so far ahead of his other offerings. But he is also the type of arm that the Cubs need to take a chance on.
The Chicago Cubs need to find a top of the rotation arm. Kodai Senga could be their best option.