3 players Chicago Cubs should target this offseason

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.

Carlos Correa

There was a concerted push to get Carlos Correa on the Chicago Cubs last year, at least amongst the fanbase.

Despite those Christmas carols and other attempts to beg the Cubs to sign Correa, they looked the other way, hoping that Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal would be good enough. While Hoerner did his part, Madrigal was not nearly what the Cubs had hoped for. Once again, they are looking for help in the middle of their infield, likely at shortstop as Hoerner could slide back over to second base.

Correa would certainly be the upgrade that the Cubs are looking for. He posted a .291/.366/.467 batting line with 22 homers and24 doubles in his 590 plate appearances, numbers that would make a drastic impact on the Cubs lineup.

He is not going to be cheap. The Twins reportedly have multiple offers on the table for Correa already and other teams are going to jump into the mix. However, if the Cubs are going to contend in 2023 as they hope to, they will need to add another impact bat to their lineup. Correa could be that piece they need.

The Chicago Cubs had a chance at Carlos Correa last offseason. They cannot afford to miss that opportunity this year.