Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We here at Inside the Cubs hope you have a wonderful day with your family and it is full of gratitude! Also, we would like to extend a "thank you" of our own to you, our reader, as you have kept up with us since our launch in August.So, without further ado, let's get down to the roundup!Carlos CorreaAs we almost all know by now, the Chicago Cubs are going to be heavily pursuing one of the four big free agent shortstops.Since the and now is their opportunity to go get
Walter Payton Jersey him. At just 28 years old, Correa is the youngest of the bunch, but will likely command the largest contract.Some estimations are running from eight-years and $250 million all the way to $300 million-plus. Regardle s, the Cubs should be in on Correa who could jumpstart their contention window.Trea TurnerHere is another shortstop that has been . Turner's speed and athleticism are things dreams are made of, and he is the prototypical leadoff man.Turner will likely come just a hair cheaper than Correa, but not by much. Whether Chicago goes in the direction of Turner or Correa will depend on how Jed Hoyer feels that day. Both are electric, both will come at a steep price, and both will be franchise-altering.Xander BogaertsIn the case of Bogaerts, there was a , Scott Boras, at the GM meetings in Las Vegas, NV earlier this month. It is worth noting considering
Buster Skrine Jersey that they are in the market for a shortstop, but this one sounds like nothing more than kicking the tires.Jos AbreuThe Cubs are in need of a first baseman and nobody makes more sense than Abreu. Perhaps that is why . At 35 years old, he won't be inked to some ma sive multi-year deal, which is probably seen as a positive for the club, but he will provide excellent production and is a former MVP winner.Abreu has lost some pop in his bat the last few years as his home run numbers have come down, but his ability to still hit the ball and put it in play is as good as it has ever been. While there may be no true "perfect" fit, Abreu is about as close as it gets for this young Cubs team.Cody BellingerOn the surface, this one makes sense. Bellinger was just non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers and is seeking a one-year, get right deal. His shoulder injury he incurred in 2020 still affected him in 2022, which could explain his significant drop off from his 2019 MVP season to his nearly unplayable 2022 season.If Bellinger does rebound, then the Cubs will have struck gold. As evidenced by the Philadelphia Phillies, a team only needs to sneak into the playoffs to make some noise. An improved Chicago squad with a healthy Bellinger could do just that in 2023. Perhaps that's why the .ChristianVzquez Vzquez is another player that makes sense for Chicago. He is a true two-way catcher as he has evidenced throughout his
Mitchell Trubisky Jersey career with the Boston Red Sox, and most recently with the Houston Astros, with whom he won a World Series.With the departure of Willson Contreras, the Cubs will likely not want to enter the season with Yan Gomes as their starter.Vzquez's career slashline of .261/.310/.386 is well above average production offensively for the catcher's position. He has also been heralded for his defense and ability to call games.Seems like a good fit, , and he will come with a cheaper price tag than Contreras.Aaron JudgeLet's start by saying this: yes, the Cubs have interest, but so does every team.Scroll to ContinueOkay, now the real i sue standing in the way of this happening is years and dollars. Chicago doesn't want to go past five years on a deal. Judge will demand at least six, likely seven years on his next contract.Does $40 million a year sound too steep for the Ricketts family? Well, Judge is going to want close to that.Outside of all of that, yes, Judge makes perfect sense.Who knows, maybe with fewer years and it gets the job done.Jacob deGromThe Cubs are willing to extend deGrom a three-year deal according to a new report. That is the minimum amount of years it will take to get a deal done and the AAV will have to be at or above Max Scherzer's three-year, $130 million deal.It would not be unreasonable to think that deGrom could command a $150 million salary over three years. Again, , and yes, the years on the contract actually make sense on this one. But the financial capital?That remains to be seen.Justin VerlanderThere
Trey Burton Jersey hasn't been any real reported interest yet between the Cubs and Verlander, but I think there should be. , and it goes something like this:Yes, he is 39 years old, but his recent performances and peripherals show no indication of slowing down. It would only take a two-year commitment, will cost le s than deGrom, and his ability to mentor the young players in the rotation likeJustin Steele, Javier A sad, and Hayden Wesneski is indispensable.It's a good read and if you have doubts about Verlander it may just change your mind.Just pay the man. He is the best bang for Chicago's buck when looking at the totality of the situation.Odds and EndsThere have been some . He might be a good fit, but his age and injury history are a cause for concern.Miami Marlins starter , and he would make a good fit for the Cubs rotation. He slots in nicely with a group of young guys who would make up a core for years to come. But, the price tag in terms of prospects may be too steep.Finally, pitcher David Robertson could make a return
Mike Singletary Jersey and starter Corey Kluber is reportedly on Chicago's radar.And that's it folks! We hope you all have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!More From SI's Inside The Cubs
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