MLB Rumors: Cubs could upgrade yet again at third base

2023-09-17 14:20

With a vital offseason on the horizon, the Cubs need to decide if they are willing to spend big money on the chance to compete with the best teams in MLB.

The 2023 season has shown much potential for the Chicago Cubs to become a dynasty again, and attempt another World Series chase. This is a vital offseason for the Cubs, and new additions are needed to upgrade the overall team to compete with the top teams.

One position that isn't the strongest for the Cubs and could use a major upgrade is third base. Currently, they have Patrick Wisdom and Nick Madrigal, but both of those players don't bring the type of talent they could get if they pursue Matt Chapman this offseason.

According to Jon Heyman in a recent article in the New York Post, the Cubs could be a front-runner for the three-time Gold Glove award winner.

This offseason, Matt Chapman is coming off a 2-year, $25 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. While Chapman has struggled offensively, he is still one of the best third basemen in the league defensively.

MLB Rumors: Cubs are a free agency fit for Matt Chapman

According to Spotrac, they project Matt Chapman to receive a four-year, $62.5 million contract this offseason with an average annual salary of $15.6 million.

The Cubs currently hold the 11th-highest payroll in all of MLB at $186 million and are willing to spend big money on players to be able to contend for a deep playoff run.

Chapman has struggled offensively in 2023 but has signs he could improve. He is one of the best power hitters with an average exit velocity of 93.4, while also being able to barrel the ball 17 percent of the time. He also holds a hard-hit percentage of 56.7, all of which shows he should be hitting way more home runs.

But his main problem has been hitting the ball in its "Sweet Spot." The sweet spot is a launch angle of between eight and 32 degrees on hits, anything higher means you hit under it, and anything lower means you swung over it. In 2023, the best player sweet spot-wise is Freddie Freeman at 47.5 percent, but Chapman has struggled to find the sweet spot at only 33.7 percent.

Chapman doesn't chase the ball often and has a huge advantage, which is he often walks at a rate of 11.2 percent to boost his OBP to .336 on a .245 average.

The Cubs aren't the only team attempting to acquire Chapman this offseason, so a bidding war could ensue. But acquiring him and helping him fix his hitting could lead to deep playoff runs in the future with such a young talented team they are currently building.