It comes with little surprise that the Chicago Cubs are heavily involved players in the early goings of MLB’s free agent market. Ownership and the top brass all made public comments at the end of the 2022 MLB season that this would be the case.
However, it comes as a bit of a surprise that first baseman José Abreu is the “number one priority” according to 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine.
With historically high-tier options available at the shortstop position and a good starting pitching class, it is interesting to note that the Cubs would rather prioritize a 35-year-old first baseman.
That’s not a knock on Abreu who hit .304/.378/.446 with 15 home runs in 2022, but for such a young team, it seems prudent that they would prioritize younger plays in free agency.
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That being said, Abreu does not appear to be a candidate for regression, at least in the short term. Therefore, if they add other players to the roster and the goal of contending in 2023 is the goal, Abreu could play a significant role in helping a young team achieve its desires in the short term.
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