WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 16: Wilson Contreras throws #40 of the Chicago Cubs to second base during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Leighton/Getty Images)
These three free Chicago Cubs customers don’t fit well enough with next year’s plan to return in 2023.
The 2022 season is drawing to a close for the Chicago Cubs with a big focus on what lies ahead. They weren’t supposed to be more successful than they were this year. Since the start of the year, they haven’t looked like the same strong club they were just a few seasons ago with a youthful core of stars.
With an already strong base of veterans on the roster and some promising young players, next season could be even better. The Cubs will need to be smart in free agency with an eye to winning in the near future and not necessarily just in 2023.
However, their trip to a free agency will not include inviting these three players when the contracts expire again. Why exactly is the swan song for this trio and where could they end up instead?
1) Why the Cubs will lose Wilson Contreras out of season
The number of teams in Willson Contreras in this off-season will be far greater than those interested in the trade deadline. The fact that they couldn’t find a deal they were willing to strike comes as no surprise. When the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays are essentially competing against each other and possibly themselves, no one is going to overpay for a renter.
The bets are much different in the off season. Teams that lose their starting holder to free agency or those that have now decided to enter win mode now will be in competition to sign Contreras. Not far from Chicago, so we can see the St. Louis Cardinals take part in the action.
An ongoing relationship between Cubs and Contreras is still very possible but consider this: They already have a $6 million reserve catcher called Yan Gomes. Pouring that much money into a position is not a great idea. Gomes might be better as a backup or perhaps part of a platoon like many of the best teams in baseball.
Other teams, including the San Francisco Giants, previously believed to be Contreras’ final trading destination, can participate in the event. The Cubs have much greater needs than paying big money to Contreras even on a short-term deal. He will turn 31 in May 2023. He belongs to a club that is ready to win right away.
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