MLB.com is keeping track of all the latest Cubs-related free agent and trade rumors right here.
Jan. 11: Did Cubs just acquire their starting first baseman?
The Cubs stayed busy after finalizing a four-year deal with left-hander Shōta Imanaga earlier on Thursday, reaching a trade with the Dodgers for Michael Busch (MLB Pipeline's No. 44 overall prospect) and Yency Almonte.
Chicago's acquisition of Busch is especially intriguing as it relates to the team's free-agent pursuits, with The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma (subscription required) reporting that Busch is expected to enter Spring Training as the team's primary first baseman.
The Cubs have been pursuing Cody Bellinger and Rhys Hoskins, two of the top first-base options on the first-agent market this offseason, but the move to land Busch could cause Chicago to focus its resources elsewhere, perhaps toward signing third baseman Matt Chapman, starter Jordan Montgomery or closer Josh Hader, three other free agents to whom the Cubs have recently been connected.
Bellinger played center field more often than first base for the Cubs in 2023, but as Sharma notes, the team considers top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong (No. 12 overall) to be its center fielder of the future. So if they do re-sign Bellinger, it would likely be as a first baseman.
Jan. 10: Cubs reportedly in talks with numerous top free agents
With the Cubs adding left-handed starter Shōta Imanaga on a four-year deal, what will be Chicago's next move? It appears the club is exploring many options at the top of the free-agent market.
According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden (subscription required), the Cubs remain engaged in negotiations with Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman and Rhys Hoskins. Per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Cubs are also a potential suitor for Josh Hader.
On Wednesday, MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi considered the Cubs as a match for Hader. He would be reunited with Craig Counsell, who was the Brewers' manager for the first five seasons of Hader's big league career.
The one clear obstacle between a possible Cubs-Hader marriage is the pitcher's desired contract. The 29-year-old is seeking a deal worth more than the record five-year, $102 million pact Edwin Díaz signed with the Mets in November 2022. Feinsand writes that the Cubs haven't "shown the inclination to pay his asking price."
Cubs Trade Rumors and Latest News – MLB.com
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