The Wish List

As Christmas gets left behind in the rearview mirror, stores begin to put their 2013 inventory on sale, trying to find a home before it’s too late. The same goes for free agency, where Major League Baseball  players try to find a new team before the clock strikes 2014.

One of the quieter teams on the market this offseason has been the Chicago Cubs. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer of been models of focus, not letting the likes of Robinson Cano or Shin-Soo Choo distract them from their goal. The goal is simple: young talent that blooms into Major League level production.

The Cubs are not short on raw talent. At every position on the diamond, there is a young Cubs prospect with the potential to become an perennial all-star. The likes of Jorge Soler in the outfield, Mike Ott and Kris Bryant at third, and even the big leaguers Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro are the stars that, if all goes according to plan, will lead the Cubs into the future.

The problem is, though, that the roster that is going to take the field in 2014 looks exactly like the one that lost 96 games last season. The only changes are the addition of a closer in Jose Veras, and the swapping of fourth outfielders with the acquisition of Justin Ruggiano.

During the Epstein administration, there has been a focus on attracting low to mid-level free agents to sign to minor-league contracts with Spring Training invitations.  This year, though, there is one area of the picture that is in need of drastic help: experience. Not a single Cubs position player has any post-season experience, with the exception of Nate Schierholtz, who won a championship with the Giants. That being said, there still remain some free agents on the market who the Cubs could sign for little to no real money, and who could provide assistance at key positions in the organization.

The top three options—

Michael Young (Infielder): Michael Young was a key part of two Texas Rangers teams that made it to the World Series. He plays every infield position, and brings above average defensive play alongside a career batting average of .300. While his 37 years of age may be a red flag, his leadership and experience are what the Cubs are really after. Plus, with his utility infield abilities, he can serve as a protection plan against any position that may not pan out. He can offer guidance and mentoring to the young Cubs, as well as to provide some pop of his own. Young is also a fan favorite, who can serve to add some excitement to an organization that has a few too many questions, and not nearly enough answers.

Jair Jurrjens (Starting Pitcher): In his years with the Braves, Jurrjens proved to be a fireballing righthander. At only 27, the potential is still there. The Cubs would not be taking a considerable financial risk to sign him, but the upside could be great. With a career win percentage of 59%, he knows what it means to be successful. This would be an easy investment with hug upside, and the Cubs could use another arm to give Arrieta and Rusin some competition in the back end of that rotation.

Andres Torres/Laynce Nix/Reed Johnson (Outfield): All of these outfielders have very different approaches to solving the same problem. The Cubs have very little outfield depth that is game-ready right now, and these players could each serve as a stopgap to fill the void and provide some education for the younger players on the Cubs. Torres provides speed, Nix a bat that can both hit for power and contact, whereas Reed Johnson has experience playing in Chicago. None of these players will cost much money, and can provide excellent experience.

The Cubs have, to this point, felt as though no solution is better than the wrong solution. There are things, though, that can be done to make the offseason effective at turning a young, raw Cubs team into a contender not too far down the road.