With top bats demanding huge sums, a slugging veteran could fill the Cubs' power void without breaking the bank.
It’s almost certain that the Chicago Cubs will add an impactful bat this offseason. Which one remains to be seen.
The Cubs remain interested in Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, and Cody Bellinger. Acquiring any of those three players would be a massive get. They would elevate Chicago’s offense and really complete this team for the 2026 season.
However, each of those three players might want more money than the Cubs are willing to offer in free agency.
Bregman supposedly has a five-year, $160 million contract on the table from the Boston Red Sox. Bichette wants $300 million in free agency, and Bellinger is reportedly seeking a deal of $36-37 million annually for seven years.
Those high contract demands could lead the Cubs away from those three free agents. After all, the front office doesn’t usually like to hand out large contracts. This is a franchise that has never given out a $200 million contract in the team’s history.
Therefore, the North Siders could settle for a cheaper option in free agency.
That could be former Seattle Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Not many teams appear to be interested in the two-time All-Star, and he wouldn’t cost as much as some of the other free agents. Spotrac projects Suarez to sign a two-year, $29 million contract this winter.
The Cubs were said to be interested in Suarez earlier this offseason, but their focus seems to have shifted to some of the more high-level bats on the open market. If Chicago misses out on those players, the slugging third baseman would be a nice fallback option.
Suarez is coming off one of the better offensive seasons of his career in 2025. He hit .228 with 49 home runs, 28 doubles, and 118 RBI across 159 games. Those 49 home runs tied his personal best, while his 118 RBI were a career-high.
While Suarez will carry a low batting average throughout the season, his power in the middle of that Cubs lineup would be a difference maker. He has hit at least 30 home runs in six of the past seven seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 season).
With the Cubs losing Kyle Tucker in free agency, their lineup needs more power. Suarez could be that answer in the No. 5 or No. 6 spot in the order.
His addition also wouldn’t necessarily take away opportunities from Matt Shaw at third base. Since Suarez is a below-average fielder, the Cubs could make the slugger a primary designated hitter. Suarez and Moises Ballesteros could be in a sort of platoon swap at that spot in 2026.
That makes Suarez a potential cheap option for the Cubs to sign this offseason. He should be on the front office’s radar if the team doesn't land Bregman, Bichette, or Bellinger.