Three free agents Chicago Cubs could sign who are more realistic than Juan Soto

The Chicago Cubs are facing a pretty important and potentially expensive offseason this winter. Last year they brought in Craig Counsell as their manager, and expectations are high with Counsell.

After failing to be competitive in the NL Central in 2024, the Cubs have their eyes on the top free agents this season. One rumor has linked Chicago to Juan Soto, the crown jewel of this offseason. But realistically, the Cubs won’t be able to land Soto; they just won’t be willing to offer the money the Yankees or Mets want to.

So if the Cubs inevitably fail to sign Juan Soto, they should focus on more realistic options. Which three upcoming free agents are much more likely for Chicago?

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The Cubs need help at catching. That is a very well known fact as we enter the winter months. Chicago tried a lot of different options behind 25-year-old Miguel Amaya last year, but none really stuck. Christian Bethancourt was out at the end of the year, but with Bethancourt entering free agency, his days with the Cubs are likely over. That means Chicago will have to turn to a free agent catching option to provide Counsell with a solid backup in 2025.

The best possible option for the Cubs would be Danny Jansen because of how cheaply he could be acquired. The top two names on this list cost a pretty penny to acquire, so it’s best to try to keep the first name as cheap as possible.

Jansen slashed .205/.309/.349 last season while being an elite blocker on defense. His pop time isn’t great, but he has some of the best blocking skills in the game. The Cubs would sign him with the idea that they believe they can turn his career around as a backup to Amaya. If they think he’ll remain a .200-level hitter, they’d go with a guy like Elias Diaz, but the price tag makes Jansen the most sense.

If the Cubs want to go for an outfielder, and it’s likely they will, then Juan Soto is obviously the guy they want to bring in. But Chicago doesn’t have the money for such an expensive superstar. Instead, they could focus on a player who can provide serious offensive firepower while costing $25-30 million per season.

Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers could make sense here. Last year, Hernandez slashed .272/.339/.501 with 32 doubles and a career-high of 33 home runs. Chicago desperately needs more impact bats in their lineup, especially if they play in a park like Wrigley Field. Adding Hernandez would be a dream come true.

But Hernandez will likely have a very hot and active market this offseason. He signed a one-year “prove it” deal with the Dodgers and did exactly what he wanted to do: prove he deserved a long-term contract. Now teams like the Dodgers, Blue Jays and Orioles will be lining up to bring Hernandez to their doorstep over the next three to four seasons. The Cubs need to do what it takes to add another 30-homer bat to their lineup.

It was clear all season that the Cubs needed to add a slugger to their lineup. Not only that, but Chicago needed an everyday first baseman. This left them closely linked to New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso at the trade deadline. Ultimately, the Mets were too good to sell and decided to keep Alonso through the year.

Once the Mets’ season ends, Alonso will head to free agency. The Cubs will be one of the most aggressive teams in his market as he would be the dream player for them to land. Alonso is beating Major League pitching, posting a career slash line of .249/.339/.514 with an OPS+ of 134 and 226 home runs. Alonso averages 43 home runs per 162 games played.

Teams like the Mets and Mariners will be very aggressive in signing Alonso. The Mets will be aggressive against Juan Soto, so it’s hard to imagine they’ll find the money to try to land both Alonso and Soto.

However, Chicago needs to be the most aggressive in pursuing him. He would fill their biggest hole, and he would do it in a huge way. It’s much more realistic than trying to sign Soto.