It’s uncertain if the Chicago Cubs still want to improve at first base after Michael Busch put together a very impressive showing in his first full Big League season.
He isn’t arbitration eligible until 2027 and won’t hit free agency until 2030, so the Cubs would have a cheap option at first base who looks to be providing them value. That’s important moving forward for a team that needs to spend money, as they’ll need guys who don’t get paid much to play a factor in them winning games.
However, they may believe there’s a clear upgrade at the position, such as somebody like Pete Alonso, so it wouldn’t be the most surprising thing to see them go after him.
Alonso is set to get paid handsomely in the winter. Rightfully so, too, as there haven’t been many power hitters in baseball who’ve done what he’s done.
During his six-year career, outside of the COVID season, he’s hit at least 34 home runs in every campaign.
That includes three showings with 40-plus.
Typically, hitters like that get paid, and if Chicago wants to bring him in, they should expect to hand over a massive contract.
“According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, slugger Pete Alonso turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension offer from the New York Mets in June 2023. That offer was structured to closely resemble the final seven seasons of the eight-year, $168 million extension Matt Olson signed with the Atlanta Braves, while Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers was also part of the discussion. Olson is a Gold Glove defender, while Freeman is one of the best contact hitters in the game with an offensive profile that should age well. Alonso does not provide the same secondary value those players do and his extremely power-centric game is one that generally does not age well, so it’s hard to see a market where he commands anything beyond the extension offer he turned down.”
In some scenarios, $160 million for a first baseman would be tough to justify, considering there are many other needs in the lineup.
Unless Busch could slide over to a different position, which isn’t out of the question, that money might be better spent elsewhere.
There are some tough decisions to make this winter for the front office, so they have to be ready to go when the free agency period opens up.
