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Chicago Cubs Could Pursue Premium Shortstops Xander Boegarts, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa in Free Agency

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The Chicago Cubs have a problem, and for once in 2022, it’s a good problem. They have too many middle infielders.Though Nick Madrigal has faltered mightily this year, he’s due for a rebound, and he plays great defense at second base. Meanwhile Christopher Morel has made 38% of his starts at second or shortstop in his rookie season, though he’s perhaps more apt at third base and as a utility piece.And lest we forget Nico Hoerner, the Cubs’ most valuable player by WAR in 2022. Hoerner has strung together back-to-back productive offensive seasons for the first time in his career, exemplifying the consistency the Cubs can expect from him in the future.Of course, his defense comes at an even higher premium. Among all Major League shortstops, he ranks second in outs above average, trailing only Dansby Swanson.So given all those reasons to keep Hoerner as the face of the franchise at shortstop, why are the Cubs suddenly talking about moving him back to second base? Cubs manager David Ross spoke about his shortstop on Sunday to Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Sun-Times. “If something works out where they identify a middle infielder that is of value that they feel fits very well, everybody is on board with that, including myself and Nico,” Ross said of the front office pursuing a new shortstop.Gonzalez then mentioned four shortstops whom the Cubs could end up eyeing this winter: Xander Boegarts, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson and Carlos Correa.Scroll to ContinueRECOMMENDED ARTICLESRoss’ words indicate that the possibility of free-agent splashes has been discussed. Of course, the front office would rather keep their intentions unknown, but someone special must arrive in Chicago to move Hoerner off shortstop, a possibility Ross is all of a sudden considering. The Cubs have put themselves in a position to spend. Unlike the other rebuilding teams in the National League Central, the Cubs consider their rebuild more of a ‘retool’.There is talent on the roster at Wrigley Field, both young and old. Between Hoerner, Morel, Ian Happ, Franmil Reyes, Seiya Suzuki, Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, Adrian Sampson, Brandon Hughes and others, there reason for optimism in the near future. With Pete-Crow Armstrong waiting in the wings as well, the Cubs are looking to compete sooner rather than later.Players like those shortstops mentioned above will come on a long-term deal. Even if the Cubs are not challenging for the NL Pennant in 2023, whoever they sign will be around for nearly a decade, if not more.Inking Turner, Boegarts, Swanson or Correa would signal the end of the darkest days of the Cubs’ rebuild. Once again, the Cubs are looking to be competitors.More From SI’s Inside The Cubs

  1. Could Mike Trout Request a Trade to the Chicago Cubs?
  2. Did David Robertson Net the Cubs a Future Star in Ben Brown?
  3. Hoerner is the Cubs Shortstop of the Future
  4. Cubs Could Give Canario a Shot in September
  5. Could the Cubs Land Trea Turner in the Offseason?
  6. Chicago Cubs Have a New Top Prospect in Their Rankings
  7. Is This Top Cubs Prospect Destined for the Mound at Wrigley?
  8. Steele Offers Glimpse Into Future of Cubs Rotation
  9. Do the Chicago Cubs Have the National League’s Best Bullpen?
  10. Can Christopher Morel be a Long-Term Solution in Center Field?

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SF Giants would “love” to add a top shortstop in free agency

SF Giants would “love” to add a top shortstop in free agency

The SF Giants front office plans to be big players in free agency this winter, according to a report by USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale. In Nightengale’s weekly notebook, he included a section on the Giants. He wrote that San Francisco “vows to spend big money in the offseason.” He added, “they would love to grab one of the prized [free-agent] shortstops on the market [this offseason] if they can’t land the big fish, Aaron Judge.” Nightengale does have a questionable history of reporting, but he remains well connected throughout the game. It’s hard to know how close Nightengale’s sources in professional baseball are to the Giants organization. However, at the very least, he is echoing an industry perception of their plans.With that said, Judge remains the face of the Yankees for now. If he lands elsewhere, the Giants will still need to acquire a premium bat. Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner was already one of five stars that we said the Giants should target this offseason. One of the 15 best players in the league, Turner has not posted an OPS in a season below .830 since 2017 and has averaged 27 homers and 36 stolen bases per 162 games over that span.Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts looks out to the crowd as he walks back to the dugout.James A. Pittman-USA TODAY SportsFour-time All-Star Xander Bogaerts and two-time All-Star Carlos Correa are expected to opt out of their contracts at the end of this season, adding two more premium shortstops to the open market. Bogaerts is currently leading the American League in batting average and has a .303/.375/.512 triple-slash over the past five seasons. Correa is currently on pace for the sixth season of his career with at least 20 home runs and has a .278/.355/.453 line. Rounding out the impressive collection of shortstops is Dansby Swanson. A key clubhouse leader during Atlanta’s World Series run last season, Swanson would be the latest Giants acquisition to have played college baseball at Vanderbilt. Swanson is currently leading MLB in games played for the second-straight year and is hitting .283/.338/.445 with 30 doubles and 19 home runs.Scroll to Continue Nightengale did not elaborate on what adding one of the top free-agent shortstops would mean for current Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford. Crawford is under contract through next season after signing a two-year, $32 million extension last year. The 12-year veteran had a career year in 2021, hitting .298/.373/.522 with 24 home runs (all career highs). He finished fourth in National League Most Valuable Player award voting at the end of the year and seemed to have reached a new level in his mid-30s. SF Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford looks off the distance while sitting in the dugout.Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY SportsHowever, Crawford has regressed offensively in 2022. His OPS has dropped to .652 this season and more advanced statistics, like xBA and xSLG suggest Crawford’s drop in productivity is not due to bad luck but significantly worse performance.Defensively, Crawford still ranks among the best shortstops in the league. While that makes him a more valuable player, it also makes adding another premium shortstop more complicated. Crawford could try to move to third base and form the left-handed side of a platoon with Evan Longoria. But that would seem to be robbing him of his most valuable contributions. Furthermore, third base might be the Giants’ deepest position on the infield, with Longoria, J.D. Davis, and David Villar all looking like viable options for next season.Given the logjam of players on the left side of the infield, Turner is probably the easiest fit of the group. While Turner is a fantastic defensive infielder, he has also shown above-average defensive ability in center field. Considering the questions throughout the Giants outfield, Turner could easily solidify their outfield in 2023 before shifting back to shortstop if Crawford is no longer on the team the following season.It could also make sense for a big signing to replace Thairo Estrada as the Giants’ everyday second baseman. While Estrada has been a valuable contributor for manager Gabe Kapler this season, his overall offensive numbers are right around league average. Moving Estrada to the bench could make it easier for the Giants to give the aging Crawford more consistent rest while also putting less pressure on Estrada’s bat.The SF Giants rumor mill has only just begun this season. Coming off a disappointing year, the pressure is going to be on Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to make some big splashes this offseason. Fans would love to see Aaron Judge in a Giants uniform next year, but Bob Nightengale is suggesting that one of the bigger name shortstops on the free-agent market could instead be the Orange and Black’s biggest signing this winter. .