With the majority of their financial commitments moving forward aligned with the expiration of the current CBA at the end of the 2026 season, the Chicago Cubs could do just about anything this offseason.
But all signs point to more of the same from Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer who, Kyle Tucker trade last winter aside, have been about as conservative and risk-averse as any team in the league, avoiding major free agent expenditures like the plague, despite being one of the most profitable teams in all of Major League Baseball.
So if Ricketts won't write the checks required to swim in the deep end of the free agent pool, Hoyer may have to look to the trade market to check off boxes this offseason.