The Cubs’ place among the finalists for the Louisville Silver Slugger awards is a neat little snapshot of how dangerous their lineup was in 2026 - and a not-so-subtle reminder for Jed Hoyer about what comes next.
FanSided’s finalist list put Alex Bregman in the mix among National League third basemen, while Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong were also finalists in the National League. Chicago is in the running for the National League team honor as well, a fitting nod for a club that finished the year with one of the league’s best offenses.
That’s what makes the Cubs’ flat showing in the sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres in the National League Wild Card round so easy to overreact to. The bats disappeared when the season was on the line, but that series doesn’t erase what the offense did over the full year. If anything, it sharpens the bigger question facing Chicago this winter: how much of that production is actually coming back?
Hoyer has made his stance clear since the Cubs were knocked out last month. The offense, in his view, wasn’t the issue, and the front office is expected to spend most of the offseason addressing pitching. He’s already said the bulk of the work this winter will be on that side of the roster.
But the Silver Slugger recognition also highlights the possible problem with treating offense like a solved issue. Bregman and Crow-Armstrong are set to be back in 2027, which gives Chicago a strong base.
Beyond that, though, the picture gets murkier fast. Seiya Suzuki likely won’t be there, Ian Happ probably won’t be either, and Michael Conforto, Tyrone Taylor, and Carson Kelly could also be gone.
That’s a lot of production potentially leaving at once, and there isn’t a clean answer sitting in place right now.
Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez could take on bigger roles in the outfield, but both struggled badly against right-handed pitching. Miguel Amaya and Owen Ayers might form a workable catching tandem, though Amaya’s injury history and Ayers’ rookie status bring obvious risk. The bench would almost certainly need a makeover too, with Justin Dean and Gabriel Arias as the only established veterans in the mix.
There are also lingering concerns with the offense that already exists. Dansby Swanson’s regression has continued, Nico Hoerner has been inconsistent, and Michael Busch’s power dipped in 2026.
So while the Cubs are being recognized for one of the best offenses in baseball, the warning sign is right there too. Chicago could go from elite to vulnerable in a hurry, and Hoyer can’t afford to let that possibility slip by while he focuses on pitching. The Cubs still need established hitters, too.
In Other News...
Alex Bregman Just Gave Cubs Fans Real Reason To Believe
After missing out on him in free agency the year before, the Cubs finally landed Alex Bregman on a five-year deal and got the kind of middle-of-the-order presence they had been chasing. The start was quieter than anyone in Chicago probably wanted, but Bregman settled in and finished with a .265/.355/.464 line, 28 home runs and a 128 wRC+, production that put him among the better third basemen in the league and earned him a finalist spot for the National League Silver Slugger Award.
What matters most for the Cubs is how he closed the season, because the late surge did more than clean up the numbers. It gave the lineup a more reliable tone heading into 2027 and offered a reminder that the signing was about more than name value, with Bregman looking like a player who can anchor the offense when it matters most. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Suddenly Have More Pressure To Chase This Pitching Target
Kaima Taira is suddenly on the board, and that matters for a Cubs team still looking for more certainty in the rotation. ESPNs projection of a five-year, $72.5 million deal gives a sense of the market for the Japanese left-hander, who was cleared to negotiate with MLB clubs after leading NPB in ERA and ERA+ last season. For a Chicago team with both a need for starting pitching and the financial room to make a real bid, the fit is obvious.
The timing adds another layer of pressure. Because the NPB and MLB agreed to a modified posting window this offseason due to a pending lockout, teams have only 30 days to get a deal done, which compresses the process and rewards clubs ready to move quickly. The Cubs are viewed as a potential suitor, and if they want to stay in the conversation, they may need to act before the market tightens and the competition gets even more serious. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs May Finally Have A Real Shot At Freddy Peralta
Freddy Peraltas market is already drawing attention as the right-hander heads toward free agency, and the Cubs make a lot of sense as a team to watch. Chicago has been looking for more dependable starting pitching, and Peralta fits the kind of arm that can change the shape of a rotation if the price and term line up.
What makes him especially intriguing is the way his game has evolved, with his recent success giving clubs reason to believe there is still another level to tap into. The fit is obvious enough that speculation has already started to build around where he could land, but the real question for the Cubs is whether they are willing to move quickly enough to turn interest into a serious pursuit. [Read more 🡒]