Chicago Cubs Rumors: 3 Free Agent First Basemen On The Radar

The Chicago Cubs have a lot of stated needs this offseason: catcher, starting pitcher, shortstop, first base. In the case of the latter, now that Jose Abreu is off the board, their focus is on three free agents, as noted by Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. 

Josh Bell

The slugging former San Diego Padre and Washington National had a great start to the 2022 season with the Nats, but slumped badly once he arrived in Southern California at the trade deadline along with Juan Soto. But with an average of 27 HR over the last three full seasons, and a lifetime .810 OPS, the 30-year-old would be a big bat to plug into a Cubs' lineup badly in need of offense.

Trey Mancini

Another player who had a dreadful finish to the season after a deadline trade, Mancini can certainly offer some offensive punch. The 30-year-old has a career .265 average and .787 OPS.

Matt Carpenter

At ae 37, it's unknown how much Carpenter still has in the tank. The three-time All-Star was left on the scrap heap by the St. Louis Cardinals before this past season after two straight years of hitting below the Mendoza line. But he exploded back onto the scene with the New York Yankees at midseason, and was on a crazy tear in early August, hitting .305 with a 1.138 OPS and 15 HR. But a broken foot derailed his comeback story, and he wasn't able to recapture the magic when he returned for some at-bats in the playoffs. 

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