The Chicago Cubs were missing one key ingredient in 2024: a middle-of-the-order bat.
While their starting pitching, defense, and baseline offensive numbers were decent enough, the Cubs lacked an aircraft carrier on offense. No batter had an OPS above .850, and their lineup was attackable because no individual was punishing pitching staffs.
In 2025, the Cubs know they need to add offense. It's the number-one thing that has kept them out of the playoffs when they were relatively close in each of the past two seasons. They have numerous options in free agency, but one reunion candidate could end up making the most sense.
Joc Pederson, who was only a Cub for half of the 2021 season, had a career year in 2024 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. But Zach Pressnell of FanSided strongly believes Pederson "won't be back" in Arizona in 2025, setting up the Cubs for a free agency steal.
"The Diamondbacks will likely pursue the idea of re-signing him, but they have more holes to fill and more players to re-sign and extend, so they will likely run out of money before they can get a longer deal signed with Pederson," Pressnell said. The most likely option is that Pederson plays in 2025 with a new team."
2024 was Pederson's best season yet by OPS. The 32-year-old slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 home runs in just 132 games, serving as the Diamondbacks' primary designated hitter against right-handed pitchers.
Because he is no longer a viable option in the outfield, the Cubs make sense for Pederson due to their abundance of young outfielders. Pederson was a platoon bat for the Diamondbacks in 2025, and the Cubs are perfectly set up to have him play the same role in Chicago.
With a long list of righties (Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, Isaac Paredes, switch-hitter Ian Happ), the Cubs' splits were far worse against right-handed pitching. Cody Bellinger opting in could clog the lineup for Pederson a bit, but Pederson is the better hitter currently.
It's time for the Cubs to bring in a left-handed thumper. Pederson might not be a true superstar, but he'd round out the lineup and give them a much better chance in the National League Central in 2025.
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