Chicago Cubs Expected To Engage In Budget-Wise Offseason To Retool Lineup

Trea Turner leads the list of potential targets by the Chicago Cubs this winter. Denis Poroy/Getty Images

KEY POINTS

The Cubs have several players on their radar this offseason
The Cubs are expected to take in players who can help them contend next year
Aaron Judge is seen as a least priority target for the team

The Chicago Cubs are anticipated to be busy this MLB offseason and are reportedly eyeing several players to beef up their lineup.

However, they plan to spend wisely and take in only the players that fit into their budget.

Among the names mentioned as potential targets by the Cubs include shortstop Trea Turner, first baseman Jose Abreu and Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga according to NBC Sports Chicago insider David Kaplan.

However, the list of targets by the Cubs will not involve a couple of players although short-term deals are possible.

One of them is Aaron Judge, a player who's expected to be the main target of most teams in the offseason.

The New York Yankees are foreseen as a franchise that would exhaust all means to keep him away from teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, which allegedly determined to bid for the All-Star outfielder's services.

Aside from Judge, pitcher Jacob deGrom is also not high on the Cubs' list.

From the list of prospects, Turner was someone suggested instead of Carlos Correa.

Although the former World Series champion would make sense for Chicago, he does not have a qualifying offer attached to him and he is a year younger than Turner.

However, it would be foolish to overlook what Turner brings to the table.

He is coming off a fine season with the Dodgers, having a slash line of .298/.343/.466/.809 with 21 home runs and 39 doubles.

The two-time All-Star shortstop is likewise a 6+ WAR player last season per FanGraphs.

Through it all, the Cubs are expected to do all means necessary to be contenders in 2023.

However, that hinges on just how much Cubs' president of baseball operations Jed Hoyers is willing to shell out.

"We want to build something lasting and we want to build something that we're proud of for a long time," Hoyers said earlier this month in a report by ESPN.

"We want next season to look a lot more like our second half than our first half," Hoyer said, "and I think if it does, then we do have a chance to be in the race and play meaningful games throughout the entire season, and hopefully that means competing in October."