Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs reportedly plan on having a new shortstop for the 2023 season.

"They are basically involved in all the main shortstops out there in free agency," MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported. "They are broadly active in terms of what we could see with the shortstop market. Carlos Correa is on their list, Trea Turner is on their list. Xander Bogaerts is on their list, as is Dansby Swanson. I think that the two main guys they're showing the most interest in right now are Correa and Turner."

Morosi went on to point out that the North Siders were interested in Correa ahead of the 2022 campaign as well. He also noted the shortstop has a "longstanding affinity for the Cubs and their history," making the team the "favorite" to land the coveted free agent at this point.

While Correa signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Twins last offseason, it featured an opt-out clause that he exercised with the final two years remaining.

That could end up being welcome news for the Cubs, who are looking to return to the form they demonstrated from 2015 through 2017 with three straight National League Championship Series appearances and one World Series crown.

They are coming off two successive losing seasons and have not had the star power to compete with the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central.

Correa is someone who could help change that with a resume that includes an American League Rookie of the Year, a World Series crown, two All-Star selections and a Gold Glove. He just slashed .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI this past season with the Twins.

Turner would be anything but a consolation prize considering he is a two-time All-Star with a World Series championship, batting title and Silver Slugger under his belt.

It is notable the Cubs seem locked in on the shortstop market considering Nico Hoerner was one of the few bright spots on the team in 2022. Yet the 25-year-old's versatility is one of the best things about his game, and the team could move him to second base if it means adding one of the premier shortstops on the market.

Chicago may need upgrades at starting pitcher, center field and first base as well if it is going to turn into a legitimate contender this offseason, but signing a star shortstop could help it significantly close the gap with the Brewers and Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs have officially released outfielder Jason Heyward after seven seasons with the team.

Heyward still had $22 million remaining on the initial eight-year, $184 million deal he signed ahead of the 2016 season, which ran through 2023. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer still said the team planned to move on at the end of the season.

"We want to give him a full offseason to be able to go out and find an opportunity," Hoyer said in August. "We'll go our separate directions at the end of the year."

The 33-year-old last played in June before going on the injured list with a knee injury. He finished the 2022 season with a .204 average, .278 on-base percentage and one home run in 48 games.

Over his tenure with the Cubs, Heyward posted a .245/.323/.377 slash line with 62 home runs in 744 games.

Despite his struggles at the plate, the veteran helped the team with his fielding—he won two of his five career Gold Glove Awards in Chicago—while providing valuable leadership in the clubhouse.

Heyward notably gave an inspiring speech during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, helping the Cubs win their first title in 108 years.

"He never stopped working. Never stopped trying to earn his contract," Hoyer said. "In a lot of ways the emotional leader of a group of players that broke the curse here."

With the Cubs now in the midst of a rebuild, it was time to move on from Heyward and instead play the younger talent in the organization.

The one-time All-Star could now seek a fresh start with a new team, although there could be a limited market for the light-hitting player.

Catcher Willson Contreras will become a free agent after declining the Chicago Cubs' $19.65 million qualifying offer, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Contreras, who will turn 31 years old in May, is a three-time All-Star who has spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Cubs. He had 22 home runs, 55 RBI and an .815 OPS in 113 games last season.

Heyman noted that Contreras "should do extremely well on the open market."

The Detroit Tigers already appear to have interest, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network:

The Houston Astros had been interested at the trade deadline, so much so that they and the Cubs agreed to a deal that would have sent starting pitcher Jose Urquidy to the Windy City pending ownership approval, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. But that approval never occurred.

Elsewhere, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote last month that "the Cardinals should strongly consider benefitting from the Cubs' loss" of Contreras.

Regardless of where Contreras winds up, that team will get one of the best offensive catchers in baseball.

Only two catchers with 300 or more at-bats last season had a better OPS than Contreras. One was his brother, William Contreras of the Atlanta Braves. The other was J.T. Realmuto of the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies. Willson Contreras is good enough at the dish to serve as a designated hitter, which he did 39 times last season.

The cost to sign Contreras certainly won't be cheap, though. Heyman reported in June that Contreras would "likely be seeking" a deal of more than $100 million over five years.

That could be worth it for a player of his caliber, and Contreras will be one to watch as the hot-stove season rolls on.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is the hottest name on the 2022 free-agent market. He racked up an American League record 62 home runs this season and will be paid handsomely for his power in the not-too-distant future.

The 30-year-old will be free to sign with a new team five days after the World Series ends.

Just about any team would be happy to have Judge's services in 2023, and the Chicago Cubs are no exception.

According to David Kaplan of ESPN radio and NBC Sports Chicago, though, he is likely to be out of the Cubs' price range.

"Now, if you said to me Aaron Judge said, ‘I just wanna be a Cub or a White Sock and I'll take five years at—pick the number—$45 million,’ I think both teams would be in play," Kaplan told Miller and Condon of KXNO 1460 on Wednesday. "Certainly the Cubs would be in play. But I’m hearing Aaron Judge wants, like, nine years at $50 million."

If Judge wants something close to or beyond $50 million per year, he's likely to get it. The Yankees want him back and the Los Angeles Dodgers are also interested, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The San Francisco Giants may ultimately outbid both New York and L.A, according to Randy Miller of NJ Advanced Media.

"The Giants have targeted Judge and are prepared to spend whatever it takes, a person with knowledge of the Giants’ thinking told NJ Advance Media after meeting with members of the franchise’s ownership group," he wrote.

If the Dodgers, Yankees and Giants—three franchises not shy about tossing around free-agent cash—are headlining the chase to sign Judge, the Cubs probably don't have a realistic shot.

However, this doesn't mean Chicago can't make a splash in free agency or get significantly better over the winter. According to Kaplan, the Cubs are very interested in adding longtime Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu to their rotation.

"Yeah, Cubs, José Abreu if the White Sox don’t bring him back, absolutely in play," he said. "I think they're looking for a short-term first baseman until they get something out of the system, whether that’s Matt Mervis or whoever."

While Abreu isn't going to scare opposing pitchers like Judge can, he would add a reliable bat to the lineup. He hit .304 with 75 RBI this past season and is a logical target if the White Sox are looking to move on.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, that may be the case.

"The White Sox loved having José Abreu the past nine years, and he has been nothing but a class act and valuable hitter, but they plan to part ways with him," he wrote last week. "Simply, they need to shake up their team."

Last month, Nightengale mentioned Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner as a Cubs target as well.

"Turner is expected to be the top free-agent target for the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, perhaps Atlanta, and yes, the Dodgers," he wrote.

The 29-year-old hit .298 with 21 homers and 100 RBI this past season. Theoretically, the Cubs could significantly upgrade their offense by adding both him and Abreu. Chicago may be able to do that at a lower cost than adding Judge alone.

According to Spotrac, Turner has an estimated market value of $33.6 million annually. The 35-year-old Abreu would be far cheaper, with an estimated market value of $9.1 million annually.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, that adds up to $42.7 million, just below the $45 million Kaplan mentioned as an agreeable price point for Judge.

And Turner is far from the only quality shortstop headed to market this year. Carlos Correa is likely to opt out, along with Xander Bogaerts. And 29-year-old Dansby Swanson is also slated to be a free agent.

Fans can and probably should expect Chicago to come away with one of these standout shortstops. Team president Jed Hoyer has committed to taking an aggressive approach to free agency.

"We'll be aggressive to try to fill those holes in the best way possible," he said, per Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago. " I think we can definitely compete next year, and we also want to create something lasting and special."

That effort to fill holes might also include a run at starting pitcher Jacob deGrom, according to Kaplan, and we can expect Chicago to target a few ancillary players as well.

The reality is that the Cubs, without a win in a playoff game since 2017, are already close. They showed a lot of promise down the stretch, finishing 39-31 over the final 70 games.

With a few new additions, they can make themselves a real threat in the National League, and they can do it without participating in the bidding war for Judge.

The Washington Nationals banned two fans from Nationals Park for five years after making inappropriate comments toward Chicago Cubs star Willson Contreras, according to the Chicago Tribune's Meghan Montemurro.

Following his team's 7-5 win over the Nationals on Tuesday, Contreras referenced an incident in which heckling by Nationals fans crossed the line:

Per Montemurro, the exchange came in the 10th inning. Contreras hit a sacrifice fly and began talking to one fan on his way back to the dugout. The report noted at least one fan was escorted away from their seat by security.

This comes two weeks after Kansas City Royals reliever Amir Garrett tossed his drink toward a fan behind the team's dugout during a game against the Chicago White Sox.

"Listen the disrespect is insane in these parks," Garrett wrote on Twitter in the immediate aftermath. "I really wish I could go to someone’s work and run my mouth. These are grown men talking slick. How miserable do you have to be with your own life?"

The southpaw subsequently apologized and received a three-game suspension, which is under appeal.

Contreras was rested for Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Nationals, with Yan Gomes getting the start at catcher.

The three-time All-Star has appeared in 98 games, batting .247 and slugging .455 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI.

Veteran outfielder Jason Heyward is set to find a new home this offseason.

Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer told reporters Monday that Heyward will not be on the team in 2023 despite having one year and $22 million remaining on his contract. Hoyer said there have been discussions with Heyward, who intends to keep playing, so Chicago will allow him to find a new team when the season is over.

Heyward, who is on the injured list with inflammation in his right knee, signed an eight-year, $184 million deal with Chicago in 2016. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Atlanta Braves and one year with the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Cubs.

The 32-year-old has appeared in 48 games this year and hit .204/.278/.277 with one home run and 10 RBI. Hoyer said Chicago is focused on giving playing time to its younger players going forward, which allows the team to move on from Heyward.

"Given where we are as an organization, trying to give guys like [Nelson] Velazquez and [Christopher] Morel, guys like that, playing time, and there'll be more guys like that that we want to give playing time, it felt like the right thing to do," Hoyer said.

The Cubs (43-64) are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third time in the last four years. Hoyer added that Heyward isn't completely happy with the situation, but as Chicago continues to make changes to its core, he understands the reasoning behind the decision.

"He doesn't like it, but he understands where we are. I think it's been a frustrating last year-and-a-half, a lot of the guys who were a big part of why he signed here were traded away," Hoyer said. "So I think it made sense for both of us and we've talked through it and we're in a good place with it."

Hoyer said he'd welcome Heyward back to the organization when he calls it a career, but he believes the five-time Gold Glove winner has a lot of playing time ahead of him.

"I'd welcome that, but I know he wants to play after this year," Hoyer said. "I always tell people, 'Make sure you know you're retired, make sure you know you're done,' and I think he's definitely not there, so I know he'll want to catch on with someone. And I hope for his sake, he has something left, because I think he has a lot to offer."

The Chicago Cubs designated veteran shortstop Andrelton Simmons for assignment Saturday after he was taken off the injured list, per Tony Andracki of the Marquee Sports Network.

Simmons had been on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder strain.

Simmons, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Cubs ahead of the 2022 season, struggled in Chicago during his brief stint with the team, hitting just .173 with seven RBI, eight runs and a .431 OPS in 34 games.

With Nico Hoerner taking over at shortstop this season, the 32-year-old Simmons—a four-time Gold Glove award winner at the position—was serving as a second baseman as much as a shortstop when he saw the field.

Add in a number of flexible infielders on the roster, including Patrick Wisdom, Christopher Morel and Zach McKinstry, and the Cubs had a logjam.

Cubs manager David Ross told reporters Saturday:

"There's no room for him, to be honest. Look, he's nothing but a pro, but this year hasn't gone the way any of us expected, starting off hurt with the shoulder. He's never had a shoulder issue in his career and just dealing with that and trying to come back. Phenomenal person, great professional. I'm going to miss him personally."

In his prime, Simmons was a wizard at shortstop who wasn't a top offensive option but also wasn't a slouch (he's slashed .263 /.312 /.366 for his career).

For teams needing an upgrade in the form of a platoon infielder, Simmons could be an intriguing option.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will compete in London, England for a two-game series in 2023, MLB announced Thursday:

The matchup represents a return of regular-season games in England following the 2019 series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees at London Stadium.

Like the last set of games, the 2023 version will feature bitter division rivals and should generate plenty of excitement for both local and international fans.

Each of the Yankees-Red Sox games drew an attendance of more than 59,000, which was the most for any regular-season game since 2003. The Cubs and Cardinals could expect similar numbers as two of the more famous franchises in baseball.

The Cardinals currently rank second in the majors in attendance this season while the Cubs rank seventh despite sitting in last place.

Another thing we can learn from the previous London series is fans should expect a lot of offense. The Yankees won the first game 17-13 and the second 12-8.

While it will be just the second time MLB will be played in Europe, the league has scheduled games worldwide during the international series with games in Japan, Mexico and Australia.

Games were played in London, Tokyo and Monterrey in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic limited travel over the past three years.

The international series is now back, with the World Baseball Classic also set to return in 2023.