This team won free agency in 2023
Remember final offseason, when all eyes within the baseball world have been educated on rumors involving megastar free agent slugger Aaron Judge? And what a few pair of shortstops highlighting a deep free agent class at that place, Trea Turner and Carlos Correa? On the pitching market, we have been anxious to seek out out the place luminaries like Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodón would find yourself.
As we strategy the ultimate month of the common season, a lot of the aforementioned names are conspicuously absent from the highest tier of many leaderboards, together with wins above alternative.
Injury and/or underperformance have derailed these stars in 2023, together with a toe sprain that brought on Judge to overlook almost two months for the Yankees, Tommy John surgical procedure that ended deGrom’s season after six begins with the Rangers, and struggles on the plate for Turner with the Phillies and Correa with the Twins.
In their stead, we discover some comparatively stunning names from final offseason’s free agent class. Three of the highest 4 on the “free agent signing fWAR leaderboard” to this point in 2023 are all in the identical lineup, serving to to gasoline an inconceivable postseason push by the Cubs — Dansby Swanson (3.8 fWAR), Cody Bellinger (3.7) and Jeimer Candelario (3.6). The solely different free agent (re-)signing within the high 4 is Judge, whose 4 homers over his final three video games propelled him right into a tie with Swanson.
Top 2022-23 Free Agents by fWAR
1-T. Dansby Swanson, Cubs: 3.8
1-T. Aaron Judge, Yankees: 3.8
3. Cody Bellinger, Cubs: 3.7
4. Jeimer Candelario, Nationals/Cubs: 3.6
Preseason projections weren’t excessive on the Cubs as they continued their quest to return to sustained competition after buying and selling away most of their core from the 2016 World Series championship staff. FanGraphs, as an example, had Chicago going 78-84 this season, and ESPN had the North Siders going 75-87.
But the Cubs are 67-61, at the moment in possession of a National League Wild Card spot and 4 video games behind the first-place Brewers within the NL Central. Here’s a breakdown of how a trio of free brokers has impacted this membership throughout a shock surge that has it eyeing October.
Cubs banked on a Belli bounce-back, and it’s paying off
Bellinger was on his option to superstardom with the Dodgers, successful the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year Award and, two years later, the NL MVP Award. But then it began to unravel for the outfielder/first baseman — starting with the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, his manufacturing took a precipitous fall.
From 2020-22, Bellinger hit .203/.272/.376, main some to consider his greatest days have been already behind him. Many additionally questioned whether or not a shoulder harm ensuing from a post-homer celebration throughout the 2020 World Series was partly accountable.
A free agent for the primary time following the 2022 marketing campaign, the query was: Which staff will take an opportunity on a Belli bounceback?
In stepped the Cubs, signing Bellinger to a one-year, $17.5 million cope with a staff choice for 2024. That has confirmed to be a cut price to this point. Bellinger leads the membership in homers (20, tied with Patrick Wisdom), RBIs (68) and OPS (.906), and he’s second with 17 steals.
Dansby’s delivering
Swanson was one of many stars in a heavyweight class of free-agent shortstops final offseason, and the Cubs landed him with a seven-year, $177 million contract, the second-largest deal ever given out by the storied franchise.
So far, Swanson hasn’t upset. While his batting common (.245) has dipped from his profession 12 months in 2022, his on-base share (.331) and slugging share (.429) are nearer to final season’s figures. His subsequent homer may even put him over 20 for the third straight 12 months.
And defensively, Swanson has been pretty much as good as marketed. Entering Friday, his 14 Outs Above Average led all MLB gamers, no matter place.
He signed elsewhere, however this free agent is now serving to the Cubs
Candelario will be the greatest cut price of our trio when it’s all mentioned and finished. After he made his large league debut with the Cubs in 2016, Chicago traded him to Detroit, the place he performed for the Tigers via the ’22 marketing campaign.
The Nationals then signed Candelario to a one-year, $5 million free agent deal this previous offseason, and all he’s finished is put collectively what’s on observe to be a profession 12 months. His subsequent homer will tie his profession excessive of 19, and his .839 OPS is his highest in any full season.
The Cubs acquired Candelario earlier than the Trade Deadline, and in 21 video games with Chicago to this point, he’s hitting .319 with seven doubles, a triple and two homers.
Not excellent, however to this point, the Cubs are free company winners in 2023
Last February, as the recent range season drew to a detailed, we ranked the highest 10 groups that we felt had made the perfect offseason strikes. We had the Cubs ranked eighth, noting that Chicago was considerably improved by the Swanson signing, and that if Bellinger had a bounce-back season, this was a bunch that might compete for the postseason.
That’s precisely what’s occurred, although the method hasn’t all been clean. The Cubs additionally signed first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini, starter Jameson Taillon, reliever Brad Boxberger, first baseman Eric Hosmer and catcher Tucker Barnhart. Mancini, Hosmer and Barnhart have been all launched following underwhelming performances, Taillon has struggled to a 5.60 ERA, and Boxberger is on the 60-day injured listing.
Still, when you’ve three of the highest 4 free agent signings by WAR within the fold as you close to September — to not point out some low-key strikes which have additionally paid dividends, such because the signing of Mike Tauchman (he has a .759 OPS with seven homers in 295 plate appearances) — it’s protected to say you received the earlier offseason, notably while you’re in playoff competition.
That’s the place the Cubs discover themselves now, and so they hope that in October, they’ll discover themselves within the postseason thanks largely to a few gamers who have been elsewhere in 2022.
