Chicago Cubs
2016 Committed Salary: $83.2 million
The Cubs have an opening in their outfield, with Dexter Fowler entering free agency. Gordon’s name has already cropped up in rumors surrounding the Cubs. Chicago will have plenty of money to spend, and Gordon should be their second target after ace David Price. The Cubs need to put some money to work while their rookies and young players are still cheap.
Gordon could be the piece that puts the Cubs over the top. The Cubs hit a lot of home runs and drew a lot of walks during the regular season, but went belly-up against the New York Mets because they were not aggressive enough at the plate. Gordon is not a walk machine, but he takes his fair share of free passes. What Gordon does do, is put the ball in play with enough regularity. While Gordon is not right out of the Daniel Murphy mold of making contact on nearly everything he swings at, his approach at the plate would really help the Cubs. The friendly confines of Wrigley Field are also sure to boost Gordon’s power numbers.
There are a few paths the Cubs could go down if they sign Gordon. The team is still in need of a centerfielder, unless they are willing to give Jorge Soler a shot to captain the outfield. Kris Bryant has also played center a few times last season. Fowler could be re-signed to play center, Soler could be traded, and Kyle Schwarber could slide to right. Javier Baez could also be converted to outfield.
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