Article: The Top 20 Chicago Cubs Player Assets of 2024: Part 3 (6-10)

[Seth Stohs]

Today, we jump into the Top 10 of our Cubs Player Assets rankings heading into the 2024 season. Today's group is where things get interesting. How do we compare players with three or more years of 10-digit annual salaries to players with team control and far lower salaries?

Image courtesy of @David Banks, USA Today

The Cubs are a big-market team with a $250-million annual budget. Their response to this question is likely different than it might be for a team with a budget half that size. The goal is the same. Who provides more value to a team looking to win a championship (or championships)?

For a more thorough explanation of these rankings and how they are developed, check out Part 1’s introduction post. The shortened version: Which players in the Cubs organization are most crucial to developing a championship-caliber team? To rank the Cubs players and prospects, we consider age, contract status, years of control, ceiling/potential, and more.

To recap Part 1 and Part 2, here are the players who ranked 11-20: 

20. Ben Brown, RHP
19. Alexander Canario, OF
18. Kyle Hendricks, RHP
17. Owen Caissie, OF
16. Kevin Alcántara, OF 
15. Seiya Suzuki, OF 
14. Adbert Alzolay, RH RP
13. Michael Busch, IF
12. Javier Assad, RHP
11. Jordan Wicks, LHP 

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10. RHP Jameson Taillon (32) 
In 2010, the Pirates made Jameson Taillon the second overall pick in the draft out of high school in Texas. He moved up the ladder quickly, reaching Triple A in 2013. However, he started fighting injuries and missed the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He returned in 2016, and was dominant in 10 Triple-A starts before getting called up. He made 25 starts or more in 2017 and 2018. Then, in 2019, he got hurt again and made just seven starts. Before 2021, he was traded to the Yankees and went 22-11 over his two years there. 

Last offseason, the Cubs signed him to a four-year, $68-million contract. After making $14 million in 2023, he will make $18 million each of the following three seasons. In 2023, he went 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA. He made 29 starts (and one relief appearance). In 154 1/3 innings, he walked 41 and struck out 140 batters. 

The Cubs are betting on Taillon being able to stay healthy. He had made 29 or more starts each of the past three seasons after not pitching in 2020. However, he hasn’t thrown more than 177 1/3 innings in any of those three seasons. He also has averaged just 8.2 K/9 in that time. However, with Taillon, there has always been an expectation of more. Maybe it is because of his draft spot, size, and fastball. But at this stage, Taillon is what he is. The Cubs and their fans can hope for more, and maybe it is still there, but with that much contract left, the hope should be for him to remain healthy and pitch like a solid third starter. 

9. 2B Nico Hoerner (26) 
The Cubs selected Nico Hoerner with the 24th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Stanford. He quickly moved up and made his debut in 2019 with 20 games. In 2021, he missed significant time due to injury, but in 44 games, he hit .302. In 2022, he played 135 games and hit .281 with a .737 OPS. He hit 22 doubles, five triples, and 10 home runs. That year, he did a very nice job as a shortstop and was a 4.0 fWAR player. (4.7 bWAR).  

The Cubs signed Dansby Swanson to a huge contract last offseason to take the reins at shortstop. Hoerner moved to second base, and before the season, the Cubs locked him up to a three-year, $35-million extension that bought out one year of free agency. Hoerner responded by playing 150 games and hitting .283 with a .729 OPS. He hit 27 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs. He stole 43 bases. He also won his first Gold Glove Award. While his OPS+ was just 97, he was worth 4.7 fWAR (5.1 bWAR, top on the team).

8. OF Ian Happ (29) 
Cubs fans likely remember the end of the 2022 season, when video inside the Cubs dugout showed Ian Happ and Willson Contreras embracing. Everyone understood that it might be the final day in a Cubs uniform for both of them. Contreras signed elsewhere, but Happ wasn't dealt last winter and, last spring, signed an extension to stay with the Cubs through the 2026 season. He is owed another $58 million.

However, Happ is still just 29 years old and playing as well as ever. He was an All-Star in 2022. He has won a Gold Glove each of the past two seasons. While Happ may not have as high a ceiling as some, he has been remarkably consistent throughout his career. He was the Cubs top pick in 2015 out of Cincinnati. He debuted less than two years later, in mid-May of 2017.

Over the past three seasons, he has played at least 148 games and had at least 149 strikeouts. However, in 2023, he walked 99 times, almost 30 more than his previous career-high. The Cubs do have some depth working their way up the organizational ladder, but as long as Happ stays healthy, he’ll remain in the lineup almost daily. 

7. DH Christopher Morel (24) 
Christopher Morel signed with the Cubs back in 2016. He gradually worked his way up the ladder. He spent most of 2021 with Double-A Tennessee. That’s where he began the 2022 season, but after 28 games, he hit .306 with five doubles and seven homers. The Cubs called him up to the big leagues and let him play in 113 games. He struggled to make contact (137 K, 425 PA) but hit a reasonable .235/.308/.433 (.741) with 19 doubles, four triples, and 16 home runs. He played center field (57 games), second base (33), third base (18), shortstop (13), and one game in left field. 

With Cody Bellinger's and Dansby Swanson's additions, Morel began the 2023 season in Triple-A Iowa. He dominated the PCL in April, and after 29 games, he hit .330 with nine doubles and 11 home runs. He returned to the big leagues with nothing more to prove in the minor leagues. In 107 games, he hit .247/.313/.508 (.821) with 17 doubles and 26 home runs. Again, he struck out a lot (133 K, 429 PA), which is some strong power production. Primarily, he was the Cubs DH, but he got in games at second base (19), center field (12), left field (8), right field (8), third base (5), and shortstop (2). In the Dominican Winter League this offseason, he primarily played third base and a little shortstop. 

With his youth and team control at pre-arbitration and arbitration prices and the type of power production he provides, Morel has to rank high on this list. However, if he is “just a DH,” it likely moves him down several spots. With Pete Crow-Armstrong potentially getting time in center, and the addition of Michael Busch, DH duties might be his calling. That’s particularly true if the Cubs add one more high-priced free agent, something they are at least rumored to be considering.  

6. LHP Shota Imanaga (30) 
The Cubs got creative with their contract with the lefty from Japan this month. Officially, he signed a four-year, $53 million deal with an option for the 2028 season. However, after the 2025 season, the Cubs can give him a new contract to get paid $57 million over three years. If that’s the case, it’s a five-year, $80 million deal. If the Cubs decline that three-year contract, Imanaga can take a one-year, $15 million contract for 2026. In that case, the Cubs would have a different team option after that season. It's complicated yet set up so that if Imanaga pitches well, the Cubs will happily pick up the option and pay him more. If he doesn’t transition well to the big leagues, it’s just a three-year deal at reasonable dollars. But if he pitches well that third year, the Cubs can keep him, which they want to do. Uffdah! 

Shota Imanaga debuted for the Yokohama Bay Stars in the Japan Central League as a 22-year-old in 2016. Over eight seasons, he is 64-50 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. He pitched a total of 1,002 2/3 innings. Looking at his stat lines over those eight seasons, I wanted to see if he’s been improving over the years. Yet, he has been remarkably consistent from year to year, typically with an ERA just below three and just over a strikeout per inning.  

When acquiring a player from a foreign league, there will always be questions about how he will transition to the big leagues. The next question for the Cubs is just how good he can be. Can he be the team’s #2 or #3 starter? Will he be a back-of-the-rotation starter? Could he be a long-reliever/spot starter? If he can team with Justin Steele as a high-quality starter, the Cubs are in a good position, especially when someone like Jordan Wicks or Cade Horton joins the rotation full-time. 

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That’s all for today’s installment of five players. In the coming days, I will return and continue the countdown with our picks for the top five Cubs player assets heading into the 2024 season. For now, let me know what you think of the choices for 6-20. Would you rearrange any of them? Do any of them jump out to you? 

20. Ben Brown, RHP
19. Alexander Canario, OF
18. Kyle Hendricks, RHP
17. Owen Caissie, OF
16. Kevin Alcantara, OF
15. Seiya Suzuki, OF
14. Adbert Alzolay, RH RP
13. Michael Busch, IF
12. Javier Assad, RHP
11. Jordan Wicks, LHP
10. Jameson Taillon, RHP 
9. Ian Happ, OF
8. Nico Hoerner, 2B 
7. Christopher Morel, UT
6. Shota Imanaga, LHP

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[jersey cubs fan]

I guess I don’t get the premise if Kyle Hendricks is a top 20 asset and Morel is top ten. Hendricks is holding down a spot until better options are ready, and Morel doesn’t have a spot 

[Guest234]

Correct!

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

I guess I don’t get the premise if Kyle Hendricks is a top 20 asset and Morel is top ten. Hendricks is holding down a spot until better options are ready, and Morel doesn’t have a spot 

Well, I think they come to their value in very different ways. Hendricks has immediate, though underwhelming, value in the here and now. He was pretty good in 2023 and helped the team remain competitive.

Morel's value is (possibly) less in the here and now but has value well beyond Hendricks. Whether that's with the Cubs or another team remains to be seen.

Personally, I don't know where to put Morel on this list. It's all subjective based on what you think of him and opinions vary wildly on the guy.

[squally1313]

I'm kinda the resident Morel hater and if the MLB forced the Cubs to put up one player for an expansion draft, Hendricks or Morel, I would 100% want Hendricks gone. 

[jersey cubs fan]

1 hour ago, squally1313 said:

I'm kinda the resident Morel hater and if the MLB forced the Cubs to put up one player for an expansion draft, Hendricks or Morel, I would 100% want Hendricks gone. 

I wasn’t claiming Hendricks was more valuable, than morel,  I was surprised how he’s top 20 in the organization. He’s a well compensated guy running on fumes, and you couldn’t get anything of value in a trade. If this organization is as deep as some people believe, there have to be more valuable players assets than him. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

3 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

I wasn’t claiming Hendricks was more valuable, than morel,  I was surprised how he’s top 20 in the organization. He’s a well compensated guy running on fumes, and you couldn’t get anything of value in a trade. If this organization is as deep as some people believe, there have to be more valuable players assets than him. 

There's also value in wins today, that was kinda my point. Hendricks isn't flashy but if he's healthy, he's useful on a competitive team. The list isn't only about trade value but also production on a competitive team today.