Should the Cubs Be in the Ty France Sweepstakes?

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Few ballplayers are more universally well-liked in clubhouses than Ty France. A tenacious competitor who also has one of the game's funniest, most varied, least safe-for-work repertoires of barbs for dugout jockey work, he keeps every team of which he becomes a part accountable, but he also keeps them loose. He'll have a job in the game for as long as he wants one, be it in broadcasting, coaching or elsewhere. He even got a longer leash during long periods of being relatively unproductive. In 2024, he got 535 plate appearances, despite being a first baseman with a .670 OPS. In 2025, his OPS only climbed to .680, and many first basemen on the wrong side of 30 would have been swept into the dustpan of the game for the short ride to the trash can. Instead, he got another 490 plate appearances and was traded to the contending Blue Jays, where he was a beloved part of a pennant-winning team.

It was only a mild surprise, then, that he found a job yet again in 2026, this time with his hometown Padres. France hadn't been a plus hitter since 2022, but he kept getting chances, because when the game likes you this much, you keep getting chances until there's no way anyone can justify it. Thanks to a 2025 American League Gold Glove Award for much-improved defense at the cold corner, France had at least some small foothold in the game, and the Padres had a glaring need for a complementary piece but not much money to spend on the spot.

The reunion of the player with his first organization and the return to the place where he played his collegiate ball were kismet. France had the kind of season everyone had waited for since that 2022 campaign, batting an almost-out-of-nowhere .295/.363/.502. Availing himself of the smaller strike zone wrought by the implementation of ABS, he walked more than is his norm. He tapped into his power more consistently, too, by generating more bat speed with a slight mechanical tweak and by swinging with greater conviction. France was a bit more patient at the front ends of at-bats, but more aggressive in deep counts, avoiding some strikeouts by making better use of his natural bat-to-ball skills.

Meanwhile, though he turned 32 in July, France also cemented himself as one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball. He put in exhaustive work on picking low throws and fielding short hops from teammates, allowing the 5-foot-10 endomorph to excel in that department despite his body type. He's rangy, experienced and great at communicating with his fellow infielders.

Now, France is a free agent again. Already, a low-grade sweepstakes is brewing, as teams clamor for a player with elite makeup and a resurgent stick. There will be no nine-figure bonanza, but it's safe to bet that France is looking for a multi-year deal at a solid, middling price point. Nominally, the Cubs have an incumbent at first base and no need to pony up for an aging veteran like France, but Michael Busch slugged just .393 in 2026. In 210 more plate appearances than France had, he hit one fewer home run. In 2027, the Cubs need a better plan for (if nothing else) shielding him from left-handed pitching. Could France be the right mixture of insurance policy and complement?

It would, seemingly, waste a little bit of value somewhere. Busch is an above-average first baseman, too, so if both France and Busch are on the roster, one leaks defensive value by finding some of their playing time at DH. France isn't a traditional lefty-masher, either. He has virtually no platoon split, for his career, though some of the adjustments that leavened his overall numbers in 2026 also led to more destruction against southpaws. That's ok, though. In the optimal version of the Cubs signing France, both he and Busch play at least 80% of the time; they needn't be in a standard platoon.

Another team is likely to have a sharper need for France's skills, and the Cubs need to be careful not to overpay for him. If (for instance) the bidding stretches to three years, Chicago should bow out. If France signs a relatively affordable deal, though, the Cubs should be interested in having it be with him. He's smart, dedicated and a huge plus off the field. Few teams value those things more highly than the Cubs do, and France also fits the team's short-term needs nicely on the diamond. They don't need to sign him, but France is one of several options they should explore as they try to round out their lineup, even as more of their focus rests on their weak pitching staff.