Why the Cubs Should Sign Infielder Ty France

MLB clubs and free agents are taking their sweet time wrapping up the 2025-26 offseason. The opening of spring training camps this week spurred a flurry of activity. The Cubs got in on the action Friday by agreeing to a multi-year contract with veteran right-hander Shelby Miller, who'll miss the 2026 season after undergoing elbow surgery earlier this offseason.

If the club wants to add more major-league pieces, the market's still very much open. If it isn't satisfied with the rotation, they'll need to move fast after Zac Gallen re-signed in Arizona. If it wants another bench bat, about a couple dozen are still unsigned, though that list shrank as well once Nick Castellanos signed with the Padres

There's a case for signing a number of players as spring training gets underway, but here's one specific name that should be on the Cubs' radar with camp shifting into high gear.

Why the Cubs should sign Ty France

France, 31, no longer plays around the infield, but his recent work at first base would make up for that. Last season, he won an American League Gold Glove at the position while playing for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays. His 10 outs above average (OAA) led the majors at the position, and his nine defensive runs saved (DRS) were third-most. His work in the field helped push him into positive fWAR territory (0.9). By comparison, Michael Busch posted minus-1 OAA and 2 DRS at first base for the Cubs last year. The right-handed hitting France could spell Busch against left-handers and be a defensive replacement/pinch-hitter the rest of the time. He makes decent contact -- he was in the 70th percentile in strikeout percentage last year and increased his contract rate on pitches in the zone by nearly three percent from 2024 to 2025. His barrel percentage keeps improving, too, as his 7.7 percent mark last season was the second-highest of his career.

Now, the negatives. France does not fit the Cubs' power-and-speed offensive philosophy. He's one of the slowest runners in the game (sixth-percentile foot speed, per Baseball Savant), and his SLG has declined over the past three years, ranging from .360 to .366 after spending a few seasons in the mid-.400s. He has posted 92 and 93 wRC+ the past two seasons, and his mark last year was a full-season career low. The glove work might be a mirage as well; he produced minus-12 OAA and minus-8 DRS in 2024.

Can that all be overlooked? Perhaps not, but if the Cubs can find a way to get him into camp on a low-risk (or non-guaranteed deal), any potential downsides would be mitigated. Their current first-base backup is Tyler Austin, who returned to the States in the offseason after playing six years in Japan. His potential contribution is a mystery. Austin is on a split contract, so the Cubs could option him to Triple-A Iowa if they decide to go in another direction. France could be that upgrade based on his latest glove work and bat-to-ball skills.