Bellinger's status and more offseason questions for Cubs

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- After two straight years of missing out on the October stage, the task ahead for the Cubs remains to take the next step in constructing a playoff-caliber team.

“Consecutive 83-win teams, we have to push beyond that,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “But in terms of positioning this organization for success next year and success in the future, I feel great about where we are as an organization.”

Here are five questions facing the Cubs this offseason:

Will Cody Bellinger return in 2025?

The Cubs gave Bellinger the ability to opt out of his three-year, $80 million contract after each of the 2024 and '25 seasons. At the end of this past season, Bellinger insisted he still had not made a decision, noting that he wanted to discuss things with his family. His decision is due five days after the conclusion of the World Series.

When asked about Bellinger at a season-end press conference, Hoyer said the Cubs “expect him to have a lot of options” this offseason. Obviously, those options increase if Bellinger opts out and explores free agency. If he does take that route, it should give Chicago more flexibility with how it tries to add to the lineup in the coming months.

How will the Cubs address the lack of power in the lineup?

This is a bit of a conundrum that the club needs to solve. Overall, Chicago ranked 10th in the National League in slugging percentage (.393) and 11th in both home runs (170) and Isolated Power (.151). That said, the Cubs were much better on the road (.415 SLG and .159 ISO), compared to in Wrigley Field’s power-suppressing environment (.368 SLG and .142 ISO).

The Cubs can’t just hope the wind blows out more in 2025, though. Chicago will hope a full season of Isaac Paredes returning to form can add some slug, plus carry-over from the second-half surges by Miguel Amaya and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Depending on Bellinger’s decision, the Cubs can also target power via trade or free agency (Anthony Santander is an intriguing name hitting the market).

Will adding to the rotation be a priority?

The Cubs like the trio they have at the top in Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, plus the younger options behind them. But with Kyle Hendricks likely leaving, the team needs to add experienced depth to the starting staff. If Chicago is not going to play at the top of the hitter market, there will be some impact arms (Corbin Burnes and Max Fried among them) in free agency. That should be a priority this winter.

What other areas will the Cubs look to upgrade this winter?

Besides trying to inject some power into the lineup and adding an impact rotation piece, the Cubs will look to add to their catching and bullpen depth. While Amaya earned high praise for the strides he made in the second half, Chicago needs to shore up the catching tandem. The Cubs also experienced high in-season turnover in the bullpen. Building up more depth this winter looks like a must, given the missteps in that area last winter.

Which Top 100 prospect(s) will most likely impact the 2025 roster?

The Cubs gave Kevin Alcántara (Pipeline’s No. 6 Cubs prospect and No. 67 overall) a taste of The Show in the season’s final week. Expect him and outfielder Owen Caissie (No. 2/No. 34) to be in that next-man-up group behind the MLB outfield cast in 2025. Catcher Moises Ballesteros (No. 4/No. 44) will also very much be on the radar. Infielder Matt Shaw (No. 1/No. 22) could also push for his MLB debut if a need arises at second or third base.