Are the Chicago Cubs giving up on the 2027 outfield?

The Chicago Cubs need pitching. That’s the story of the team’s offseason—and rightfully so.

The Cubs’ entire end-of-season starting rotation—Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, David Peterson—has headed off into free agency. What’s left behind—Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Javier Assad—is full of questions and doubts due to injury and/or inconsistency.

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There’s talk that Chicago would like to add three starting pitcher this offseason, but that at least two is a must if the team is serious about competing in 2027.

At the same time, the Cubs will be seeing their main catcher Carson Kelly leave, as well as four outfielders—starting corner outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki as well as bench assets Michael Conforto and Tyrone Taylor.

While their stated focus on pitching is necessary, the team can’t afford to let so many key position players go. With so much to do this winter/spring, however, it looks as though Chicago may be deciding to let one of their needs go attended in order to place more attention on rebuilding their pitching staff.

Giving up on the outfield?

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Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic recently wrote about the likelihood that the front office will let Happ and Suzuki walk this offseason and might also abstain from bidding on the biggest free agent outfield name after Suzuki.

Per Sharma:

“While possible, a return for either Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki does not appear likely, or at least not a priority…

Happ shouldn’t be completely ruled out. If his market doesn’t materialize in the way he expects, there is a world in which Happ returns to Chicago on a short, affordable deal. Suzuki is viewed as one of the top position players on the market. Unless his market craters, a return won’t happen. And bringing in the other top free-agent outfielder, Randy Arozarena, isn’t in the cards, either. The Cubs will monitor the situation with Teruaki Sato, but early expectations are that it will quickly get to a level that doesn’t make sense for them.”

Going with Shaw and Ramirez

Sharma writes that Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez—two natural infielders pegged for utility duty by the Cubs—could be asked to man the corner outfield spots. He also mentions the tough decision to place two inexperienced young players in key positions while also trying to compete for a playoff spot.

Chicago doesn’t have many outfield options beyond Shaw and Ramirez at the moment. Kevin Alcantara always appears to be on the verge of breaking through to next-level success, but he can never quite stick at the major league level. Meanwhile, the team’s trio of legit outfield prospects—Josiah Hartshorn, Kane Kepley, Ethan Conrad—won’t likely be major league ready by next season.

Cubs insider Ken Rosenthal Cubs recently appeared on the Foul Territory podcast and affirmed the difficulties facing the team when it comes to left field and right field this coming season:

“They can play Matt Shaw out there. They can play Pedro Ramirez, potentially out there, although he’s more of an infielder, as is Shaw, really. Neither one has a great arm, but they are options for the Cubs. At the same time, they’re going to have to be active and, again, as we’ve stated time and time again this offseason, this is not a great free agent class.”

Whatever the Cubs decide, it’s going to be hard to fill all the team’s current roster holes. This offseason may be a case of doing what they can and hoping for the best.

The post Are the Chicago Cubs giving up on the 2027 outfield? appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-2027-outfield-suzuki-happ-shaw-ramirez/