The end of 2023 came and went, and the Cubs had yet to acquire any players on major-league deals this offseason. It’s on their list of new year’s resolutions to be sure.

On Friday afternoon, they broke the trend, announcing they’d claimed catcher Brian Serven off waivers from the Rockies. Serven has played in 73 major-league games over the last two years, batting .195 in that time. He adds depth to a catching group — always a valuable commodity at that position — that is led by veteran Yan Gomes and up-and-comer Miguel Amaya.

Even with Serven’s addition, the Cubs remained the only team that had yet to add to their 40-man roster via free agency or trade this offseason. Some of the players they have signed to minor-league deals with spring training invitations — they officially added right-hander Colten Brewer to that list Friday — could end up on the 40-man roster at some point this year. But that’s hardly consolation for a fanbase eager to see how the Cubs are planning to avoid another playoff whiff. 

The Cubs – from president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins, to manager Craig Counsell – will be fielding plenty of questions from fans and media members alike next week at Cubs Convention if they haven’t made a splash on the market by then. 

This time last year, the Cubs had finalized all their major signings; Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon all attended 2023 Cubs Convention. But the market moves in unpredictable ways every year. 

It’s worth remembering that the offseason has been slow overall, held up by first Shohei Ohtani’s free agency and then Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s. The highly sought-after free agents both went to the Dodgers before the new year. 

Despite the turn of the calendar, the Cubs still have plenty of options. 

Their most pressing need is a power bat – someone to help replace Bellinger’s production last year. Well, Bellinger has yet to sign anywhere, topping the free agent hitter rankings. 

The Cubs had to reevaluate their starting pitching depth after Marcus Stroman opted out of the last year of his contract, and there are plenty of starting pitchers available though both free agency and trade. 

The team needs to fortify its bullpen, which Hoyer said would be a high priority, but the relief market tends to move late in the offseason and into spring training. 

Starting pitching

As of Friday afternoon, the free agent starting pitching ranks still included notable names like Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Shota Imanaga (whose posting period closes Jan. 11). Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber and Corbin Burnes have been among the pitchers rumored to be trade candidates this offseason. 

It’s unclear exactly how much the Cubs will be willing to commit to starting pitching, with some promising performances from young pitchers like Jordan Wicks this year, and more talent on the cusp of the major-leagues. But it’s difficult to project how any player – pitcher or hitter – will adjust to the big-leagues. The surer bet is to add a more experienced arm, even if not a pitcher in the free agency top tier. 

Offense

Bellinger, though the clear darling of the free agent hitting market, isn’t alone. Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson and J.D. Martinez were among the big boppers still looking for their next landing spot as of Friday. 

Still, Bellinger makes a compelling fit for the Cubs – not to mention the other way around – in terms of familiarity, positional need, and recent success. 

Bringing him back could allow the Cubs to ease in top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong at center field, while giving the team another option at first base. And later in his contract, Bellinger could shift to playing more first base. But it is yet to be seen whether that theoretical timeline would fit with Bellinger and his agent Scott Boras’ contract asking price. 

Somehow the Cubs are going to have to fill the hole at first base, and they could even benefit from adding to their options at third. Two other Boras clients, first baseman Rhys Hoskins and two-time platinum glove third baseman Matt Chapman, could be natural fits. But if the Cubs do pursue them, there’s no promise of a speedy offseason finish. Boras has a track record of successfully leveraging his own patience.

Bullpen

The Cubs are returning a core of young back-end relievers in Adbert Alzolay, Mark Leiter Jr. and Julian Merryweather. And last year hard-throwing rookies like Daniel Palencia and Luke Little got a taste of the majors. But it was clear at the end of the year, as the bullpen sustained a series of injuries, that the Cubs didn’t have enough high-leverage depth. 

Counsell, known for his bullpen management acumen, should make an impact. But the Cubs will need to supplement last year’s group with depth and experience.