The Cubs have been active in trade discussions this offseason.
DALLAS — Superstar Juan Soto’s signing late Sunday didn’t quite serve as a starter pistol signaling the beginning of a race. The starting-pitching market, in particular, was already in motion. But his record deal with the Mets nonetheless kicked off the winter meetings with a bang.
‘‘It was a busy morning,’’ Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Monday. ‘‘Exactly as expected.’’
That doesn’t ensure a tidal wave of Cubs transactions in the next few days, however. Hoyer predicted he and his team were more likely to lay the groundwork for significant moves at the meetings and finish them after departing.
‘‘There’s just more chatter,’’ Hoyer said in the aftermath of Soto reportedly agreeing to a deal worth a jaw-dropping $765 million over 15 years. ‘‘There were five teams that were actively locked in on one thing, so that frees that up. And just in general, a lot of discussion of the contract, a lot of discussion of how that changes things. So that did pick things up.’’
Using a nine-inning game as a metaphor for the offseason, Hoyer estimated the Cubs are in the fourth or fifth inning. They’ve added to their rotation with the signing of veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd. They’ve traded for reliever Eli Morgan and backup catcher Matt Thaiss. And as of Monday night, they were working toward a deal with catcher Carson Kelly, sources confirmed.
The bullpen will be a focus for the Cubs moving forward, and they’ll continue to evaluate ways in which they can add to their rotation. For example, sources said they still plan to pursue Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki, who was posted Monday for MLB teams by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Chiba Lotte Marines. And, likely later in the offseason, the Cubs will address their bench.
The Cubs weren’t one of the teams involved in the race for Soto, the best free agent available this offseason. The Mets, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers and Yankees reportedly made offers.
‘‘There’s nothing that precludes us from being involved in those [top-of-the-market] players,’’ Hoyer said. ‘‘We, organizationally, decided not to pursue that one. Doesn’t mean in the future we won’t.’’
Now the four teams spurned by Soto are moving on to their next options. That shift might change the landscape for a potential trade candidate such as Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger.
‘‘When it comes to the outfield, whether it’s prospects, whether it’s major-league players, we have depth there,’’ Hoyer said. ‘‘But we also have really good players there. Every year I talk about this, but depth is really valuable. And we can move guys around to do different things. So if a deal comes to us that makes sense to trade out of our surplus, we can do that. But only if it makes sense for us.’’
As the roster stands, the Cubs have four everyday players to rotate through three outfield positions and the designated-hitter spot. Bellinger also can play first base. Toward the end of last season, he was the Cubs’ primary right fielder, making Seiya Suzuki almost exclusively the DH. But Hoyer said he isn’t expecting that setup in the coming season.
‘‘Ideally, you can kind of move guys through the DH spot,’’ Hoyer said. ‘‘Having a set DH, unless that guy is a David Ortiz or an Edgar Martinez, I feel like it’s best, generally, to let guys move around and use it as a day off. So I don’t see us having one set designated hitter.’’
Two of the Cubs’ top six prospects, Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara, are also outfielders and on the 40-man roster. So when Hoyer talks about having depth in the outfield, it’s extensive. That doesn’t, however, guarantee a trade involving an outfielder.
The Cubs’ prospect capital, which serves the dual purpose of providing trade pieces and ways to fill positions, expands their trade options. So it’s no wonder Hoyer was busy Monday.
‘‘We’ve been active in trade discussions,’’ Hoyer said. ‘‘A lot of discussions today. We’ll have a lot of discussions during the next few days.’’
