Many of the players responsible for the 2026 Cubs’ best-in-baseball offense and defense will be back in 2027. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch are all under contract for multiple years.
But two key pieces of the Cubs’ back-to-back postseason teams are free agents: left fielder Ian Happ and right fielder Seiya Suzuki.
The Cubs have a clear need for starting pitching and will prioritize building their rotation this offseason. Happ and Suzuki, meanwhile, will profile as two of the better hitting options in a relatively thin market. Considering the strong core present in the Cubs lineup, reunions with either corner outfielder, let alone both, are uncertain.
Happ was the longest-tenured Cub in 2026, a four-time Gold Glover and above-average hitter over his career. Suzuki was arguably the Cubs’ most consistent hitter since coming over from Nippon Professional Baseball five seasons ago, posting a career-best .841 OPS in 2026.
That means Chicago could have a lot of production to replace. While it’s yet to be seen what happens in free agency or potential trades, here are the Cubs’ current internal options in the event Happ and/or Suzuki sign elsewhere.
The Cubs’ 2023 first-round Draft pick hasn’t quite found his stride offensively since debuting in 2025, amassing a 97 OPS+ with 18 home runs in 203 games. Shaw tore his way through the Minor Leagues as he rose to top-20 prospect status and has mashed left-handed pitching (.824 OPS), so there’s reason to believe in the soon to be 25-year-old’s development.
Defensively, Shaw’s athleticism and adaptability have impressed. He played a solid third base in 2025 and then posted a plus-two Fielding Run Value in a true super-utility role in 2026, helping accommodate the addition of Alex Bregman.
Shaw certainly has the inside track to a full-time role moving forward. The question is how well his roughly average arm can play in the outfield and whether he can be a more consistent producer at the plate.
Ramírez rode a red-hot Spring Training showing (1.065 OPS) to his Major League debut this past season, with an unexpected power surge playing a key role. His nine Triple-A home runs were already a career high before his late-May promotion.
An extended cold streak at season’s end dampened his numbers, but the 22-year-old switch-hitter finished with a solid .261/.321/.402 slash line with six home runs and nine stolen bases. He showed good range while primarily playing second and third base, though his arm -- like Shaw’s -- leaves a bit to be desired.
Ramírez owns a higher-floor offensive profile with upside, but for this particular experiment, his defense is a major question. He played just one MLB inning in left field in 2026 and had only 44 outfield innings under his belt in the Minor Leagues. It’ll be an offseason project worth watching.
A former top-100 prospect, Alcántara boasts some of the most tantalizing tools in the organization. He has shown plus speed and defense in the outfield in the Minor Leagues and can go on extreme heaters offensively, as shown by his franchise-record 42-game on-base streak at Triple-A Iowa this season. But limited big league samples haven’t gone particularly well. He has just one home run and a 64 OPS+ in 37 games.
Alcántara’s raw power and known defensive ability are advantages over Shaw’s and Ramírez’s profiles in the corners, but the Cubs must decide what they have in The Jaguar’s bat entering his age-24 season.
It might be a long shot, but don’t rule out an appearance from Hartshorn in the Majors in 2027. Now the Cubs’ top prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 35 prospect overall, Hartshorn accelerated to Double-A at just 19 years old after he was a sixth-round selection in the 2025 Draft.
His switch-hitting prowess is the headline, but Hartshorn also won a Minor League Gold Glove for his work at first base. He added 58 games in the outfield during his debut season.
Other names to know
Gabriel Arias, Justin Dean, BJ Murray Jr. and James Triantos were on the Cubs’ 2026 playoff roster, and each of them has at least some outfield experience.
The five-year MLB veteran Arias has played fewer than 200 innings in the grass, mostly in right field. Triantos, a primary second baseman, has played all three outfield spots but only in the Minor Leagues. Murray just began experimenting in left field this season in the Minors. Dean is the lone primary outfielder in the group, but his bat hasn't necessarily been a Major League difference-maker.
Further down the system, Kane Kepley and Ethan Conrad have offered cause for excitement, but 2027 debuts may not be in the cards. Kepley -- a speedy, contact-first bat -- reached Double-A this season with an .823 OPS across two levels. Conrad was limited to 36 games in his professional debut due to injury, but the 2025 first-rounder has strong tools across the board.