Report: Tommy La Stella Appears to Be on Cubs’ Radar

This is going to be a really wild offseason for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the number of players who will hit the market when their options are not picked up. With owners heavily signaling a reluctance to spend by owners, the influx of unexpected free agents from those declined options and non-tenders will shift the landscape and could drive down the asking price for some otherwise coveted players.

That’s likely to be an area the Cubs target as they look for value at a low cost, which could bring them around to an old friend. And no, I don’t mean DJ LeMahieu. We had listed Tommy La Stella as a potential target earlier in the month because he would give the Cubs the contact bat they’ve so clearly lacked and could easily take a roster spot presumably vacated by Jason Kipnis.

As it turns out, the Cubs may feel the same way. In a piece about the Cubs’ offseason needs, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score wrote that La Stella “appears to be on the team’s radar again” for exactly the reasons we mentioned above. Given everything we know about the Cubs and the league in general, a reunion with Jesse Rogers’ adult son isn’t far-fetched in the least.

In addition to providing a little more dimension to the offense, La Stella was once described as the heartbeat of the clubhouse. And yes, Random Facebook Guy, everyone is aware of the whole AWOL incident. That’s old news and won’t affect the Cubs’ or any other team’s pursuit of La Stella. If anything, that event forced him to reevaluate his life and career and actually made him a better player.

For better or worse, we all know how much the Cubs love to load up on those gritty, grindy second basemen who help team chemistry. That alone makes La Stella at least a mid-range priority this winter.