The market is officially open, as MLB free agency officially began Monday. The Cubs were already active on the first day adding Padres righty Cory Mazzoni and removing Leonys Martin from the 40-man roster and replacing him with RHP Matt Carasiti.

While these moves are simple and insignificant, the Cubs are prepping for a busy offseason, and one that might just land them some unexpected talent.

The Rays Rebuild May Finally Be Starting

Chris Archer is a name that has had ties to the Cubs since before he became a franchise-face in Tampa Bay. The former Cubs farmhand has been linked to Chicago multiple times over the last two seasons. The rumor was thought to be officially dead once the Cubs traded for Jose Quintana, but a source tells Sports Mockery otherwise.

The #Cubs have interest in Chris Archer and are willing to part with MLB-talent to acquire him. #Rays open to rebuilding, like Javier Baez

— Sean Sears (@sean_sears6) November 7, 2017

A former scout says the Cubs plan on making a ‘serious run’ at Archer this offseason and are not afraid to include players like Kyle Schwarber or Javier Baez in a deal.

Of course this isn’t really surprising, as mentioned, Archer to the Cubs has been rumored plenty of times. But, what gives this deal life is that the Rays are ready to start rebuilding, and the Cubs have pieces they like.

Everything I’ve heard makes me believe that either Javier Baez or Kyle Schwarber are likely to be moved this offseason in favor of pitching or outfield help.

The Cubs are not just interested in Archer either, as Alex Colome could be someone the Cubs pivot to if a deal for the Rays’ ace falls through. The 28-year-old Colome, who has 84 saves over the last two seasons, would be an excellent Wade Davis’ successor.

How Do The Cubs Make This Happen?

This deal will hinge upon on serious Theo Epstein and the Cubs front office is about moving some of their depth to improve their roster. Archer has four more years of team control left on his deal and won’t make more than $8.25 mil in any of those years.

For the Rays to part ways with an asset as valuable as Archer, the offer will have to include MLB talent from the Cubs. Early reports suggest the Rays are looking for help in the infield and have high interest in Javy Baez.

Addison Russell is another option but with Baez being from Puerto Rico, it’s easy to see for marketing reasons why the Rays would prefer to add him over Russell.

Adding Archer would be both a move for the present and also the future, but parting with players like Russell, Baez, or Schwarber is always a gamble. But the front office feels they need another impact like Archer in their rotation, and this front office rarely doesn’t get what they want.

Expect the focus of the Cubs attention to be with Erik Neander and Rays this offseason.

OH BABY! Let the fireworks begin.

A few weeks ago we discussed the possibility of a Jason Heyward trade to the San Francisco Giants, as White Sox Dave, a Barstool Sports writer, who has broken MLB news before, reported that the Chicago Cubs and Giants had been talking about a potential deal involving Heyward. That same day ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan also threw out Heyward and the Giants as a trade the Cubs could be looking into.

This Jason Heyward Trade Rumor Is Amazing And I Hope It Comes True

Well, now there’s a third source reporting that there is interest coming from the Giants side. MLB columnist and former reporter for the Chicago Tribune, Phil Rogers, reported the following.

@Giants have interest in @Cubs' Jason Heyward, w/Jeff Samardzija and Mark Melancon to offer. Very complicated deal but not impossible.

— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) November 7, 2017

The two pitchers, Jeff Samardzija and Mark Melancon, were also mentioned as trade pieces that could be going to the Cubs in a trade with the Giants by White Sox Dave. That was on Oct. 27.

Hearing the Cubs and Giants have to some degree discussed a Heyward for Samardzija/Melancon trade FWIW #ScoopCity

— whitesoxdave (@barstoolWSD) October 27, 2017

Rogers says a deal isn’t impossible, but there are several hurdles to jump over. Samardzija and Melancon both have no-trade clauses and so does Heyward. The Cubs outfielder also has a giant contract left, so it makes sense the team wants to unload some of that money, as they have pitching needs and could be setting up for even bigger moves.

One additional motivation to deal Heyward: Would improve @Cubs position in recruiting Shohei Ohtani. He and Heyward both hit left-handed.

— Phil Rogers (@philgrogers) November 7, 2017

However, in any trade it seems from an outside perspective that the Cubs would have to eat some of the money, so it’s not like they’d be clear of the six years left on Heyward’s contract that was signed for $184 million.

But once again, of course the Cubs would love to make this deal. With Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis expected to decline their qualifying offers, the Cubs have to replace at least one starting pitcher and their closer position. Melancon has three years left on his deal, worth $47 million. Davis is projected to get a four-year contract for about $60 million. Meanwhile, despite Samardzija’s high ERA in 2017, his other numbers show that he was doomed by the team around him and actually ranked well in several areas.

Jeff Samardzija's 2017 season:
3.8 fWAR – 15th in MLB
3.60 xFIP – 16th in MLB
3.61 FIP – 13th in MLBhttps://t.co/rZ7H107y00

— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) October 27, 2017

You’d take that for what would essentially be the fourth starter in the Cubs rotation. Samardzija’s deal has three years left at $59.4 million. If you remember back to the 2015 offseason, the Cubs were interested in signing him before getting John Lackey on a two-year contract.

The Cubs won a World Series with Heyward, but obviously he hasn’t been the player they thought they were getting when he signed the biggest contract in franchise history. It’s apparent now that the Cubs are trying to make up for the mistake, as 670 The Score’s Dan Bernstein also reported that the Cubs were looking to trade Heyward this offseason on Monday.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and the hot stove is scorching right now.

Options have been picked up, players have been bought out of their contracts, qualifying offers have been made and even though it’s getting colder outside the hot stove is starting to heat up. The Chicago Cubs have already made a couple minor moves to their 40-man roster, and on Monday they also extended qualifying offers to Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis. Once again, we have more predictions to look at and this time a little more realistic for the Cubs.

Last week MLB Trade Rumors had their list with a wild Yu Darvish deal and now MLB.com’s Jim Duquette’s has his list of the top-25 free agents and where he thinks they’ll sign and for how much.

The obvious need for the Cubs is pitching, both for the rotation, as Arrieta is a free agent and John Lackey is heading toward retirement, and the bullpen. Duquette’s list does have one pitcher re-signing with the Cubs, but it’s not Arrieta. The MLB columnist has Wade Davis coming back to the North Side in 2018.

6. Wade Davis, 32, RHP
After a record-breaking 2016 free-agent class for relievers in terms of money spent, Davis will now get his turn to earn top dollar as the best closer on the market. He was virtually unflappable in Chicago, recording 32 saves with a 2.30 ERA. While his walk rate was the highest of his career (4.3 BB/9), Davis posted a strong 12.1 K/9 rate and stayed healthy for the whole season, lessening concerns after a pair of disabled-list stints in 2016. His deal this offseason should be similar to Mark Melancon’s four-year, $62 million contract from a year ago.

Interested teams: Cubs, Twins, Phillies, among others
Duquette’s prediction: Cubs

Davis, 32, only had one blown save in 2017 for the Cubs, but I think we can all agree that he wasn’t as dominant as some of his numbers say. The control was bad and horrible at times, but he got away with it for most of the season, obviously only blowing one game in September. The Cubs aren’t in a great position here, as they don’t have a closer on their roster, so they have to sign someone. Do they think Davis can get back to his previous form? In a dream world, I’d prefer a front-loaded contract, where the majority of the money comes in the first three years. So, it mostly turns into a three-year deal, while the fourth year is whatever, at maybe less than $10 million. That’s my dream world and not reality. I’m becoming more convinced that the Cubs won’t be willing to make that commitment to Davis.

Maybe a hometown (I know it’s not his hometown) discount? We’ll see.

However, Duquette’s second Cubs prediction does make a lot of sense and it’s not the first time the name has been connected to the Cubs.

12. Alex Cobb, 30, RHP
After posting a 3.66 ERA over a career-high 179 1/3 innings in 2017, Cobb enters free agency at the perfect time. The right-hander got stronger as the year progressed, recording a 3.14 ERA in his final 12 starts. With a track record of success in the AL East, look for Cobb to command a deal comparable to Lynn’s.

For reference, he has Lance Lynn at five years for $80 million.

The Cubs have been interested in starting pitcher Alex Cobb since at least this past spring training. The 30-year-old has spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Rays and now there’s another connection that makes him signing with the Cubs even more plausible. Jim Hickey, who was his pitching coach in Tampa Bay, is going to be the Cubs pitching coach. 

As nice as Cobb’s career 3.50 ERA looks there is the concern that he had Tommy John Surgery and missed all of the 2015 season. He came back in September 2016, started five games and was bad, yielding a 8.59 ERA in 22 innings. However, he did pitch well in 2017, recording a 3.66 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Yet, the 179.1 innings pitched this past year was a career high. He’s never gotten to 200 innings in a season and hasn’t started more than 29 games in a season either. That career high in starts also came in 2017.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted his contract at four years, $48 million, which is way different than five years, $80 million that Duquette predicts. With Arrieta most likely heading elsewhere, getting a guy like Cobb or Lynn for about $14-16 million per season is fine, but again the years might the determining factor on who the Cubs end up signing.

See the full list here. Who do you want the Cubs to go after and for how much?