MESA, Ariz. _ The signing of Yu Darvish to a six-year, $126 million contract still allows the Cubs some flexibility to add a midseason reinforcement.
But landing another marquee free agent next offseason in a deep 2019 class might require some financial gymnastics.
"If everyone plays well and we're healthy and productive, we have just about everyone back next year," Cubs President Theo Epstein said Tuesday. "We might be in a situation where we don't have to do much. That said, this game is so unpredictable we might have real needs in areas we don't anticipate."
The Cubs have committed about $135 million to 11 players for 2019. That does not include arbitration-eligible players such as Kris Bryant (who will earn $10.85 million in 2018). The only arbitration-eligible player destined for free agency is left-handed reliever Justin Wilson.
That could affect any interest in projected high-profile free agents such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, although Epstein stressed the Cubs like their core of young position players and devoted much of their offseason attention to retooling the pitching staff via free agency.
