The Chicago Cubs are in prime position to land one of baseball's elite free agents ahead of his posting deadline.

The Cubs have checked in on free agent Bo Bichette, with Nico Hoerner trade chatter and 2026 infield contingency plans in play.

"If the Cubs are fielding calls on Nico Hoerner, he instantly becomes the absolute best target for the Royals in the trade market," Farr wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Enters final year of his deal in 2026, much like (Kris) Bubic. Thing that’s a better match than Boston or St. Louis."

While the MLB hot stove has been relatively quiet over the holidays, it has already started picking up steam in the new year. This began when Tatsuya Imai sign

The Cubs have added a veteran reliever with a 3.11 ERA, signing him to a one-year, $7.5 million deal to improve their bullpen.

CHICAGO — Right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey and the Chicago Cubs finalized a one-year contract Wednesday, The addition of Harvey is the latest move in a bullpen makeover for the Cubs, who have added Phil Maton, Hoby Milner and Jacob Webb and re-signed Caleb Thielbar.

That urgency makes sense because the Cubs are staring at an obvious lineup problem. Kyle Tucker has hit free agency, and replacing that production is not a small task. If Chicago is going to stay in the NL Central race, it needs a real middle-of-the-order answer, not just depth and vibes. (Sorry. I said it so you don’t have to.)

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle