Cubs' final need can be filled by Andrew McCutchen after Pirates split

The Chicago Cubs have a rather complete roster.

But if they wanted to sign free agent Andrew McCutchen from the Pittsburgh Pirates, he'd fill a need.

That's what ESPN's Bradford Doolittle laid out in a new article on Friday.

"OK, no one said the Cubs were *supposed* to get Andrew McCutchen, and even if they had, it would have been well down the list of Chicago's to-do items for this winter," Doolittle writes. "So, this is more of a helpful suggestion than a question, one that springs to mind when looking at how Chicago's roster has taken shape over the winter. The Cubs are pretty loaded, but one need is one more quality righty bench bat to serve as a low-usage platoon option to go with Moises Ballesteros in the DH slot."

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Ballesteros is a highly promising bat who is also conceptually a catcher, but his stick is so far ahead of his glove that it's safe to expect him to mostly just hit this season. He swings from the left side, and the Cubs could take some pressure off of him by finding a platoon partner.

McCutchen would certainly be comfortable in the NL Central after a long time with the Pirates, who opted not to sign him back this offseason.

"McCutchen, now that it appears he isn't headed back to Pittsburgh, seems like an ideal fit for such a role, on and off the field -- if he's willing to finish his career outside of Pittsburgh," Doolittle writes. "World Series contenders have often had aging former stars filling out their benches, and McCutchen is just sitting there waiting to be that savvy vet for somebody. The durability of Pete Crow-Armstrong means the Cubs don't have to be worried about a reserve outfielder spending much time in center field, so the positional concerns are minimal. This is far from a glaring need. Consider it more of a finishing stroke for a mostly complete roster."

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McCutchen seemed a little annoyed in his social media posts about what has gone down with the Pirates this offseason. Given that, maybe he wouldn't mind going to a division rival.

The Cubs certainly could use him. It might be a great fit.

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