Given the situation surrounding shortstop Addison Russell, the Cubs need to have a contingency plan up the middle for the first month of next season. Free agents Troy Tulowitzki and Daniel Descalso are reportedly on Chicago's radar as infield reinforcements.
Russell will be ineligible to play until May 3, while finishing out a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. While he is inactive, the Cubs plan on using Javier Baez at short, creating a temporary vacancy at second base.
Chicago could lean on Ben Zobrist, Ian Happ or David Bote as internal options for second, but the team also wants to add more depth this offseason.