Or since Hosmer is above average at first defensively, Mervis (and Wisdom?) alternate lefty/righty at DH ?
Right.
The Cubs really don’t have an everyday DH. So a Hosmer signing doesn’t take any at bats away from Mervis.
Hosmer is likely a better defensive 1B than Mervis. So he plays the field most days and Mervis concentrates on his bat.
Hosmer is a bit underrated due to his not living up to the massive contract he signed with the Padres. He’s been consistently a league average offensive first baseman who still has a pretty good glove.
He’s basically a free player for the Cubs to pick up, as the Padres are still on the hook for his contract. (Like Heyward with the Cubs.) No risk. If he’s bad, you can cut him at no additional cost. But it looks like he’d add a nice floor to the Cubs’ 1B/DH position which had been a big question mark.
Overall, you go around the diamond and the Cubs are “fine” at every position. They’re completely absent of star power, but have an actual MLB player everywhere. They’ll play great defense, won’t be a black hole in any spot in the lineup, and will consistently give you quality pitching starts. I’d like to see more depth in the pen, which is something every fan of every baseball team can say.
Hoerner or Swanson being injured for a significant amount of time would be a disaster. The bullpen might take some time to come together. No elite hitters means the offense is going to be shut down against elite pitching. I could see them eke into the playoffs with 84 wins and then go scoreless in two games.
