The Chicago Cubs are expected to make a fair share of moves this offseason. Although they won't pursue a player like star pitcher Tarik Skubal, there will be plenty of other names worthy of strong consideration.

With that said, expect more moves via the second tier of the free agent class. With so many holes on their roster, pitching will be the primary focus. Sure, they will target players such as Michael King andFreddy Peralta, but what about guys they can look to re-sign? With so many players entering free agency, as well as $100 million plus coming off the books, the Cubs can pick and choose who they want.

Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman, and others can be deemed worthy candidates, but one Cubs free agent is proving to be a potential hidden gem that many teams have an eye on.

David Peterson Is Drawing Significant Interest

Robert Murray, an MLB Insider for the FanSided Network, had an interesting nugget of information about Cubs free agent pitcher David Peterson. He expects numerous teams to be in the running for the ground-ball thrower. Although Peterson is not considered a top-tier free agent, it would be wise for the Cubs to try to bring him back.

The Cubs acquired Peterson last summer in exchange for prospect Cole Mathis. With how well they were playing, the Cubs needed to add more pitching depth after the litany of injuries. Pitcher after pitcher was going down, and the Cubs had to do something drastic to stay in contention for the division.

Peterson started the season with the Mets with a record of 3-6, an ERA of 6.09, as well as 63 strikeouts. He completely transformed himself after being traded to the Cubs, playing 16 games with a record of 6-2. Peterson's ERA also dropped to 3.70, and he struck out 74 batters. It was a complete 180 for the veteran, one that makes you think the fit may be too good to give up.

It was also the kind of switch-up that clearly garnered attention. The Cubs will now have some competition for his services, quite possibly more than they were hoping at the start of the offseason. Ideally, Peterson would be the fifth starter or an extra long reliever. Think similar to what the Cubs had in both Mike Montgomery and Travis Wood back in 2016. 

If the Cubs have to consider slightly overpaying for Peterson, it might still be best to do so. He made a lot of sense throwing in front of Chicago's elite interior defense, which will remain intact next season. Not to mention, the Cubs saw just how fast a pitching staff can crumble. Having someone with Peterson's versatility and dependability can prove crucial during a postseason pursuit.