The Chicago Cubs continue the roster crunch as they non-tender two more players; tender seven others
Having already made decisions on would-be several non-tender candidates (Yency Almonte, Adbert Alzolay, Christian Bethancourt, Colten Brewer, Trey Wingenter, Patrick Wisdom), the Chicago Cubs had nine eligible players who needed to be tendered a contract ahead of the non-tender deadline on Friday:
INF Nick Madrigal, RHP Julian Merryweather, RHP Eli Morgan, 3B Isaac Paredes, RHP Nate Pearson, LHP Justin Steele, OF Mike Tauchman, C Matt Thaiss, RHP Keegan Thompson.
Of those nine, it was always clear that Morgan, Paredes, Pearson, and Steele would be tendered contracts, which they ultimately were. So, the discussion really became about Merryweather, Madrigal, Tauchman, Thaiss, and Thompson.
Below are the Cubs decisions.
The Chicago Cubs Nick Madrigal era comes to an end; Julian Merryweather returns
INF Nick Madrigal – Non-Tendered (per Jesse Rogers of ESPN on X)
I think there was some distant argument that one could make about keeping Madrigal as some 26th man roster piece—good bat-to-ball skills, reasonable defender at 2B and 3B—but it just never felt like that was the direction the Cubs were going.
The reality is that Madrigal had opportunities to cement himself as a viable contributor and it just never worked out to the degree it needed to (.251/.304/.312 in his three seasons in Chicago). And once the Cubs added Ben Cowles to the 40-man roster, it seemed inevitable that some of the expendable infield depth was heading for the door. Madrigal, along with Miles Mastrobouni, fairly or unfairly, have kind of become the mascots of the recent Jed Hoyer years—subpar players who probably shouldn’t be getting regular at-bats, but nonetheless, there they are, a constant reminder of the Cubs’ unwillingness to spend big. Probably just time to move on.
RHP Julian Merryweather – Tendered (per Jesse Rogers of ESPN on X)
Merryweather was so good in 2023. Where the Jed Hoyer years have been ripe for criticism in multiple areas (unwillingness to sign top-tier talent because of cost, overreliance on “good” players to be “great,” etc.), reclamation bullpen projects has not been one of them. Merryweather was grabbed off of waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays and promptly slid into a late-inning role with the Cubs where he pitched to a 3.38 ERA, striking out 98 batters in 72 innings.
Unfortunately in 2024, it just wasn’t happening. A string of injuries saw him throw only 15 innings all season. However, it’s not outrageous to imagine him reclaiming some of his 2023 success if he is healthy. At the very reasonable price tag of $1.225 million, Merryweather has the chance to be a steal for the Cubs bullpen. He is out of options, so does make the bullpen a bit less flexible.
The Cubs part ways with Mike Tauchman, but hold on to Matt Thaiss and Keegan Thompson
OF Mike Tauchman – Non-Tendered (per Meghan Montemurro on BlueSky)
Though I could see the writing on the wall for why the Cubs might let Tauchman walk, I am genuinely surprised they actually did it. As a fourth or fifth outfielder, Tauchman is pretty much the exact player you want for a playoff contender: Versatile, successful in sporadic playing time, cost-effective. And even if he isn’t in the plans, it seemed like he would be a viable trade piece. But, I guess not.
However, the Cubs decision to move on suggests a few things to me: They really believe in Owen Caissie, Alexander Canario, and Kevin Alcantara. Maybe not equally, but the Cubs must believe this collective could hold down the fort in the role Tauchman would have had. Second, you wonder how this impacts all of the Cody Bellinger trade rumors. I still think the Cubs entertain the calls because they are still a bit stuck in terms of where to add impact starters, but I would think this makes the probability of a trade at least a bit less.
C Matt Thaiss – Tendered (per Meghan Montemurro on BlueSky)
Thaiss was a bit of a strange possibility for a non-tender given that the Chicago Cubs just recently acquired the former Los Angeles Angels catcher for cash considerations just a few days ago. However, Thaiss does feel like an underwhelming choice to be the second catcher on a team where the presumed first catcher (Miguel Amaya) still has a number of question marks.
It made sense to think that the trade was potentially a way to get Thaiss in the fold, non-tender him, and then negotiate a minor league contract of some kind. Thaiss feels more like an emergency catcher than a surefire backup for a team looking to take the next step. Hopefully, his signing is an insurance policy more than a final solution as the Cubs further explore the catching market.
RHP Keegan Thompson – Tendered (per Meghan Montemurro on BlueSky)
Thompson, 29, albeit younger than Merryweather, 33, was in a similar situation: Out of minor league options, as well as stretches of great results marred by inconsistencies and injury. It would have been moderately surprising to see the Cubs cut ties with both Merryweather and Thompson, but I kind of expected one of them to be cut loose due to those lack of options on both players. Though the numbers haven’t been reported yet, it’s likely the salary is quite low, making Thompson another potential bullpen piece that has the ceiling to outperform the contract.
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