NEWSLETTER
When the Cubs non-tendered lefty pitching prospect Brailyn Marquez last month to open up a 40-man spot, it was a sad but understandable moment. Having more or less not pitched in nearly three years due to the pandemic, multiple bad bouts of COVID, and then a shoulder surgery, there was no way the Cubs could reasonably count on Marquez contributing in 2023 (he hasn’t even pitched at Double-A yet). Given all that, holding a roster spot for him at a time of crowding just didn’t make sense.
But you did HOPE that there was enough of a good relationship there that when Marquez hit the open market, he would want to continue his rehab with the Cubs organization. You never know what happens when a guy has options, but you don’t want to lose a guy with THAT much talent if you don’t have to.
Thankfully, the Cubs aren’t:
I don’t think we can have any – and I mean *any* – expectations on performance or timeline from here, but if the Cubs wanted to bring him back, then there is at least a chance he could put it back together. Like Bryan said, you basically have to consider him a relief-only guy at this point, but when he was at his best, it looked like an IMPACT relief guy.
Marquez, 23, would technically be Rule 5 eligible tomorrow, but given that he was non-tendered and no club offered him a 40-man spot (which comes with FEWER restrictions than a Rule 5 selection), I expect he will not be drafted.
