NEWSLETTER
Before tonight’s game against the Phillies, the Chicago Cubs made a series of roster moves, including welcoming back a couple key players.
Willson Contreras and Seiya Suzuki return:
Contreras has been out for nearly a month with his ankle sprain, and I’m sure he’s eager to finish the season looking as good as he can before hitting free agency for the first time in his career. To that end, he gets another possible Wrigley Field send off this week, so brace yourself appropriately.
Suzuki has been out for the birth of his and his wife’s kiddo, so he also gets a little run now to end the season. For him, it’s really just about getting in those last games against MLB pitching before his first offseason. The Cubs will need him to be an impact bat in 2023 if they hope to compete.
Young was something of a short-term fill-in guy, and although he was optioned today, I’m not sure the Cubs will be keeping him on the 40-man roster this offseason. There’s some great power and versatility there, but I think he comes up just shy.
Hermosillo just never got off the ground. The early-season injury, the lengthy absence, and the lack of hits all added up. We already knew he was going to be retained on the 40-man this offseason, so it was just a question of whether the Cubs did this now or later. By DFA’ing (and waiving) Hermosillo now, they’ll give him a chance to land on another 40-man roster before the offseason if he gets claimed. If not, the Cubs may try to sign him to a new minor league deal early in the offseason. Maybe he goes that route, maybe he finds a better fit, or maybe he goes overseas to score a big payday.
