Power up: Cubs hoping to find Reyes' missing pop

CHICAGO -- One look at the show Franmil Reyes put on during batting practice on Tuesday afternoon was all it took to understand why the Cubs took a chance on the big slugger.

Wrigley Field is one of baseball's quaint ballparks, but Reyes made the old yard look even smaller with a series of easy swings that sent baseballs clanking off the vacant bleachers. One blast lacking that metallic exclamation point soared out of the Friendly Confines and onto Waveland Ave.

"The power is real. That's a gift he has," Cubs assistant hitting coach Johnny Washington said ahead of a 6-5 loss to the Nationals. "From his standpoint and our standpoint, it's, 'How do we pull that out daily and become more consistent with that power?'"

Washington and bench coach Andy Green have a history with Reyes dating back to their days with the Padres. Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins was in Cleveland's front office for the outfielder's more recent stint with the Guardians.

That familiarity with Reyes played a role in Chicago's decision to claim him off waivers from the Guardians, who reached a breaking point with the slugger's season-long struggles this year. It was a low-risk, two-month opportunity to see if Reyes can find himself at the plate and make a case to be a part of the Cubs' 2023 plans.

"We'll just bet on the fact that he's going to figure it out and be good again," Green said. "I think there's just a genuine belief, like, this guy's hit his whole life. No, he hasn't been the player that he's been this year, but he's really good. So it's just kind of waiting for that to turn."

In the seventh inning on Tuesday night, Reyes attacked a 98-mph fastball from Washington righty Kyle Finnegan in a 3-0 count, sending the low-and-in heater into right field for a single. Willson Contreras scored on the play, pulling the game into a 4-4 deadlock at the time.

At first base, Reyes pumped his arms and let out a shout, following that with a hard slap of hands with first-base coach Mike Napoli. Contreras faced first, smiling and clapping. In the home dugout, rookie Christopher Morel twirled a towel over his head in celebration as the crowd roared.

"Him staying inside the ball," Cubs manager David Ross said, "he's an all-fields hitter in a slugger body. And I think that's what he showed. He's got that in his bag. His BP was impressive. He's moving the ball around all fields.

"It was a really nice environment for him to get his first hit in. The crowd was on their feet. It was a big knock for us. His emotions said it all to me. That was a cool moment."

Before the game, Reyes said Morel was telling him all about the Wrigley Field crowd and the energy the fans create.

"He was talking to me, like, 'No matter if we are losing 50-0, they're going to stay there until the last out,'" Reyes said. "That's powerful. And I appreciate that from them."

Maybe it is the kind of change of scenery Reyes needed.

"You see it again and again and again," Green said. "And sometimes, when it finally happens, it's like, 'I can breathe and just go play again. I'm not worried about the other shoe dropping. I know I've got some opportunity out in front of me.'"

While Reyes struggled this season with Cleveland -- posting a .604 OPS with 104 strikeouts in 263 at-bats -- his hard-hit rate (47.2 percent) was only a slight drop from 2021 (48.5 percent). In his Cubs debut, the first two balls Reyes put in play were 103.8 mph and 105.7 mph, with the latter being the hardest-hit ball of the game for either team.

Both of those well-struck pitches, however, resulted in groundouts, providing a glimpse into the offensive puzzle the Cubs are attempting to solve.

Reyes said Green -- his manager with the Padres in 2018-19 -- is "like a father" to him. The big slugger also credited Washington, who worked in San Diego's farm system before moving to Green's MLB staff, for helping him unlock his power both in the Minors and again in the big leagues.

"I remember '19 in San Diego," Reyes said, "I was cooling down a little bit and I remember he told me, 'Bro, go to your locker, grab your chain, bring your swag bag. Play how you like to play.'"

Reyes was wearing gold chains over a new Cubs shirt and flashing a wide smile as he spoke.

"He's still one of my favorite humans," Green said. "The day we traded him was one of the toughest days I had in San Diego. So, I'm happy that he's back with us."