CHICAGO – Every section of the Cubs’ roster features at least one player who entered the offseason eligible for arbitration. On Friday, the North Siders took the necessary step of offering contracts for next year to four players within that group, headlined by lefty Justin Steele.

The Cubs must exchange proposed salary figures with those four on Jan. 10, though the team has a strong history of reaching deals to avoid the arbitration process. On Friday, Chicago avoided arbitration with three players, while non-tendering six who will now hit free agency.

Here is a breakdown of the Cubs’ decisions on this front on Friday:

AVOIDED ARBITRATION

RHP Julian Merryweather

Merryweather was limited to 15 games (15 innings) last season due to a series of health setbacks, missing most of the first half due to a rib stress fracture in his back and then being shelved by a right knee issue down the stretch. The 33-year-old righty was a key part of the bullpen in ‘23, when he had a 3.38 ERA and 98 strikeouts against 36 walks in 72 innings (69 appearances).

C Matt Thaiss

The Cubs picked up the 29-year-old Thaiss for a cash consideration in a trade on Wednesday with the Angels, who had designated the catcher for assignment. Thaiss (out of Minor League options) helps Chicago’s need for depth behind the plate, but the club will still look to add to that spot. Over the last two seasons, Thaiss hit .210/.320/.325 with 11 homers, 15 doubles, 47 RBIs and 64 walks in 152 games for Los Angeles.

RHP Keegan Thompson

Thompson, who will turn 30 on March 13, bounced between the Cubs’ bullpen and Triple-A Iowa last season. In 24 appearances for Chicago, the right-hander logged a 2.67 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 18 walks in 30 1/3 innings. That included a 1.02 ERA in his last 15 outings. Thompson has a 3.64 career ERA (four seasons) in 104 games, which includes 23 starts and 23 games finished.

TENDERED CONTRACTS

RHP Eli Morgan

The Cubs acquired the 28-year-old Morgan from the Guardians in exchange for outfield prospect Alfonsin Rosario on Wednesday. The righty reliever is under control for three seasons and is coming off a standout year with Cleveland. In 32 appearances last season, Morgan had a 1.93 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 11 walks in 42 innings. He has a plus changeup and slider and has a knack for inducing weak contact.

3B Isaac Paredes

The Cubs landed Paredes – who turns 26 on Feb. 18 – in a Trade Deadline deal with the Rays last summer for Christopher Morel and Hunter Bigge. Paredes hit .238 with 19 homers, 25 doubles, 80 RBIs and a .739 OPS overall last season, but he struggled after joining the Cubs (.633 OPS in 52 games with a .317 OPS at Wrigley Field). Chicago is banking on him returning to the form he displayed across the ‘22-23 campaigns (51 homers with a .467 slugging percentage).

RHP Nate Pearson

The North Siders reeled in the 28-year-old Pearson from the Blue Jays for a pair of Minor Leaguers ahead of last season’s Deadline. In 60 games overall in ‘24, the righty had a 4.48 ERA with 74 strikeouts and 21 walks in 66 1/3 innings. He had a 2.73 ERA in 19 games for the Cubs and really hit his stride down the stretch, posting a 2.25 ERA with 18 strikeouts and four walks in his final 15 outings (20 innings).

LHP Justin Steele

Steele, 29, has blossomed into a rotation leader for the Cubs over the past few years. The lefty was an All-Star and Cy Young contender in ‘23 (16-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 173 1/3 innings) and backed up that showing last season. In ‘24, Steele was limited to 134 2/3 innings due to injury setbacks, but he had a 3.07 ERA with 135 strikeouts against 37 walks in his 24 starts. His last seven turns featured a 2.16 ERA.

NON-TENDERED

2B Nick Madrigal

Madrigal, who will turn 28 on March 5, hit .221/.280/.256 in 51 games (94 plate appearances) as a role player for the Cubs last season. He was sent to Triple-A Iowa in June and his season ended on June 5, when the infielder was hit by a pitch and sustained a fractured left hand. In three injury-marred years with the Cubs, Madrigal hit .251 (.616 OPS) in 202 games while moving between second and third base.

OF Mike Tauchman

Tauchman, 33, found a role on the Cubs’ bench as a fourth outfielder over the past two years, but Chicago’s current roster construction (plus the outfield prospects waiting in the wings) made him an odd-man out. The veteran posted a .357 on-base percentage and saw 4.37 pitches per plate appearance in 2024. Tauchman hit .250 (.732 OPS) in 217 games for the Cubs over the last two years.

Additionally…

Righty Adbert Alzolay, outfielder Brennen Davis, righty Trey Wingenter and third baseman Patrick Wisdom were also officially non-tendered on Friday. Those four players were designated for assignment earlier in the week as part of a series of moves to add Morgan and Thaiss to the roster, along with outfield prospect Owen Caissie (Pipeline’s No. 2 Cubs prospect and No. 34 on the Top 100) and infield prospect Benjamin Cowles (No. 28 on Pipeline’s Cubs list).