Injuries & Moves: Cubs avoid arbitration with Merryweather, Thaiss and Thompson

Injuries & Moves: Cubs avoid arbitration with Merryweather, Thaiss and Thompson

November 23rd, 2024

This roster moves and injury updates page will be updated throughout the offseason as news happens.

LATEST NEWS

Nov. 22: Signed RHP Julian Merryweather, C Matt Thaiss and RHP Keegan Thompson to one-year deals to avoid arbitration
Merryweather is coming off an injury-marred '24 campaign, but still has an opportunity to be a key late-inning arm, as was the case in his previous season with the Cubs. Likewise, Thompson enjoyed a solid showing this season (2.67 ERA in 24 games) and will be in the mix for a bullpen job. The Cubs acquired Thaiss from the Angels on Nov. 20 and have him in the fold as a candidate for the backup catching role.

Nov. 22: Tendered 2025 contracts to RHP Eli Morgan, 3B Isaac Paredes, RHP Nate Pearson, LHP Justin Steele
The Cubs and this group will be required to exchange proposed salary figures for '25 on Jan. 9, barring deals to avoid arbitration prior to that date. Chicago has a strong history of avoiding arb, so expect that to be the goal in the weeks ahead. Steele is set to be atop the rotation, while Morgan (acquired on Nov. 20 from Cleveland) and Pearson are in the bullpen mix. Paredes projects to be the Cubs' starting third baseman after joining the team via trade in July.

Nov. 22: RHP Adbert Alzolay, OF Brennen Davis, INF Nick Madrigal, OF Mike Tauchman, RHP Trey Wingenter, INF Patrick Wisdom non-tendered
All six players in this group will now become free agents. Alzolay, Davis, Wingenter and Wisdom were each designated for assignment earlier in the week in moves to add Owen Caissie, Ben Cowles, Eli Morgan and Matt Thaiss to the 40-man roster. Madrigal is coming off a tough, injury-marred '24 season and has multiple players ahead of him on the depth chart. Tauchman has been a solid role player over the past two years, but is the odd man out currently, given the Cubs' outfield alignment.

Nov. 20: C acquired from Angels in exchange for a cash consideration; RHP designated for assignment
Thaiss, 29, spent the last two seasons as the Angels’ backup catcher, but has experience at first and third base. In 2024, he rated as an above-average blocker (four blocking runs above average, per Statcast), but was below average in framing and controlling the running game. Offensively, he slashed .204/.323/.299 for the Angels, but performed better against righties (.671 OPS) than lefties (.456 OPS). Thaiss is out of Minor League options and is eligible for arbitration.

The 30-year-old Wingenter appeared in just five games for the Cubs down the stretch after being claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in August. The righty had a 3.00 ERA in six innings for Chicago, and has a 5.66 ERA in 97 career Major League games between stints with the Padres, Tigers, Red Sox and Cubs.

Nov. 20: RHP acquired from Guardians in exchange for Minor League OF
In need of bullpen depth, the Cubs swung a trade for the 28-year-old Morgan, who is under control for three seasons and eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. The righty posted a 1.93 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 11 walks in 42 innings last season for Cleveland and has a 3.97 ERA in 161 career games for the Guardians (2021-24).

Rosario, 20, was ranked No. 21 on Pipeline's Top 30 list for the Cubs. Selected in the sixth round of the 2023 Draft, the center fielder hit .230 with 16 homers, 73 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and a .767 OPS in 109 games last season for Single-A Myrtle Beach.

Nov. 20: INF designated for assignment
Wisdom, 33, spent parts of the past five seasons with the Cubs, launching 84 home runs with a .462 slugging percentage in 414 games for the North Siders. He set Chicago's single-season rookie record for homers (28) in 2021, finishing fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. In '24, Wisdom filled a bench role and hit .171 with eight homers and a .629 OPS in 75 games.

Nov. 19: OF Owen Caissie has contract selected from Triple-A Iowa, INF Benjamin Cowles has contract selected from Double-A Knoxville
Caissie is currently ranked by Pipeline as the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 34 prospect on the Top 100 list. The slugging outfielder spent this past season with Triple-A Iowa, hitting .278/.375/.472 with 19 homers, 29 doubles, 75 RBIs, 69 runs and 71 walks in 127 games. The 22-year-old Caissie was acquired from the Padres as part of the Yu Darvish deal in December of 2020.

The Cubs landed the 24-year-old Cowles (No. 29 on the Cubs’ Top 30 list) from the Yankees in the deal for reliever Mark Leiter Jr. at the Trade Deadline in July. The infielder hit .286 with nine homers, 25 doubles and an .829 OPS at Double-A this season (92 games). He missed six weeks due to a wrist injury, but returned in September and then played in the Arizona Fall League.

Nov. 19: RHP Adbert Alzolay and OF Brennen Davis designated for assignment
The 29-year-old Alzolay was limited to 18 games last season, posting a 4.67 ERA before a right forearm injury shelved him in May. Alzolay attempted a comeback, but ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in August. Alzolay, who had been eligible for arbitration, is likely sidelined until late 2025 at the earliest. He posted a 4.04 ERA in 121 games in parts of six seasons with the Cubs.

Davis, 25, was once ranked as the Cubs’ top prospect by Pipeline, but has encountered a variety of injury setbacks in the three years since his breakout showing in 2021. The outfielder was limited to 55 games this past season, which ended with a fractured left ankle in September.

Nov. 4: Cubs decline mutual option on LHP for ’25
The Cubs officially declined their part of the mutual option ($10 million) to keep lefty Drew Smyly for the '25 season and will instead pay a $2.5 million buyout. Smyly, 35, had a 3.84 ERA with 56 strikeouts and 25 walks in 58 2/3 innings (50 appearances) last season in his 11th Major League campaign.

Nov. 4: LHP claimed off waivers from Brewers; RHP designated for assignment
Zastryzny, 32, has a 4.30 ERA in 54 big league games in his career, which dates back to the '16 season with the Cubs. He pitched for Chicago during parts of the 2016-18 campaigns, and last year he posted a 1.17 ERA in nine outings for Milwaukee. Herget, who was eligible for arbitration, appeared in eight games for Atlanta last year but did not pitch for the Cubs in the Majors.

Nov. 4: RHP , RHP , LHP , RHP , INF , OF reinstated from 60-day IL
Alzolay, Merryweather and Madrigal are all eligible for arbitration this offseason but are on the bubble as nontender candidates, given their injury issues last year. (The deadline to tender contracts to unsigned players is Nov. 22.)

Alzolay underwent surgery on his right elbow in August, and his status for '25 is unclear. If healthy, Brown and Little could be key parts of the '25 bullpen. Davis -- a former top prospect -- has endured a multitude of injuries over the past few years.

Nov. 4: RHP , C , RHP , RHP clear waivers, elect free agency
Almonte (3.45 ERA in 17 games in '24), Bethancourt (.814 OPS in 24 games in '24) and Brewer (5.66 ERA in 16 games) were all eligible for arbitration this offseason but ended the year on the 60-day IL and were unlikely to be offered MLB contracts for '25. Paredes was a late-season addition to the bullpen, appearing in only one game for Chicago.

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INJURY UPDATES

2B (right flexor tendon)
Expected return: 2025
The Cubs announced that Hoerner underwent successful flexor tendon surgery on his right forearm (performed by Dr. Keith Meister) on Oct. 11. The second baseman will focus on his rehab over the offseason and be assessed at the start of Spring Training in February to determine his next steps. In 151 games in '24, the 27-year-old Hoerner hit .273/.335/.373 with seven homers, 35 doubles, 48 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. He is signed through 2026 and set to earn $11.5 million in '25. (Last updated: Oct. 21)

LHP (right oblique strain)
Expected return: 2025
Wicks was placed on the 15-day IL on Sept. 20 due to a right oblique strain, which impacted a different area than a similar setback earlier in the season. The left-hander landed on the 15-day IL with a right oblique strain on June 15 and was activated on Sept. 1. Wicks also dealt with a left forearm strain early in the season. In 11 games (10 starts) overall for the Cubs this year, Wicks posted a 5.48 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 20 walks in 46 innings. (Last updated: Sept. 29)

RHP (right lat strain; No. 2 on Cubs' Top Prospects list, No. 28 overall)
Expected return: 2025
Horton’s 2024 season ended in August after he suffered a setback in his rehab from the right subscapularis strain that sidelined him in May. Cubs GM Carter Hawkins said on Aug. 13 that, "at this point of the year and this point of his career, it's not something that we wanted to push. We feel confident that he'll be ready to rock and roll come Spring Training, and certainly he’ll be part of our plans for next year."

Horton, who was Chicago’s first-round pick (No. 7 overall) in the 2022 MLB Draft, exited his May 29 start for Triple-A Iowa after logging 20 pitches in one inning (two runs allowed) against Louisville. The righty posted a 7.50 ERA with 22 strikeouts and 11 walks in 18 innings (five starts) for Iowa, following a four-start stint (1.10 ERA with 18 strikeouts and two walks in 16 1/3 innings) with Double-A Tennessee to begin the season. (Last updated: Sept. 29)

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