Chicago Cubs: Saying goodbye to familiar faces

(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Chicago Cubs: Couple of the other guys

A couple of other relief pitchers went to different teams this offseason that were apart of the Cubs during the season, including Derek Holland, David Phelps, and Alex Wilson. Holland acquired from San Francisco during the season; he only pitched in 20 games producing a 6.08 ERA and giving up 12 runs in his 15 2/3 innings pitched. He isn’t a significant loss for us as he signed a minor league deal with the Pirates.

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Phelps also left the Cubs as he also signed with a divisional rival, as the Brewers picked him up for $1.5 million. Phelps only pitched in 34 1/3 innings in the majors ending his stint with the Cubs by having a 1.398 WHIP. Wilson who spent most of his time in Iowa, but did have 13 games with Chicago, he signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers.

Filling a hole in the infield

The Cubs lost a couple of big names who became free agents this season, Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist, and Jonathan Lucroy. Russell, who spent his whole career in the Cubs’ organization, was great during his first couple years in the majors. Still, his offseason trouble led his downfall, and eventually, the Cubs opted not to tender infielder Russell. He did hit .237 in the 82 games he did play this season.

Zobrist joined the Cubs in 2016 and helped provide some support in their title run back in 2016. Like Russell, Zobrist did have some offseason problems that altered his playing time, but in his 176 plate appearances in 47 games, he did hit for .260 batting average while driving in only 17 runs.

It was rumored that Zobrist was going to join Maddon in Los Angeles with the Angels but no word on if that is true just yet. Lucroy only appeared in 27 games for the Cubs after spending most of the season with the Angels. Lucroy decided to go to free agency, and he is unsigned to a new team.

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