4 Chicago Cubs' non-roster invites to watch in Spring Training

We are just nine days away from the Chicago Cubs' first Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cubs have announced their non-roster invites for Spring Training and there are some intriguing names on the list. With that being said, here are four names that we'll be keeping a close eye on in the spring.

Brandon Hughes

Hughes has returned to the Cubs for a second stint. Hughes burst onto the scene in 2022, pitching to a 3.12 ERA across 57.2 innings and 57 appearances.

Along with being a middle/late-inning reliever, Hughes picked up the first eight saves of his MLB career in 2022. Since that rookie season, Hughes has struggled to find that form again, appearing in just 32 games and holding an ERA of 7.81 over the two seasons.

Hughes is hopeful to find himself again the second time around in Chicago, and with Caleb Thielbar being the only left-handed reliever locked into the bullpen, a solid spring could potentially earn Hughes a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Cade Horton

Horton is the Cubs' top pitching prospect, and it is expected that he will make his MLB debut at some point in the 2025 season. There was a bit of talk ongoing last season about Horton getting the call at some point during the season.

He then suffered an injury and had some setbacks and was not able to return during the season. The health of Horton will be one of the most important things to watch during Spring Training.

Christian Franklin

Franklin is an intriguing third base prospect for Chicago. He raced through the minors in 2023, playing at four different levels, all the way from rookie ball to Double-A Tennessee.

2024 saw Franklin stuck in Tennessee all season after struggling in the early parts of the season. His average dipped down as low as .171 and it was .212 at the beginning of June. Franklin was able to turn it on in the second half and finish with a .268 average.

It is tough to see a world where Franklin reaches the major leagues this season, but with an impressive showing in Mesa, Franklin could earn a spot on the Triple-A roster to begin the season.

Moises Ballesteros

"Mo-Baller," as they call him, is knocking on the door of a promotion to the Major Leagues. Ballesteros was close to being called up last season before Miguel Amaya was able to find a rhythm and finish his season off in a strong way.

Ballesteros had an incredible 2024 season across two levels, hitting .289 with 19 home runs and 78 RBIs. He certainly showed he was ready for the big leagues and he is hoping to get that chance this season,