4 former Cubs without a job as spring training nears

It's that time of the year where we'll start seeing a number of former household names in the late stages of their respective careers latch on with teams as spring training gets underway.

For the Chicago Cubs, the roster seems more or less set - barring an Alex Bregman signing or some sort of blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres, who are reportedly still trying to clear some payroll before the season starts. But that doesn't mean this is a non-story, because there are several familiar faces still looking for a job as everyone heads to Florida and Arizona.

1) Hector Neris could be headed back to a former team soon

Hector Neris was a reincarnation of former Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol in his brief time on the North Side. Regularly working his way into trouble only to wiggle his way out more often than not, the right-hander failed to be the veteran stopper Chicago hoped for when it signed him to a one-year deal last winter.

Neris didn't even make it through the season, getting designated for assignment and released in August after posting a 1.523 WHIP and 1.77 K/BB in 46 appearances. Thankfully, the Cubs managed to get him off the books for 2025 and have revamped the bullpen this offseason, headlined by the recent addition of former Astros closer Ryan Pressly.

There have been rumblings that Neris could head back to Philadelphia, where he pitched from 2014-21, but nothing official has come out just yet. For now, he's jobless, but given he was effective just two years ago, I suspect at least one team will bring him into camp with a chance to earn a job.

2) Yan Gomes is probably retired at this point - but you never know

As we saw this winter with the Cubs looking for a reliable catcher on the open market, the free agent options were... well, they were largely uninspiring. Thankfully, Chicago landed Carson Kelly in the end and he'll platoon with Miguel Amaya in 2025.

The man Kelly is replacing, Yan Gomes, is without a home - and the unceremonious end to his time with the Cubs last summer may prove to be the end of his MLB career, as well. A 13-year big-league veteran, Gomes failed to replicate his above-average showing from 2023 and Chicago cut ties with him in June.

His bat appeared to have totally deteriorated - and he received middling to poor marks for his work behind the plate, as well. A former World Series champion, All-Star and Silver Slugger, if this is, indeed the end for the 37-year-old, he had quite the career.

3) I had honestly forgotten Edwin Rios was a thing for the Cubs

Remember when Edwin Rios was going to bring that left-handed pop the Cubs needed? Yeah, me neither. Chicago brought him into the fold just about two years ago - and his time with the big-league time consisted of all of 18 games.

He wound up spending the bulk of the year with Triple-A Iowa, putting up a 107 wRC+ before electing free agency that fall and eventually latching on with the Reds on a minor-league deal. In 2024, Rios, a former sixth-round pick of the Dodgers out of high school, spent most of the year with Cincinnati's Triple-A club and put up big numbers for Louisville, with a .932 OPS in 421 trips to the plate.

That wasn't enough to convince anyone his bat will play at the big-league level (at least not yet). He's been one of those guys who has put up numbers in the minors, but has never been able to carry that success with him against MLB pitching.

4) This can't really be the end for Cubs legend Anthony Rizzo - can it?

Mere months ago, Anthony Rizzo was playing first base for the New York Yankees in the World Series.

Despite that fact, recent years have seen him battle injuries and declining performance, and this winter's market has reflected that. There have been virtually no concrete rumors surrounding the four-time Gold Glover and three-time All-Star, despite a number of teams looking for first base depth.

Rizzo hasn't even managed 0.5 bWAR in either of the previous two seasons, and it's clear he's nowhere near what he was at his peak with the Cubs as the face of the franchise. But his veteran leadership would be valuable in any clubhouse - sadly, it doesn't look like that's enough to get a front office to make a play for him.

A new member of the 300-home run club and one of the most beloved players to even call Wrigleyville home, it would be amazing to see him back at Cubs Convention for the 10-year anniversary of the World Series team next January, but I truly hope this isn't the end of the line for him as a player.