5 former Cubs players on new teams to keep an eye on this spring

Looking to put back-to-back 83-win seasons behind them, the Chicago Cubs have shaken up the roster dramatically over the last eight months - starting with the Christopher Morel trade last July, parting ways with franchise icon Kyle Hendricks at season's end and trading Cody Bellinger this winter.

So as exciting as newcomers Kyle Tucker, Ryan Pressly and Matthew Boyd - among others - are, and as much attention as we'll be paying to the 2025 Cubs, let's outline 5 former Cubs with new homes as spring training gets underway.

Kyle Hendricks heads west, joining the Angels for the 2025 season

Kyle Hendricks starts a new chapter, returning home to California on a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran right-hander was a staple in the Cubs' rotation for a decade, but had clearly lost a step in recent years. A former MLB ERA champion and NL Cy Young finalist, not to mention the starter of some of the biggest postseason games in franchise history, Hendricks pitched to a 5.92 ERA in 2024.

He turned the clock back in his final start, turning in a vintage Hendricks performance in front of a raucous Wrigley Field crowd - but for the first time in his big-league career, he'll don new threads this spring, pitching for manager Ron Washington and the Angels.

Fan favorite Christopher Morel looks to rebound with the Rays

Things... well they didn't go as planned for Christopher Morel last year. In what was supposed to be the year he established himself as the long-term third-base answer on the North Side, he instead slashed .199/.302/.373 with the Cubs, prompting Jed Hoyer to trade him to the Tampa Bay Rays at the deadline in the Isaac Paredes deal.

Things didn't get better for Morel from there. In fact, they got worse. He mustered a lowly .547 OPS and 57 OPS+ with the Rays and it's unclear where things go from here. Morel will be in camp with Tampa Bay for the first time this spring and the hope is he can recapture some of the magic that made him a beloved piece of the team for so many Cubs fans.

Cody Bellinger follows in his father's footsteps in the Bronx

The Cubs brought Cody Bellinger back last offseason hoping his NL Comeback Player of the Year showing in 2023 was a sign of things to come. He was still solid last season, but was worth just 2.2 bWAR - half of what he was worth the year prior.

At a price tag of $27.5 million for 2025, Chicago decided to trade him to the Yankees this winter, opening up full-time gigs at first for Michael Busch and in center for Pete Crow-Armstrong. Following the Kyle Tucker acquisition, there was an overcrowded outfield picture - and Bellinger was the odd man out.

The question on everybody's minds remains whether or not Hoyer will re-invest those savings or opt to keep the powder dry instead.

The Isaac Paredes experiment didn't produce the expected results

That deal that sent Morel to Tampa Bay was supposed to add a power corner infield bat to the mix in the form of Isaac Paredes. The only problem was the power didn't make the trip north from Florida with him and he struggled immensely at the dish down the stretch, batting just .223/.325/.307 with the Cubs.

He showed signs of life late in the season, but the front office decided to move on from him this winter, sending him to Houston along with prospect Cam Smith and right-hander Hayden Wesneski in the Kyle Tucker deal. His offensive profile should play well there, and he's got a good chance of re-establishing himself with the Astros. After all, he was an All-Star just two years ago.

Matt Mervis finally gets a chance to play everyday in the big leagues

Remember when Matt Mervis popped off back in 2022, smashing 36 home runs, hitting 40 doubles and driving in 119 runs across three levels of the minors and Cubs fans thought he had a clear path to the first base job at the big-league level?

Yeah, that never became a thing. Chicago never seemed to buy into his minor-league success and went so far as to trade for Michael Busch last winter - which told you Mervis wasn't in their plans moving forward. Now in camp with the Miami Marlins after being traded this winter, the 26-year-old gets that long-awaited opportunity. Here's to hoping he makes the most of it.