3 Chicago Cubs who must be on a short leash in 2023

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After a week of ball games, the Chicago Cubs sit at 3-3. Too early to tell where this team is heading; there are still players on the 26-man roster who need to be on a short leash in trimming the fat to help this team become as successful as possible. With it being so early in the season, there's no reason to expect any immediate cuts off the 26-man roster, but it is essential to know who to be mindful of if they underperform for a prolonged period. Here are three Chicago Cubs who must be on a short leash in 2023.

3 Chicago Cubs who need to be on a short leash - 3. Eric Hosmer

Eric Hosmer, who was signed as a place-holding left-handed first baseman to bridge the gap for Matt Mervis, is the first on this list who needs to be given a short leash. Initially, we weren't very high on Hosmer sticking around for too long. For one, his 720k salary is essentially non-existent, and for two, Mervis is already raking in Triple-A Iowa. However, a move won't be coming right away regardless, as Hosmer will be at least given a decent number of at-bats, so the Cubs feel confident they are making the right choice.

Currently, in all fairness, Hosmer has been producing at a respectable clip, slashing .278/.350/.389 with two doubles and four RBIs in 18 at-bats. Getting rid of him would make little to no sense considering he is one of the key hitters, with the Cubs currently holding the fifth-best slash line in the National League, with a mark of .265/.333/.377. Once Hosmer is gone, there won't be any going back for the Cubs. But if he begins to go on a cold stretch, look for the front office to make a move to Mervis.

3 Chicago Cubs who need to be on a short leash - 2. Julian Merryweather

Appearing in two games so far, Julian Merryweather has registered five earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched. Usually, we would understand the small sample size being a factor here, but the fact that this is familiar to him makes matters worse. Last Season, with the Toronto Blue Jays, Merryweather recorded a 6.75 ERA in a larger sample of 26.1 IP. The Cubs can ill-afford to blow games in the later innings, as their current projected win total is already indicative of this team's overall ceiling.

That is why the Cubs need to understand if there is little history to go off of where they count on past success, they need to cut ties quickly. The front office has done a fantastic job in the piece with reclamation projects, but if this trend continues, look for the Cubs to call up Jeremiah Estrada, who we already know is thought to be a critical piece of the Cubs bullpen moving forward at some point.

3 Chicago Cubs who need to be on a short leash - 1. Miles Mastrobuoni

Miles Mastrobuoni is one of those players I want to see succeed in a Cubs uniform, but with the understanding that he, too, needs to be on a short leash regarding his role on the team. Through 14 at-bats, Mastrobuoni is slashing just .143/.143/.143 with one RBI and six punchouts. Down on the farm, the Cubs have a younger Jake Slaughter, slashing .222/.250/.333 after his promotion to Triple-A to begin the year.

Down on the farm, the Cubs have a younger Jake Slaughter, slashing .222/.250/.333 with seven RBIs after his promotion to Triple-A to begin the year. Those numbers will not get the job done for a call-up to the MLB, but Slaughter is someone who, if he gets hot, will hit for average and power while stealing a bunch of bases. Last season, he batted .284/.381/.514 in the minors with 23 HRs, 80 RBIs, and 36 swiped bags. If Mastrobuoni continues to struggle and Slaughter starts to break out again, expect a swap.

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