3 Cubs making a strong case for the Opening Day roster

3 Cubs making a strong case for the Opening Day roster: 2. David Bote

The long-lost David Bote is making it really hard to forget about him this spring, as he has nine hits in just 23 at-bats so far with an OPS over 1.000.

While he is making a lot of noise in Mesa, there just does not seem to be a viable path for him to make the Opening Day roster, especially because he is not even on the 40-man right now. After making a long journey back from a shoulder injury last year, which shelved him until June, Bote did not exactly dazzle at the plate.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old struck out in more than a third of his plate appearances, which threw cold water on his 109 OPS+. The biggest issue heading into the regular season, though, isn't necessarily what he can do on the field - it's the roster crunch the Cubs are facing for guys with similar skill sets.

In fact, he has not been very good since 2019 and has been a utility guy for the most part. With other options like Zach McKinstry, Christopher Morel and Miles Mastrobouni around to fill that role, I'd say Bote's days at Wrigley Field are numbered and he's likely best suited as a trade chip at this point.