3 Cubs players under contract for 2023 that fans are ready to move on from

Over the course of the past two seasons, Chicago Cubs fans have been forced to wave farewell to several players that were considered to be fan favorites. Those players include Kyle Schwarber, Yu Darvish, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and most recently, Willson Contreras. In each of those cases, Cubs fans experienced difficulty in trying to move on. Outside of Darvish, all of those players mentioned were a part of the core that won the World Series in 2016. Darvish, meanwhile, became a fan favorite within the Cubs' pitching staff between 2019 and 2020.

Hopefully, for the Cubs, the trend of waving farewell to players does not continue in 2023. The Cubs very much have the goal of contending at the Major League level in 2023 and that hopefully will signal that the team will not be a seller at the Major League Baseball trade deadline for a third consecutive season.

Having said that, there are players on the roster that under contract for the 2023 season and Cubs fans are ready to move on from.

3 players that Cubs fans are ready to move on from: Nick Madrigal

After acquiring second baseman Nick Madrigal in a 2021 trade deadline deal with the Chicago White Sox, the Cubs had the goal of Madrigal cementing himself as the team's second baseman in 2022. Unfortunately, injuries limited Madrigal to 59 games last season. When healthy, Madrigal was not the premium contact hitter that he was with the White Sox as his slash line with the Cubs last season was .249/.305/.282 with a .267 wOBA and 70 wRC+.

The signing of shortstop Dansby Swanson forced Nico Hoerner over to second base and that leaves Madrigal without a starting position on the Cubs in 2023. Madrigal lacks the arm strength to play anywhere else on the infield so his value to the Cubs will be as a trade asset.

3 players that Cubs fans are ready to move on from: Kyle Hendricks

Outside of manager David Ross, starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks is the last remaining player on the Chicago Cubs roster that was a part of the 2016 World Series winning team. Despite having the profile of a pitcher that should remain effective in the later years of his career, Hendricks has regressed over the course of the past two seasons.

In 32 starts during the 2021 season, Hendricks posted a 4.77 ERA in 181 innings pitched. After believing to have fixed a hitch in his delivery, Hendricks entered the 2022 season with the goal of bouncing back. Despite the goal, Hendricks' struggles continued as he posted a 4.80 ERA in 84.1 innings pitched. A shoulder injury limited Hendricks to 16 starts for the Cubs last season.

Hendricks is entering the final season of his contract with the Cubs and, unlike the other stars of the 2016 World Series team, Cubs fans appear to be aware that a farewell may be necessary. The league has figured Hendricks and outside of the unlikely odds of the 33-year-old starting pitcher finding an uptick in his velocity, it seems likely Hendricks may not have a strong value for the Cubs moving forward.