3 Cubs who won't make the opening day roster, but will contribute a lot in 2023

The Chicago Cubs have a lot of depth on both sides of the ball, meaning there will be a lot of tough roster decisions to make when opening day comes at the end of the month. With Spring Training chugging on and position battles underway, many of these guys will not be starting their season on the big league squad. However, opportunities always present themselves throughout the season, whether it be from poor production on the active roster or injuries. Here are 3 guys that will begin their season in Triple-A Iowa, but will make their way to Wrigley to contribute in 2023.

1. Christopher Morel

When Christopher Morel was called up from Double-A Tennessee last May, he hit a home run in his first big league at-bat and never looked back. Although he played his way into staying on the active roster, he struggled mightily during the second half of the season. In his second 55 games in 2022, Morel had a pretty ugly batting average of .194, as opposed to .264 in his first 56 contests. With all the free-agent additions the Cubs have made, it is unlikely there will be room for Morel, at least at the start of the season.

Morel is a heck of a player and provided a high-energy spark to the Cubs last year that was reminiscent of Javier Baez. Not to mention he can play everywhere besides 1st base and catcher. He is only 23 years old though, and perhaps a couple of months in Iowa to get regular at-bats and playing time is what Morel needs to develop into a more consistent big-league ball player.