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3 roster moves the Chicago Cubs need to make by the end of May
The Chicago Cubs are starting to get their groove going with four straight series victories against the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Oakland Athletics. All of those teams save Oakland are likely playoff bound this year, and the Cubs took care of them in convincing fashion much of the time. Chicago is performing well on both sides of the ball, as the team ERA sits in the top 5 in MLB while the offense is top 10 in wRC+. Not bad for a team that won 74 games last year. Even though things are looking good, there are some issues that can be addressed with in-house roster moves. Here are three moves the Cubs need to make in May to ensure long-term success.
3 roster moves the Chicago Cubs need to make by the end of May - Promote Matt Mervis
The most glaring deficiency on the Cubs' active roster is their production at first base in a platoon situation between Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini. Those two are putting up some of the worst numbers in the league in terms of offensive production, and it is painful to watch considering one of the best first base prospects in the league continues to put up great numbers in Triple-A Iowa.
After Hosmer’s 0-for-4 last night Cubs first basemen have a slash line of .210/.252/.260.
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) April 19, 2023
Their 40 wRC+ is now dead last in MLB.
Through 41 at-bats for Iowa this year, Matt Mervis has 12 hits, 13 walks, and a .293/.456/1.041 slash line. It is only a matter of time before Mervis finds himself in the big league lineup, and it better be sooner than later. His left-handed power will be most welcome for run production in the speedy and on-contact-heavy Cubs lineup. There's a reason Eric Hosmer was cut by the Padres with three years and $36 million left to pay his deal. His offensive production is simply not what it was when he was with the Kansas City Royals. A 40-man roster spot will have to be cleared up for Mervis to make his big league debut, and I can think of no better path for that to happen than Hosmer getting designated for assignment.
3 roster moves the Chicago Cubs need to make by the end of May - Promote Christopher Morel
Another guy having an incredible start to the season at Iowa is Christopher Morel. In 45 at-bats, the 23-year-old is hitting .378 with 4 home runs, 14 RBIs, and 10 walks. This is encouraging given the slow second half he had last season at the major league level. After storming on the scene when he got plucked out of Double-A Tennessee last May, Morel cooled off to a .194 batting average in the second half.
But now Morel is getting everyday reps in Iowa and proving he is ready to come back to Wrigley. Which is good because the Cubs need him. Morel is the perfect utility man because he can play virtually every position on the field besides catcher, in addition to having great power at the plate and speed on the bases. With former utility man Miles Mastrobouni no longer on the active roster, the time is rapidly approaching for Morel's return.
Whenever Morel gets called back up, Nick Madrigal is the most likely candidate for a demotion since he cannot play anywhere besides second base (and I guess third). However, I get the feeling that the Cubs are going to Cub on this one and probably get rid of Edwin Rios. David Ross does not seem to be keen on getting Rios at-bats so I can see him being the odd man out. In any case, outfield depth is needed because there have been too many times when a corner outfielder like Trey Mancini or Patrick Wisdom has started in the outfield.
3 roster moves the Chicago Cubs need to make by the end of May - Demote Julian Merryweather
Julian Merryweather has proven to be the weakest link in the Cubs bullpen so far, sporting an ugly 10.80 ERA in 6.2 innings. It has gotten to the point where he can't be trusted in high-leverage situations, which begs the question "Why is he even on the active roster?" There are so many talented arms waiting to make their impact and I say let one of them come up. Jeremiah Estrada has performed well so far as he hasn't surrendered a run in 5 innings of work with the Iowa Cubs. He is also on the 40-man roster already and he sports a high 90s fastball. Let the young man cook and see what he can do in a close game against big-league hitters.
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