4 Chicago Cubs players that will be gone after the 2024 season

4 Cubs players who will be gone after 2024 - Drew Smyly

Drew Smyly will end his 2024 campaign with a $10MM mutual option that the Chicago Cubs decline. Unless Smyly completely wows in 2024 and has a career season, the experiment of bringing him back thus far has not panned out. The Cubs hoped he could be a starting pitcher in the rotation, but he lost that position in 2023 and was limited to most bulk relief options. As a starter, Smyly recorded a below-league-average 4.38 ERA and allowed an opponent slash line of .256/.313/.454.

As a reliever, Smyly did better, posting a 3.16 ERA, but for $10MM, the Cubs could get a much more viable reliever. The team also has many prospects eyeing starting pitching and relief roles in 2025. For example, for a team with plenty of depth, the Cubs still have Cade Horton, Ben Brown, and Bailey Horn, who are hopeful they will be on the big league roster by then. Luke Little, Javier Assad, Mark Leiter Jr., Julian Merryweather, and Adbert Alzolay will remain under contract. Expect Smyly to be gone after 2024 unless he has a career season.