5 Chicago Cubs players in their final month with the team

It's now or never for Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, whose multi-year rebuilding effort will need to bear fruit in 2025. With virtually all of its top prospects at Triple-A, Chicago approaches an offseason in which it must add impact talent and put itself in the position to get over the hump and return to the postseason next year.

Creativity will be the name of the game for Hoyer and his GM, Carter Hawkins, as they look to balance a roster that's largely locked in long-term with a need for change after falling well short of expectations in Craig Counsell's first year as manager. Here are 5 guys whose time with the Cubs is quickly winding down.

Cubs will need to add a new face to the catching tandem this winter

Christian Bethancourt has been a revelation since coming to the Cubs, casually throwing up a .900+ OPS down the stretch in limited action. As impressive as he's been, Chicago cannot expect him to replicate those numbers over the course of a full season - and doing so would be a huge mistake.

In his career, Bethancourt has a 73 OPS+, meaning he's about 30 percent below-average with the bat. The 33-year-old gets above-average marks controlling the running game but is far from a solid framer or receiver. Given the uncertainty surrounding Miguel Amaya after a tale of two halves in 2024, Hoyer needs to add a proven commodity behind the plate this winter.

There are better fits for the Cubs bullpen than veteran Drew Smyly

Left-hander Drew Smyly narrowly missed making history in April 2023, when he flirted with perfection at Wrigley Field. This year, he's been Craig Counsell's go-to guy out of the bullpen, but has struggled here late in the year, allowing a half-dozen runs in five September appearances.

Like I said, he's outpaced his FIP all year long, but that seems to be equalizing here in the season's final weeks. A solid swingman, Smyly should have no problem finding work this offseason after (I hope) the Cubs decline their end of the mutual option on his contract.

Given the sheer number of starting pitchers in the mix even without external additions, it's clear that Smyly is expendable. Someone like Jordan Wicks or Ben Brown can slot in and take this role and, hopefully, Hoyer goes out and adds at least one (hopefully more than one) shutdown southpaws for the bullpen because it's been an area of need for far too long.

Jorge Lopez has pitched his way into some attractive free agent offers

After tossing his glove into the stands coming off the mound in his final appearance with the New York Mets, things didn't look great for Jorge Lopez. But after latching on with a Cubs team that was in dire need of bullpen help, don't be surprised at all if he lands a multi-year deal in free agency.

The right-hander has worked to a 2.19 ERA with the Cubs entering action Tuesday and, still just 31, there's little reason to doubt his tank is anywhere near empty. A shutdown reliever with Baltimore just two years ago, Chicago seems to have helped Lopez tap back into something that allows him to thrive on the mound.

He's kept the ball on the ground and relied on the defense behind him to get outs, cutting his hard-hit rate year-over-year by more than six percent in the process. Maybe the two sides reunite in free agency, but I believe he's going to find a spot on a contender more easily than some may think.

We're nearing the end of an era as Kyle Hendricks leaves the Cubs

It hasn't been the swan song some hoped for after Kyle Hendricks seemed to turn back the clock and get his career back on track in 2023, but his latest outing in Colorado showed the right-hander has something left to offer.

But given the myriad of needs facing this Cubs team and adding a proven veteran starter a known top offseason priority, the dollars that could be spent retaining Hendricks seem likely to go elsewhere. The last man standing from that unforgettable 2016 team could soon be wearing something other than a Cubs uniform for the first time in his big league career.

The big-picture numbers for Hendricks aren't great and will no-doubt hurt his market. He may even have to settle for a minor-league deal (which, if that's the case, expect the Cubs to keep in touch) after a -1.8 bWAR/6.25 ERA season. But if he manages to secure a guaranteed big league deal (again, a long-shot), it almost certainly will not be in Chicago.