5 players you completely forgot played for the Cubs in 2023

The Chicago Cubs have given a lot of players chances this year, with many no longer on the active roster.

Every team cycles through young rookies and veteran journeymen regularly, to the point where it's hard to keep track of everyone. Here are five players that you probably forgot played for the Cubs at the MLB level this year.

1. 1B Jared Young

After Matt Mervis and Eric Hosmer had tried and failed to secure the first base position for the Cubs, Iowa Cubs standout Jared Young got his chance but also fell short. Young was called up in late June and came out of the gate hot with a home run and two triples in his first few plate appearances.

But this was unfortunately the height of Young's success as he posted a .171 batting average and a .627 OPS in 35 at-bats. Similar to Mervis, Young has thrived with the Iowa Cubs at the Triple-A level but didn't seem ready to handle big-league pitching. In 85 games for Iowa this year, Young has an impressive slash line of .313/.422/.581 with 21 home runs and 71 RBIs.

At 28 years old, if Young does indeed make it back to the big leagues, it will likely not be with the Cubs. The team has been struggling to find a proper replacement for Anthony Rizzo since the 2021 trade deadline, and the answer will not be a guy like Jared Young.

The team needs a clear answer and it will probably end up being Cody Bellinger. The team will likely have to pay Bellinger center fielder money, but I foresee him transitioning to first base on a permanent basis once Pete Crow-Armstrong establishes himself.

2. C Luis Torrens

Earlier this year, the Cubs were rolling with a trio of catchers that included Yan Gomes, Tucker Barnhart and Luis Torrens. Barnhart and Torrens were both eventually designated for assignment because of the emergence of rookie Miguel Amaya. Torrens only lasted about a month with the team, and he struggled mightily at the plate with 5 total hits in 13 games.

After getting DFA'd on April 28th, Torrens was eventually sent to the Baltimore Orioles for cash where he met the same fate less than a week after signing. He then penned a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals and made some appearances with their Triple- A affiliate. He opted out of that deal and is now in the Seattle Mariners organization as of August 30th.

The 27-year-old won a job with the Cubs after a respectable Spring Training where he put up an OPS of 1.021. But the Venezuelan native could not keep the job and his time was properly given to the budding Miguel Amaya, who is starting to look like the long-term catcher for the team.

3. RHP Nick Burdi

Reliever Nick Burdi made the 26-man roster in mid-May and he only made three appearances before getting his appendix removed less than two weeks into his stint. He has been working on a comeback since and the Cubs were hoping he'd be a contributing reliever. Although he gave up 3 earned runs in his small sample size, Burdi regularly touched 100 mph and struck out four batters.

MLB currently has Burdi's expected return as to be determined so it is up in the air whether he will return this year. The 30-year-old has only appeared in 19 big-league games so hopefully, he can become a contributor soon. His velocity is intriguing and needed in the Cubs bullpen.

4. 3B Edwin Rios

One of the many third basemen that the Cubs have in the Triple-A and MLB levels is Edwin Rios. The Cubs brought Rios aboard on a one-year deal worth $1 million in February and it looked like he was vying for a role. But Manager David Ross rarely gave Rios a plate appearance, let alone a start. He only collected 28 at-bats in 34 games with a .071/.235/.214 slash line. He was eventually removed from the 40-man and outrighted to the Iowa Cubs in July.

Rios has shown glimpses of greatness but has never really been given a proper chance to play every day. Before his time with the Cubs, Rios came up with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he played just 112 games over four years. The 29-year-old would get a better chance to showcase his skills on a non-competitive team like the Oakland Athletics or the Kansas City Royals. Hopefully, he can find his way to a team like that and get prove himself.