Chicago Cubs News: MLB rule changes, Spring Training, and more

Chicago Cubs catchers and pitchers officially report to Spring Training on Wednesday but on Monday, Major League Baseball announced rule changes ahead of the 2023 season.

The "ghost runner" rule as it has been nicknamed since first debuting in Major League Baseball in 2020 has been a polarizing topic among baseball fans. The argument for the rule is that it accelerates the pace of extra-inning games but the argument against is that it takes away from the true competition of baseball games.

There is no question that the concept of Major League Baseball teams having position players pitch became a farce during the 2022 season. Major League Baseball needed to add more clarification to the rule and they made the right move. Position players pitching should not be a common trend. Sure, the situation can be fun but it is a move that can jeopardize the integrity of the game.

Nick Madrigal taking third base reps is still a thing

The Cubs appear to be holding true to their word in that Nick Madrigal will be getting third base rep during Spring Training. It remains unlikely that Madrigal will be able to play third base at any regular capacity but if he could be a spot starter at the position, it definitely will improve his value to the team in 2023.

The Athletic reveals first Chicago Cubs Opening Day roster projection

In their first projection of the Cubs' Opening Day roster, The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma leave little surprises. In their projection, Zach McKinstry gets the nod over Miles Mastrobuoni and Hayden Wesneski begins the season in Triple-A Iowa.

McKinstry and Mastrobuoni are interchangeable at this point in their perspective careers so this will likely come down to which player has the better Spring. Wesneski, however, thrived in the starting rotation at the end of the 2022 season and he should be allowed to make the team out of Spring Training if he performs well.

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