Cubs invite 3 familiar names to Spring Training

The Chicago Cubs have announced their full list of 19 non-roster invitees for Spring Training this year, and it contains a few familiar names from years past.

The Cubs' Major League training camp begins on Monday in Mesa, Arizona and the team's first Spring Training game will be against the Chicago White Sox on February 23. Here are three old friends that we will see this Spring and possibly in the majors if things go in their favor.

1. IF David Bote

Remember David Bote? The utility man everyone thought would be the next Ben Zobrist? Well, he's still in the Cubs organization and he will be at Spring Training this year. Somehow this man has been with the Cubs since 2012 when they drafted him in the 18th round (554th overall). He played every position except for catcher and pitcher while working his way up the minor leagues and he made his MLB debut in 2018.

He was a good role player and fill-in for injury type of guy who came up with some big hits for the team. Most notable was the walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals, which will likely go down as Bote's most memorable moment in his baseball career and one of the most iconic Wrigley Field moments of the era

In April of 2019, the Cubs front office gave Bote a five-year contract extension worth $15 million. 2024 is the last year of that contract and he will earn $5.5 million this season. In hindsight, this extension looks a bit gung-ho considering Bote's steep regression after he signed it. Over the past four seasons, Bote has played in just 183 major league games which was partially due to major shoulder surgery he underwent in 2021.

In November of 2022, Bote was outrighted off the 40-man roster and his return to the Majors seems unlikely at this point. It seems like the team has wanted out of his contract for a while now and the 31-year-old will have to light the stat sheet on fire just to work his way into the big-league conversation.