Cubs invite 3 familiar names to Spring Training

2. RHP Carl Edwards Jr.

It was way back before in 2019 since Carl Edwards Jr. appeared in a Cubs uniform, but now he's back after signing a minor league deal on January 26. Edwards was of course a main component of the Cubs bullpen and his best years were from 2016-2018. Since leaving the Cubs though, Edwards has floated around to six different teams and 2023 was the year he seemed to get his groove back with the Washington Nationals with a 3.69 ERA.

However, Edwards only appeared in 32 games last year because of a stress fracture in his shoulder blade. Edwards' repertoire is also reportedly much different than it was earlier in his career, as age has slowed down his velocity and turned him into a more contact-heavy hurler who yields fewer strikeouts. There are a lot of bullpen arms in front of Edwards right now but giving him a minor-league deal is a nice way to bring an old World Series winner back into the fold.

Maybe we'll see him crack the major league roster at some point, but right now Edwards is pretty far down the depth chart and his path to the Majors would likely only happen if a ton of bullpen injuries hit the team.