Latest Chicago Cubs roster move is an audition for the 2025 roster

Their win over the Oakland Athletics not withstanding, it seems thagt the Chicago Cubs' hopes for postseason in berth were erased when they lost two-of-three games to the Colorado Rockies this past weekend.

Entering play on Tuesday night, the Cubs trail the New York Mets by five games for the final National League Wild Card spot. With 12 games remaining before the end of the season, time is not on the Cubs' side.

While the Cubs will not officially give up on their postseason efforts until they are mathematically eliminated from the race, it goes without saying that the team should use this final stretch of games to complete some final evaluations on players who could be a part of the 2025 roster construction.

One of those moves may have happened on Tuesday.

Prior to the game against the Athletics on Tuesday night, the Cubs optioned Trey Wingenter to Triple-A Iowa in favor of Daniel Palencia.

If you blinked, you likely missed Wingenter's stint with the Cubs at the Major League level. Wingenter appeared in 5 games for the Cubs in recent weeks while getting tagged for 9 runs on 11 hits and 2 walks.

Daniel Palencia remains a reliever filled with potential.

Palencia has been an up-and-down reliever for the Cubs at the Major League level, making frequent trips between Triple-A Iowa and Wrigley Field. In 9 appearances with the Cubs at the Major League level this season, Palencia has given up 11 runs on 14 hits while striking out 14 batters in 12.2 innings of work. The problem is that in that same time span, Palencia has walked 12 batters.

With a fastball that can reach triple digits, Palencia is an arm that the Cubs will want to get right in order to be a potential option in their bullpen during the seasons ahead. At 24 years old, Palencia is at the point where he should begin to put it together at the Major League level. That is why this is an important 12 games for Palencia. If Palencia can show some command in his outings between now and the end of the season, he could throw his name back into consideration for a bullpen spot next season.