Without major upgrades in these two areas, the Cubs are bound to fail again in 2025

Familiar faces fell short and change is needed on the Cubs bench

If I have to endure another year of Patrick Wisdom, Miles Mastrobuoni, Nick Madrigal and David Bote as the primary contributors off the bench, I'm going to lose it.

Bote, it seems safe to say, will be gone. The Cubs will buy out his option for 2025 at a $1 million cost rather than pay him $7 million next year. He hit well in limited action with the big-league team this summer, but in an offseason where every dollar counts more than ever, he's on the outs.

The Madrigal-Mastrobuoni duo packs as much punch offensively as a wet paper bag. The former has one option remaining, so maybe they keep him in the fold at stash him at Iowa - but expecting him to all of the sudden regain the hit tool that's eluded him since coming to the Cubs would be foolish. Over the last three years, he's put up a 73 OPS+. It's time to stop thinking he's a worth a 26-man roster spot on a team with postseason aspirations.

Mastrobuoni can also still be optioned and we know the Cubs love his defensive versatility and baseball IQ. But let's face facts. He put up a 35 OPS+ this season and has a career OPS+ of 54. At some point you have to hit or the other 'tools' in your arsenal become moot.

Last, but not least, we come to Wisdom - yet another player who was solidly below-average offensively (75 OPS+, 33% K rate, career-worst BB rate) whose primary reason for being on the roster in the first place was his bat. If he's not going to hit, he needs to be on the chopping block - period.