Cubs Make Shocking Non-Tender Decision
The Chicago Cubs have tendered contracts to Justin Steele, Isaac Parades, Nate Pearson and Eli Morgan, but in what seems to be a shocking decision to some fans, outfielder Mike Tauchman was non-tendered, making the veteran a free agent. Infielder Nick Madrigal was also non-tendered on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Cubs have already agreed to terms with right-handed relievers Julian Merryweather and Keegan Thompson, as well as recently-acquired catcher Matt Thaiss.
Cubs have non-tendered OF Mike Tauchman and IF Nick Madrigal.
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) November 23, 2024
LHP Justin Steele, 3B Isaac Parades, RHP Nate Pearson and RHP Eli Morgan have been tendered contracts.
Cubs also agreed to terms with RHPs Julian Merryweather and Keegan Thompson and C Matt Thaiss.
Tauchman was projected to earn an arbitration salary of $2.9 million during the 2025 season.
Personally, I’m stunned as well that the Cubs are letting Tauchman walk. He was a solid bench bat, providing a 109 wRC+ and 111 wRC+, respectively from the left side of the plate in the last two years with the Cubs. He was able to fill in primarily at center and right, was good at getting on base, a 360 OBP with the Cubs, but I guess this signals that the team is creating space for their young outfield prospects.
Owen Caissie was one of two prospects recently added to the team’s 40-man roster and after a promising season at Triple-A in 2024, he could be on the verge of getting playing time in the majors. Moving Tauchman out of the outfield mix certainly makes the path easier for Caissie to get playing time if the Cubs feel he’s ready next season.
(Previous Predictions)
The Chicago Cubs have been busy this week, tinkering with their roster, letting go of some players, adding a few more and by Friday night they could end up letting go of another handful of players following the non-tender deadline.
Entering the offseason, the Cubs had 14 players who were arbitration-eligible and would need to be tendered a contract by Nov. 22, if the team wanted to keep them on their 40-man roster. Out of those 14, the guarantees to be tendered are Justin Steele, Isaac Paredes, Mike Tauchman and the newly acquired Eli Morgan.
The Cubs also have to make decisions on right-handed relievers Julian Merryweather, Keegan Thompson, Colten Brewer and Nate Pearson, catcher Matt Thaiss and infielder Nick Madrigal. Six names on the original 14-player list have already been let go by the Cubs this offseason.
So, who should the Cubs non-tender? I really only have strong feelings toward two guys. First, Colten Brewer broke his hand punching the dugout wall at Wrigley Field in 2024 after a bad outing and at this point I don’t see a lot of upside in the 32-year-old reliever.
As for Nick Madrigal, do the Cubs really need him around anymore? The 27-year-old has been a bust since the Cubs traded for him in the summer of 2021, posting a combined 0.8 fWAR in parts of three seasons on the north side. He battled through leg issues in his first couple years in a Cubs uniform and then after struggling at the plate in 2024, Madrigal was demoted to Triple-A, where he unfortunately suffered a broken hand in June, ending his season.
Madrigal is projected to earn a salary just shy of $2 million in 2025, and if you look at the list of infielders already on the 40-man roster, coupled with the fact that the Cubs will need to add Matt Shaw once he’s ready to join the squad in 2025, then there’s really no need for Madrigal.
I think Nate Pearson will be back after his showing in the final couple months after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in July. I’d be disappointed if Keegan Thompson wasn’t tendered following his rebound in 2024. As for Julian Merryweather, I think that’s 100% determined by his health. You saw his capabilities when healthy during the 2023 season, but this past year was a disaster that ended with the reliever needing knee surgery, which came after he had already missed most of the season with a rib fracture.
I initially thought Merryweather would return at the beginning of the offseason, but now I’m not so sure, especially with the addition of Morgan.
As for catcher Matt Thaiss, he falls into the category of potentially being non-tendered, but with the understanding that he’ll re-sign with the Cubs on a minor league deal. We’ll see how the tender deadline plays out, as the Cubs have to make their decisions final by Friday night.