Monday was an wild day in the world of Chicago Cubs baseball after the team decided to move on from manager David Ross and bring in former Milwaukee Brewers skipper Craig Counsell. The deal set the industry standard for premier managers in MLB.
Beyond Counsell coming to the North Side, there have been plenty of Cubs happenings over the past couple of days. One move that went under the radar was left-hander Drew Smyly choosing not to opt out of his contract. Although it doesn't come as a surprise, he will be back for the 2024 season.
Additionally, the Cubs saw several players elect free agency as they became available for the Rule 5 Draft. Notably, outfielder Yonathan Perlaza, left-hander Brailyn Marquez, and right-hander Nick Burdi will hit the open market.
Of those names, Perlaza draws the most attention. The outfielder had a relatively productive 2023 season, slashing .284/.389/.534 with the Iowa Cubs. In addition, he mashed 23 home runs and added 85 RBIs. Unfortunately, his departure is likely the Cubs identifying that there are too many outfielders in their system and they cannot add him to the 40-man roster at this time.
The Cubs will continue to make minor moves now that free agency is officially open. With the GM meetings occurring in Arizona this week, reports should start to surface about interest in players. Once the Winter Meetings roll around in early December, offseason signings should pick up.
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