Inside The Cubs

Chicago Cubs Non-Tender Three Players Ahead of MLB Deadline

The Chicago Cubs had some tough decisions to make as they non-tendered three players on Friday.

Kade Kistner

Chicago Cubs Non-Tender Three Players Ahead of MLB Deadline
Chicago Cubs Non-Tender Three Players Ahead of MLB Deadline /
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The Chicago Cubs did the hard thing on Friday and non-tendered three players who were arbitration eligible. They are now free agents.

Outfielder Rafael Ortega, and pitchers Brailyn Marquez and Alexander Vizcaíno were the three left on the outside looking in. 

The four players that were tendered a contract consisted of outfielder Ian Happ, second baseman Nick Madrigal, right hander Codi Heuer, and shortstop Nico Hoerner. 

Pitchers Adrian Sampson and Rowan Wick avoided arbitration with one-year deals. 

For the four players who were tendered contracts, it was all but a formality. Happ is the leader of the club on and off the field. It is also well within the realm of possibility that the team could look to extend him in the near future.

Middle infielders Madrigal and Hoerner are also part of the Cubs' future plans. Hoerner found his home in the club's middle infield last season, and even if the Cubs do decide to add a star shortstop, he still looks to be an effective member of the lineup.

Madrigal is a player the team hoped would factor more into their future plans, but injuries have kept that goal from coming to fruition. Still, once regarded as one of baseball's top prospects, Madrigal has value, even if it lies in the trade market.

With these moves, Chicago's roster now sits at 37, which means more is to come. 

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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