After a 2022 Major League Baseball trade deadline that saw the Chicago Cubs trade a handful of relief pitchers and no position players, the focus has now shifted for the Cubs as they will use the final two months of the 2022 regular season to determine what players can be valid candidates to be on the roster in 2023.
For the Cubs, that also means taking a look at players that were discarded by other teams.
On Monday, the Cubs claimed power-hitting outfielder Franmile Reyes off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians. There has been no word on what the corresponding roster move will be once Reyes is officially added to the Cubs roster but the expectation should be for the 27-year-old outfielder to get a significant amount of playing time with the Cubs in August and September.
The Guardians made the decision to designate Reyes for assignment this past weekend.
Looking past this season and not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Reyes has been a perennial 30-home run a-season hitter. Reyes hit 31 home runs with the Guardians in 2021, and 37 home runs with the Guardians in 2019.
Having said that, Reyes’ struggles during the 2022 season can not be ignored. Reyes is striking out at a 37% rate this season and his power, .137 ISO, is nearly 100 points lower than his career ISO of .226.
Despite the struggles that Reyes has had this season, the opportunity for the Cubs to add a potential 30-home run a-season bat to their lineup for only money was too good to pass up. Factor in the idea that Reyes has two minor league options remaining and is arbitration eligible this offseason, and the Cubs may have just made their first significant move for 2023.
If Franmil Reyes can return to form, the Chicago Cubs may have just made a steal of a waive claim from the Cleveland Guardians.
As for where Reyes currently slots on the Cubs’ roster, it’s likely as their designated hitter considering Ian Happ is firmly in place at the left field spot with Christopher Morel in center field and Seiya Suzuki in right field. Offseason moves likely will change that alignment but expect Reyes to get a considerable amount of playing the rest of this season as the Cubs’ designated hitter.
If the Cubs are confident that they can correct Reyes’ uptick in strikeouts this season, something they have done already at the Major League level with the likes of Happ, Patrick Wisdom, and Willson Contreras, then it seems very likely that Reyes will stick around for the 2023 season.
The Cubs will need to make a roster move in order to make room for Reyes on the Major League roster and Frank Schwindel seems like the likely candidate to be optioned or designated for assignment.