3 Chicago Cubs players who won’t be back in 2024

2. Drew Smyly

It is hard to see Drew Smyly sticking with the Chicago Cubs in 2024 and beyond.

Drew Smyly is 34 years old but he won’t turn 35 until halfway through the 2024 season. However, the Chicago Cubs are still very unlikely to bring him back for next year. He just doesn’t fit what the Chicago Cubs are trying to do anymore.

When they first brought him in, they added him to a bullpen that so desperately needed starters. He was coming off a World Series championship with the Atlanta Braves too which means that he brings some valuable experience.

With that said, being a bad pitcher is being a bad pitcher. Smyly had a record of 11-11. It is wild to see that many starts turn into a decision whether it be a win or a loss. It is fair to assume that he’d lose even more than that if he were brought back.

Every team in the league needs pitching but the Cubs don’t have any reason to keep Smyly around. Getting better upgrades for him is what could make a team go from being a playoff hopeful to a World Series contender.

Drew will probably find himself another job in Major League Baseball but it just can’t be with the Chicago Cubs at this point in time. If there are “inning eaters” out there in 2024, the Cubs didn’t do what they can to actually take the year seriously.