Nick Madrigal Has Failed To Earn Opening Day Roster Spot
As much as I’ve been raving about the Cubs pitching depth heading into the 2023 season, I definitely can’t say the same when it comes to the end of the bench. See, the problem isn’t just that Nick Madrigal hasn’t done anything to actually earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, it’s that he’s one of a few guys who don’t deserve to be with the Cubs when the season begins, but still have a chance to be at Wrigley Field on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The main issue when trying to discuss a hitter like Madrigal is that he has a limited skillset that yes, is now becoming more valuable in MLB. Madrigal is elite at making contact and has been ever since he came up and made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 2020. He was a valuable hitter on the south side, but that’s because he kept hitting. That’s the one thing he can do and has to do to maintain a spot with a team. We know that Madrigal isn’t going to hit for power and he doesn’t take walks, so he must hit above .300 to be a plus for a team’s offense.
I don’t know if it’s all the injuries, if teams are simply scouting him better or his luck at finding gaps in the field is normalizing because Madrigal has not hit anywhere near where he needs to in order to earn a roster spot in the big league club to start the season. Yeah, spring training numbers don’t matter…for established veterans. Madrigal doesn’t have that luxury of simply coming into camp, getting his rhythm back and having his main goal being healthy and ready for Opening Day.
No, Madrigal needed to show that he can still be a good hitter and bat .300 to have a bench role on this team. Again, we’re talking about the last few spots on a roster and results should ultimately matter for those guys competing during spring training.
Madrigal started off great, going 6-for-15 at the plate during the first week or so in Arizona, but since then he’s only 5-for-31. Overall, he’s batting .239 in spring training, with a .286 OBP. Out of his 11 hits, only one has gone for extra bases, a double against the Oakland A’s on March 2.
If we’re talking about players who have earned playing time ahead of Madrigal, it’s not even a debate. Christopher Morel, Patrick Wisdom and Edwin Rios have all been much better in spring training and can play third base, where Madrigal has mostly been playing. There has been a lot of talk about Morel starting the year at Triple-A to further help his development, but right now you can make the same case for Madrigal needing more time in the minors.
Like I said above, though, Madrigal may not have earned a spot but that doesn’t mean he won’t be on the Opening Day roster. The same goes for left-handed hitting utility man Zach McKinstry. I’ve already written a few things on his poor performance and it seems like the main reason the Cubs don’t want to move on from McKinstry is because he’s out of minor league options and could be out of the organization less than a year after trading for him.
We’re only three days away from Opening Day and the Cubs still have to make 13 cuts to their spring training roster. Let’s hope they go with the guys who have earned it.