The Chicago Cubs’ bench has looked much different in 2025 compared to previous seasons after the front office completely changed things up this offseason. Guys who were with the team for multiple seasons, like Patrick Wisdom, were let go this past winter to shake up the reserve unit for the 2025 campaign. The most notable addition to the bench at the time in free agency was the signing of Justin Turner. The veteran received a one-year deal worth $6 million to work in as the right-handed hitting option for Chicago at first base.
Vidal Brujan was acquired in a deal around the New Year for Matt Mervis, and Jon Berti was signed to a one-year deal as well to offer more depth to the squad. Carson Kelly has been the been the overall biggest contributor of all the veterans added this past offseason, as him and Miguel Amaya make up one of the best catching tandems in MLB.
Despite the team having some bench success this season, there are still ways the unit could be improved. A long time member of the Dodgers was let go after spending parts of 10 seasons with the organization, and he could be on the Cubs’ radar in the open market.
Why the Chicago Cubs should look to bring in Chris Taylor
After being with the Dodgers since 2016, the organization officially DFA’d Chris Taylor over the weekend. The now 34-year-old was staple for the team in their playoff runs over the past decade, being a swiss army knife for manager Dave Roberts. Taylor has played in nearly 1,100 career MLB names, and spent the first couple of years in the big leagues with Seattle before being traded to Los Angeles.
Taylor would be an immediate upgrade over a guy like Berti on the bench. The veteran can play multiple positions well and would be a good piece to have in a pinch if certain everyday bats need a game off from time to time. The last season Taylor played a decent amount of games in came back in 2023 where he saw action in 117 contests.
Why Chris Taylor would not fit the Chicago Cubs
Taylor struggled to stay on the field in 2024 and didn’t play well when he got healthy. He slashed .202/.298/.300 for an .598 OPS in just 87 games. Things haven’t gotten much better for Taylor this year, as he is batting .200 in 28 games. The Dodgers have younger faces in their farm system that were ready for the show, and Taylor wasn’t getting it done anymore, so this decision seemed easy for their front office.
While the Cubs could try to get anything that Taylor has left out of him, his numbers of the past 100-plus games of big league action has not been good. If the organization is at all worried about his recent numbers, that could be enough of a red flag to keep him off their radar.
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