Chicago Cubs surprisingly place longtime fan favorite on the waiver list

It will be a tough fight for the Chicago Cubs to make it into the playoffs, even if they are still fighting to catch up towards the end of the season.

As of Monday, they were 5.5 games away from the final wild card spot and their year will likely end on September 29.

With that in mind, management will be making some decisions in the near future that will impact the team’s future viability as they look for ways to build a competitive roster in 2025, something they failed to do last winter.

When it comes to decisions made by the ownership group and management, finances are regularly at the forefront, and this was clearly evident again on Monday.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, the Cubs are placing fan-favorite pitcher Drew Smyly on waivers.

As the insider mentions, this will give other competing teams in the league the opportunity to sign the left-hander for their push into the playoffs.

The 35-year-old was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the second round of the 2010 draft. He came to Chicago as a free agent before the 2018 season and signed a two-year, $10 million contract. After spending the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery, he was traded to the Texas Rangers.

Smyly finally threw his first pitch for the Cubs in 2022 when he signed a $4.25 million contract with them, and after he posted a solid 3.47 ERA in 22 starts, they re-signed him, giving him a two-year, $19 million deal with a mutual option for 2025.

The left-hander eventually moved to the bullpen last season after struggling as a starter.

Chicago used him only as a reliever this year and he performed well with an ERA of 2.84.

Now Smyly has the opportunity to join a competitive team and, depending on who he ends up playing for, take part in a championship battle.