Sammy Sosa is back.
The slugger’s return to the organization will physically manifest this weekend with Sosa’s appearance at the Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. Sosa, who issued a public apology last month for “mistakes” he made during his career, is part of the Cubs alumni expected to appear at the 38th event, a group that notably includes Baseball Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins, Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams and Lee Smith, as well as Kerry Wood, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Shawon Dunston, among others.
The festivities begin Friday night with the opening ceremony, during which the Cubs Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be revealed. Ian Happ announced Sosa will be joining his podcast, “The Compound,” at the convention on Saturday. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins are among the panels Saturday, as well as one with manager Craig Counsell, another with Cubs hitters and the always popular Kids Only Press Conference.
With less than a month until Cubs pitchers and catchers hold their first workout Feb. 9 and the first full-squad workout Feb. 14, the roster still feels incomplete as some top-end talent remains available in free agency. The Cubs, coming off back-to-back 83-win seasons, approach spring training with playoff expectations this year.
North Side newcomers
Two of the Cubs’ biggest additions joined the organization on the same day last month when they acquired star Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros and signed veteran catcher Carson Kelly.
While the Cubs still could use more proven arms, more options have been brought in for the pitching staff, led by left-hander Matthew Boyd, left-hander Caleb Thielbar, right-hander Colin Rea, right-hander Eli Morgan, right-hander Matt Festa, left-hander Rob Zastryzny and right-hander Cody Poteet. Poteet, 30, was the player the Cubs received from the New York Yankees for outfielder Cody Bellinger.
The Cubs bench is in the process of being remade, too, following the selection of infielder Gage Workman in the Rule 5 draft last month and the acquisition of utility man Vidal Bruján from the Miami Marlins for first baseman Matt Mervis. If the Cubs don’t bring in a more experienced hitter, Counsell will be rolling with a largely untested group: Workman hasn’t played above Double A, Bruján has had limited offensive success in parts of four big-league seasons, Kelly and Miguel Amaya are expected to split playing time and their fifth outfielder spot could go to Alexander Canario, who is out of minor-league options but has only 45 MLB plate appearances while striking out 19 times.
Offseason happenings
Bringing in a star hitter the lineup needed was a big move Hoyer needed to make, regardless of Tucker being a free agent after the season. But that doesn’t necessarily lessen the sting that the organization failed to land Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, who reportedly narrowed his finalists this week to the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. The Cubs can’t control, though, what a player in a situation like this values, especially when the money that can be offered in signing him is limited to a team’s international amateur free-agent pool. Whatever Sasaki ultimately wanted for his future big-league team didn’t lead him to consider the franchise beyond their in-person meeting last month.
The Cubs still can pivot to add the type of talent that makes them a stronger playoff contender. Third baseman Alex Bregman would make sense on a shorter-term deal, though because the Astros gave him a qualifying offer, the Cubs would lose their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 draft and $1 million from their international bonus pool.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty is intriguing for improving the upside of the rotation, and any of the available remaining top relievers — Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Carlos Estévez among the most notable — could provide much-needed experience in the bullpen.
