5 Chicago Cubs who don’t deserve to make the 40-man roster

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 19: Kyle Hendricks #28 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field on June 19, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 19: Kyle Hendricks #28 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field on June 19, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /
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Chicago Cubs 40-man roster, Anthony Kay
Anthony Kay doesn’t have much of a place with the Chicago Cubs. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /

2) Why Anthony Kay doesn’t deserve a Cubs 40-man roster spot

There is a little bit of irony with Anthony Kay joining the Cubs this offseason. Originally a draft pick of the New York Mets, he made his way to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2019 trade for Marcus Stroman. He has failed to stick around in the big leagues for any significant amount of time. Last year, the Blue Jays used him for only 2 innings.

Hoping for some depth or maybe a project to work on, Chicago snagged him off of waivers from Toronto back in December. A lifetime 5.48 ERA in 70.2 major league innings is underwhelming. It’s not as if he has been all that good at the minor league level either. From 2018-2022, the only year at any level with an ERA below 4.00 was the season he was traded in 2019.

It’s hard to justify having Kay on the 40-man roster at all. There are other, better lefty relievers out there. Even for depth purposes, could the Cubs not find someone with a more impressive track record?

Waiver claims tend to immediately go on the roster bubble so unless the Cubs fail to add more to the organization before Opening Day, there remains a chance he doesn’t stick around.