4 Chicago Cubs on the 40-man roster who won't survive the 2024 season
By Mark Powell
3. Cubs who won't survive the 2024 season: Yency Almonte
The Cubs acquired Yency Almonte in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers just last week. Chicago also added Michael Busch, who was the centerpiece of said trade for the Cubs front office. Almonte should get a chance in the Cubs 'pen, as he signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers prior to being traded.
Once a gem in the Los Angeles bullpen, Almonte suffered a setback in 2023, tossing an ERA over five in 49 appearances. While Chicago needs relief depth more than most teams, Almonte's production won't be good enough if he's expected to survive and thrive this season in Chicago. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com discussed Almonte's strengths in a recent article summing up the trade.
"In 196 career games in the Majors with the Rockies and Dodgers, Almonte has a 4.51 ERA. After spinning a 1.02 ERA in 33 games in 2022, the righty had a 5.06 ERA in 49 games last year, racking up 49 strikeouts and 24 walks in 48 innings. Almonte sits around 95-96 mph with his fastball (sinker and four-seamer), but his arsenal was led by a sweeper (50.1% usage) in 2023," Bastian wrote.
One look at Almonte's baseball-reference page proves he can be a bit of a wild card. In 2021, he had an ERA over 7 with Colorado. In 2022, he thrived in Los Angeles. Last year, he had another down season by his standards.
This jekyll and hyde act can only last so long with Chicago and Counsell.