Cubs savage roster move adds insult to injury for Nick Madrigal

The Chicago Cubs demoted Nick Madrigal to Triple-A Iowa and called up David Bote to take his spot on the 25-man roster. On the surface, baseball fans wouldn't pay much mind to a relatively minor roster move for a team tied for second place in the NL Central, a good seven games behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers.

However, the Cubs demotion of Madrigal is savage for several reasons.

First, Madrigal was once the centerpiece of a trade which sent Craig Kimbrel to the rival White Sox. Madrigal, a solid defensive player at second base who has underachieved at the plate since being acquired by the Cubs in 2022, was once quoted as saying the 3,000 hit mark was "very reachable".

"I've seen a lot of great hitters in this league growing up and watching guys. The 3,000 mark is not easy at all, there's very few people that do it. But I feel like that's very reachable," Madrigal said on the "White Sox Talk Podcast in 2021." "I know that's throwing a big statement out there, but I believe in myself and I know what it takes to play this game and I feel confident I can do that."

Injury woes and issues at the plate have all but eliminated Madrigal from that conversation, of course, and it's a weary sign for young big leaguers who think they have it all figured out.

Nick Madrigal was the final out at home plate in a devastating Cubs loss

Madrigal was thrown out on what would've been the game-tying run in Friday's loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs have struggled immensely of late, and Willie Harris's decision to send Madrigal and test the arm of Elly De La Cruz could be one that comes back to haunt Chicago at season's end.

“Today, it’s on me,” Harris said after the game. “And I know those guys in the clubhouse, they know me. They know I’m for them and they’ll pick me up.”

Craig Counsell had Harris's back postgame, as well, but it didn't stop Cubs fans from being irate at everyone involved in the play. That includes Madrigal, who was optioned just days later.

Bote isn't much of an improvement, and likely won't receive a ton of playing time in the meantime. However, he is a good clubhouse presence and offers a change of pace the Cubs desperately need right now.