On Friday, the Chicago Cubs decided to part ways with one of their longest-tenured players on the roster. The Cubs decided to DFA infielder David Bote while making room for infielder Luis Vazquez to be on the major league roster.
Bote has spent 12 years in the Cubs organization, and the biggest curveball about this whole story is that he might not be going anywhere. After clearing waivers, Bote is not being outrighted back to Triple-A Iowa. This now leaves Bote with a decision: He can either take the assignment and go back to Triple-A, or he can choose free agency and find a new home.
If Bote were smart, he would likely head back to Triple-A Iowa and take the money that the Cubs still owe him. In 2019, Bote signed a 5-year, 15 million-dollar deal that ends in 2026. With him still owed around 20% left of his Major League contract, it is likely that Bote will stick around in the Cubs organization.
While we thought it was the end of an “era” in Chicago, Bote’s time with the Cubs organization continues to be one of the weirdest situations in my time as a sports fan. After making his major league debut with the team in 2018, he ultimately ended up spending a long time with the team, especially during those glory days of Cubs teams.
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People will never forget one of the best moments of the Glory Day Cubs teams when Bote hit a walk-off grand slam against the Washington Nationals during the 2018 season. While he had some fair success following that moment, it hasn’t been all roses for Bote.
Before being called up in July this season, Bote and his major league contract have spent the last two seasons in Triple-A Iowa; since first heading down to Iowa in 2022, Bote is hitting .256 with 24 home runs and 98 RBIs.
But it doesn’t seem like his time will actually be over in Chicago. The move potentially signals that the Cubs are preparing for a youth movement, clearing his name off the 40-man roster, and recalling prospect Luis Vazquez. Nonetheless, Bote taking his money and spending more time in Iowa seems like a likely case scenario. It seems unlikely that we will ever see him on the major league side for the Cubs ever again, but he could continue to be that veteran voice for young Cubs in the minors.
Nonetheless, Bote remains one of the most interesting stories with the Cubs over the last couple of years. While you think he’s gone almost every time, he still finds a way to pull himself back in. No matter how much the roster changes, Bote seems to always be here. There’s a reason people make jokes on social media about players being Cubs for Life: Bote wears that statement as an emblem.
