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The Chicago Cubs are continuing their offseason moves with the release of a former starter from last season.
This player was someone who the team found a replacement for in the free-agency market.
With their addition of a better player, the Cubs felt it was best to release this former starter.
So who did the Cubs release, and was it for the best?
Cubs Release Alfonso Rivas
After getting Eric Hosmer, the Cubs have parted ways with first baseman Alfonso Rivas.
First baseman Alfonso Rivas has cleared waivers and been released by the Chicago #Cubs! pic.twitter.com/NsKwBneWkF
— Cubbies Crib (@CubbiesCrib) January 6, 2023
Despite the team designating him for assignment to the minors, the team changed course and released the 26-year-old.
While signing Hosmer is the likely reason behind the release of Rivas, there are other issues with him.
His isolated power over his two seasons in the majors saw him with one of the worse ISO numbers in MLB.
A .075 ISO put him in 410th place among 422 players with a minimum of 300 plate appearances.
While his raw power wasn’t the worst, it was dangerously close to the bottom of the league.
However, it appears the Cubs feel they can’t help him improve on his ISO numbers.
This now leads the Cubs to have their focus on first baseman Matt Mervis, an offensive sensation in the minors.
His .309 batting average, 119 RBIs, and 36 home runs show how he’s a top first-base prospect for the Cubs.
With sensational offensive numbers like these, Mervis is light years ahead of Rivas.
All these things are likely the reasons behind the Cubs opting to release Rivas this week.
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