As he drove to Wrigley Field, Cubs third baseman David Bote was unsure of the emotions he would feel. It had been more than two full seasons since Bote appeared in the majors. While toiling away at Triple-A, he wondered if he’d get another shot.
Bote got to a stoplight and spotted a restaurant that he and his wife had a date at in years past. So much has changed since then.
“I looked over and pictured the scene there,” Bote said. “I’m a different person than I was four or five years ago, and I’m thankful for that. I’ve learned a lot, and I get the chance to do things differently with the same organization. That doesn’t happen very often.”
The Cubs selected Bote from Iowa on Sunday morning and optioned third baseman Nick Madrigal.
Bote is remembered by Cubs fans for his pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam against the Nationals in 2018 that erased a 3-0 deficit.
In the spring of 2019, Bote signed a five-year, $15 million contract with the Cubs. From 2020 to ’22, Bote slashed .212/.291/.370 in 183 games. Multiple veterans have cycled through Iowa and been given a chance in the big leagues. Bote wasn’t deterred by not being called up.
“I didn’t know if it was ever going to happen again,” he said. “I can’t control that. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t, but I will keep showing up every day. I’m employed and [going to] keep trying to get back and do everything I can to do it.”
Bote relished that he was the one being called up. At Iowa, he served as a mentor for players, offering feedback when approached. He’ll take the spot of Madrigal, who was slashing .221/.280/.256 and offered no power.
“His best skill set is to be a bat against left-handed pitching,” manager Craig Counsell said. “I’ve always thought David was just a solid IQ baseball player. He hits the ball really hard, which is one of the important things on offense, especially today. He has the ability to do damage in this park, and the time of year we’re getting to, that’s an important thing to be able to do.”
Crow-Armstrong’s speed
On Saturday, Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an infield single on a soft grounder to first base, then stole second. His speed gives the Cubs a different dimension on the bases. Crow-Armstrong is in the 100th percentile in sprint speed, according to Baseball Savant.
“Speed goes into making you a good offensive player,” Counsell said. “So we’ll continue to look at that. But we don’t have a ton of team speed. We certainly have individuals that can do it, but as a group, it’s not a sign of strength.”
Crow-Armstrong leads the team with seven stolen bases. The Cubs’ 38 stolen bases rank 14th in the majors.
Transactions
- To make room for Bote on the 40-man roster, reliever Adbert Alzolay was moved to the 60-day injured list. Nothing has changed for Alzolay in his recovery; it was strictly a procedural move.
- Rehabbing lefty Jordan Wicks (forearm) started for Iowa, allowing three runs (two earned) and two hits in 3⅓ innings. He walked two and struck out three. Righty Keegan Thompson (illness) fanned four in two innings, and righty Daniel Palencia (shoulder) struck out one in one.
