And Then There Were None: Cubs Will Begin Season Without Any Members of 2016 World Series Winners

[Andrew Wright]

For the first time since 2011, the Chicago Cubs will begin their season without a member of the 2016 World Series team on the Opening Day roster. Thus, this spring will mark a transition to a new era. As we venture into it, let's check in on the whereabouts of the Curse-breaker diaspora.

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

AL East: Aroldis Chapman (BOS), Rob Zastryzny (NYY)
Chapman has bounced around MLB the last two seasons, spending time with the Royals and Rangers in 2023 and the Pirates in 2024. He signed a one-year deal worth $10.75 million with the Red Sox this offseason and will join the seventh team of his MLB career.

Zastryzny was the last hope, in a way, having been claimed on waivers after a meander through a few other rosters—up until last week, when he was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees. There was never really a world where Zastryzny would make the Opening Day roster, so it was good to see him go try and earn an opportunity elsewhere,

AL Central: Javier Báez (DET) 
The downfall of Báez since his arrival in Detroit has been upsetting for most Cubs fans, who remember the electric player he was in his time in a Cubs uniform. His energy and charisma are unmatched. Hopefully (though not probably), he will be able to turn it around in 2025 and have a solid season.

AL West: Kyle Hendricks (LAA), Jorge Soler (LAA) 
Hendricks was the last remaining member of the World Series roster to spend time with the Chicago. A rough stretch over the last few years made it easy to move on and allow him to seek out other opportunities, in hopes of finishing his career on the right note. Soler has done quite a bit over his career, including winning the 2021 World Series MVP with the team who plays in suburban Cobb County, Ga. A solid season in Anaheim will make him a prime trade candidate come late July (for about the hundredth time).

NL East: Kyle Schwarber (PHI), Albert Almora Jr. (MIA)
Schwarber has long been considered the "one that got away" from Chicago. He's been phenomenal since leaving, with his blend of power and patience adding up to make him one of the best leadoff men in baseball.

Almora has not seen a pitch in the majors since 2022, but he will have an opportunity to change that, after signing with the Miami Marlins on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. A good spring for Almora could see him make the Opening Day roster for a very bad Marlins team.

NL Central: Willson Contreras (STL)
Contreras will begin his third season in St. Louis in 2025, and it will come at a new position. After years of frustration with his defense, the Cardinals have decided to move Contreras to first base full-time. There have been trade talks surrounding Contreras his entire Cardinals career, so a solid season and a down year for St. Louis may mean they will look to move off of Contreras's contract. For that matter, they offered him that chance in the fall, but he elected to stay put for now.

NL West: Kris Bryant (COL), Jason Heyward (SDP)
Much like Báez, Bryant's time with his new team has been extremely unfortunate. Bryant has appeared in just 159 of a possible 486 games in his Rockies career. When he is on the field, he's not producing, finishing with batting averages of .233 and .218 in the last two seasons.

Heyward, on the other hand, has bounced around a bit the last couple years, spending time with the Dodgers and Astros before signing with San Diego just last week. Heyward is certainly nearing the end of his career, and a good season with San Diego may see him call it a career after the season. A bad season might take the choice out of his hands.

Free Agents: Anthony Rizzo
Rizzo is still looking for a place to call home in 2025, and here's to hoping he finds one and rejuvenates his career after an injury-riddled stint with the Yankees.

Most of the rest of the team (David Ross, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel, Pedro Strop, Ben Zobrist, Chris Coghlan, Dexter Fowler, Miguel Montero and more) are now retired. It's a stark reminder: that season was a long time ago, already. The Cubs haven't mounted any serious threat to return to the Fall Classic since 2017. Maybe this season will change that.

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