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By the end of last season, Mike Tauchman had worked his way indelibly into the Cubs’ day-to-day plans, even as the team pushed to try to earn a playoff spot. It signified a long journey for Tauchman, who spent the previous year playing in Korea when he could not get a deal in MLB that would grant him playing time.
He got a minor-league deal with the Cubs before last season, then took advantage of his opportunity when Cody Bellinger got hurt in May. Tauchman was called up and wound up appearing in 108 games, making 401 plate appearances. He hit .252 and knocked eight home runs, posting a .363 on-base percentage. He played all three outfield positions and made some appearances at DH.
Last spring, he was sweating his baseball future. Not so this spring. Tauchman revealed that manager Craig Counsell told him at the opening of Spring Training that he would be on the roster.
‘‘From a personal standpoint, [it’s] given me a little freedom to trial-and-error a couple of things, rather than really focusing on the results, focusing on ‘making the team,’’’ Tauchman said, per the Sun-Times. ‘‘Because now it’s about getting ready for March 28 and the subsequent games that we have.’’
Cubs’ Mike Tauchman Has Had a Long Journey
The spot on the roster is validation for Tauchman, who has had a truly tumultuous career in baseball here at age 33. He was a 10th-round pick of the Rockies back in 2013, and eventually made it to Colorado for a brief trial in 2017, and again in 2018. Neither stint went well, as Tauchman batted just .153 in 69 plate appearances over two years.
But after the Rockies cut him loose, Tauchman got an opportunity with the 2019 Yankees and shined, putting up a .277/.361/.504. line and helping New York fight through injury adversity in the outfield and still earn a playoff spot.
But Tauchman struggled in 2020, and could not latch on when given an opportunity with the Giants after that. He rebooted his career in Korea, though, and was an excellent depth piece for the Cubs last year.
“I wouldn’t say so much as I learned [overseas] as I felt like I got a good opportunity to play every single day and I felt like I had a good opportunity to reset myself mentally, get back to some fundamental things that I think I had gotten away from,” Tauchman told reporters in 2023, per the New York Post. “Also, [got to] see a part of the world that not a lot of people see.”
Outfield Picture Is Crowded
The Cubs again have a crowded outfield picture, with Bellinger back after re-signing last week, as well as Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki returning. The team could start 21-year-old prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong on the big-league roster, and even if he returns to the minors, he figures to be an early option for outfield depth.
Still, Tauchman forced his way into the lineup last year, and Counsell says he can still do that again.
“That means the challenge still goes on, like, you have to earn playing time,” Counsell said, per the Chicago Tribune. “And that’s how it should be and that’s how it’s going to be for Mike. But he put together a lot of quality at-bats last year and he’s capable of doing that. Keep him in that space and those at-bats will be there.”
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