With the last 10 years being a period of both success and rebuilding for the Chicago Cubs, plenty of familiar players made brief stops on the North Side that some fans may have forgotten about.
Whether playing Immaculate Grid or just reminiscing with fellow fans, it can be both fascinating and fun to look back on some of your favorite team’s rosters from years past, pointing out players who are mostly known for playing for other teams.
While this is a universal fandom experience across professional sports (and hell, maybe even collegiate sports too as athletes routinely switch schools in the NIL era), the Chicago Cubs have been on quite the unique whirlwind over the course of the past decade.
From appearing to be on the cusp of a dynasty after breaking a 108-year championship drought in 2016 to further playoff appearances, a rebuild and return to the postseason, this decade has certainly been an adventure for fans on Chicago’s North Side.
Some of the franchise’s most recognizable players donned the blue pinstripes at Wrigley Field over the past 10 years, as did several notable MLB players who made a name for themselves in other destinations.
For all the Immaculate Grid players and general baseball nerds, here’s a look at some random names to have spent some time with the Cubs over the past 10 seasons.
1. Alex Avila, Catcher (2017, 35 games played)
A veteran backstop that earned his reputation as a mainstay behind the plate for the Detroit Tigers, Avila was acquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline alongside lefty reliever Justin Wilson for Jeimer Candelario, Isaac Paredes and cash.
Up until that point, Avila had spent nearly his entire career with the Tigers, sans a one-year detour with the Chicago White Sox in 2016 before rejoining Detroit the following season.
Avila ultimately put up forgettable numbers for the Cubs, though was able to get on base at a solid clip while slashing .239/.369/.380/.750, good for a 95 OPS+ with two doubles and three home runs.
While the Cubs made a run to the NLCS in 2017 on the heels of a division title and 92-70 record, Avila appeared in just one game that postseason for the North Siders, registering a hit off the bench in a blowout loss in Game 3 of the NLCS.
Avila went on to play four more seasons in the big leagues, retiring after 2021 with 16.7 career WAR and 105 home runs. The catcher’s best season unquestionably came in 2011, a 5.1 WAR season that saw him slash .295/.389/.506/.895, good enough for an All-Star appearance, Silver Slugger award and 12th place finish in that year’s AL MVP voting.
In addition to the Tigers, Cubs and White Sox, Avila also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals in his career.
2. Jorge De La Rosa, Pitcher (2018, 17 games played)
Widely known for his nine-year tenure as a Colorado Rockies rotation mainstay, De La Rosa capped off his 15-year career in Chicago, closing out the 2018 season as a mop-up reliever for the North Siders.
In his age-37 season at the time of the Cubs’ acquisition of him, De La Rosa had spent most of the 2018 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, posting a 4.63 ERA over 42 relief outings before being released on Aug. 4.
De La Rosa signed with the Cubs six days later and posted excellent numbers to finish the season. In 17 games, the veteran lefty compiled a 1.29 ERA, posting eight walks and 20 strikeouts in 21 innings of work while also recording a save.
The final moment of De La Rosa’s MLB career coincidentally came against his longtime former club, as he recorded the final out in the 13th inning of the 2018 NL Wild Card Game after Kyle Hendricks allowed a go-ahead RBI single to Tony Wolters that secured a 2-1 Rockies victory.
De La Rosa retired with 15 career WAR, having posted a 104-87 record, 4.58 ERA and 1,273 strikeouts over 1,522.2 innings of work. In addition to the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Cubs, De La Rosa also spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals at the start of his career.
3. Carlos González, Outfielder (2019, 15 games played)
Continuing with the theme of former longtime Rockies players, Carlos González concluded his career with a quiet 15-game stint on the North Side after several years as a cornerstone of an electric Colorado offense.
After starting the 2019 season with the then-Cleveland Indians, González was released on May 26 after starting the season slashing .210/.282/.276/.558 over 30 games and 117 plate appearances with just two home runs.
González went on to sign with the Cubs on June 1, but his tenure didn’t fare much better. The lefty slugger went 7-for-40 with a home run and two doubles over 15 games while striking out in nearly half of his at-bats.
The veteran was designated for assignment in late June and was later granted free agency on July 2, 2019. The 15 games on the North Side turned out to be the final games of his career, wrapping up a solid 12-year career of 1,377 games played.
González retired with a career .285/.343/.500/.843 slash line, recording 1,432 hits, 234 home runs, 122 stolen bases and 24.5 WAR. The slugger also retired with several accolades, including three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, three All-Star appearances and a batting title.
González’s best year was in his breakout 2010 campaign, which saw him finish third in NL MVP voting while leading all of baseball in total bases. In addition to the Rockies, Indians/Guardians and Cubs, González also spent a season with the Oakland Athletics at the start of his career.
4. Jonathan Lucroy, Catcher (2019, 27 games played)
Initially a productive mainstay as the everyday backstop for the Milwaukee Brewers that peaked with a fourth-place NL MVP finish and All-Star appearance in 2014, Jonathan Lucroy spent the back half of his career as a well-traveled journeyman, with the North Side among the plethora of stops.
After starting the 2019 campaign with the Los Angeles Angels, Lucroy was released on Aug. 5 following a 74-game stint that saw the backstop slash .242/.310/.371/.681 with 16 extra-base hits and an 80 OPS+. Lucroy signed with the Cubs three days later, though he didn’t fare much better in Chicago.
Lucroy went just 10-for-53 in 27 games on the North Side, managing one home run and six walks for a paltry 49 OPS+. The veteran was granted free agency by the Cubs at the conclusion of the season.
Lucroy went on to play eight more games over the course of the following two seasons, officially wrapping up a 12-year career after the 2021 season. The veteran catcher retired with 17.5 WAR, 1,134 hits, 108 home runs and a career .274/.335/.416/.752 slash line while making two All-Star games.
Along with the Brewers, Angels and Cubs, Lucroy played for the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves over the course of a dozen seasons.
5. Shelby Miller, Pitcher (2021, 3 games played)
A longtime MLB veteran who had been linked to the Cubs in trade talks years earlier finally did get a cup of coffee at the Friendly Confines in 2021, though it could not have gone more disastrously.
After opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller signed with the Cubs in February 2021, with the team hoping for him to perhaps act as both a starter and/or reliever.
The right-hander went on to play just three games with the Cubs, allowing seven earned runs and five walks in just two innings of work, amounting to a ghastly 31.50 ERA. Miller was subsequently released by the Cubs on May 31 and went on to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates more than a month later on July 1.
Miller remains active in 2025 and has now played in at least parts of 13 different seasons. In addition to the Cubs and Pirates, Miller has suited up for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers.
As of the end of the 2025 season, Miller has posted 10.2 WAR, a 51-69 record and 4.04 ERA over 302 games and 133 starts. The right-hander has compiled 789 strikeouts in 921.2 innings and reached the All-Star Game with the Braves in 2015.
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