The Chicago Cubs’ bench in 2025 was, to put it mildly, a revolving door - and Nicky Lopez was one of many players who passed through without making much of a mark. Now, the 30-year-old infielder is heading west, signing a minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies that includes an invite to spring training. He’ll be looking to hit the reset button after a season that was, frankly, the toughest of his big-league career.
Lopez’s 2025 stint in the majors was brief and brutal. Across 18 games - 14 with the Cubs and 4 with the Angels - he posted a slash line of .042/.179/.042.
That’s not a typo. He recorded just one hit in 24 plate appearances, and his OPS+ sat at a staggering -32.
In a season where the Cubs were desperate for bench production, Lopez simply couldn’t deliver.
That said, his time at Triple-A Iowa told a different story. He wasn’t lighting the world on fire, but a .752 OPS is more than respectable for a utility infielder.
And that’s really where Lopez’s value lies - in his glove and his versatility. He can handle second, short, or third with competence, and while first base is more of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation, he’s even seen time in the outfield.
For a team like the Rockies, who are constantly reshuffling their roster and looking for reliable depth, that kind of flexibility could be enough to earn him a shot.
As for the Cubs, the need for positional versatility off the bench isn’t going away in 2026. That’s long been a priority for both president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and manager Craig Counsell.
But last year’s attempt to patch that hole - trading for Willi Castro at the deadline - didn’t pan out. Castro struggled to find his footing in Chicago, leaving the Cubs once again searching for answers in that utility role.
One potential solution could involve shifting rookie Matt Shaw into a super-utility role, assuming the front office can make a significant upgrade at third base. But that’s a big “if.” The Cubs are also in the market for frontline pitching, and it’s hard to envision them pulling off both moves without some creative roster maneuvering.
For Lopez, the move to Colorado represents his sixth MLB organization - joining a list that includes the Royals, Braves, White Sox, Angels, and Cubs. Originally a fifth-round pick by Kansas City in the 2016 draft out of Creighton, Lopez has carved out a career as a glove-first role player. Whether he can recapture enough at the plate to stick with the Rockies remains to be seen, but his defensive chops and positional flexibility give him a fighting chance.
At this stage, he's not trying to be a star - he's trying to be useful. And in today’s game, that still matters.