Edwin Rios craves fresh start with Cubs after Dodgers

Edwin Rios not very good with names. This is a problem that has arisen in the last few days, after joining Chicago Cubs with one year contract.

“I meet a lot of people,” Rios said, “and kind of meet them twice because I introduce myself and I forget their names.”

Rios didn’t expect to have to learn so many names when he showed up for spring training in 2023. He foresaw another spring with the Dodgers, the only major league organization he knew, to prepare to help them challenge for another World Series title. . That speculation was debunked in November when the Dodgers didn’t put him up for auction to end a strange and disappointing year.

Rios finally signed with the club on Friday, agreeing to a $1 million deal with Chicago two months later. Cody Bellinger, another player not fielded by the Dodgers in November, joined the Cubs. Rios is expected to record playing time primarily as a designated hitter, with first base and third base choices.

The Dodgers played so deeply that it was difficult to break into the roster and he never played consistently,” Cubs president Jed Hoyer said. “Hopefully the fact that the Dodgers were so good and so deep limited his options and hopefully we can take advantage of that.”

Even with limited chances, Rios, 28, seems to have found a home in Los Angeles. He made his major league debut in 2019 as part of a rookie wave that included Alex Verdugo And Matt Beatyshowing a 1.010 base plus miss percentage in 56 plate appearances.

Rios left camp with the Dodgers on Opening Day each of the next three years. He made a valuable contribution in 2020 but had a disastrous start in 2021, scoring four out of 51 before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in May.

He appeared to be back in action last season. He was second on the club with seven home runs, 36 strikeouts and a .793 percentage on base plus hitting in 92 plate games as the designated hitter. It produced just about as expected – with considerable power and a high frequency of strikes.

Then, when the calendar moved to June, he sprained his right hamstring, went on the injured list, and never showed up again in Los Angeles.

Edwin Rios returns to the dugout after a May game against the Washington Nationals.

Edwin Rios returns to the dugout after a May game against the Washington Nationals.

(Nick Wass/Associated Press)

“I’ve been a Dodger all my life, so sometimes you know there’s a possibility, but when it actually happens, it’s almost like ‘Damn’.”

— Edwin Rios on being cut by the Dodgers.

According to Rios, the injury was more serious than originally thought. On June 22, he was placed on the injured list for 60 days, but he expected to return to the majors. In late July, he began rehab in Oklahoma City. Three weeks later – after batting .302 with an .840 OPS in 14 games – he was activated from the injured list.

But instead of making the major league roster, he was drafted to Oklahoma City.

“It was very frustrating,” Rios said. “It sucked just to look at how the year ended. But what is, is.”

The decision didn’t exactly shock Rios, because the Dodgers acquired Joey Gallo — a powerful left-handed forward with a high strikeout percentage — on the trade deadline two weeks earlier. However, it stung.

“I thought, ‘When this is all over, I’ll get up,’ but that didn’t happen,” Rios said of his rehab appointment. “When I found out that I was chosen, it was a kind of kick in the gut. So I’m a little upset, I would say. Didn’t hit either. I think it was more mental, kind of like I was just expecting to come back and stuff like that.”

Rios never returned. He watched as the Dodgers won a franchise-record 111 games but were eliminated from the playoffs in four games. A month later, the organization made him a free agent. The Dodgers, according to people with knowledge of the situation, not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, did not believe that Rios was adequately developing his skills beyond his capacity.

“That’s all I’ve ever known,” Rios said. “I’ve been a Dodger all my life, so sometimes you know there’s a possibility, but when it actually happens, it’s almost like ‘Damn’.”

Rios said he signed so late in the off-season because he wanted to get the right deal in the big leagues. He was invited to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic but declined the offer, wanting to focus on acclimating to the new organization.

There are familiar faces. He “dealt” with Bellinger. Zach McKinstry – Another former Dodger in the club. He said he had a relationship with Dansby Swanson playing against him over the years.

This is not where he expected to be. He didn’t think he would have to learn so many names. The Dodgers were at home. But the Dodgers have moved on, and he has a lot to prove.

“If I can stay healthy and stay on the pitch,” Rios said, “everything else will take care of itself.”