‘I’m extremely blessed’: Naperville’s Lopez cherishing time with Cubs

Nicky Lopez knows the score.

It’s not quite the bottom of the ninth, but he needs a clutch hit.

It’s hard to believe the 2013 Naperville Central High School graduate already completed his sixth Major League Baseball season last year. On the verge of his 30th birthday, Lopez is at a crossroads after parting ways with the White Sox in November.

Lopez decided earlier this month to stay close to his hometown, signing a minor-league deal with the Cubs in hopes of making the big-league club out of camp.

Talking last week from Arizona, Lopez was confident — but realistic — about his chances in an infield picture that became more crowded this week with the signing of veteran Justin Turner.

“Obviously it’s a different spring training,” Lopez said. “In the past I kind of knew what was happening and my role and where I was going. This year it’s different. I’ve got to make the club and showcase myself.”

It’s not easy sticking in the bigs. For all the Juan Sotos and Shohei Ohtanis, there’s a world of players like Lopez trying to keep playing the game they love.

Lopez understands the business side of things, and welcomes the challenges. He has no regrets about signing the minor-league deal with the Cubs, the team much of his family traditionally loves.

“It was a matter of trying to find a team where you have a good opportunity to make the club,” he said. “I’ve had great conversations with the coaches and the manager and the front office.

“It was a no-brainer to sign here and try to make the club,” he said. “It was one of those things where I kept falling in love with it. Just falling in love with being a Cub and walking out at Wrigley.”

He trusts his ability — he’s a two-time Gold Glove finalist at second base — with a team that cherishes good defense. His flexibility to move around the infield is an essential attribute for big-league teams.

Most of all, he loves competing. It’s carried him from Naperville Central to Creighton and eventually as a fifth-round draft pick by Kansas City in the 2016 draft. Lopez became a fan favorite in four-plus seasons with the Royals before being traded to Atlanta during the 2023 campaign.

The business side of baseball started to kick in. Atlanta traded Lopez to the White Sox after the season, where last year he played 83 games at second base and 45 at shortstop.

Now, with his fourth team in less than two years, he’s still working to prove his value.

“It was a tough year with the White Sox, and it trickled into the offseason,” he said. “I had to be real with myself. Am I going to find a job where I’m going to be playing every day? Most likely not. But I do want to win, and I want to do whatever I can do to help a winning team.

“I had to mature in that sense and flip the script,” he said. “Whether it’s backing up at short or third or second, I’m more than willing to do so if it’s the best for my career.”

Lopez is keeping his head down and continuing to work through the noise surrounding the Cubs’ roster.

How healthy is starting second baseman Nico Hoerner after he underwent offseason surgery? Where do new acquisitions Jon Berti, Vidal Brujan and Gage Workman fit in?

As with any business, baseball is a numbers game. Suddenly a veteran, Lopez knows all he can do is keep working hard and playing his game.

His mind is set on traveling with the big-league club when the Cubs open the season March 18 to play the Dodgers in Japan. If he doesn’t get the call-up, Lopez said his next step will depend on his options.

Lopez never has taken his baseball career for granted. That attitude serves him well as he fights for a job with a Cubs team favored to win its division this season.

From an early age Lopez knew baseball wasn’t an easy life, but it’s still the life he loves.

“I’m extremely blessed and humble that I was able to live my dream,” he said. “It helps me keep things in perspective, that I made it. Even if it was only for one day, I made the big leagues. And not a lot of people can say that.

“If I’m fortunate enough to put on the Cubs uniform at Wrigley, it’d be another dream come true.”