As WBC fever takes hold, some Cubs also have 2028 Olympics on their minds

MESA, Ariz. — The mere mention of competing in the 2028 Olympics gave Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd chills.

Would he be interested?

“Without a doubt,” Boyd told the Sun-Times on Tuesday. “It’s two years away, and I will be 37, but I believe my best baseball is still ahead of me. And if that opportunity presents itself, it’s something I would not hesitate to do.”

International baseball was already in the air as exhibition games began Tuesday in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.

The Cubs trio of Boyd, third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong contributed to Team USA’s shellacking of the Giants in nearby Scottsdale. Video clips of slugger Seiya Suzuki launching a moon shot in Tokyo for Team Japan made the rounds on social media.

In all, the Cubs — who lost their exhibition game against Team Italy 9-4 — have eight players from their 40-man roster participating in the WBC, including catcher Miguel Amaya (Panama) and pitchers Javier Assad (Mexico), Daniel Palencia (Venezuela) and Jameson Taillon (Canada).

Buzz for this year’s tournament is building as a result of increased buy-in from star players and the memory of a Hollywood ending in 2023, when Team Japan defeated Team USA in the final. MLB has figured out how to navigate the demands of the WBC while also preparing for the regular season.

Will the excitement translate to the 2028 Summer Games?

First, MLB and its players’ union would need to strike an agreement to allow major-leaguers to participate in the Olympics.

“I think that we’re a lot closer to [an agreement] than the last time we talked about it,” commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters at the owners meetings last month. “There are some issues with the [players’ association] that we just need to resolve. I sense a lot of momentum towards playing in L.A. in 2028. I think we’re going to get over those issues.”

With an agreement in place, it would be up to individual players, in communication with their teams, to decide whether they could commit to the Olympic tournament at Dodger Stadium, scheduled for July 13-19, 2028.

“We support the league, we support its initiatives and we support the growth of the game,” Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins said. “So if that’s the way we go, I’m sure, as a fan, people will be excited to see that, and we’ll be supportive in every way we can.”

It would be a rare opportunity for players. Baseball has only been included in the Olympics once since 2008, revived in 2021 in Tokyo. The timing — overlapping with the All-Star break around midseason — will make some players think twice.

“Everyone’s different,” Amaya said. “And sometimes, if you do it from your soul and the pride of your country, not how you’re feeling [physically], you’re going to shake your body and set your mind and say, ‘OK, I’m down to [do] it.’ ”

Only six teams will qualify for the Olympics, including the United States, which automatically has a spot as the host.

“In our house growing up, we’d always watch the Olympics,” Bregman said. “To have the opportunity to possibly play in the Olympics and represent our country would be like a dream come true.”

Crow-Armstrong was adamant that players should be empowered to make that decision individually. For himself, the answer wasn’t immediately clear.

“Obviously, I’d love to represent the U.S.,” he said. “But it would have to be logical. And it would have to work out with what we’re doing here [with the Cubs] and wherever the state of baseball is at that point.”

In the meantime, WBC results this year carry extra meaning. The WBC is the first of three Olympic qualifying tournaments. The two highest-placing WBC teams from the Americas that are not yet qualified will win spots in Los Angeles in 2028.