La Stella cracked the Cubs' Opening Day roster as a part-time player, and opened the year with a .291/.378/.494 line in 38 games before he hit the disabled list with a hamstring strain in early June. Things took an unusual turn from there, as his eventual activation from the DL was halted by a demotion back to Triple-A prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, and the veteran infielder initially refused to report to Des Moines for the assignment. After a change of heart in mid-August, La Stella returned to the organization and put himself back in the good graces of the front office to the point of earning a September callup when rosters expanded. A patient left-handed bat with a modicum of pop, La Stella is a useful bench piece for a big league club, but it remains to be seen if he can hit enough to merit being placed on the large side of a platoon. With health, a slight increase in playing time is a possibility in 2017.