Spring Training Bench Battle: Piniella Confirms There Are Just Two Open Spots
We’ve speculated for a few weeks now that when Spring Training rolled around, there were really only going to be two spots available to be won on the Chicago Cubs’ five-man bench, after Koyie Hill, Xavier Nady, and one of Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker claimed the first three. And now, manager Lou Piniella has confirmed it.
“There are two jobs open on our bench,” Piniella said yesterday. “Our regular team will take care of itself, assuming we stay healthy. On the bench, we’ve got decisions on two positions. Hill will be our backup catcher. We’ve got Nady, and whoever doesn’t play second base . There’s two spots to play around with a little.”
The list of guys competing for those two spots is long, and includes outfielders Sam Fuld, Tyler Colvin, Brad Snyder, infielder/outfielder types Bobby Scales, Chad Tracy, Kevin Millar, Micah Hoffpauir, infielder Andres Blanco and first baseman Bryan LaHair.
Spring Training Participants
Here’s a helpful recap of the players participating in Spring Training with the Chicago Cubs this year – pitchers and catchers report this week. Thanks to Bruce Miles for putting this together.
Pitchers: Mitch Atkins, Justin Berg, Esmailin Caridad, Ryan Dempster, Rafael Dolis, John Gaub, Tom Gorzelanny, John Grabow, Jeff Gray, Angel Guzman, Ted Lilly, Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, Marcos Mateo, Mike Parisi, Blake Parker, David Patton, Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Silva, Jeff Stevens, Randy Wells, Carlos Zambrano
Catchers: Welington Castillo, Koyie Hill, Geovany Soto
Infielders: Jeff Baker, Andres Blanco, Mike Fontenot, Micah Hoffpauir, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Theriot
Outfielders: James Adduci, Marlon Byrd, Tyler Colvin, Kosuke Fukudome, Sam Fuld, Xavier Nady, Alfonso Soriano
Nonroster invitees
Pitchers: Andrew Cashner, Casey Coleman, Thomas Diamond, Jeff Kennard, J.R. Mathes, Vince Perkins, James Russell
Catchers: Robinson Chirinos, Steve Clevenger, Chris Robinson
Infielders: Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro, Blake Lalli, Kevin Millar, Chad Tracy, Josh Vitters
Outfielders: Matt Camp, Brett Jackson, Bryan LaHair, Bobby Scales, Brad Snyder
Obvious player to watch: Starlin Castro
Dark-horse candidates to watch: Darwin Barney, Blake Parker
Pitching prospect to watch: Andrew Cashner
Annual Rule 5 pick: Mike Parisi
I’d also suggest watching John Gaub, a lefty with a chance to make the pen, Jeff Stevens, a righty with a chance to make the pen (received from the Indians, together with Gaub and another prospect for Mark DeRosa), and Casey Coleman – the Cubs’ minor league pitcher of the year last year, whom I think could have a very outside shot at landing the fifth spot in the Cubs rotation.
Chicago Cubs’ Non-Roster Invitations to Spring Training Have Gone Out
Filed under: Chicago Cubs News, Chicago Cubs Transactions, Cubs Minor Leagues and Prospects
The Chicago Cubs have finalized their non-roster (i.e., not on the 40-man roster) invitee list for this year’s Spring Training. The list is an even mix of career minor leaguers who are getting a shot, and Cubs prospects who are, well, getting the same.
Pitchers: [Andrew] Cashner, J.R. Mathes, James Russell, Casey Coleman, Thomas Diamond, Jeff Kennard, and Vince Perkins.
Catchers: Robinson Chirinos, Steve Clevenger, Blake Lalli, and Chris Robinson
Infielders: [Josh] Vitters, Darwin Barney, Matt Camp, Starlin Castro, Bryan LaHair, and Bobby Scales.
Outfielders: [Brett] Jackson and Brad Snyder. Muskat Ramblings.
Believe it or not, many of these players have a legitimate shot of making the team out of Spring Training. Just look at Bobby Scales, who contributed to the Cubs last year. And then, um, is right back where he started.
There figures to be at least one bullpen spot that could be theoretically snatched by a stellar effort. Each of the catchers will be battling for a chance to unseat Koyie Hill as Geovany Soto’s backup. The Cubs are obviously going to give Castro a very close look, though he’s not likely to make it up to the big club until later in the year, if at all in 2010. LaHair and Snyder will have a very good shot to make the Cubs’ bench if they look like they could provide more value than Micah Hoffpauir.
Bobby Scales to Iowa
I know what you’re thinking: why are the Cubs making organizational moves in the offseason? What does it mean to send Bobby Scales to AAA Iowa, when, like, nobody is playing?
Well, the important thing is that the move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster – which now stands at 38. That means the Cubs could add two players via free agency or trade, without having to do any roster shuffling.
Does it portend some exciting moves? Probably not. The Cubs were going to need to open up space regardless. But the space is now there.
Series Preview: Cubs v. Brewers, September 21 – September 23, 2009
The Cubs welcome the Brewers to Wrigley for a series that probably looked like it was going to be really important when them schedule dudes were making the schedule. Hey, didn’t these two teams, like, just play? Just make it a six-game series. A refresher on the series preview here at Bleacher Nation:
The idea is to hook you up with the bare minimum of what you need to know about every series this year. That way you can look like a genius, hardcore fan in front of all your friends, with minimum effort. Oh, and there will be pictures of scantily clad hot chicks, too.
Check out the Brewers series preview, after the jump
September Call-Ups
As the calendar flips to September tomorrow, the Chicago Cubs’ roster will expand from 25 to 40, and the team can therefore call up a whole bunch of youngsters to join the big club. That, they will do, but the faces are expected to look familiar.
Eventually, manager Lou Piniella expects to bring up seven or eight players.
“I think you’ve seen them here before,” Piniella said Friday. “I don’t think there will be any surprises.”
There are several players on the Iowa roster who have spent time with Chicago this season, led by pitcher Jeff Samardzija and first baseman-outfielder Micah Hoffpauir.
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Other pitchers who could be in line for a callup include Justin Berg, Esmailin Caridad and Jeff Stevens, who all have appeared in relief for Chicago this season.
Rule 5 pick David Patton, who pitched a scoreless inning for Iowa on Sunday, was with Chicago until the team placed him on the disabled list with a groin strain on July 5. He could return as well.
The Cubs also are expected to recall infielder Andres Blanco, a defensive specialist who hit .237 in 93 at-bats and has been rehabbing a calf injury in Iowa. Infielder Bobby Scales, who was first called up in May after 11 seasons in the Minors, also could be back. cubs.com.
The Cubs may not add anyone else who isn’t already on the official 40-man roster, no wanting to start the arbitration clock of such players.
Aaron Miles Back to the DL, Where He Has Been the Most Successful This Year
The Chicago Cubs are expected to place infielder Aaron Miles on the disabled list later today with a hyperextended elbow. Miles has been unavailable for half a week since he hurt the elbow in batting practice last Friday.
Um. How exactly does someone hurt their elbow that badly in batting practice? Whatever.
The Cubs will call up Bobby Scales or perhaps outfielder Sam Fuld to replace Miles on the roster. The latter may make some sense given Reed Johnson’s absence.
Ryan Freel Should Be Back Soon
Well, it’s not quite Aramis Ramirez, but it will have to do for now.
Ryan Freel is supposed to begin his minor-league rehab tonight for Class AAA Iowa. Freel has been on the DL since May 28 with a left-hamstring strain. It’ll be interesting to see what the Cubs do when Freel is ready. They’ve already sent Bobby Scales down when Aaron Miles returned. Andres Blanco may get sent out when Freel returned, but Scales and Blanco (not to mention Jake Fox) have been much more productive than Miles and Freel, in his short time here. DailyHerald.com Blogs.
I won’t criticize moving Blanco out for Freel, because for whatever reason, I like Ryan Freel on this team. I’ll criticize the hell out of that Aaron Miles deal, though.
Until he gets back on track, that is. And then I’ll say he’s a fine bench player who’s been forced to start, which is throwing everything off. I’m flexible like that.
Point in fact, though, the Cubs still have 13 pitchers. What are the odds they bring back Freel without sending out one of the pitchers?
