Sorry for the short, punchy updates, but the roster decisions are flying fast. Looper’s sudden retirement probably should have tipped everyone off, but Carlos Silva has made the Chicago Cubs’ 25-man roster. No word yet on whether he’ll be in the bullpen or in the rotation.
Before you fly off the handle, remember: the guys who would otherwise be filling the spot Silva will get can always be brought back up from AAA Iowa (or from the bullpen, as the case may be). Once the Cubs release Silva, he’s gone. I have no doubt the Cubs are simply waiting until the last possible moment to move on from Silva (and are hoping that he can string together some useful innings in the interim).
With the decision, and by my quick review of today’s news, the Cubs’ pitching staff is complete: Dempster, Zambrano, Garza, Wells, Cashner, Silva, Marmol, Wood, Marshall, Grabow, Samardzija, Russell.
UPDATE: Some reports won’t go as far as to say that Silva will definitely make the 25-man roster. This weekend may yet prove important to the roster decisions. I probably should have done a Spring Training Miscellany post to point out how good Marcos Mateo looked today.