Here it is: the roster of 25 guys who can play in the NLCS, which starts tonight at Wrigley Field against the Dodgers.
The Cubs opted to up the pitcher count by one from the NLDS, bringing in lefty Rob Zastryzny, and leaving off lefty bench bat Tommy La Stella, who saw just one plate appearance in the NLDS.
As discussed this morning in the Bullets, the Dodgers have struggled in uniquely extreme fashion against lefties this year, so bringing Zastryzny aboard makes plenty of sense. It would be nice to have the extra bench bat in La Stella, but the Dodgers’ pitching staff is a little lefty-leaning, and the longer series makes you a little more inclined to want to carry an extra arm.
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Pitchers (12):
Jake Arrieta
Aroldis Chapman
Carl Edwards Jr.
Justin Grimm
Kyle Hendricks
John Lackey
Jon Lester
Mike Montgomery
Hector Rondon
Pedro Strop
Travis Wood
Rob Zastryzny
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Position Players (13):
Albert Almora Jr.
Javy Baez
Kris Bryant
Chris Coghlan
Willson Contreras
Dexter Fowler
Jason Heyward
Miguel Montero
Anthony Rizzo
David Ross
Addison Russell
Jorge Soler
Ben Zobrist