Randy Rosario, a 23-year-old lefty whom the Cubs grabbed off of waivers from the Twins early in the offseason, was a long-shot to make the Cubs’ bullpen out of camp. His two-game cup of coffee last year with the Twins was the only time he’d pitched above AA, and some more seasoning seemed likely to be in order.
But the young arm got some praise from Theo Epstein, and as the bullpen competition was whittled down to just a handful of names, Rosario’s was among them. Still, with Mike Montgomery, Justin Wilson, and Brian Duensing already as lefties in the pen, Rosario figured to be sent to the minor leagues to get ready for some mid-season up-and-down shuffling.
And, per Mark Gonzales and Carrie Muskat, among others, the first step in that process has taken place, with Rosario sent to minor league camp today.
Rosario could head to AAA to open the season – he hasn’t pitched there before – before spending time as a fill-in reliever as the Cubs need throughout the season.
After the move, the Spring roster stands at 36.