Spring Training Miscellany: Top Prospect Taking It In, Snelten Out, Stewart Throws, Fun Awards, More

February 24, 2021, by Brett Taylor Chicago Cubs

As mentioned in the Bullets this morning, top Cubs prospect Brennen Davis is now at big league camp, getting some experience with the big league coaching staff and players. Given the expectations for his future (near and long-term), that’s gotta be so valuable.

As explained by manager David Ross (Cubs.com):

“He’s here. Take it in. This is a great opportunity. It’s nice when you get to come into this type of environment, see MVPs, Gold Glovers, Silver Sluggers, All-Stars all around the field and watch how they work and the routines. You can learn a lot from that …. Great kid. Willing to work. I just saw him in the hallway. I’m glad he’s here, happy he’s here. I know he put in a lot of work last year in South Bend and continued to watch his game improve and try to grow. Just excited to watch him continue to develop, to be honest with you.”

The best part – for fans – about Davis being in big league camp? He should get into some Cactus League games early on, so we’ll actually get to see some Davis-in-action stuff!

https://twitter.com/CubsZone/status/1364653041283190785

Meanwhile, as Davis comes in, lefty D.J. Snelten goes out:

Cubs have added OF Brennen Davis to the spring training roster. Pitcher DJ Snelten (non-roster invite) arrived at camp with an elbow injury and has been sent back home. He’s scheduled to start strengthening program in 6 weeks, no timetable for return to baseball activities.

— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) February 24, 2021

That’s obviously a bummer for the big, triple-digit lefty, but hopefully he can get healthy and potentially contribute – or be in a position to contribute if production warrants it – later on in the year. The Cubs have a huge volume of arms competing for bullpen jobs right now, and this is unfortunately going to be part of the process of winnowing the group down. But guys who aren’t in the mix now could easily see time later on in the year – especially this year, in fact.

Kohl Stewart, formerly a top Twins prospect, seems likely to get an initial shot with the Cubs in the AAA Iowa rotation, as they’ll try to unlock the talent that the Twins weren’t quite able to tap into: