Arizona Phil's Archives

Cristian Hernandez belted a two-run inside-the-park HR and walked twice, Andrelton Simmons doubled, singled, and scored two runs, Moises Ballesteros singled, doubled, and drove-in a run with a SF, Cole Roederer walked in all three of his plate appearances and scored two runs, and the offense took full advantage of 13 walks, a HBP, six wild pitches, and a balk, helping the Cubs outlast the Angels 10-9 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training Opening Day game action Thursday morning on Field #3 at the Diablo Stadium Complex in Tempe, AZ. 

The Angels drew ten walks and Jorge Ruiz (RBI single), Denzer Guzman (RBI double), David Calabrese (RBI double), Nelson Rada (two-run double), and William Rivera (RBI single) stroked run-scoring hits in a losing cause.     

The game was called after seven innings of play. 

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only): 

Alec Mills and Danis Correa hurled two shutout innings a piece and Andrelton Simmons and Reivaj Garcia clubbed RBI doubles, as the Cubs "Blue" squad blanked the Cubs "Red" squad 2-0 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training Cubs intrasquad game action Tuesday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.

The game was pre-planned as a four-inning affair. 

Simmons served as a DH for both squads and went 1-3 (K, 6-3, 2B)

Here is the box score from the game: 

Kyren Paris smacked a solo HR and Edwin Yon belted a two-run HR, leading the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Los Angeles Angels AA affiliate) to a 7-4 victory over the Tennessee Smokies (AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) in Cactus League Spring Training Minor League Camp game action Saturday afternoon on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.  

Pete Crow-Armstrong singled twice, drove-in two runs, and scored another, and Bryce Ball collected three singles and scored a run for the Smokies. 

There was only one home game played on the Riverview backfields on Saturday, as the Iowa Cubs - Salt Lake Bees AAA game was played in the stadium (Sloan Park).  

Here is the abridged box score from the game played on Field #6 (Cubs players only): 

Here are the current Cubs Minor League Camp rosters: 

* bats or throws left 
# bats both 

Jonathan Sierra slugged a grand slam HR and walked and scored, and Ismael Mena drilled a two-run double, walked twice, and scored a run, leading the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs' Lo-A affiliate) to a 10-5 drubbing of the San Jose Giants (Lo-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Thursday afternoon on Field #6 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Victor Bericoto belted a two-run triple and scored a run for the Giants in a losing cause. 

The game was pre-planned as a seven-inning affair. 

There was only one home game on the Riverview backfields on Thursday, because South Bend played Eugene in the stadium (Sloan Park). 

Here is the abridged box score from the game on Field #6 (Cubs players only): 

2022 CUBS SPRING TRAINING 

Matt Mervis slugged a two-run HR and drove-in another run with a FC, Reggie Preciado clubbed an RBI double and scored a run, and James Triantos drilled an RBI single and scored a run, helping the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) defeat the Tri-City Dust Devils (Hi-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels) 6-4 on Field #6, and four pitchers combined to toss a one-hitter as the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels Lo-A affiliate) cruised past the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Lo-A affiliate) 7-1 on Field #5, in Cactus League Minor League Spring Training Opening Day game action Friday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game on Field #6 was pre-planned as a seven-inning affair, and the game on Field #5 was called after six innings of play. 

South Bend CF Christian Franklin (Cubs 2021 4th round draft pick - U. of Arkansas) had to be carted off the field after he was beaned on the top of the head by a fly ball in the top of the 5th inning of the game on Field #6.  

Here are the abridged box scores from the games (Cubs players only): 

3/11 UPDATE: 

As was expected, 1B Tyler Durna (2018 15th round - UCSD) has been placed on the Voluntary Retired List (official papers have been filed).

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3/10 UPDATE:

Since the first of the year, the Cubs have officially signed LHRP Matt Dermody, RHRP Kyle Johnson, RHRP Kevin McCarthy, LHRP Eric Stout, and RHP Eric Yardley, and C-1B John Hicks to 2022 minor league contracts. 

12/1 UPDATE: 

The Cubs have officially signed another 2021 IFA, bringing to 34 the number of IFA signed by the Cubs so far in the 2021 ISP (see full list below).

21 Cubs minor leaguers were declared post-2021 MLB Rule 9 (formerly MLB Rule 55) minor league free agents at 5 PM (Eastern) on Sunday 11/7.

UPDATED 11/7 

As things stand right now...

The best thing about non-tendering a player on December 2nd is that it's the one day each year when a club can remove a player from its MLB 40-man roster without having to risk losing the player off waivers.

An unsigned player under club control who has accrued at least three but less than six years of MLB Service Time is automatically eligible for salary arbitration.

2021 Cubs AZ Instructional League Final Stats 

Colorado Rockies 2021 15th round draft pick Benjamin Sems doubled, singled, walked, reached base on an HBP, stole a base, and scored a run, Rockies 2021 6th round draft pick Braxton Fulford drilled an RBI single, walked, reached base twice on an HBP, and scored a run, Rockies 2021 10th round pick Zach Kokoska singled twice, scored a run, and drove-in another, and RHSP Case Williams (Rockies 2020 4th round pick) fired five innings of one-hit shutout ball, leading the Rockies to a 6-1 victory over the Cubs in AZ Instructional League game action Saturday morning on Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

All told, the Rockies collected nine hits (eight singles and a double) and stole four bases, but they also took advantage of nine walks, six HBP, amd nine WP to claim the victory.

Felix Stevens tripled to lead-off the top of the eighth inning and scored on a 6-3 GO to account for the lone Cub run. 

SP Case Williams has had an unusual ride since being drafted by the Rockies out of a Colorado HS in 2020. He was one of two pitchers sent to the Reds last November in the deal that sent RHRP Robert Stephenson from Cincinnati to Colorado, and then he was reacquired by the Rockies from the Reds in exchange for RHRP Mychal Givens in a 2021 MLB Trade Deadline deal. Obviously the Rockies like Williams, and were probably thrilled to be given a chance to get him back. I can see why. 

LHP Luke Little (2020 4th round draft pick out of San Jacinto JC in Texas) got the start for the Cubs and was virtually unhittable, hurling 2.2 IP with eight strikeouts (all eight outs he recorded were by punch-out), as the Rockies were able to put only one ball into play (a ground single through the 5.5 hole by the second batter he faced). But the 21-year old 6'8 230+ lefty also struggled to throw strikes, issuing three walks, hitting two batters, and uncorking three WP during the course of his outing.

Despite the command issues, Little's stuff was electric, as he mixed a 95-98 MPH FB, a 90-92 CH, an 88-91 SL/CT, and a slow CV, all thrown with a release point closer to home than is the case with the average pitcher because of his long arms. Count him as another success story from the Cubs Mesa Pitch Lab, where he has spent most of the past 16 months since signing in June 2020.

Given his pitch mix, velo, and size, I would think Luke Little -- not be confused with another Cubs minor league LHP, 2018 1st round pick Brendon Little -- is probably among the Cubs' Top 10 pitching prospects right now, with a 2022 Opening Day starting pitcher assignment at Myrtle Beach (if not at South Bend) a distinct possibility.     

The 2021 AZIL Cubs finished their schedule with a 5-11-1 record. 19 games were originally scheduled, but one game was rained-out when a severe thunderstorm hit Mesa just as the game was about to start, and another was canceled because the opponent (the Rockies) didn't have enough pitchers available to play the game.

Of course the final AZIL W-L record isn't important, but it is what it is. Fact is, the 2021 AZIL Cubs were not exactly the 1927 Yankees in terms of game performance. They were shut out four times. That said, individual player development and team building is why the players were down here, and in that respect, Instructs was a definite success.

Many of the players who were at Instructs will return on November 1st for a four-month long conditioning & development program (with time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas) that will lead-up to the start of Minor League Camp in March.        

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only):