Arizona Phil's Archives

If the 2020 minor league season is not considered to be a "qualified season" because the season was canceled prior to starting, there could be some far-reaching consequences for a number of minor league players that might potentially result in a mass grievance or maybe even a class action lawsuit... 

The Cubs have released 30 minor leaguers:  

3/26 UPDATE: 

The Cubs have optioned RHP Dillon Maples to AAA Iowa.  

So the Cubs MLB Active List roster now stands at 30, with ten players on Optional Assignment.  

The status of the eight remaining Cubs MLB Spring Training minor league NRI (LHP Rex Brothers, C-INF P. J. Higgins, 2B Jason Kipnis, OF Ian Miller, RHP Brandon Morrow, INF-OF Hernan Perez, C Josh Phegley, and RHP Michael Rucker) is unclear, although MLB and the MLBPA have agreed that the deadline for a club to decide whether to release a post-2019 MLB Article XX-B free-agent signed to a 2020 minor league contract (Kipnis and Morrow), add the player to the MLB 40-man roster by Opening Day, or retain the player on a minor league contract where the player receives a $100K retention bonus and an automatic 6/1 player opt-out, will be postponed until five days prior to MLB Opening Day (once it has been rescheduled).     

3/11 UPDATE:  

The Cubs have optioned RHP James Norwood to AAA Iowa, and LHRP Danny Hultzen, RHRP Dakota Mekkes, LHRP Wyatt Short, and RHRP Ben Taylor have been assigned to Minor League Camp.  

Cubs MLB Spring Training roster now stands at 39 (21 pitchers, four catchers, eight infielders, and six outfielders). 

3/10 UPDATE:

The Cubs have optioned RHP Adbert Alzolay, RHP Colin Rea, and INF Zack Short to AAA Iowa and C Miguel Amaya to AA Tennessee, sent INF Carlos Asuaje, OF Noel Cuevas, INF-OF Trent Giambrone, and 1B Corban Joseph to Minor League Camp, and added NRI RHP Michael Rucker to MLB Spring Training roster.

Cubs MLB Spring Training roster now stands at 44 (26 pitchers, four catchers, eight infielders, and six outfielders) 

3/6 UPDATE: 

The Cubs have optioned RHP Tyson Miller and INF-OF Robel Garcia to AAA Iowa and RHP Manuel Rodriguez and LHP Justin Steele to AA Tennessee, sent non-roster RHP Jason Adam, RHP Oscar de la Cruz, LHP Tyler Olson, LHP C. D. Pelham, RHP Caleb Simpson, RHP Brock Stewart and C Jhonny Pereda to Minor League Camp, and re-claimed RHP Michael Rucker (selected by Baltimore Orioles in Major Phase of 2019 Rule 5 Draft) and assigned him outright to AAA Iowa.  

Cubs MLB Spring Training roster now stands at 51. 


2020 CUBS SPRING TRAINING UNIFORM NUMBERS 

The Cubs have sent minor league catcher Jhonny Pereda to the Boston Red Sox to complete a January 21st trade in which the Cubs acquired RHRP Travis Lakins from the Red Sox for Future Considerations. (Lakins had been Designated for Assignment by the Red Sox on 1/17). 

The Cubs then lost Lakins off waivers to the Baltimore Orioles (who have the #2 MLB waiver claim priority) ten days later when the Cubs attempted to remove him from the MLB 40-man roster to make room on the 40 for free-agent RHRP Jeremy Jeffress. 

2020 CUBS MINOR LEAGUE CAMP ROSTERS 

2020 Cubs Winter Instructs is well underway on the backfields at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa.

Pitchers & catchers reported a week ago, and today was the first "full squad" work-out. 

Rather than inviting 2019 draft picks and recently-signed IFA, the Cubs instead opted to invite mostly older players (including some with significant minor league experience) to instructs this year. (13 of the invitees are eligible to be minor league free-agents post-2020).

Several players & coaches from the Lotte Giants (KBO) are attending Instructs as guests of the Cubs, but it's possible that one or more of the Korean players could end up being acquired by the Cubs at some point. (Ex-Cubs minor league OF, coach, and scout Min-Kyu Sung was hired as GM of the Giants last September). 

Here are the 2020 Cubs Player Development and minor league staff assignments (at least a couple of positions still TBA). 

Of note is the Cubs first female field coach, the re-naming/re-designating of AZL Cubs #1 to AZL Cubs Blue, AZL Cubs #2 to AZL Cubs Red, DSL Cubs #1 to DSL Cubs Blue, and DSL Cubs #2 to DSL Cubs Red, and some re-definition of roles and job titles.   

Three of the new hires (Director of Hitting Justin Stone, South Bend Hitting Coach Dan Puente, and AZL Cubs Blue Assistant Coach Rachel Folden) come to the Cubs from Chicago-based Elite Baseball Training, and another (Pitching Development Coordinator Casey Jacobson) comes to the Cubs from Driveline Baseball in Kent, WA.   

12/12 UPDATE: 

PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE:
Trevor Megill, RHP (selected by Cubs from San Diego Padres AAA El Paso reserve list)
 
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE: 
1. Vimael Machin, INF (selected by Philadelphia Phillies from Cubs AAA Iowa reserve list)
NOTE: Phillies subsequently traded Machin to Oakland A's 
2. Michael Rucker, RHP (selected by Baltimore Orioles from Cubs AAA Iowa reserve list) 

PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN AAA PHASE:
1. Brock Stewart, RHP (selected by Cubs for AAA Iowa from Toronto Blue Jays AA New Hampshire reserve list) 
2. Jerrick Suiter, 1B (selected by Cubs for AAA Iowa from Pittsburgh Pirates AA Altoona reserve list) 
3. Vance Vizcaino, OF (selected by Cubs for AAA Iowa from Colorado Rockies AA Hartford reserve list)  
4. David Masters, INF (selected by Cubs for AAA Iowa from Washington Nationals AA Harrisburg reserve list)
 
CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN AAA PHASE:
1. Faustino Carrera, LHP (selected from Cubs AA Tennessee reserve list by Tampa Bay Rays for AAA Durham affiliate)
2. Carlos Sepulveda, INF (selected from Cubs AA Tennessee reserve list by Los Angeles Dodgers for AAA Oklahoma City affiliate) 
    

In February 1954, the Brooklyn Dodgers signed 19-year old OF Roberto Clemente out of Puerto Rico and gave him a $10,000 bonus. 

The Cubs have signed RHRP Dan Winkler to a 2020 MLB contract. The deal reportedly includes a $750K MLB salary and $750K more in potential performance bonuses with a $200K minor league split salary. 

Winkler features a 90 MPH cutter (his bread & butter pitch), a low 80's slider and a low-90's FB, and an occasional CH, all thrown from a low 3/4 arm slot, somewhat like Steve Cishek. So think of Winkler as Cishek's probable bargain-bin replacement in the pen.   

As most of you know, MLB is planning to implement a few rules changes in 2020, one of which is the addition of a 26th man (who cannot be a pitcher) to the active list rosters Opening Day through August 31st. 

12/2 UPDATE:

The Cubs have tendered 2020 contracts to all unsigned players on their MLB 40-man roster except LHRP Danny Hultzen and INF Addison Russell, and RHP Jharel Cotton has agreed to a $640K 2020 non-guaranteed contract to avoid being non-tendered (see ORIGINAL POST below for the reasons).  

So Hultzen and Russell have been removed from the Cubs MLB 40-man roster and both are now unrestricted free-agents, free to sign a major league or minor league contract with any club, including the Cubs.
NOTE: The Cubs MLB Reserve List now stands at 36 (four slots are open).

It's likely that the Cubs have tentatively agreed (in advance) to sign Hultzen to a minor league contract after the Rule 5 Draft (with an NRI to Spring Training and for more money than he would have received if he had remained on the 40 -- as happened with Allen Webster a year ago) - AS LONG AS - Hultzen does not receive an MLB contract offer (which would include a slot on an MLB 40-man roster) for even more money from another club in the interim (which is exactly what happened after the Cubs non-tendered Ronald Torreyes a year ago), or a substantial salary offer from an NPB (Japanese) club (as happened after the Cubs non-tendered Justin Hancock last year).   

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

11/26 ORIGINAL POST:

It wasn't exactly A Day that Will Live in Infamy, but a year ago today the Cubs traded Tommy LaStella to the Angels for a PTBNL (who turned out to be LHRP Conor Lillis-White). 

LaStella was one of the best pinch-hitters in the National League and had one of the best single-seasons of pinch-hitting in Cubs history in 2018 (312/396/416 with 5 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 2 HBP, 9/13 BB/K in 79 PA with an MLB-leading and Cubs single-season club record 24 pinch-hits), and then he hit a robust 295/346/488 with 16 HR in 80 games for LAA this past season (where he was the Angels' everyday 2B for the first half of the campaign, before missing the second half after suffering a broken leg on 7/2). 

However, despite trading LaStella, the Cubs did have four of the better pinch-hitters in the National League (including two of the top six) in 2019. 

The Cubs have claimed LHRP Christian Devont'a (C. D.) Pelham off waivers from the Texas Rangers.

The 24 year old 6'6 235 lefty was a 33rd round draft pick of the Texas Rangers out of Spartanburg Methodist JC ($40,000 bonus) in 2015 (he was also selected in the 25th round of the 2014 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers but did not sign).

Pelham features a mid-90's (T-98) CT FB and a power slider, but has had control issues throughout his career (kind of like another big lefty reliever the Cubs acquired a few months ago, Brad Wieck), especially in 2019 (40 BB in 32.1 IP split between AA and AAA). 

Pelham was rated one of the Rangers Top 15 prospects by Baseball America post-2018 and he pitched in the Futures Game in July of that year. 

The Cubs have acquired the contract of RHP Jharel Cotton from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations (probably something in excess of the $50,000 waiver price).

Cotton was Designated for Assignment by the A's last Wednesday.