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37 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (three slots are open)

Last updated 11-17-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 20
Adbert Alzolay 
Michael Arias
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Porter Hodge
* Bailey Horn
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Luis Vazquez
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 7
Kevin Alcantara
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

 


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Four Cubs Pitchers Make Pro Game Debut at Instructs

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Geuri Lubo belted a game-tying solo HR with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, as the Cubs and Rockies played to a 3-3 tie in Arizona Instructional League game action Friday morning at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

SP Luis Devers and five relievers combined to hurl a two-hitter (both hits were singles), but four errors, five walks, and three WP helped the Rockies score three runs that erased an early 2-0 Cub lead. 

Four Cub pitchers made their professional game debuts in the game, including RHP Will Sanders (2023 4th round draft pick - U. of South Carolina), LHP Daniel Brown (2023 16th round draft pick - Campbell U.), RHP Nick Dean (2023 19th round draft pick - U. of Maryland), and RHP Kenten Egbert (2023 NDFA - Miami U. of Ohio).  

W. Sanders was outstanding, Egbert was OK, Dean was a bit wild, and D. Brown was REALLY wild (walked three of the four batters he faced, uncorked three wild pitches, and threw only one strike -- turned into the 4-3 GO -- among his 14 pitches, most of which ended up sailing over the catcher's head or behind the batter, or were spiked five feet in front of home plate).

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

AZIL CUBS LINEUP:
1. Leonel Espinoza, RF: 1-4 (1B, 5-3, 4-3, K, R) 
2. Ed Howard, SS: 2-4 (1B, 1B, 5-3, K, R)
3a. Alexis Hernandez, 2B: 1-2 (1B, K, RBI, SB)
3b. Geuri Lubo, 2B: 1-2 (F-7, HR, R, RBI)
4. Brian Kalmer, 1B-3B: 0-4 (F-9, 5-3, F-9, P-4) 
5. Adan Sanchez, DH: 0-3 (4-3, 5-3, P-3, RBI)
6. Carter Trice, C: 0-3 (F-9, P-4, 5-3) 
7. Alfonsin Rosario, LF: 0-2 (K, F-7, HBP)
8. Jose Escobar, CF: 0-3 (3-U, 4-3, 5-4-3 DP) 
9a. Yahil Melendez, 3B: 0-2 (K, P-4) 
9b. Drew Bowser, 1B: 0-1 (K) 

AZIL CUBS PITCHERS: 
1. Luis Devers; 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HBP, 1/4 GO/AO, 55 pitches (35 strikes)
2. Nick Dean: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 22 pitches (11 strikes) 
3. Will Sanders: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2/1 GO/AO, 17 pitches (10 strikes) 
4. Daniel Brown: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 3 WP, 1/0 GO/AO, 14 pitches (one strike) 
5. Landon Ginn: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2/1 GO/AO, 16 pitches (13 strikes) 
6. Kenten Egbert: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 13 pitches (7 strikes)

AZIL CUBS ERRORS: 4 
1. C Carter Trice: E-2 (errant throw to 2nd base on SB attempt allowed runner to advance to 3rd) 
2. LF Alfonsin Rosario: E-7 (missed catch on fly ball at warning track allowed batter to reach 2nd base safely and unearned run to score) 
3. 2B Geuri Lubo: E-4 (fielding miscue allowed batter to reach base safely) 
4. P Landon Ginn: E-1 (errant throw to 1st base attempting 1-3 putout allowed batter to reach base safely)

AZIL CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Carter Trice: 1-3 CS, 1 E (see above) 

AZIL CUBS OUTFIELD ASSIST: 
CF Jose Escobar - runner doubled off 1st base 8-3 after L-8

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's 

ATTENDANCE: 14 

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"Just because it isn't official doesn't mean it didn't happen"

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 09/22/2023 - 09:51 pm

Here are the pitch type / velo from the game: 

Luis Devers: FB 90-91, CV 73-77, CH 80-81 with ten swing & miss (why wasn't he assigned to the AFL???)
Nick Dean: FB 89-91, CV 77-80, CH 83 (FB command comes & goes, CH is his best pitch)
Will Sanders: FB 92-95, CH 85-86, SL 82-85, CV 80 (swing & miss breaking balls, a plus CH, and a firm FB, betcha he starts 2024 in South Bend starting rotation)
Daniel Brown: FB 92-95 and CH 80-82 (zero command - EXTREMELY remedial)
Landon Ginn: FB 92-93 and SL 85-87 (throws strikes, misses bats, and really works hitters with just the two-pitch mix, but needs PFP work) 
Kenten Egbert: FB 91-92 and CV 79-82 

Submitted by jdrnym on Fri, 09/22/2023 - 09:52 pm

Phil,

Jordan Luplow was DFA'd by the Twins on Monday and was ultimately optioned and then recalled today. I didn't think that was possible since optional waivers were eliminated years ago. How did that work for the Twins?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 09/23/2023 - 09:58 pm

jdrnym: 

As you know, the abbreviation "DFA" stands for "Designated for Assignment." 

There are three types of assignments: 

1. Trade Assignment (when a player is traded from one MLB club to another)
2. Outright Assignment (when a player is sent to the club's minor league Domestic Reserve List after Outright Assignment Waivers have been secured).
3. Optional Assignment (when a player is optioned to the minors, subject to being recalled at a later time). 

So when a player is Designated for Assignment, the player can either be traded, outrighted to the minors, or optioned to the minors. 

Normally a player is not Designated for Assignment and then optioned to the minors, because the club could just option the player to the minors immediately without a DFA.

Back in the day It was not that unusual for a player to be Designated for Assignment so that Optional Assignment Waivers could be secured (Optional Assignment Waivers were required before certain players could be optioned to the minors, and just like the old Trade Assignment Waivers, Optional Assignment Waivers were revocable if a player was claimed).

https://www.thecubreporter.com/why-player-designated-assignment-and-the…

Optional Assignment Waivers were eliminated in 2016 and Trade Assignment Waivers were eliminated in 2021, so all revocable waivers have been eliminated. What's left are Outright Assignment Waivers and Outright Release Waivers, and both are irrevocable (cannot be withdrawn) once requested.  

With the new five option limit whereby a player can be optioned to the minors no more than five times in a given season before Outright Assignment Waivers must be secured (and it - IS - Outright Assignment Waivers that must be secured, even though it is for the purpose of an Optional Assignment), it now might be necessary for a club to DFA a player to clear a spot on the MLB 26-man roster (MLB 28-man roster in September) for another player and to allow for the two days (actually 47 hours) required to run a player through waivers. After the two day "Waiver Claiming Period" concludes (and presuming the player isn't claimed), the player can be returned to the MLB 40-man roster and optioned to the minors (even after being Designated for Assignment). But for that to happen, the player can - NOT - be replaced on the MLB 40-man roster by another player after being Designated for Assignment.  

However, in the case of Jordan Luplow, he had - NOT - been optioned to the minors five times in the 2023 season prior to be optioned to AAA St. Paul on 9/18, so the Twins did not need to DFA Luplow in order to secure Outright Assignment Waivers so that he could be optioned to the minors a sixth time. But because he was Designated for Assignment and not replaced on the 40 by another player after the DFA, the Twins could return him to the 40 and option him to the minors even after he was Designated for Assignment, because an Optional Assignment is one of the three types of assignments.

So Luplow was Designated for Assignment even though he didn't need to be, and then the Twins returned him to their MLB 40-man roster and optioned him to the minors a couple of days later (which they can do, since Luplow wasn't replaced on the 40 by another player after he was Designated for Assignment). What the Twins did (DFA Luplow and then return him to the 40 and option him to the minors a couple of days later) was within the rules. It's just very odd and doesn't make a lot of sense. 

So I will offer what I believe is the most logical reason the Twins did this:  

The Twins DFA'd Luplow because they intended to reinstate Chris Paddack from the 60-day IL, but then Carlos Correa suddenly needed to go on the 10-day IL and they recalled Trevor Larnach to replace Correa, but then they probably decided they should keep Luplow on the 40-man roster, too (and on Optional Assignment to AAA), and didn't want to risk losing him off waivers or by him electing free-agency after being outrighted. Luplow has Article XX-D rights (he has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career, so he would had the right to elect free-agency after he was outrighted). Clearly the Twins felt they might need Luplow's RH bat after losing Correa and with Royce Lewis having left a game with a hamstring injury that led to an IL assignment. And that meant that Paddack would remain on his minor league rehab assignment a few extra days, but the Twins will need him in the post-season, not now. 

Also, if Luplow was outrighted instead of being optioned, he would no longer be automatically eligible to play in the post-season (except as a possible injury replacement).

Not only did Carlos Correa go on the IL, Royce Lewis went on the IL, too, two days after Correa went on the IL and two days after Luplow was optioned to AAA, so the Twins did in fact end up needing Luplow after all, and recalled him just a couple of days after he was optioned to replace Lewis on the MLB 28-man roster. (So both Larnach and Luplow were recalled within a couple of days of each other, replacing Correa and Lewis on the Twins MLB 28-man roster).  

So that's all I've got. That is the only thing that makes sense. The Twins DFA'd Luplow because they had intended to replace him on the 40 with another player (probably Paddack) and hoped that they would be able to run him through waivers and that he wouldn't get claimed and that he would accept an Outright Assignment, but then they suddenly changed their minds because of the injury to Correa and the possibility that Lewis might also have to go on the IL (which did, in fact, happen the next day). Also, with the injuries to Correa and Lewis, the Twins wanted Luplow to remain automatically post-season eligible, which would not be the case if he was outrighted.  

Again, the Twins were able to return Luplow to the 40 and option him to AAA because he hadn't been replaced on the 40 by another player after he was Designated for Assignment. 

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