Recent comments

crunch 1 minute 31 seconds ago (view)

a.sampson to iowa

Arizona Phil 1 hour 13 minutes ago (view)

Keep in mind that MLB 10-day IL (for position players) and MLB 15-day IL (for pitchers and "two-way players") assignments can be backdated up to three days prior to MLB Opening Day, so if (for example) Seiya Suzuki is placed on the Cubs 10-day IL on Opening Day, the assignment can be backdated to Monday 3/27, and so he would be eligible to be reinstated on Thursday 4/6.  

FWIW, 10-day and 15-day IL assignments can be backdated up to three days throughout the MLB season, as long as the player did not play in a game during the backdated period. 

Also, an MLB 7-day (concussion) IL assignment can be backdated up to four days (again, as long as the player did not play in a game during the backdated period).   

Arizona Phil 1 hour 35 minutes ago (view)

The Cubs have released INF Christian Donahue, RHP Trey Lang, C Fredy Montenegro, LHP Andricson Salvador, and INF Esmarly Tatis. 

crunch 15 hours 12 minutes ago (view)

sampson made it to the 5th inning before giving up #3.  that's improvement.  to be fair, he did look pretty good (though not spectacular) for a few innings before this...

crunch 16 hours 10 minutes ago (view)

14 pitches in and sampson gives up a 2nd homer.  classic.

that's his 10th in 13.1ip

crunch 16 hours 12 minutes ago (view)

11 pitches in and sampson gives up a homer.  classic.

Arizona Phil 1 hour 58 minutes ago (view)

Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Friday's Cubs - Rangers game at Sloan Park: 

MARCUS STROMAN: 
FB: 89-92 
CT: 86-87
SL: 82-85 
CH: 81-84 
COMMENT: Threw 5.2 IP (75 pitches - 51 strikes)... pitches-per-inning were 12-13-14-12-19-5... apparently the plan was for him to throw at least five innings and at least 75 pitches, because as soon as he hit 75 pitches he was removed from the game (even though there were two outs and nobody on base)... he allowed five hits (all singles), one walk, and he struck out five (three swinging and two looking, the three swinging on sliders and the two looking were on a CH and a CT)... he threw 40 FB ("heavy" two-seamers) and the rest were a mix of secondaries, and the FB (2S) was clearly his pitch-to-contact offering (7/3 GO/AO)... got seven swing & miss total (five on SL and two on CH, but none on FB)... only run allowed was an unearned run thanks to a two-base fielding error by third-baseman Nick Madrigal in the top of the 2nd...  allowed one-out singles in the 1st and 2nd innings, retired the side 1-2-3 in the 3rd, and then pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the 4th (1B, 1B, 1-5-2 FC thanks to a great stop by ex-SS Stroman, another 1B but runners could advance only one base, and an inning-ending L-4 DP with fancy glove work by 2B Luis Vazquez on the catch & throw), and finally a two-out walk in the 5th...  he retired six of the last seven batters he faced... Stroman is clearly ready to start the Cubs opener...   

JAVIER ASSAD: 
FB: 92-95 T-96 
CT: 87-90 
CH: 84-85 
SL: 79-82 
CV: 76 
COMMENT: Relieved Marcus Stroman with two outs in the top of the 6th and immediately struck out the first man he faced on three pitches (all three swinging strikes, including two 94 MPH FB)... top of the seventh was another matter entirely, as he surrendered an opposite field line-drive double fisted into the LF corner by Robbie Grossman on a 2-2 pitch, a walk on a 3-2 pitch after starting the AB 0-2, and then a bunt single to load the bases with no outs 15 pitches into the inning... he then induced an RBI ground ball (6-4 FC, not hit hard enough to turn two), and a K-looking on a CT for the second out... at this point he had thrown 26 pitches in the inning, and so he was (temporarily) relieved by Cam Sanders, who immediately gave up an RBI single on his very first pitch that plated the second run of the inning (run charged to Assad)... Assad came back out in the 8th, and worked the last two innings (25 pitches combined over the final two innings), allowing three hits (all singles, including another bunt single)... for the day Assad pitched 3.0 IP (spread over four frames), throwing 54 pitches (38 strikes)... he allowed two runs (both earned), five hits (including two bunt singles), and a walk, while striking out four (all four swinging) and 3/2 GO/AO... he got a total of ten swing & miss among his 54 pitches (four on a FB, three on a CT, one on a CH, one on a SL, and one on a CV)... off his strong showing with Team Mexico in the WBC, it appears that Assad will either make the Cubs Opening Day 26-man roster as a "Multi-Inning Reliever" (MIR), or be optioned to Iowa where he can be stretched-out as a SP. (he's already up to 54 pitches, so it won't take more than another couple of starts before he will be fully stretched out as a starter if the Cubs choose to go that route with him)... otherwise he is clearly ready to roll as an MIR right now... no question, he definitely has a SP repertoire... 

CAM SANDERS:
FB: 94-95 
CV: 80 
COMMENT: Came over from minor league camp as an extra pitcher... relieved Assad and finished the top of the 7th, allowing an RBI single on his very first pitch (run charged to Assad) before getting the third out on an F-9 (nice running catch by RF Owen Caissie)... 

crunch 18 hours 50 minutes ago (view)

for those without mlb.tv, it's free for the rest of spring to watch.

crunch 22 hours 26 minutes ago (view)

split squad for the cubs friday, both games televised.  nice.

Arizona Phil 1 day 1 hour ago (view)

The final Spring Training games for AAA affiliates are on Sunday, with AAA opening Day next Friday, so AAA teams will be leaving Arizona or Florida on Monday or Tuesday. Therefore, the Iowa roster will need to be finalized sooner than the other three full season affiliates.  

The AAA and AA regular season active list roster limit is 28, and the Hi-A and Lo-A regular active list roster limit is 30 (there is no active list roster limit at Extended Spring Training or in the ACL).

In addition, up to five additional players can be carried on the AAA Taxi Squad (at least one must be a catcher), unless the special CoViD Taxi Squad rule is revoked by the MLB Commissioner prior to Opening Day (TBD).  

Also, the minor league Domestic Reserve list limit is 190 until AAA Opening Day this coming Friday, at which point it will be reduced to 180.    

The TCR Cubs organizational depth chart (see link below) reflects the current MLB and minor league camp rosters, and is being updated daily. 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/cubs-organizational-depth-chart