The Cubs have been sending some invitations to non-roster players for Spring Training and have sent seven invitations. Personally, I was pretty ticked off that I didn't get invited...
Anyway, here they are along with a little evaluation.
- RHP Jonathan Holder. The Cubs signed Holder prior to the 2021 season, but injuries kept him from playing all season long, so the Cubs resigned him again this offseason. With the Yankees he posted a career 4.38 ERA in a grand total of 176.2 IP. He has a career 21.7% K rate against a 7% BB rate and a 36.6% GB rate. One wonders why the Cubs are so intent on having him, a guy who is pretty much an average player. Perhaps we'll see a little of his potential in ST.
- RHP Mark Leiter Jr. I discussed him in detail in my previous article: Cubs Sign RHP Mark Leiter Jr. Excited to see him pitch for the Cubs.
- LHP Stephan Gonsalves. I made this analysis on him when the Cubs originally signed him: "He spent 7 years in the Twins' system, and then spent time in both Triple A and MLB in 2021 with the Red Sox. He posted a 4.15 ERA in 4.1 IP in the major leagues this year, but he has a career of getting some really good pitching seasons in. He posted sub-3.00 ERA seasons in 11 different levels (bouncing around in different MiLB levels) and has appeared in the major leagues both in 2018 and 2021." See full article here: The Cubs Sign Stephan Gonsalves
- LHP Locke St John. Another signing by the Cubs this offseason, I made a couple remarks on him: "He had a 2.58 ERA in 59 IP with the Tigers in Triple A this past year. He had a 21.8% K rate, and a 37.9% GB rate. He had a giant 84.7% LOB percentage (Runners left on base), which certainly valuable." See full article here: After All the MLB Free Agent Signings, The Cubs Sign Minor League Free Agent Locke St John
- C PJ Higgins. Higgins made his MLB debut this past season but couldn't quite translate the same success he found in the minor leagues. in Triple A he hit .333/.458/.513 with a 167 wRC, but hit a bad .043/.120/.043 with a -51 wRC in 25 PA. The Cubs are going to give him another shot, it seems, and with catching depth thin, it's good to have solid back-up in the minor leagues.
- INF Dixon Machado. Although this signing does not appear on Cubs transaction charts, he was invited to the Cubs ST, meaning he has a MiLB contract with the Cubs. He's played for Korea (KBO) in 2020 and 2021 after spending 4 years with the Tigers. He did not hit well with them, with his best year hitting .259/.302/.319 with a 65 wRC. However, in KBO he put up a .279/.359/.361 with a 100 wRC in 2021. Excited to see how he does with the Cubs.
- INF Ildemaro Vargas. An old face, having played for the Cubs some in both 2020 and 2021, back apparently on a deal. He's had a rough last couple years, posting a .156/.217/.221 with a 15 wRC in 2021. However, the Cubs have decided to give him another chance so we shall see how he does.
That's all. Of course, players on the roster such as Velazquez and Marquez will be getting some playing time in Spring Training, but that's it for non-roster players for now.
I hope Spring Training will not be delayed by this "lockout", but I can't be too hopeful. Let's hope they get a deal done by late February, but...I can't be too sure.
And before you go, check out these cool Cubs apparel that make great gifts!
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