Breaking Down Cubs Position Player Battles

With over two weeks left in Spring Training, there are still many spots on the Cubs roster up for grabs. Early this week we took a look at Dale Sveum's pitching staff decisions, click here for that post.

Today, we take a look at the position player battles that are going on in Cubs camp. The starting lineup is pretty much set, but there is some great competition for the five bench spots.

Backup Catcher
The backup catcher's position is often up for grabs during Spring Training. Seemingly every year the Cubs are trying to decide that spot. Some teams use the backup as a spot for a veteran, while other use it on a younger player who may have a future with the team as a starter. The Cubs will most likely use the latter this season. Jason Jaramillo was invited to camp, but an injury early on appears to have eliminated him from the competition. That leaves Welington Castillo and Steve Clevenger battling it out. Castillo appears to have the edge as a guy who has been in the mix for several years and seems to be ready. However, the Cubs may elect to give Castillo everyday playing time at AAA-Iowa instead of having him sit on the big league bench. Clevenger is also a talented player, but I am still giving Castillo the edge to win the job.

Fourth & Fifth Outfield Spots
With David DeJesus, Marlon Byrd and Alfonso Soriano penciled in as the everyday outfielders to start the season, the only spots open in the outfield will come on the bench. Fan favorite Reed Johnson is the type of the player that a team should want on its roster, so he appears to have the fourth outfield spot nailed down. That leaves Dave Sappelt, who was acquired from the Reds this offseason, speedster Tony Campana and non-roster invitee Joe Mather in the mix for the other spot. Campana is a nice weapon as a pitcher runner and defensive replacement, but Mather is making a good case with a .409 average this spring. I'm leaning toward keeping Mather as the team's number one pinch hit, while sending Campana back to Triple-A.

Reserve Infield Spot
Assuming the Cubs carry 12 pitchers, two catchers and five outfielders, there will be six spots left on the roster for infielders. Five of those will, unless there is an injury, be filled by Bryan LaHair, Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro, Ian Stewart and Jeff Baker. Baker will backup Stewart, Barney and LaHair, while Barney can slide over to shortstop when Castro needs a day off. That leaves a final spot open for an utility infielder. Blake DeWitt, who was released by the team but then brought back as a non-roster player, is one candidate. Adrian Cardenas, who played for the A's last season, is also in the mix even though he is hitting just .150 in Cactus League play. Other non-roster infielders in camp include Alfredo Amezaga, Edgar Gonzalez, Matt Tolbert and Bobby Scales. The last infield spot is very up in the air, but DeWitt receives my vote partly because of his .462 average in eight spring games.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always!

Possible Roster Moves

The Cubs currently have three players that are close to coming off the disables list. Kerry Wood is trying to recover from his blister issue. He has begun to toss on the side. Marlon Byrd is set to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa tomorrow, but no time table is in place for his return. Darwin Barney is already rehabbing and could return to the big league team on Wednesday.

When these players return, the Cubs will be forced to make several roster decision to make room on the club. Let us take a look at their options to make room for each player.

To Make Room for Kerry Wood
Option A) Send Chris Carpenter back to Iowa
Option B) Trade/DFA John Grabow
Option C) Trade/Release/Demote Rodrigo Lopez
My Take) The best option would probably be getting rid of John Grabow, but the Cubs are unlikely to dump is salary. Most likely Carpenter will be headed back to the minors, but I'd rather see more of him than Lopez.

To Make Room for Marlon Byrd
Option A) Send Tony Campana back to the minors
Option B) Send Lou Montanez back to the minors
Option C) Trade Kosuke Fukudome
My Take) There are probably no takers for Kosuke, so it looks as if one of the kids is going to Iowa. I would send Montanez back down so that the Cubs can receive a longer look at the younger and faster Tony Campana. However, if Campana is not going to play with Byrd, Johnson, Soriano and Kosuke all on the roster, it would make more sense to send him to AAA for some ABs. Montanez is right handed so he makes for a better platoon partner with Kosuke.

To Make Room For Darwin Barney
Option A) Send DJ LeMahieu to Triple-A
Option B) Send both Campana and Montanez to the minors, keep LeMahieu as a backup infielder, use Baker and DeWitt in the outfield if need be.
Option C) Trade Baker or DeWitt
My Take) DJ most likely needs to go back down. I would hate to see the Cubs waste a young player on the bench when he probably needs more seasoning at the minor league level.

Feel free to jump in with your take in the comments. How the Cubs handle these decisions will really indicate the direction that the team is going in. The injuries have actually allowed the Cubs to take a look at some of the younger players, now it is time to find out which younger players have earned a spot in the roster full time.

Today is the 51st anniversary of Ron Santo's big league debut! Check out my book review of Ron Santo A Perfect Ten on View From the Bleachers by clicking here.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted on Everything Cubs as always.

Weekend Quick Hits: Wells Activated, Coleman Sent Down, Lopez to Start & More

Lots of news and notes... let's jump right in!

• Randy Wells has been activiated from the disabled list. He will make his second start of the season today against the Pirates, with the first pitch coming up at 12:05.


• In a surprising move, the Cubs have elected to send Casey Coleman down to the Triple-A Iowa instead of letting him remain in the rotation until Matt Garza's return.


• Newcomer Rodrigo Lopez will move into the rotation and start on Monday against the Reds. He was originially expected to be a swingman in the bullpen, but instead he will join Wells, Zambrano, Dempster and Doug Davis in the starting five.


• According to a tweet from Carrie Muskat, Marlon Byrd looks much better. Swelling has gone down.


• Today's Cubs outfield has a different look, with Louis Montenez starting in right field and Tony Campana in center. Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker are both dealing with nagging injuries.


• Geovany Soto went 0-for-3 in his first rehab apperance at Double-A. He will make his first start tonight. If all goes well, he could rejoin the Cubs on Monday.


• Brett Jackson is rehabbing with the Mesa Cubs. After that work is complete, he will rejoin the Tennessee Smokies. Word is that he is not that far away from being able to play in the bigs.


• Last year's number one pick, pitcher Hayden Simpson, is currently pitching at Class-A Peoria. Oneri Fleita told Bruce Miles that he removes the radar guns when Simpson pitches because he does not want him worried too much about speed.


• The Cubs have 40 total errors this season, the second most in MLB.


• Bruce Levine points out that Doug Davis has not been the answer for the Cubs. He's 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA.

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted as the Cubs try to push through these injuries!