Duensing starting the season on the DL allowed the Chicago Cubs to keep both Matt Szczur and Tommy La Stella on the Opening Day roster. For the first time in 108 years, the Cubs will open the season as the defending World Series champions. Ben ZobristKyle SchwarberAlbert Almora Jr.Jason HeywardJon JayIan Happ. Kyle HendricksJon LesterJose QuintanaJake ArrietaJohn LackeyWade DavisPedro StropCarl Edwards Jr.Brian DuensingMike MontgomeryJustin Wilson, Anthony RizzoJavier BaezAddison RussellKris BryantBen ZobristTommy La Stella, Jason HeywardJon JayAlbert Almora Jr.Kyle SchwarberIan HappLeonys Martin, MLB Playoffs 2017: Cubs set division series roster, Here are the estimated 2021 arbitration salaries for eligible Cubs. Victor Caratini can catch or play first/third base, but he's a rookie in his first MLB season and has hit just .240 with a .681 OPS in 56 plate appearances. Opening Day is a bit different for the Chicago Cubs this season. Against left-handed starting pitchers (like Washington's Gio Gonzalez), Schwarber will not start and Almora (if he's fully over his recent shoulder issue) almost assuredly will man center. Over the last three years, Grimm has held lefties to a .597 OPS against and did make six appearances last October. Guys like Ross, Chapman and Fowler will be missed, but the Cubs made many additions to their roster this offseason that will help. Leonys Martin could be a pinch-runner, but the roster has plenty of left-handed bats and outfielders as it stands, so Martin doesn't hold a ton of value. While he might not be ready for Chicago on a full-time basis, he’s not leaving the 40-man roster anytime soon. Wilson has been an enigma since coming over from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline, going from one of the elite late-inning options in baseball to a guy who has allowed 35 baserunners in 15.2 innings in a Cubs uniform. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on All Chicago Sports and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. With Koji Uehara still unable to get past a knee and back injury, he's essentially out of the mix. Now that the Cubs have locked up the National League Central. But if all of these guys are healthy, I don't see how Lackey makes the cut, even if he does have a 2.51 ERA in 28.2 September innings and 26 career playoff outings under his belt. Will Jason Heyward also sit vs. LHPs, leaving an OF of Happ-Almora-Zobrist left-to-right? They are obvious World Series contenders for 2017. I tell you what, I would not want to be the person who has to tell John Lackey he's not going to make the playoff rotation. As the Cubs wrap up their annual fan convention, there are still a few interesting questions that need to be answered as the team prepares for the 2017 campaign. The only conclusion I can draw is that Rondon isn’t 100 percent healthy, and/or management feels that having an extra lefthander on the roster would be useful against the Nationals’ lefty-heavy lineup. How much will Schwarber play? There's a legitimate shot for all six guys to start each game, yet clearly that won't happen. Heyward has been only slightly better offensively this season (.707 OPS) compared to 2016 (.631 OPS), but is the best defensive outfielder in the game. The only real surprise here is that the Cubs did not include Hector Rondon on the NLDS roster, and did include Justin Wilson. Quintana would go Game 4 assuming there is no sweep. If not Grimm for the 25th man on the roster, the Cubs do have the option of keeping an extra position player, but nobody really stands out right now. The Cubs will head to Washington D.C. for a date with Bryce Harper and the Nationals in the National League Division Series beginning Oct. 6. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. It’s a bit different this year, and not all these players will be retained. Montgomery will begin the season as the only left-hander in the Cubs bullpen. Does Zobrist deserve to start every game? But he's done it before and he did have an outing over the weekend that was encouraging, retiring all four Brewers he faced, including three strikeouts. Left-handed reliever Brian Duensing will begin the season on the 10-day disabled list with back tightness, leaving Montgomery as the only lefty in the pen. Also, the Cubs are keeping Leonys Martin on the postseason roster, presumably as a defensive replacement/pinch-runner. The Cubs have a similar roster compared to last season. This is where Maddon will make his money. That's how things ended up last fall as Baez emerged as a national star while starting all 17 playoff games at second base and displacing Zobrist from the infield to the outfield. We know he'll sit against all LHPs, but he's also only been starting sparingly against RHPs in important games down the stretch despite 5 HR and a .970 OPS in 46 September at-bats. Rene Rivera is a wily veteran who can do some damage against left-handed pitchers, but do the Cubs really need a third catcher in the postseason? Then there was Tuesday, when Wilson walked the only two batters he faced against the Cardinals and was removed in the middle of an at-bat. Rondon is also nursing a sore elbow, but has thrown 2.1 dominant innings over the last week and hasn't allowed a run since Aug. 23. Now, we have to hope that the Wilson that was so good in Detroit earlier this year shows up instead of the Wilson we had with the Cubs the last two months. What if the Cubs had won NLCS Game 6 in 2003? Here’s the entire division series roster. While Lester has been struggling, Arrieta has picked up where he left off pre-hamstring injury, Kyle Hendricks has been a stud and Jose Quintana just pitched the game of his life over the weekend to neutralize the Brewers. Most of this is exactly as expected. There's also the Justin Grimm factor. The Cubs will head to Washington D.C. for a date with Bryce Harper and the Nationals in the National League Division Series beginning Oct. 6. The 2021 minor-league season could again be very different. Maddon has turned him into a part-time player at age 36 and Zobrist is hitting just .238 with a .705 OPS. Now that the Cubs have locked up the National League Central, the attention has turned to the postseason. Anthony RizzoBen ZobristAddison RussellKris BryantJavier BaezTommy La Stella, Kyle SchwarberAlbert AlmoraJason HeywardJon JayMatt Szczur, Jon LesterJake ArrietaJohn LackeyBrett AndersonKyle Hendricks, Mike MontgomeryJustin GrimmHector RondonKoji UeharaPedro StropCarl Edwards Jr.Wade Davis. What if the Cubs had won one more game in September 2018? Contreras figures to start every postseason game he's healthy for with his unique blend of arm strength to control the running game, energy and offensive prowess. Of course, Rizzo and Bryant will start every single playoff game at the corners (with good health). New, 144 comments. The 25th spot appeared to be coming down to Szczur and La Stella, but the Cubs were bailed out by the injury. The Cubs and Cardinals have a long history of bad blood and there is not a team who I would rather see the Cubs begin their title defense against. Note: This isn't a projection of a lineup for Game 1 of the NLDS. Fowler signed a big-money free agent contract with the Cardinals this offseason and will leadoff against the Cubs in St. Louis. Jake ArrietaJon LesterKyle HendricksJose Quintana. All Chicago Sports news from FanSided Daily, Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day: Live Stream, Start Time, TV Info and More, Chicago Cubs 2017: Five Bold Predictions for the Defending Champions, Cubs 2017 Roster Preview: Position-by-Position Breakdown, Chicago Cubs Fall on Opening Day to Cardinals: Recap, Final Score, Highlights and More, Chicago Cubs: Willson Contreras Crushes Three-Run Home Run to Tie Game vs Cardinals (Video), Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals Series Preview: April 2-April 5, Top 25 Super Bowl Performances of All Time, Each NHL Team's Most Likely Future Hall of Famer, 30 Greatest Teams in Premier League History, 28 most memorable buzzer beaters in March Madness history. Lester took a step forward Monday after a startling stretch of ineffectiveness (5.91 ERA, .948 OPS against in four starts between Sept. 2-20). Wade DavisCarl Edwards Jr.Mike MontgomeryPedro StropBrian DuensingHector RondonJustin WilsonJustin Grimm. Projecting the 2017 Cubs' 25-man playoff roster / by Tony Andracki Cubs Now that the Cubs have locked up the National League Central, the attention has turned to the postseason. The Astros officially released their 28-man roster for their ALCS matchup with the Rays. Oct 19, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) reacts with infielder Javier Baez (9) after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning during game four of the 2016 NLCS playoff baseball series at Dodger Stadium. Complete Chicago Cubs 2017 Opening Day 25-man roster. I don't envy Maddon deciding which three outfielders to sit each night (assuming Javy Baez and Addison Russell are set at middle infield). This is an easy call. Anthony RizzoJavy BaezAddison RussellKris BryantTommy La Stella. Another pitcher who looks to be a sure thing to be added is righty Cory Abbott , who was at the alternate site this year in South Bend and was the Cubs’ 2019 Minor League pitcher of the year. See for yourself. They are still locked and loaded for another deep postseason run. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports. The Cubs begin the defense of their crown on Sunday, against their bitter division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. Your privacy is safe with us. The only true question with the rotation comes in how they line up. There are still a couple question marks regarding health and effectiveness on several players, but here's how the Cubs' 25-man roster could look for that NLDS showdown. He's got a 5.57 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 48 appearances, but the Cubs don't really have any other trustworthy options in the 'pen and the worst thing a team could do in October is somehow wind up without enough pitching if a game extends to extra innings or a pitcher is only used for one hitter.
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