Piecing together the 25 Man Roster

[jersey cubs fan]

So we're actually using an 11 man staff to start the year? Tremendous.

 

To be fair, only about half the bullpen will consist of major league arms.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-cubs-trim-roster-demote-randy-wells-travis-wood-20120329,0,6622909.story

 

The Wells decision was the biggest surprise, especially since he's set to earn $2.7 million.

 

"It was obviously a shock," Wells said. "Just one of those things. Things didn't work out.... Usually when this stuff happens, you've had a rough spring or you really haven't been pitching well. I felt like I've thrown the ball well in a variety of different roles. I'm not going to sit here and lie and be the guy that says I'm not disappointed, because I am."

 

Wells said he was given no reason for the demotion.

 

"It wasn't up to me," he said. "I can't really force my way into the lineup. They obviously have a plan, and they have a direction they wanted to go. Just go down and work hard and continue to get better, and hopefully when they need me come up and be ready."

 

Hoyer said Wells was told "it wasn't for his lack of effort," conceding Wells had a very good spring.

 

"Jeff and Chris just pitched a little bit better," he said. "That was a hard decision, but a decision we feel really comfortable with, given how those guys threw."

[toonsterwu]

So we're actually using an 11 man staff to start the year? Tremendous.

 

nvm ...

Edited March 29, 2012 by toonsterwu

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Dewitt and Mather officially make the team.

 

The bench appears to be Clevenger, Johnson, Campana, Dewitt, Mather.

 

Baker????????????????

 

Starting 1B

 

D'oh.

 

I guess Campana isn't assured of a slot just yet.

[bukie]

So, if I'm right...your 2012 Chicago Cubs:

 

C: Geovany Soto

1B: Bryan LaHair

2B: Darwin Barney

3B: Ian Stewart

SS: Starlin Castro

LF: Alfonso Soriano

CF: Marlon Byrd

RF: David DeJesus

 

SP: Matt Garza

SP: Ryan Dempster

SP: Paul Maholm

SP: Jeff Samardzija

SP: Chris Volstad

 

RP: Carlos Marmol

RP: Kerry Wood

RP: James Russell

RP: Rafael Dolis

RP: Lendy Castillo

RP: Rodrigo Lopez

 

Bench:

C: Steve Clevenger

IF: Jeff Baker

IF: Blake DeWitt

OF: Reed Johnson

OF: Tony Campana

IF/OF: Joe Mather

 

Unless the Cubs decided to keep Coleman as the long man and dumped one of the IF/OF bench guys.

 

EDIT: Forgot Mateo was hurt.

Edited March 29, 2012 by bukie

[Guest]

So we're actually using an 11 man staff to start the year? Tremendous.

 

huh, how are you getting 11 ... I'm looking at 5 starters, marmol, wood, russell, dolis, and 2 from the 4 of de la cruz, castillo, corpas, lopez, with 13 positional guys (2 catchers, starting if, starting of, baker, dewitt, mather, johnson).

 

5+4+2 is 11. If the word of 2 of the 4 making the pen is accurate, it looks like Campana gets to be mascot/pinch runner/bunting enthusiast.

[KingCubsFan]

That may be the worst bullpen I've ever seen.

[Post Count Padder]

That may be the worst bullpen I've ever seen.

My eyes hurt after Russell. At least we know what we're in for this season.

[Schwarber Fan]

lol @ Jeff Russell

[Tracer Bullet]

Oof. This team is turrible.

[Clem Fandango]

[Guest]

Team isn't THAT bad.

[bcl412]

I kind of like our starting pitching, I don't think the bullpen is as bad as people are making it out to be, the bench looks pretty bad to me and I hope that line up can find a way to produce some average offense.

 

I'm excited as hell for next week.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Team isn't THAT bad.

 

The offense is that bad and then some.

[Guest]

Team isn't THAT bad.

 

The offense is that bad and then some.

 

I suppose that depends on what you expect out of Castro (I'm looking for big breakout, comparable to his last couple months of last year), Soto (bounce back to well above avg hitting catcher), and LaHair (in terms of just how not awful he can manage to be)...and I expect Soriano to be a little closer to decent than he was, but maybe that's blind optimism. It's March 29th. I'm buying in to the swing/stance change thing.

[Little Slide Rooter]

The rotation could be above average, but could also be as bad as those of the 90's.

 

The offense could hypothetically be quite productive. Soriano, Soto, Stewart, DeJesus, and LaHair are all X factors.

 

Don't love or hate the bullpen, I just can't imagine a worse choice for the final spot than Lopez.

 

I don't like the bench much at all.

 

All and all, I don't think that the team will be recognizable by August 1st.

[SouthSideRyan]

Really, the pen is that offensive for you guys? It just looks like your run of mill who [expletive] knows bullpen.

[Guest]

Really, the pen is that offensive for you guys? It just looks like your run of mill who [expletive] knows bullpen.

 

That's what I was thinking. Worst ever is hilarious.

 

I'm pretty sure the 2003 pen looked WAYYYY uglier on paper.

[C.C.]

Yeah, the pitching is going to be bad with the upside of decent, but that lineup. Urgh!

[KingCubsFan]

Really, the pen is that offensive for you guys? It just looks like your run of mill who [expletive] knows bullpen.

 

That's what I was thinking. Worst ever is hilarious.

 

I'm pretty sure the 2003 pen looked WAYYYY uglier on paper.

I don't know. At least going into the season you had Cruz (one of the best young arms in the game at the time), Farnsworth (was awesome in 2001, so at least there was hope), Remlinger (a pretty big free agent signing) and Guthrie. This bullpen features a guy who walked too many and struck too few out in AA last year, a Rule V pick and Rodrigo Lopez. Plus Russell isn't exactly lights out against righties. I'm not too concerned, given how volatile bullpens are in general, but on paper it looks really bad. However, by the middle of the year, I fully expect guys like Beliveau and Parker up.

[C.C.]

Bullpens are a crap shoot every year. Never know what to expect out of it.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Really, the pen is that offensive for you guys? It just looks like your run of mill who [expletive] knows bullpen.

 

Dolis-Wood-Marmol could potentially be a very strong 7-8-9. I like Russell too. Not sure about Castillo but happy to see what he's got. Junky McJunkball is a mop up man, but I guess I prefer to keep Wood and Wells stretched out. Surprised to see them only going with 6. We'll see how long it stays that way.

 

As for the bench, its no worse than most in the NL. I wish that theyd use Sappelt instead of Johnson, but even the best GMs have that minor mistake they refuse to acknowledge.

Edited March 29, 2012 by Little Slide Rooter

[Guest]

Really, the pen is that offensive for you guys? It just looks like your run of mill who [expletive] knows bullpen.

 

That's what I was thinking. Worst ever is hilarious.

 

I'm pretty sure the 2003 pen looked WAYYYY uglier on paper.

I don't know. At least going into the season you had Cruz (one of the best young arms in the game at the time), Farnsworth (was awesome in 2001, so at least there was hope), Remlinger (a pretty big free agent signing) and Guthrie. This bullpen features a guy who walked too many and struck too few out in AA last year, a Rule V pick and Rodrigo Lopez. Plus Russell isn't exactly lights out against righties. I'm not too concerned, given how volatile bullpens are in general, but on paper it looks really bad. However, by the middle of the year, I fully expect guys like Beliveau and Parker up.

 

That's a plus, but a guy who is one year removed from being easily one of the best relievers in the game for a 3-4 year stretch is part of the worst bullpen ever?

 

And you just compared some front end guys to the back end of this bullpen...

[Springfield_CUBBY]

So we're actually using an 11 man staff to start the year? Tremendous.

 

huh, how are you getting 11 ... I'm looking at 5 starters, marmol, wood, russell, dolis, and 2 from the 4 of de la cruz, castillo, corpas, lopez, with 13 positional guys (2 catchers, starting if, starting of, baker, dewitt, mather, johnson).

 

5+4+2 is 11. If the word of 2 of the 4 making the pen is accurate, it looks like Campana gets to be mascot/pinch runner/bunting enthusiast.

 

From the Trib:

At catcher, Steve Clevenger beat out Welington Castillo for the backup job behind Geovany Soto, while Joe Mather and Blake DeWitt were informed they've made the team, meaning Tony Campana will be sent down.

[SouthSideRyan]

Really, the pen is that offensive for you guys? It just looks like your run of mill who [expletive] knows bullpen.

 

That's what I was thinking. Worst ever is hilarious.

 

I'm pretty sure the 2003 pen looked WAYYYY uglier on paper.

I don't know. At least going into the season you had Cruz (one of the best young arms in the game at the time), Farnsworth (was awesome in 2001, so at least there was hope), Remlinger (a pretty big free agent signing) and Guthrie. This bullpen features a guy who walked too many and struck too few out in AA last year, a Rule V pick and Rodrigo Lopez. Plus Russell isn't exactly lights out against righties. I'm not too concerned, given how volatile bullpens are in general, but on paper it looks really bad. However, by the middle of the year, I fully expect guys like Beliveau and Parker up.

 

Ahhh yes, comparing the best guys in the 2003 pen to the worst guys in the 2012.