Spring training is just three weeks away -- Cubs pitchers and catchers will report on Feb. 18 -- and on Monday, the Cubs issued 21 non-roster invitations to spring training. Some of these have been posted here at BCB before, including Rodrigo Lopez, Matt Tolbert, Bobby Scales and Trever Miller, who was just issued the invitation today.
Here's the complete list:
Nine pitchers: righthanders Marco Carrillo, Manuel Corpas, Jay Jackson, Rodrigo Lopez, Trey McNutt, Blake Parker and Dae-Eun Rhee and lefthanders Trever Miller and Chris Rusin
Three catchers: Michael Brenly, Jason Jaramillo and Blake Lalli
Five infielders: Alfredo Amezaga, Edgar Gonzalez, Jonathan Mota, Bobby Scales and Matt Tolbert
Four outfielders: James Adduci, Jae-Hoon Ha, Brett Jackson and Joe Mather
Realistically, most of these players have very little chance of making the 25-man roster; most of them are in camp to provide players to spell the starters after the early innings of the first games of spring training, as well as to start split-squad games. Some of them will wind up filling out the roster at Iowa and be injury protection.
It will be worth watching Brett Jackson's performance in particular, as he is the best prospect on the list.