Javier Baez Heads Cubs Non-Roster Spring Invite List

The Cubs are finalizing their spring roster, and have issued more non-roster invitations. This time, the non-roster invites are for players within the organization:

Javier Baez. Michael Brenly, Casey Coleman, Nick Struck among invites to #Cubs Spring Training

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) February 1, 2013

This is great news for those of us who would like to get a sneak preview of the future -- this means that Baez will definitely get some playing time in major-league spring-training games, likely for the first week or two of the spring. Just three weeks from tomorrow (Saturday), the Cubs will take the field at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Arizona to face the Los Angeles Angels. Can't come too soon for me.

Here's the complete list of 22 non-roster spring invitations:

Pitchers: RHP Drew Carpenter, Jaye Chapman, Casey Coleman, Dayan Diaz, Jensen Lewis, Barret Loux, Blake Parker, Zach Putnam, Nick Struck and Cory Wade; LHP Hisanori Takahashi.

Catchers: J.C. Boscan, Michael Brenly and Rafael Lopez.

Infielders: Javier Baez, Alberto Gonzalez, Brent Lillibridge, Edwin Maysonet and Brad Nelson.

Outfielders: Brian Bogusevic, Johermyn Chavez and Darnell McDonald.

There is just one thing yet to be done before the Cubs' spring roster is finalized -- move someone off the 40-man roster (who'd likely also get a NRI) for Scott Hairston. (That would make 63 players in camp, which is about average.) Who will it be? Stay tuned.