MESA, Ariz. – When Michael Conforto arrived in camp for the Cubs earlier this spring as a non-roster invitee, the veteran outfielder expressed that he felt like a prospect all over again. This was a chance for him to fight for a job and earn a place on the Opening Day roster.
Conforto still felt that way when Chicago delivered the news that he would indeed be breaking camp with the Major League club.
“It still felt like I was a prospect,” Conforto said Sunday morning. “Last time I was told I made the team, I was 24. It kind of felt like that. Excitement. Relief. All those feelings come back. It’s a little different now, because I have a wife and two kids and responsibilities. Now, I get to tell my wife, ‘Hey, we are going. We can plan on everything.’”
Meanwhile, the Cubs’ decision-makers still have plans to sort through before camp breaks on Tuesday.
One of the reasons Conforto made the team is that outfielder Seiya Suzuki (right knee) has been ruled out for Opening Day, with a stint on the injured list a possibility. Suzuki has been fitted with a modified brace that he can wear while playing, but Chicago will use the last few days in Arizona to gauge his progress before making the final call on whether an IL stint is necessary.
“We have some decisions,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Sunday. “I thought I might be able to give you guys a sense of exactly what’s happening when we leave here on Tuesday, but we still have some balls in the air with the bullpen and the bench.”
Here is where things currently stand on those two fronts:
The bench situation
The Cubs returned first-base prospect Jonathon Long (No. 7 on Pipeline’s Top 30 list for the team) to Minor League camp on Sunday. Long was a bench candidate as a backup to starting first baseman Michael Busch, but Chicago wants him to get regular at-bats with Triple-A Iowa to start the season.
“The message for Johnny was that we want you to play,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s a day away from being in the big leagues. A lot of times when a young player’s not on the roster, that’s not the message. But for Johnny, that is the message.”
Non-roster outfielder Chas McCormick – sidelined from game action since March 13 due to a right shoulder issue – has also been informed he did not make the Cubs’ roster. McCormick resumed hitting on Sunday and is scheduled to head to Iowa with the Triple-A squad, per Counsell.
Those developments leave outfielders Kevin Alcántara and Dylan Carlson (non-roster), plus utility infielder Scott Kingery (non-roster), as the remaining options in camp for the bench. If Suzuki avoids the IL, there would be only one spot available. Chicago would have two openings if Suzuki is on the shelf.
The Cubs’ front office is also monitoring moves around baseball as players around the league are placed on waivers or opt out of contracts. One thing Chicago is weighing is whether it should have an additional backup infielder on the 26-man roster beyond Matt Shaw, who is in a super-sub role for the infield and outfield.
“The more depth you have, the better,” Hoyer said. “The more versatility you have, the better.”
The last bullpen spot
The Cubs returned right-handers Corbin Martin and Collin Snider to Minor League camp on Sunday, removing two non-roster contenders for the one bullpen spot that is up for grabs this spring. Both have Major League experience and are very much on the radar for the relief corps this season.
“I’m glad both guys are in the organization,” Counsell said. “We’ve also been pretty healthy with the guys that are kind of locked in to making the team. And that’s not created the opportunities for them out of camp. We know at some point there will be opportunities for guys like that.”
The group that is “locked in” to the bullpen picture for Opening Day includes Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner and Colin Rea. The moves with Martin and Snider leave right-handers Javier Assad and Ben Brown as the two pitchers left vying for the lone opening.
Brown has been a standout for the Cubs this spring, while Assad boasts a longer track record in the big leagues. They both offer options as multi-inning relievers, but also serve as backup arms for the rotation (along with Rea).
“We’ve tried our hardest to build up depth and we’re going to need to rely on it,” Hoyer said. “You know that going in. You don’t know how it’s going to look, but you know that.”