As Spring Training continues, teams start to see who the players are capable of contributing to a 40-man roster and who aren’t.
The Chicago Cubs took their spring roster of 63 players on Feb. 26 and dropped it down to 59. Four players have either been moved down the Triple-A League or returned to minor league camp.
Outfielder Owen Caissie has been optioned back to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, where he spent the 2024 season. Caissie had a solid season in Iowa before suffering a left groin strain in October. He hasn’t been able to participate in activities. He has been with the Cubs organization since the massive trade where Chicago traded pitcher Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini, where Caissie was included.
Outfielder Brett Bateman and right-handed pitchers Brandon Birdsell and Antonio Santos have returned to minor league camp.
Bateman has one at-bat appearance in Spring Training. He has been solid in his two years playing in the Minor Leagues since being drafted in the eighth round by the Cubs in 2023.
Birdsell, like Bateman, has been a solid player in his two years in the Minor League. He has been dealing with a latissimus dorsi strain that has been limiting him all Spring. He has a great chance of making his first-ever appearance in a 40-man roster if, and when, injuries occur during the Cubs’ regular season.
Finally, Santos is a career Minor League pitcher who has been in the Minor League since 2015. His only experience on a 40-man roster was when he played 10 games in 2020 & 2021 with the Colorado Rockies. Last year, he played 14 games for the Cubs’ Double-A team, the Knoxville Smokies.
Of the 59 players remaining contending for a 40-man roster spot, 20 are non-roster invitees.