The finalized opening day roster for the Chicago Cubs was just sent out minutes ago (it’s listed out below). No really shocking surprises. Jorge Soler and Arismendy Alcantara are the only two Cubs super-prospects to make the final 24 on opening day. Obviously Kris Bryant will be up here in Chicago in a couple weeks. The reasons for why he’ll reach the parent club then and not now have been covered here.
Of all the “OH MY GOD THIS GUYS IS GOING TO BE SOOOOOOO FREAKING AWESOME I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!!” uber-prospects currently in the Cubs system, Jorge Soler (who will wear jersey #68) is the one who deserves to be in the big leagues the most right now. (He’s being compared to Vladimir Guerrero for a reason)
Bryant does too; but the team made the right call by waiting (due to MLB labor regulations)
Here’s the roster heading into tonight’s contest at Wrigley Field, nationally televised on ESPN, versus the arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals. Interspersed, you’ll see a couple of pictures of how the park looks with the new jumbotron, and the bleacher construction.
The Cubs indeed had a plan; they made the bleachers a tribute to Ernie Banks while they’re under construction.
PITCHERS (12 + 3 DL)
18-Tsuyoshi Wada, LHP (15-Day DL)
27-Phil Coke, LHP
28-Kyle Hendricks, RHP
30-Jason Motte, RHP
32-Dallas Beeler, RHP (15-Day DL)
34-Jon Lester, LHP
36-Edwin Jackson, RHP
37-Travis Wood, LHP
38-Jacob Turner, RHP (15-Day DL)
39-Jason Hammel, RHP
46-Pedro Strop, RHP
49-Jake Arrieta, RHP
52-Justin Grimm, RHP
54-Neil Ramirez, RHP
56-Hector Rondon, RHP
The bleachers now are a tribute to Ernie. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/65mAjaAkQh
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) April 5, 2015
CATCHERS (3)
3-David Ross
5-Welington Castillo
47-Miguel Montero
INFIELDERS (6)
7-Arismendy Alcantara
11-Tommy La Stella
13-Starlin Castro
19-Jonathan Herrera
20-Mike Olt
44-Anthony Rizzo
OUTFIELDERS (4 + 1 DL)
8-Chris Coghlan
15-Chris Denorfia (15-Day DL)
24-Dexter Fowler
41-Matt Szczur
68-Jorge Soler
a view of Wrigley from the press box: pic.twitter.com/SAmjAqV1SB
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) April 5, 2015
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital. You can read Banks’ feature stories and op-eds in the Chicago Tribune RedEye newspaper and hear his regular guest spots on numerous sports talk radio stations all across the country.
Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)