The Chicago Cubs invited Albert Almora, 17 other non-roster players to Arizona

Believe it or not, we’re only a few weeks away until Cactus League play begins. The Chicago Cubs have already packed their things up and made their way towards Mesa, Arizona and soon, they won’t be alone.

Surely, second-year southpaw Jon Lester will be one of the first players who arrive in Arizona as he did last season. Lester will more than likely take Game 2 of this year’s opening series against the Los Angeles Angels with N.L. Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta leading the charge.

After another exciting offseason, there are questions that need to be answered. Who will make up the bench, where will Kyle Schwarber play in 2016, will Jason Hammel remain in the starting rotation and of course, who will lead-off?

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While we sit and wait for everything to unfold, it was recently revealed that 18 non-roster players have been invited to Spring Training before most of them report to minor league camp.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the players include Armando Rivero, Brandon Gomes, Jean Machi, Luis Cruz, Duane Underwood, Jesus Guzman, Munenori Kawasaki, Taylor Davis, and Albert Almora just to name a handful.

Munenori is a former Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays favorite that provided both teams with speed despite having very little power. He was recently signed to a minor league deal by the Cubs and could end up becoming another favorite in the Windy City if he just so happens to crack the 25-man roster.

As for Almora, this is another young prospect that is waiting to follow in the footsteps of Starlin Castro, Jorge Soler, Arismendy Alcantara, Kyle Hendricks, Kris Bryant, and Kyle Schwarber.

The 21-year-old outfielder was Chicago’s sixth overall pick during the 2012 Major League Baseball Draft and was later ranked as the club’s second-best prospect in 2013.

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Since then. he’s fallen behind Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Carl Edwards Jr., and Underwood, becoming the team’s fifth best prospect as reported by MLBPipeLine.com. Edwards Jr. made his debut with the Cubs late last season and will have another opportunity pitching out of the bullpen and starting rotation throughout spring training.

Looking at the names listed above shows how deep this team is when it comes to their minor league circuit. Most of them will eventually become trade chips later on down the road, while a select few will find themselves making their Wrigley Field debut in a Cubs uniform within the next two to four years.

Hopefully, the Cubs will have a World Series title or two under their belts before hand.