Chicago Cubs: Six pitchers cut from spring roster

The Chicago Cubs made their first round of roster cuts yesterday, trimming six pitchers from the spring roster. With less than a month to go, the Cubs have a lot more roster decisions to make.

The Chicago Cubs have a huge roster this spring. Probably one of the biggest they ever had. The Cubs have close to 40 pitchers in camp and over 60 total players. With that many players, it was time to make some cuts and the Cubs sent six pitchers to minor league camp. The current spring roster now stands at 60.

Often times there just aren’t enough innings and at-bats to go around. So Maddon and the Cubs said that these six guys would get more chances to pitch in minor league camp than the big league one.

Andury Acevedo

The Cubs signed Andury Acevedo to a minor league contract in November 2015 and he has been with the organization since.

Acevedo spent much of his time with the Tennessee Smokies last year but missed most of the season with a torn ACL. The 25-year-old re-signed with the Cubs this offseason, hoping he can remain healthy all year. Acevedo did not get into any games during the spring so far and will likely start the season at Double-A. He provides depth for the Cubs should injury arise, but he’s likely not going to make the big league roster at any point in 2017.

Gerardo Concepcion

Gerardo Concepcion is an intriguing pitcher for the Cubs.  Concepcion is a Cuban player that was signed by the Cubs in March 2012 as an amateur free agent. Concepcion has slowly worked his way through the Cubs minor league system before finally getting a cup of coffee in 2016.

On June 21, 2016, Concepcion made his big league debut against the Cardinals in impressive fashion. He pitched an inning and a third, striking out two of the four hitters he faced. He did not allow a hit. Concepcion appeared in two more games in 2016. He finished with 2.1 innings, allowing a run on two hits in his first stint in the big leagues.

Concepcion was not a September call-up and now appears poised to start the season a Triple-A Iowa as he was cut from the roster. Concepcion did throw two shutout innings so far this spring. He definitely has a shot at seeing some time on the big league roster in 2017, but seems like he’s fallen out of favor with the Cubs since his call-up last June.

Daniel Corcino was initially signed as an amateur free agent by the Cincinnati Reds in 2008. Corcino made his big league debut against the Cubs in August 2014, throwing one shutout inning. Corcino was 0-2 with a 4.34 ERA in five appearances and three starts in 2014. He has not been back in the big leagues since his stint in 2014.

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He was signed as a free agent by the Chicago Cubs in December. At 26, Corcino still has a lot of upside and will likely start the season at Double-A. He pitched two shutout innings for the Cubs this spring but like Acevedo is seen a pure depth player for the Cubs. With many guys ahead of him, it’s unlikely to see Corcino at the big league level unless he has a breakout season.

Either way, he’s a good guy to have in the organization, as the Cubs continue to stock pile pitching depth. He has spent most of his minor-league career as a starter but has pitched out of relief as well.  His minor league career has had some ups and downs, having success early in his career but struggling over the last few seasons.

Manny Parra

Unlike the first three players cut, Manny Parra is a veteran pitcher who is looking to make his way back into the big leagues. Parra spent last spring with the Cubs as well, but never made the roster and now returned again this spring.

Parra last pitched in the majors in October 2015, when he threw one scoreless inning against the Cubs. He is 29-41 with a 4.90 ERA in his career over eight seasons. He spent time with both Milwaukee and Cincinnati before joining the Cubs.

It has been kind of surprising that Parra hasn’t been able to make it back to the big leagues. At just 34 years of age, Parra’s career is far from over. It seems like nobody is biting on him, though, and the Cubs could stash him away in minor leagues as emergency depth.  It would be really nice to see the Cubs give Parra a chance at least out of the bullpen, but again, he’s pretty far down on the depth chart.

Fernando Rodriguez

Fernando Rodriguez is another veteran pitcher who signed with the Cubs in the offseason. Rodriguez has had an interesting career but has spent six years in the big leagues. During that time, he has pitched for the Dodgers, Astros, and Athletics, compiling an 11-15 record with a 4.23 ERA in 216 career appearances.

At 32, Rodriguez was looking for a full-time gig with the Cubs but that is not going to happen. With the A’s last season, he was 2-0 with a 4.20 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched. He definitely could be a very valuable asset for a big league bullpen. The problem is the Cubs bullpen is full. He is a good depth option, though.

I, personally, don’t see Rodriguez staying with the organization. He likely wants to explore his options elsewhere and be granted free agency. With the Cubs cutting him so early into spring training, they likely are giving him that opportunity to pitch elsewhere. He did not appear in any games during the spring.