Chicago Cubs: What expanded rosters mean for this year’s club

Chicago Cubs: Taking some weight off Contreras

Another handy weapon to give a manager in September is an extra catcher or two. Last season the Cubs had an almost ridiculous five catchers (Contreras, Alex Avila, Victor Caratini, Rene Rivera Taylor Davis) in September. This season I suspect that at least one more catcher will be called up in September.

Chris Gimenez was supposed to be the Cubs veteran back-up catcher this season. It helped that he was Yu Darvish’s favorite catcher. Unfortunately Gimenez’s offense was terrible even for a defensive specialist. He had the option of becoming a free agent when the Cubs demoted him to Triple-A, but he opted to stay with the organization. Its possible that the Cubs will reward his loyalty by calling him back up to the majors to be that veteran catcher.

Davis was one of the catchers the Cubs called up last season. He’s best known for his viral videos where he stares back into the camera. But Davis is more than just an Internet star. He hits a decent amount. In addition to catcher he can play both corner infield spots. As the primary Triple-A catcher this season he has personally worked with all of the Cubs pitching depth. It makes it seem like the Cubs are sure to call back up in September.

Neither Gimenez nor Davis are currently on the 40 man roster. So if one or both of them are going to get called up in September, the front office will have to make room for them.