Chicago Cubs playing the long game with Brandon Morrow

Chicago Cubs knew what they were doing leaving him off the roster

But baseball is back, with players returning to their respective markets for workouts beginning on Friday. That is, if they were selected for the player pool.

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Teams were allowed to select up to 60 guys in advance of summer camp. Morrow was absent from Chicago’s pool, though that figures to be a smart decision. There are certain nuances to the system which make Morrow’s absence necessary.

Any player removed from the player pool cannot be re-added by said team. If the Cubs added Morrow immediately and he was still sustaining setbacks, they would have no choice but to release him or risk wasting a roster spot.

There is a reason the Cubs left 10 spots open: they want the flexibility to add players as they see fit; Jed Hoyer said as much on Tuesday. Players can be added to the pool at any point in the season. There are no restrictions. This means Morrow can join that pool whenever he is ready to pitch again.

Leaving Morrow off the initial roster bides both sides time and allows Chicago to ensure the right-hander is healthy. It should not come as a surprise the Cubs are playing the long game with Morrow.