3 Chicago Cubs non-roster players who could make the Opening Day roster

#2: Edwin Escobar

The Cubs still require a lefty reliever. Mark Leiter Jr. has served adequately in this role thanks to reverse splits, but a true southpaw on the roster would help to round out the bullpen considerably. Right now, the job could very well belong to the hard-throwing Luke Little, yet we can't ignore the many depth options available now between Richard Lovelady, Thomas Pannone, Brad Wieck, and Edwin Escobar.

Of that group, Escobar seems like the best bet to break camp with the team. The former high-ranking Red Sox prospect did little in his brief appearances in the majors between Boston and Arizona. He instead took his chances in Japan, where he became a much more effective reliever with a 3.17 ERA across seven seasons in the NPB. The Cubs then decided to make Escobar the first move of their offseason.

Escobar could potentially add some extra swing-and-miss to the bullpen. There will always be questions about how his arsenal will translate back to the majors, but he looked like an effective strikeout pitcher overseas. With a plus fastball that reportedly sat around 96 mph in Japan last year, he racked up nearly a strikeout per inning across his 392 1/3 innings overseas. The Cubs have had plenty of luck with getting good results out of project relievers like Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr., and Escobar clearly has the tools to become an impact player as well with some work

The competition will be fierce for the Opening Day roster, but the lefty feels like a reasonable bet to make it. If not, it seems like a high likelihood that Escobar will make it to Wrigley at some point before the season's over. When that time comes, he'll get to play alongside his old Yokohama DeNA Baystars teammate Shota Imanaga in a new uniform.

1. Richard Lovelady

If Escobar isn't selected to provide lefty relief help on Opening Day, the next best bet would likely be Lovelady. The 28-year-old former Kansas City Royal and Oakland Athletic has shown flashes of potential throughout his limited major league tenure. He debuted in 2019 and didn't begin to look like a good reliever until 2021 when he posted a 3.48 ERA with a 3.85 FIP in 20 2/3 innings all while punching out ten batters per nine. Tommy John surgery took him out of commission until 2023 when he pitched an uninspiring 23 1/3 innings in Oakland (4.63 ERA, 4.54 FIP) before going down with a pronator strain in his forearm.

That may not sound particularly promising, but the Cubs notably signed Lovelady based on his Driveline Pro Day performance. During his showing, his fastball recovered to around 92 mph instead of his 91 mph offering in Oakland and he appeared to showcase a revamped arsenal with a heavier focus on his changeup. It's a significant change considering the slider, which he threw more often than anything in 2023, was his worst pitch with a .233 batting average and .512 slugging percentage against, or a .334 wOBA.

With a curveball and a sinker also in his arsenal, Lovelady boasts a wide range of tools to make him an interesting reliever to watch this spring. Like Escobar and the other depth arms, it seems likely he'll end up back in the majors eventually with the Cubs. His Driveline performance gave enough hope, however, that he could realistically make the Opening Day roster if he stays healthy.

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