Cubs release 40-man postseason player pool
The Cubs unveiled their 40-man postseason player pool Thursday afternoon following the series in Pittsburgh.
MLB teams will still have a 28-man active roster for each playoff series, but the league allowed an extra 12 players to be added to the pool in case of injury or a positive COVID-19 test.
All of the players in the 40-man player pool will be under the same quarantine guidelines that are a bit more strict than the regular season protocols.
Young flamethrower Brailyn Márquez headlines the player pool, along with injured pitchers Rowan Wick and Tyler Chatwood. The Cubs believe there is a chance Wick (oblique) or Chatwood (forearm) could make it back this season if they play far enough into October. Kris Bryant is also a part of the roster as he works his way back from right oblique tightness.
Here is the entire player pool:
Márquez, 21, is the organization’s top pitching prospect — a left-hander that can dial it up to 100 mph with his fastball. He was ranked the No. 37 prospect in the game by Baseball America entering this year and he spent all summer at the alternate site in South Bend.
Márquez went 9-5 with a 3.13 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 103.2 innings pitched last season in two levels of Class-A ball working as a starting pitcher. He has not pitched in the higher levels of the minor leagues yet.
The Cubs also included injured infielder Ildemaro Vargas on the player pool after he was added to the injured list this week with a hamstring issue.
Among the other players in the 40-man player pool who are not currently part of the active roster: outfielder Albert Almora Jr.; infielder Patrick Wisdom; catchers P.J. Higgins and Josh Phegley; left-handed pitchers Justin Steele, Rex Brothers and Josh Osich; and right-handed pitcher Colin Rea.
In total, the Cubs’ player pool consists of 21 pitchers, nine infielders, six outfielders and four catchers.
With the South Bend site shutting down soon, the players not on the active 28-man roster are expected to work out at Wrigley Field to stay fresh in case the team needs them in the postseason.