The Chicago Cubs continued to trim down their spring roster on Friday afternoon as they sent down one of their top prospects.
That prospect is Eloy Jimenez, who has been ranked among the top prospects in baseball by several publications this spring. Jimenez, who signed with the Cubs before the 2014 season, spent last season in Single-A South Bend and showed some prodigious power, tremendous plate discipline, and flashes of speed as he hit 14 home runs, drove in 81 RBI, and posted a respectable .369 on-base percentage.
Jimenez is currently blocked at the big league level by players like Kyle Schwarber and Jason Heyward, but there’s a strong possibility that he could get his MLB debut at some point this season if he continues to hit and develop the way that he has during his tenure in the Cubs’ organization.
Four players were sent down to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, including pitchers Pierce Johnson and Felix Pena and two positions players, as catcher Victor Caratini and outfielder Jacob Hannemann were also sent down.
Non-roster invitees Mark Zagunis and infielder Chesny Young were also sent down by the Cubs, who now have 43 players (22 pitchers, five catchers, 11 infielders, five outfielders) on their roster. They’ll need to cut the roster down to 25 players before Opening Day, which will take place in a little over two weeks on Apr. 2 in St. Louis.
