Cubs Spring Training News Reports

While the official announcement has not been made, the Cubs have finalized their 25-man Opening Day roster.

The Cubs optioned Welington Castillo to Triple-A Iowa and placed Max Ramirez on waivers Monday. The Cubs spring roster still stands at 26 while they wait to see if another team claims Max Ramirez. The Cubs are hoping to sign Max Ramirez to a minor league contract.

Koyie Hill will begin 2011 as the Cubs' backup catcher.

The Cubs 40-man roster currently stands at 38 players but they will have to add Reed Johnson to the roster before Thursday's deadline. Once Johnson is added and Max Ramirez is removed, the Cubs will have two open spots on their 40-man roster

Here's the final update of Spring Training with news, notes and the unofficial 25-man Opening Day roster ...

The Cubs made their third round of roster cuts Wednesday when they optioned Justin Berg and Scott Maine to Triple-A Iowa ... and assigned Todd Wellemeyer and Angel Guzman to minor league camp. Wellemeyer is contemplating his future after dealing with another injury this spring.

The Cubs are expected to make another round of roster cuts Thursday. Mike Quade said the next decisions on the roster would focus on the position players. Quade also said the Cubs would set the starting rotation by Sunday.

Quade said the "plot thickened" after Silva's performance Wednesday against the A's. Andrew Cashner will take the hill Saturday against the Rangers in Surprise ... and the Cubs final decision could be made shortly after Cashner's next outing. Braden Looper, who is still in the mix for a roster and rotation spot, is expected to follow Matt Garza against the White Sox Thursday afternoon.

Here is the update from the desert on the day Starlin Castro turns 21 years old ...

Seven games and six days left in the desert for the Chicago Cubs. The final Cactus League game of 2011 is Tuesday, March 29 ... The Cubs equipment truck leaves for Chicago Sunday.

Mike Quade, Randy Bush, Pat Listach, Mark Riggins and Greg Maddux met in with Jim Hendry in the GM's office Tuesday morning to discuss the Cubs roster. The Cubs' brass is expected to meet again Wednesday after taking time to think overnight what they discussed. Quade described the meeting as being productive but no decisions were made.

Mike Quade said he wanted to sleep on some of the upcoming roster decisions. The Cubs next round of roster cuts could take place as early as Wednesday ... Thursday at the latest.

Carlos Silva is reportedly still in the mix for the fifth spot in the Q's Opening Day rotation. Andrew Cashner and Braden Looper are the other two main candidates to take the final spot.

Mike Quade along with members of his coach staff are scheduled to meet with Jim Hendry and the front office Tuesday morning to discuss the team's roster. The main topics up for debate are the backup catcher's job, backup infielder, second base, two spots in the pen, and the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation.

A majority of the Cubs' Opening Day roster has been set for months. It appears both Reed Johnson and Darwin Barney have earned a spot this spring. Johnson was a non-roster invite to big league camp and will have to be added to the team's 40-man roster, which currently stands at 39 players. Barney has opened a lot of eyes this spring and right now is the only viable backup to Starlin Castro.

The backup catcher's job could go to Koyie Hill, Welington Castillo or Max Ramirez ... while Blake DeWitt is on the roster "right now" but the team has not left Arizona yet. If DeWitt does not make the cut, it could open a spot for Scott Moore or Bobby Scales. Both Scales and Moore were non-roster invitees to camp and would have to be added to the 40-man roster.

Here's the update on decision day that includes info on Angel Guzman, plus notes from radio interviews with Pat Listach and Jim Hendry ...

Spring Training Game Twenty-Six - Cubs 7 Angels 4
Called After Top of 4th inning

The Cubs and Angels suited up on a cold and rainy day in Tempe ... and tried to get the exhibition game in before the rains came. The game was called after 3 1/2 innings with the Cubs up by a score of 7-4.

Carlos Pena gave the Cubs an early lead in the first with a three-run shot over the wall in right field. And Starlin Castro continued his hot spring with a RBI triple in the second. Castro drove in what would have been his 13th RBI of the spring. The Cubs tacked on a pair in the top of the fourth on a win blown double by Geovany Soto. Right after Soto was thrown out at third to end the fourth, the game was called.

Andrew Cashner had a rough outing in the bad weather. Cashner gave up a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and four over the three innings he pitched ... on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Cashner was able to get ahead in the count to a majority of the batters he faced but could not put them away.

Cashner said he had trouble gripping the ball in the weather.

The Cactus League schedule is winding down. There are only 12 practice games remaining ... the Cubs 2011 season begins in two weeks.

The Opening Day roster is starting to take shape. The Cubs have 40 players in big league camp (39 without Angel Guzman) after two roster cuts. According to a report from Bruce Levine, the Cubs could announce as early as Monday or Tuesday which two pitchers will follow Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Matt Garza in the rotation. Reportedly Randy Wells has locked up the fourth spot ... with Andrew Cashner the favorite to begin the year as the Cubs' fifth starter.

According to the Sun-Times, Darwin Barney and Reed Johnson are "pulling away in races for the last two bench jobs." The Sun-Times reported "Barney has all but wrapped up a job" due to his performance and Augie Ojeda's lingering back problems.

With all eyes on Opening Day, here's the update from Mesa ...

The Cubs only scheduled off day of the spring is Wednesday ... and it could not come at a better time. The Cubs have played 21 of the 34 games on the Cactus League schedule and have made two rounds of roster cuts.

Camp 'Q' started with 60 players in big league camp, two roster cuts later, the Cubs have 40 players still on the official spring roster ... the Opening Day roster must be filed by March 31.

Could there be a new leader in the clubhouse for the second base job? Teams continue to look at Carlos Silva, as well as Braden Looper and Todd Wellemeyer. Here's the off day rumors, news, notes and a look at the list of the remaining players in big league camp ...

The Cubs 2011 exhibition season has hit the home stretch. Opening Day at Wrigley is two weeks from Friday and Q's crew still has work to do ... and decisions to make.

Jim Hendry and company are expected to announce the second round of roster cuts following Tuesday's split squad games against the Rockies and A's ... the Spring Training roster currently stands at 58 players after Esmailin Caridad and John Gaub were optioned to Triple-A Iowa last Friday. The Cubs 40-man roster currently stands at 39 players.

A report from the Tribune shot down the Cubs rumored interest in Michael Young. Young's contract appears to be too much for the Cubs according to the Trib, plus the Matt Garza trade thinned out the Cubs' system.

The injury bug has hit Camp 'Q'. Here is the update on several players, including John Grabow and Brad Snyder, plus more on who's on second ...

According to a report from the Tribune, the Cubs final roster will be a group decision. Mike Quade will have input on which players will be with him on Opening Day at Wrigley. According to the Trib, Quade "isn't sure how big a voice he will have in meetings later this month" with Jim Hendry and Randy Bush.

The Cubs have two bench spots, two bullpen spots and two spots in the rotation to be filled before the March 31 deadline.

The Tribune reported Andrew Cashner is considered a lock to begin the season with the Chicago Cubs.

Here's the rest of the update ... including more on the Cubs upcoming roster decisions.

The exhibition season is in full swing and the Cubs began a stretch Monday of playing nine games in six days. The second week of the Cubs' Cactus League schedule concludes with games against the Reds and Dodgers in Las Vegas.

In a pre-game interview Monday, Mike Quade said he would likely wait until the end of Spring Training to announce the last two spots in the rotation.

Quade previously said that the first round of cuts would probably not come until March 16 ... the Cubs first and only day off of the spring. The Cubs still have three split-squad games, two over the weekend and the last one on March 15 against the A's and Rockies.

With 24 exhibition games remaining before every out counts, here's the rest of the update ...