Category Archives: Roster Moves

Smokies RBI machine Justin Bour has been out since April 19 after fouling a pitch off his left wrist. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover

Smokies first baseman Justin Bour could be out until mid-May, manager Buddy Bailey announced Thursday afternoon.  Bour suffered a hairline fracture of his left wrist during a fifth-inning at-bat after he fouled off a pitch from Huntsville Stars’ hurler Alan Williams on April 19.  Jonathan Mota took Bour’s place in the lineup, as the first baseman was not able to return to action.

“He’s going to get an X-ray every Monday to see how the progression’s going,” said Bailey.  “Hopefully everything’s going as the best it can be and they give him the green light.”

Bailey said he hopes Bour will be able to get in some work before the Cubs organization likely sends Bour to Arizona for extended Spring Training.  Bailey said Bour could benefit in Arizona from getting five to six at-bats each game, and would thus be able to join the club during an upcoming 10-game road trip.

“It all comes down to how [his wrist] heals up,” said Bailey.  “Somewhere about May 20 hopefully everything’s good, he’s got his strength back and he’s ready to play.”

Bour hit .283 for the Smokies last year and had 17 home runs with 110 RBIs.  Bour was hitting .216 in the first three weeks of the 2013 campaign with a .348 on-base percentage, two home runs and a team-leading 14 RBIs.

Nick Roark is a Broadcast & Media Associate for the Smokies Radio Network.  You can follow him on Twitter here: @NickRoark4.

Outfielder Nelson Perez. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover.

By Adam Kline / Smokies Radio Network

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce today that LHP Austin Kirk and OF Rubi Silva will join the team in advance of today’s series opener against the Birmingham Barons.  In corresponding roster moves, OF Nelson Perez has been sent to the Class A Daytona Cubs and RHP Yoanner Negrin has been promoted to the Class AAA Iowa Cubs.  All moves are immediate, with Kirk and Silva being available for the team’s 8:05 p.m. EST game at Regions Park.

Tennessee’s roster is at 25 active players, which is the Southern League maximum.

Kirk, 22, was 7-3 in 22 outings (21 starts) for the D-Cubs in 2012.  His 3.13 ERA (45 ER/129.1 IP) ranked second-lowest among Florida State League pitchers.  In June, the left-hander was named the starting pitcher for the North Division in the 2012 Florida State League All-Star Game.  The Owasso, Okla. native was drafted in the third round of the 2009 MLB draft out of Owasso (Okla.) High School.

Silva, 23, joins Tennessee for the first time in his three-year professional career.  He began the 2012 campaign with in Daytona where he ranked in the top 10 in the Florida State League batting average (.302), hits (127) and led the league with 11 triples.  The right-handed outfielder was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2010.

Negrin, 28, was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/ 5.0 IP) in one start for the Smokies this season.  The right-handed pitcher joined the Smokies on August 9, after starting the season with Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League.  The La Habana, Cuba native was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2011.

Perez, 24, hit .205 (26-for-127) with six doubles, two triples, five home runs and 17 RBIs in 43 games with the Smokies in 2012.  He was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2006.

Elliot Soto. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover.

By Adam Kline / Smokies Radio Network

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce today that INF Elliot Soto will join the team in advance of today’s game against the Huntsville Stars.  In a corresponding roster move, INF Nate Samson has been promoted to the Class Triple-A Iowa Cubs.  Additionally, RHP Lendy Castillo has completed his rehab assignment with the Smokies and been activated by Chicago.  All moves are immediate, with Soto being available for the team’s 6:15 p.m. game at Smokies Park.

Tennessee’s roster is at 25 active players, which is the Southern League maximum.

Soto, who will wear uniform number five, comes back to the Smokies where he began the 2012 season.  The 23-year-old infielder played in 73 games with Tennessee before being sent to High-A Daytona on July 16.  With the Smokies he hit .215 (42-for-195) with five doubles, four triples and 12 RBIs.  The Elgin, Ill. native was drafted by the Cubs in the 15th round of the 2010 draft out of Creighton University.

Samson, 24, heads to Iowa for the second time this season.  The right-handed infielder hit .271 (57-for-210) with 12 doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs in 75 games with the Smokies.  The Ocala, Fla. native was drafted by the Cubs in the 34th round of the 2006 draft out of Ocala (Fla.) Forest Senior High School.

Castillo, 23, appeared in two games (both starts) with the Smokies where he posted no record and a 3.00 ERA (1 ER/3.0 IP).  The Dominican Republic native was selected by the Cubs in the major league portion of the Rule Five Draft on December 8. 2011.

Yoanner Negrin.

By Adam Kline / Tennessee Smokies

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce today that RHP Yoanner Negrin has been added to the team’s active roster in advance of tonight’s game against the Huntsville Stars.  In a corresponding roster move, RHP Jake Brigham has been placed on the disabled list.  Both moves are immediate with Negrin being available for tonight’s 7:15 game at Smokies Park.

Negrin, 28, joins the Smokies for the first time in his professional career.  The right-handed pitcher began the 2012 season with the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League, where in 24 appearances (16 starts) he was 7-6 with a 3.12 ERA (36 ER/104.0 IP).  The Miami, Fla. native was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in 2011.

Brigham, 23, is 0-2 with a 19.64 ERA (8 ER/3.2 IP) in two starts with the Smokies since being traded on July 31 from the Texas Rangers for catcher Geovany Soto.  The Winter Garden, Fla. native was originally drafted by the Rangers in the sixth round of the 2006 MLB Draft.

Jae-Hoon Ha. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover.

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce today that OF Jae-Hoon Ha has been activated from the disabled list in advance of tonight’s series opener against the Huntsville Stars at Smokies Park.  Ha will bat third and play centerfield for the Smokies in tonight’s 7:15 game.

Tennessee’s roster is at 25 active players, which is the Southern League maximum.

Ha, 21, was batting .266 (99-for-372) with 21 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 33 RBIs before being placed on the DL on July 27.  The Heweongu, South Korea native was selected to the World Team roster in the XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo, last month.  Ha was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in June 2009.

Lendy Castillo with the Cubs in 2012. Photo Courtesy: Icon SMI.

By Adam Kline / Tennessee Smokies

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce today that Cubs relief pitcher Lendy Castillo will join the team for tonight’s game against the Jackson Generals on a major league rehab assignment.  Castillo is recovering a left groin strain and is tentatively scheduled to start tonight’s 8:05 EST game in Jackson, Tenn.

Castillo, 22, has appeared in seven games for the Cubs in a relief role.  He is 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA (6 ER/7.2 IP), allowing six runs on 10 hits while walking four and striking out six.  The Las Matas De Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic native was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2006 by the Philadelphia Phillies, and selected by the Cubs in the major league portion of the Rule 5 Draft in 2011.

The right-handed pitcher is currently in his sixth professional season, and holds a 7-4 record with a 2.43 ERA (30 ER/111.0 IP) in 38 minor league games (12 starts) since being converted from shortstop following the 2009 season.   In 2010, Castillo was named the Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Week for the week of August 16-22.

Brigham with Frisco in 2012. Photo Courtesy: Alex Yocum-Beeman

By Adam Kline / Tennessee Smokies

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce today that right-handed pitcher Jake Brigham has been assigned to the Smokies active roster prior to tonight’s game against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.  Brigham was acquired from the Texas Rangers for catcher Geovany Soto earlier this week.   He will start for the Smokies in tonight’s 7:15 contest at Smokies Park.

The Smokies roster is at 24 active players.

Brigham, 24, was 5-5 with a 4.28 ERA (59 ER/124.0 IP) in 21 starts for Double-A Frisco this season.  He was named to the mid-season Texas League All-Star team earlier this season and pitched a scoreless second inning for the South Division.

The Winter Garden, Fla. native was originally selected by the Rangers in the sixth round of the 2006 draft out of Central Florida Christian Academy in Orlando, Fla.  Brigham holds a career 27-42 record with one save and a 4.40 ERA in 135 minor league appearances (101 starts).

Matt Cerda rejoins the Tennessee roster Wednesday. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover.

By Adam Kline / Smokies Radio Network

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Class AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announce today that INF Matt Cerda will rejoin the team in advance of this evening’s doubleheader against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.  Additionally, C Juan Apodaca, RHP Ty’Relle Harris and INF Greg Rohan have been promoted to the Class AAA Iowa Cubs.  All moves are immediate, with Cerda being available for today’s 5:30 p.m. Game 1 start.

Cerda, 22, begins his second stint in Tennessee, having started the 2012 campaign with the Smokies.  The right-handed infielder played in 56 games with the Smokies and held a .265 batting average (45 H/170 AB) with eight doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs.  In 26 games with the Class High-A Daytona Cubs, Cerda hit .165 (14 H/85 AB) with nine RBIs.  The Oceanside, Calif. native was drafted by the Cubs in the in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Apodaca, 26, appeared in 31 games behind the plate for the Smokies in 2012 and hit .309 (25-for-81) with eight doubles, a home run and 11 RBIs.  The Caracas, Venezuela native was signed by the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent in January of 2012.

Harris, 25, held a 0-2 record with a 3.68 ERA (12 ER/29.1 IP) in 14 appearances (2 starts) with the Smokies in 2012.  The former University of Tennessee pitcher was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round of the 2009 draft and traded to the Cubs in 2010, along with pitchers Robinson Lopez and Jeffery Lorick for INF Derrek Lee.

Rohan, 26, hit .258 (24-for-93) for the Smokies after begin called up from Daytona on June 30.  In 27 games with Tennessee, the infielder collected nine doubles, five home runs and 16 RBIs.  Rohan was drafted by the Cubs in the 21st round of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Ty’Relle Harris. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover.

By Adam Kline / Tennessee Smokies

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies, Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, announced this afternoon that RHP Ty’Relle Harris has been added to the team’s active roster in advance of tonight’s game against the Mobile BayBears.  In a corresponding roster move, RHP Casey Weathers has been placed on the disabled list, retroactive to May 23.  Harris will be available for tonight’s 8:05 EST game in Mobile, Ala.

The Smokies roster is set at 24 active players.

Harris, who played for the Tennessee Volunteer baseball team in 2008-09, joins the Smokies from the High-A Daytona Cubs.  In 16 relief appearances with the D-Cubs, the 25-year-old is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA (6 ER/21.1 IP) allowing 12 hits and 13 walks while striking out 22.  The Compton, CA native was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 19th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, and dealt to the Cubs, along with two other minor league players, for first baseman Derrick Lee in 2010.

Weathers is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA (6 ER/14.2 IP) in 13 relief appearances this season with the Smokies.  Originally selected by the Colorado Rockies in the first round (eighth overall) in the 2007 MLB Draft, then dealt to the Cubs on 12/8/11, along with INF Ian Stewart, for OF Tyler Colvin and INF DJ LeMahieu.