The Cubs are set to select the contract of catcher Taylor Davis and will designate minor league outfielder Jacob Hannemann for assignment to clear a roster spot, MLBTR has learned. Baseball America’s John Manuel first tweeted that Davis was going to be selected to the big league roster.
The 27-year-old Davis has gained some notoriety for his penchant for staring down television cameras at every opportunity (video link via Twitter), but he’s also had a fine season with Triple-A Iowa. In 406 plate appearances, he’s slashed .297/.357/.429 with six homers, 27 doubles and a triple to his credit thus far. Davis also has more than 800 innings of experience at first base and more than 200 innings at the hot corner over the past few years in the minors, so he can give the Cubs some versatility off the bench with expanded September rosters in place.
Hannemann, 26, has split the 2017 season between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, hitting considerably better at the more advanced of those two levels. Through 322 PAs with Iowa, Hannemann has slashed .265/.324/.404, though his rough stretch in Tennessee drags his cumulative batting line down to a less palatable .240/.312/.372. Baseball America rated Hannemann as Chicago’s No. 23 prospect this past offseason, writing that he has 70-grade speed and is the “best athlete in the Cubs system.” However, he also has a fringy arm in the outfield, per their report, and has never demonstrated that much power in the minors.
Let’s be real here, that staring thing got him that promotion.
Yes because all World Series champion executives care about is how someone stares into the camera.
Yeah. I’m sure if he were batting .224 he’d be in the majors because of a viral video. Smh
Bruh, for one it’s a joke, and two, they have like 5 catchers on their roster, why would they pull up another?
Maybe as a pinch hitter but really.
Well Davis isn’t a bad hitting catcher…
Agreed. September is where the circus acts can get a chance; I’m surprised Tim Dillard wasn’t called up since all he did this year was waste time on random, pointless blog posts. Joe Maddon is MLB’s equivalent of a circus act manager, so more power to Davis getting a month of MLB pay.
Issa joke, damn
Caratini, Rivera, Avila, Contreras, and now Davis….. exactly how many catchers need to be on the roster? I’m not really buying the back-up 1st/3rd base idea.
Joe Maddon is obsessed with using as many catchers as possible
Righted handed pinch hitter. When they face lefties like they did the other day, they were left with a bench full of lefty bats.
Contreras is on the DL
He’s going to spell KB and Rizzo. Only reason he is called up is for them to get rest and for him to play 1b and 3b
Hanneman was claimed by Seattle 15 minutes after this was published.
Now he can stare at big league cameras!