MESA, Ariz. (670 The Score) -- With the season opener looming Thursday, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and the front office are still eyeing possible roster additions and subtractions on the fringes.
"It is appropriate to be in an opportunistic mindset," Epstein said. "That does not mean anything is going to happen. There are players we have an eye on and teams we continue to talk to. We have been talking to those clubs all spring. It is likely that the 25-man we have here in camp is the group we break with."
On Sunday, the Cubs designated struggling lefty reliever Brian Duensing for assignment and signed lefty reliever Tim Collins, who was then optioned to Triple-A. Other moves along those lines are still in play, as the Cubs are still looking to fortify a team they hope can be elite in 2019.
Cubs scouts are taking a good look at the bullpen help, backup catchers and righty-swinging outfielders who may become available.
"We are mildly aggressive, mid-aggressive," manager Joe Maddon said in regards to possibly adding to the 25-man roster. "We have some thoughts that may come to fruition. It always takes two to tango. There still are some other thoughts out there."
The Cubs surveying the landscape for more help falls in line with Epstein's call for more urgency to start the season. Already, the front office backed up its mantra by demoting infielder/outfielder Ian Happ to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, a move that caught almost everyone in camp by surprise. Happ, 24, was hitting .135 with a .389 OPS this spring after struggling mightily late in 2018, a season in which he hit just .202 with a .608 OPS in 117 plate appearances from the left side of the plate.
The Cubs have come to understand well how tricky it can be competing for a championship while simultaneously developing talented youngsters who have a tendency to be inconsistent.
"It is a balancing act," Maddon said. "The situation for Ian is for him now and us in the future. Yes, we are here to win right now, but we still are developing some young players. We did that all last season kind of well. It is a constant battle. When you have young guys who can help you win but are still developing, it can become difficult."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
