Despite not placing a player on the Team USA roster, the Chicago Cubs will be well-represented in the World Baseball Classic.
Infielder Javier Baez and reliever Hector Rondon lead a list of six Cubs players who will participate in the 16-team tournament that starts in March.
The selection of Baez to Puerto Rico was confirmed in November. Baez will be joined by Cubs minor-league pitcher Miguel Mejia, 29, who was 2-3 with a 5.04 ERA in 36 games at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa.
Rondon was placed on a designated pitcher pool for Venezuela. This means that Rondon, who missed three weeks in August and September due to a right triceps strain, won’t pitch in the first round but could be selected for second round play if Venezuela advances.
The other Cubs players selected were outfielder John Andreoli for Italy and pitchers Jim Henderson for Canada and Erling Moreno for Columbia. Andreoli, 26, batted .256 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs in 140 games for Iowa last season.
Henderson, 34, a non-roster invitee, was 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 44 games for the New York Mets last season. Henderson has a lifetime 3.61 ERA in 155 appearances with Milwaukee and the Mets.
Moreno, 20, struck out 55 in 62 1/3 innings to go with a 1.88 ERA in 12 games for the Cubs’ Arizona League team and Class-A Eugene last summer.
Pool play starts in March at four different sites, with the the championship round scheduled for March 20-22 at Dodger Stadium.
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