Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Tony Campana Helps Rally D'backs to Victory at HoHoKam Park

Ex-Cub Tony Campana laced a two-run pinch-hit double to cap a four-run 6th, and then tripled in the 8th, helping to rally the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 6-2 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League action this afternoon at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa.

box score 

The Cubs scored twice in the bottom of the 1st inning off D'backs starter Trevor Cahill to take an early 2-0 lead.

David DeJesus worked a lead-off walk, and then Luis Valbuena grounded a single through the 3.5 hole into RF. Anthony Rizzo was up next, and he feathered a bloop double down the LF line to score DeJesus, as Valbuena advanced to third base. Alfonso Soriano hit a high-velocity screaming rope right at Arizona third-baseman Martin Prado for the first out of the inning, but Nate Schierholtz was able to loft a fly ball deep enough into CF to score Valbuena from third base with the second run of the inning (and what would prove to be the Cubs final run of the day).  

The Cubs offense was mostly quiet after the two-run 1st inning, although Jorge Soler (facing MLB LHRP Tony Sipp) did triple off the LF fence with two outs in the 8th.

Junior Lake came into the game in the top of the 6th and played CF, and he handled two chances with no difficulty. Lake got considerable playing time in both LF and CF in Winter Ball (Dominican Winter League) poat-2012, so this is not the first time he has played OF, but he had been playing 3B exclusively (in workouts and in games) since the start of big league camp last month.

As I have mentioned here before, Lake is not a good defensive shortstop, and he's even worse at 3rd base. But with his power, speed, and arm (he is rated as having the #1 arm among position players in the organization), either CF or RF would seem to be a logical fit. He struggles to hit RHP (because he is a really bad breaking ball hitter), but he handles LHP OK. I could see him eventually as an MLB RH platoon OF, although he needs at least a year of AAA to smooth out the rough edges (and he has two minor league options left, so there is no reason to rush him).    

Jeff Samardzija made his second Cactus League start of 2013, and went three innings (52 pitches - 29 strikes, 5/3 GO/FO) for the Cubs today, allowing one run on one hit, while issuing three walks and going 3-0 on a fourth hitter. He had only one strikeout.

Samardzija's command was off the entire outing, as he seemed perturbed either by the umpire's calls and/or catcher Welington Castillo's handling/framing of his pitches. The Shark set the Diamondbacks down 1-2-3 on just eight pitches in the top of the 1st (although Aaron Hill made the third out on a pop up on a 3-0 pitch), but he ran into trouble right from the outset in the 2nd, needing 28 pitches to get through the inning. Miguel Montero lined an opposite-field single to open the frame, and then Paul Goldschmidt and Eric Hinske drew walks to load the bases with no outs. At this point Samardzija found the good stuff and induced Mark Teahan to tap into a 4-6-3 DP (although Montero did score on the play), and then struck out Cliff Pennington (swinging) for the third out.

Brad Snyder led-off the top of the third with a walk (after starting the AB down 0-2), and then stole 2nd base. He advanced to 3rd on a ground out, but Samardzija retired the next two hitters and stranded the runner at third on a 1-3 comebacker to the mound ond a line-drive out to preserve the Cubs 2-1 advantage.

Michael Bowden (who must have thrown about 100 pitches warming up in the bullpen while Samardzija was laboring through the second and third innings) finally got into the game in the top of the 4th, and was not sharp (23 pitches - only 12 strikes). He retired the first man he faced on a ground out, before walkiing Goldschmidt and Hinske. Mark Teahan then ripped a line-drive RBI single to CF (misplayed for an error by David DeJesus), scoring Goldschmidt with the tying run, as Hinske and Teahan advanced an extra base on the DeJesus fumble. Luis Valbuena (playing shortstop today) then saved two runs with a spectacular diving catch that prevented a low line drive from going into CF for what surely would have been a two-run single.

No question Valbuena is one of the better utility infielders the Cubs have had in many years. I can think of more than a few Cubs teams in my life as a Cub fan (going back to 1960) that would have benefited from having a utility infielder like Valbuena on the roster.

Cory Wade worked a VERY impressive 1-2-3 seven-pitch 5th (and all seven pitches were strikes!), but Rafael Dolis imploded in the top of the 6th as he walked in two runs (28 pitches thrown - only 12 strikes).

Miguel Montero led-off the 6th with an easy grounder to Javier Baez, but the young shortstop made an atrocious overthrow nowhere near 1st base, allowing Montero to reach on an E-6. A. J. Pollock then lined a single to left to move Montero up to 2nd, and after Mark Teahan flied out, Dolis completely lost the strike zone, walking Hinske, Pennington, and Snyder in quick succession to force in two runs. Blake Parker relieved Dolis, and PH Tony Campana immediately ripped a two-run double into the RF corner to score Hinske and Pennington, and send Snyder to third. You had to see it to believe it, but Campana was rounding 2nd base when Snyder was only half way to 3rd and Pennington was only half-way home (both runners had tagged up in case the ball was caught).  

Campana tripled (there was nobody on base in front of him, so he didn't have to stop at 2nd base) in the 8th.

I know a lot of Cubs fans did not like having Tony Campana on the roster, and there probably was no place for him on the Cubs 2013 Opening Day 25-man roster because both CF and RF will have platoons (although circumstances might change later in 2013 or in 2014), but the Cubs did NOT have to DFA a player (who turned out to be Campana) to make room on the 40-man roster for free-agent OF Scott Hairston. RHP Arodys Vizcaino (2012 TJS rehab) could have been placed on the 60-day DL at the start of Spring Training to make room on the 40 for Hairston.

As it was, Campana was Designated for Assignment to clear the roster spot for Hairston, and the Cubs did eventually trade Campana to Arizona for two (possibly) promising 17-year old Venezuelan pitchers, But that trade was made just shortly before the deadline when the Cubs would have had to place Campana on Outright Assignment Waivers (the Cubs had ten days to either trade, release, or outright Campana to the minors once he was Designated for Assignment, but because it takes two days to get a player through waivers, the Cubs had to place Campana on Outright Assignment Waivers no later than 2 PM Eastern on the 8th day, and he could not have been traded once he was placed on Outright Waivers).  

So did the Cubs play it smart when they DFA'd Campana when they did, or would it have been better to place Vizcaino on the 60-day DL and hold onto Campana a while longer (even if he started the 2012 season at AAA Iowa) to see if he might fit on the Cubs 25-man roster later, or at least wait and see if he might net more return in a trade when the Cubs would not be under pressure to trade him immediately for whatever they can get? Were the two pitchers acquired for Campana a reasonable return in terms of value? Or was it just another case of the front office undervaluing players developed by the previous regime, as was the case when they lost Ryan Flaherty to the Orioles in the December 2011 Rule 5 Draft, or when they traded Tyler Colvin and D. J. LeMahieu to the Rockies for Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers at about the same time? 

 

Comments

campy's one of those guys who's "sneaky-valuable" to a team looking to compete. he can sub late game and go 1st to 3rd or score from 2nd on a single that leaves the infield...he can play CF...he can steal bases almost unchallenged. it's a shame he's not good at bunting and Ks a lot, though...even if he got a full season of ABs it seems he'll never be a juan pierre. to a team where a few wins could mean the playoffs or going home, he's a hell of a 4th/5th OF option (especially late in the game). to a team that's not in that position he's expendable.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

fuld wishes he could run like campy...so does pretty much any player who uses the speed game. campy isn't just fast...he's lightning. he's not just likely to go 1st/3rd or 2nd/home on a single to the OF...he's pretty much expected to, and succeed in doing it. when campy attempts to steal a base you pretty much expect him to get it done, not 75/25 or 80/20...it's closer to 100% expectation. still...this kind of skill is generally only useful as a notable weapon to teams that expect to compete...or are in the playoffs.

Apropos of nothing, MLB has an article up entitled: "Harper's maturation continues to attract attention." Try to guess how I initially misread that.

re "no reason to rush [Lake]": Experience-wise, Lake is getting a little long in the tooth. Like Vitters, he is beginning his seventh year as a pro (if you count DOSL, which Baseball Reference seems to). Not many players in their 8th year establish themselves as ML rookies. So in that sense, this is a now-or-never year for Lake and Vitters. Both should have a sense of urgency about doing well at Iowa early and getting promotions. From the Cubs' point of view, the window for these two players is closing but before it does, they will be given an opportunity to succeed.

Garza will start season on DL, most likely not available until May. Baker available mid to late April.

Samardzjia will be Opening Day starter.

Ninja, Edwin, Feldman, Wood, Villanueva to start season I guess.

Feel the excitement...

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

JOHN B: As things stand right now, I believe Marmol-Fujikawa-Russell-Camp-Bowden-Takahashi-Rondon will be the Cubs bullpen if Feldman, Wood, and Villanueva are all in the starting rotation at the start of the season.

I suspect Hisanori Takahashi and Brent Lillibridge will be added to the 40-man roster prior to Opening Day, and to make room for them Ian Stewart will get released and Arodys Vizcaino will be placed on the 60-day DL.

I also think that if Stewart is released and Luis Valbuena is the starting 3B, that Steve Clevenger will make the Opening Day roster as the #3 C-1B-3B-2B-LH PH.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

good ol' barry rozner...at least he still doesn't have to deal with being frozen out of the cubs player interviews after accusing Zambrano of intentionally tanking games out of the pen so he could move back to the rotation. he didn't make many friends with his aram-slamming, either (lazy/selfish/terrible player/etc)...which he even kept up after he started to play for MIL.

Yankees announcers/fans are so spoiled... ST game...Yanks announcers... "Ryan Dempster on the mound today, a great 4-5 rotation slot type of pitcher." ah, the joys of a 1/5 billion dollar payroll team.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Speaking of Dempster as a 4-5 starter...per rotoworld:
(Ranger's 5th starter, Martin) Perez was injured (broken forearm) on a comebacker in just his second appearance of spring training and is now set to open the season on the disabled list. With Perez sidelined, Kyle McClellan, Randy Wells, and Robbie Ross are the leading candidates to win the final spot in the Opening Day rotation.
Randy Wells, now that's a 5-6 starter.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.