Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Tribe Blasts Raley & Cabrera for eight runs in 5th & 6th

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Cedric Hunter smacked a three-run home run to cap a five-run 6th, and Zach McAlister threw four shutout innings, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 9-2 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League action this afternoon at cold & dreary Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.

Javier Baez produced both of the Cub runs with a two-run HR just to the left of the CF Batter's Eye ("Green Monster") with no outs in the top of the 1st. Baez also fisted an opposite-field bloop single into right-center in his second AB.

David DeJesus collected two hits, including a lead-off bounding double down the RF line off LHP David Huff that preceded Baez's HR in the 1st. (DeJesus hit only 149/289/149 with no extra-base hits in 113 PA vs LHP in 2012, so it's big news anytime he does anything against a lefty).

box score

LHP Chris Rusin got the start for the Cubs and threw three shutout innings (48 pitches - 34 strikes, 4/3 GO/FO), allowing three harmless singles in the 3.0 IP. Rusin threw strikes and mostly stayed ahead in the count throughout his outing. He faced only ten batters (one over the minimum) in his three innings of work, nailing one baserunner at 1st base with a nifty pick-off move that froze the runner, and erasing another runner by inducing a timely 6-4-3 DP.   

LHP Brooks Raley and RHP Alberto Cabrera followed Rusin to the hill, and both had poor outings, Raley allowing three runs (all earned) on four hits (including a solo HR by LH hitting Jason Kipnis) and a walk in 1.1 IP (32 pitches - 18 strikes), and Cabrera surrendering five runs (all earned) on three hits (including Hunter's three-run dinger) and three walks (with no strikeouts) in 1.1 IP.

Cabrera's outing featured a 30-pitch 6th inning where he was relieved after retiring only two hitters, and he wouldn't have retired anybody in the inning if not for a spectacular back-handed diving catch near the LF foul line by Johermyn Chavez, and a laser-throw by Welington Castillo to 2nd that nabbed a basrunner trying to steal.  

Cubs #1 LHRP James Russell surrendered a run on two hits (a double and a single) and a walk in 1.2 IP, Shawn Camp threw a shutout 8th inning (allowing one hit), and Kyuji Fujikawa had a VERY impressive inning of work, racking up two strikeouts (both swinging) and a pop fly in the 9th. 

Fujikawa has an excellent splitter as his strikeout pitch that he sets up with a lively fastball he throws for strikes. He should be the Cubs closer, and certainly will be when & if the Cubs trade Carlos Marmol

Of the five likely Iowa Cubs starting pitchers at Big League Camp right now (Rusin, Raley, Cabrera, Nick Struck and Barret Loux), there is no question that Chris Rusin is the only one of the five anywhere near MLB-ready anytime soon. Rusin works fast and throws strikes, and although his stuff is somewhat pedestrian, he is polished, and generally makes the most of what he has.

Raley and Cabrera have been nothing short of abysmal, and I would think their futures as starting pitchers are definitely in doubt at this time. Cabrera is especially frustrating because he actually has electric stuff (including a mid-90's fastball and a wipe-out slider), but he also has virtually zero command, and so he is constantly pitching from behind in the count and hitters are able to sit on his fastball (which he will sometimes try to throw BP-style over the plate just to avoid walking the hitter).

The Cub offense has been misfiring over the past few days, although it would probably aid the cause a bit if Starlin Castro (out with a hamstring issue) and Anthony Rizzo (playing in the WBC) were in the lineup.

Tags
Spring Training Recap
Kyuji Fujikawa
Javier Baez
Chris Rusin
Brooks Raley
Alberto Cabrera

Comments

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 03/09/2013 - 03:54 pm

I tend to confuse Rusin and Raley because they were both Siamese lefties separated at birth. Rusin = He's IN Raley = He's no-OUT's. Pitcher's name is Sally? Is there a better way to fix this confusion? Soon they may be separated by route 80 from Chicago to Des Moines

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 03/09/2013 - 03:53 pm

Arizona Phil ten letter word of the day: Pedestrian Arizona Phil ten letter word of the week: Lugubrious

Submitted by The E-Man on Sat, 03/09/2013 - 03:38 pm

Raley and Cabrera have been nothing short of abysmal... That's too bad...I don't know that much about Cabrera other than his touted "electric" stuff, as AZ PHIL mentions, but as I said earlier in the week, Raley can have a nice Minor League career - and then coach - or work at a Target. He soils himself anywhere near MLB-caliber players.

Submitted by Charlie on Sun, 03/10/2013 - 03:26 pm

On the DDubCub twitter thing: Why wouldn't the Cubs DL Stewart instead of trying to save the $1.5 million by cutting him? The other options are Valbuena, Lillibridge, Maysonet, and Vitters--and Vitters is going to be out longer than Stewart. As far as I can tell, 3B is the location where the Cubs have the most room for improvement from 2012-2013. Nobody other than Stewart has much shot at providing some of that improvement, though. Garsh I hope Stewart either rebounds or the Cubs manage a trade for a useful youngster.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    happ, right hamstring tightness, day-to-day (hopefully 0 days).

    he will be reevaluated tomorrow.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I guess I'm not looking for that type of AB 

    Just a difference of opinion

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I don’t see Tauchman as a weak link in any position. He simply adds his value in a different way.

    I don’t know that we gain much by putting him in the outfield - Happ, Bellinger and Suzuki and Tauchman all field their positions well. If you’re looking for Taucnman’s kind of AB in a particular game I don’t see why it can’t come from DH.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Tauchman gets a pinch hit RBI single with a liner to RF. This is his spot. He's a solid 4th OF. But he isn't a DH. 

    He takes pitches. Useful. I still believe in having good hitters.

    You don't want your DH to be your weak link (other than your C maybe)

  • crunch (view)

    bit of a hot take here, but i'm gonna say it.

    the 2024 marlins don't seem to be good at doing baseballs.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Phil, will the call up for a double header restart that 15 days on assignment for a pitcher? Like will wesneski’s 15 days start yesterday, or if he’s the 27th man, will that mean 15 days from tomorrow?

    I hope that makes sense. It sounds clearer in my head.

  • Charlie (view)

    Tauchman obviously brings value to the roster as a 4th outfielder who can and should play frequently. Him appearing frequently at DH indicated that the team lacks a valuable DH. 

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally onboard with your thoughts concerning today’s lineup. Not sure about your take on Tauchman though.

    The guy typically doesn’t pound the ball out out of the park, and his BA is quite unimpressive. But he brings something unique to the table that the undisciplined batters of the past didn’t. He always provides a quality at bat and he makes the opposing pitcher work because he has a great eye for the zone and protects the plate with two strikes exceptionally well. In addition to making him a base runner more often than it seems through his walks, that kind of at bat wears a pitcher down both mentally and physically so that the other guys who may hit the ball harder are more apt to take advantage of subsequent mistakes and do their damage.

    I can’t remember a time when the Cubs valued this kind of contribution but this year they have a couple of guys doing it, with Happ being the other. It doesn’t make for gaudy stats but it definitely contributes to winning ball games. I do believe that’s why Tauchman has garnered so much playing time.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Miles Mastrobuoni cannot be recalled until he has spent at least ten days on optional assignment, unless he is recalled to replace a position player who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And for a pitcher it's 15 days on optional assignment before he can be recalled, unless he is replacing a pitcher who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, or Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And a pitcher (or a position player, but almost always it's a pitcher) can be recalled as the 27th man for a doubleheader regardless of how many days he has been on optional assignment, but then he must be sent back down again the next day. 

     

    That's why the Cubs had to wait as long as they did to send Jose Cuas down and recall Keegan Thompson. Thompson needed to spend the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he could be recalled (and he spent EXACTLY the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he was recalled). 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.

Click HERE for the last 50 comments