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

Where Have You Gone, Ozzie Timmons?

Ozzie Timmons smacked a two-out game-winning walk-off HR in the bottom of the 9th to give the Cubs the victory in the last game played at HoHoKam Park before the stadium was to be demolished... 

in 1996.

But it's now 2013, and in the last Cactus League Spring Training game played by the Cubs (as the home team) at HoHoKam Park before moving to their new facility at Mesa Riverview next season, Nate Tenbrink ripped a two-out two-strike two-run single and Kelly Shoppach followed with an RBI double into the LF corner, as the Seattle Mariners rallied for three runs in the 8th to defeat the Cubs 6-4.    

box score

Carlos Villanueva got the start for the Cubs and threw five strong inings (90 pitches - 59 strikes), allowing three runs (only one earned) on four hits and two walks in five inings (plus one batter in the 6th). He struck out three.  

Michael Morse put the Mariners on the board in the top of the 2nd with a solo HR over the fence in right-centerfield, but the Cubs came back to score three off SEA starter Hisashi Iwakuma in the bottom of the 3rd. Arismendy Alacantara (up from Minor League Camp) led-off the inning with a triple off the right-centerfield fence, and scored on a line-drive PH RBI single to right by Zeke DeVoss (also up from Ninor League Camp). Then with two outs, Alfonso Soriano clubbed a two-run home run (his team-leading 5th Cactus League HR) over the LF fence.

Villanueva was crusing slong with a 3-1 lead going into the 5th, but a throwing error by 2B Tim Saunders (another player up from Minor League Camp) on what should have been the start of a 4-6-3 DP put Villanueva behind the 8-ball, and the M's made him pay when Kyle Seager stroked a two-out two run double to left that tied the game at 3-3.

But the Cubs took the lead again in the bottom of the 6th, as Brett Jackson did his Jackie Robinson impression. 

Jackson drew a lead-off walk, advanced to 2nd base on a fly out to CF (the first instance of aggressive baserunning by B-Jax), and then scored on another bit of fancy baserunning. Dioner Navarro chopped a bouncer that was fielded by the third-baseman, who eye-checked Jackson back to 2nd before throwing Navarro out at 1st for the second out of the inning. But Jackson only pretended to go back to 2nd base, instead racing for 3rd once the third-baseman began his throwing motion to 1st, and he was able to slide safely into 3rd as 1st baseman Tenbrink's throw sailed past third-base and into LF foul territory, which allowed Jackson to jog home with the go-ahead run. 

LHP Hisnori Takahashi (who apparently has claimed the 12th spot on the pitching staff) relieved Villanueva in the 6th and retired seven of the first eight men he faced, before running into trouble in the top of the 8th. With one out, Jesus Sucre and Jason Bay singled, and then with two outs, Nate Tenbrink (a LH hitter facing LHP Takahashi) pulled a two-strike pitch into RF for a two-run single, and then Kelly Shoppach followed with an RBI double.

It is fairly obvious that while he has the ability to throw multiple innings and probably make a spot start when needed, Takahashi is not particularly effective against LH hitters, and so he's not the type of lefty you bring into a game to try and neutralize Joey Votto at a critical point. James Russell (who is basically a 7th inning guy who happens to throw LH) isn't especially tough on lefties, either, so the Cubs might want to keep their eyes open for a true LOOGY, should one become available.

Shawn Camp pitched out of a runner at 3rd & one out jam in the top of the 9th, striking out the last two men he faced to leave the runner stranded. (Camp struck out the side in a 1-2-3 inning vs SF on Monday).

Welington Castillo singled to lead-off the bottom of the 9th and bring the potential tying run to the plate three times, but the next three hitters went down 1-2-3.

No sign of Ozzie Timmons anywhere. 

So the Cubs spent their last day as the home team at HoHoKam Park. The stadium will remain open until December, with the AZL Cubs (June-August) and Mesa Solar Sox (October-November) playing their home games there later this season. The facility will then be closed for about a year while it undergoes a renovation (seating capacity will be rduced as grandstand seats will be removed and patio-picnic areas will be constructed), and then the Oakland A's will relocate to HoHoKam Park (and Fitch Park) in 2015. 

The Cubs have a lengthy history in Nesa. They moved their Spring Training HQ to Rendevous Park (southeast corner of University & Center) from Santa Catalina Island in 1953, thanks to the efforts of Mesa businessman Dwight (Pat) Patterson (the first Big Ho) and the rest of the HoHoKams (Mesa businessmen & boosters). The Cubs Spring Training home remained at Rendevous Park through the 1965 season, before being moved to Long Beach, CA for a year (Leo Durocher's first season as Cubs manager). Meanwhile, the Kansas City Athletics (later the Oakland A's) noved to Meaa and replaced the Cubs at Rendevous. The Cubs moved back to Arizona from Long Beach in 1967, but this time they were based at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, and this is where I first experienced Cubs Spring Training in the 1970's.

The Cubs moved back to Mesa from Scottsdale in 1979, but by this time a new Spring Training ballpark was in service (located at HoHoKam Park on Center Street north of Brown Road). The Cubs played in this stadium for 18 years (through Spring Training 1996), after which a new stadium (Dwight Patterson Field) was constructed on the same site. 

 

Comments

<rumor> is jose valverde a cub yet? </rumor> i wonder who he's throwing for...he's supposedly hitting 95mph in the dominican showcasing himself for a variety of teams.

Jason McCloud said yesterday during the Cubs game that they were having meetings to determine the minor league rosters later in the day. Let the speculation begin and hope AZ Phil will be on top of the movement.

AZ Phil: Considering the entire minor league system, who would most likely would develop into the Cubs future "true" LOOGY by 2014-5. For 2013, Could the D-Train serve as a LOOGY or will control always be his issue? Any other near term candidates from the minors for LOOGY this year? I was expecting Beliveau to fill that role last year until they lost him to roster mismanagement

peering into Anthony Rizzo's future... per Roto...
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Diamondbacks and Paul Goldschmidt have agreed to a five-year, $32 million contract extension with a club option for 2019. ESPN/XM's Jim Bowden first broke the story, and Rosenthal provided the contract terms.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

also... "Tigers signed RHP Justin Verlander to a five-year, $140 million extension with a vesting option for 2020." and "Giants signed C Buster Posey to an eight-year, $159 million extension with a $21.4 million club option for 2022."

at the going rate of extensions, there may never be a premium free agent again...

"Cubs sent RHP Guillermo Moscoso outright to Triple-A Iowa." take that goldschmidt, verlander, and posey news...

Kinda hits at the point that Hendry and McPhail were complete ass hats when it came to scouting and development..... Theo Epstein has also taken steps toward increasing the size of what had been one of the smallest front offices in the game. The moves that have gotten the most attention have involved an embrace of analytics, with the Cubs signing a big deal with Bloomberg Sports to provide them with data. Less heralded but perhaps more significant, the Cubs have hired a bevy of new scouts in all aspects of the game—amateur, pro, international, and major league. Creating scouting depth is a critical part of any plan that involves significant investment in building through player development. In a few short years Theo has done light years better work with our minors than 15+ years of failure from Hendry and McPhail.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • 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...