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

Giants Sweep Cubs at Fitch Park

Jeffrey Baez rapped out four singles, stole a base, scored two runs, and drove-in another, and Trevor Gretzky, Luis Acosta, and Francisco Sanchez each hammered an RBI double, but the Giants rallied for three runs over the final two innings to defeat the Cubs 8-5 on Field #2, while on Field #3, Josh Conway tossed three shutout innings for the Cubs, but three Giants pitchers combined to throw a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts, Leonardo Fuentes smacked an RBI triple and Sam Eberle followed with an RBI double to spark a two-run 7th, and Rando Moreno clubbed a bases-clearing three-run triple to cap a three run 8th, as the Giants blanked the Cubs 5-0 and swept the doubleheader, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

The position players were divided up according to where they are projected (as of right now) to be assigned in June, so the squad on Field #2 was essentially the AZL Cubs, and the squad on Field #3 was what will likely eventually be the Boise Hawks (again, at least as things stand right now)

The game on Field #2 was called in the middle of the 7th inning, and the game on Field #3 was called in the middle of the 8th inning.

Jorge Soler batted 3rd and played RF in the game on Field #3, going 0-3 with two ground outs and a called third strike.

David Bote started at 2B for the Cubs squad on Field #3, but was pulled from the game after the 5th inning when Manager Bobby Mitchell was notified that Bote was being promoted and needed to get to Sky Harbor Airport to catch a plane ASAP. As a result, 1B Jose Dore was moved over to 2B for the final three innings, the first time he has played the position in pro ball.

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only):

FITCH PARK FIELD #2

SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
1a. Roberto Caro, LF-DH: 1-3 (6-3, P-6, 1B)
1b. Alberto Mineo, PH: 1-1 (1B)
2. Trevor Gretzky, 1B: 1-3 (6-3, 2B, 1-4 SH, K, RBI)
3. Jeffrey Baez, CF: 4-4 (1B, 1B, 1B, 1B, 2 R, RBI, SB)
4a. Mark Malave, DH: 0-2 (E-5, F-9 , R)
4b. Rashad Crawford, LF: 1-2 (1B, K)
5. Luis Acosta, 3B: 1-3 (2B, K, K, RBI)
6. Francisco Sanchez, SS: 2-3 (1B, 2B, K, RBI, SB)
7. Kevin Encarnacion, RF: 0-3 (F-7, L-6, K)
8. Wilfredo Petit, C: 2-3 (1B, K, 1B, PO)
9. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-3 (E-6, 1B, P-5, 2 R)

SQUAD "B" PITCHERS:
1. Jose Rosario: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 32 pitches (21 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
2. Matt Loosen: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 59 pitches (37 strikes), 2/6 GO/FO
3. Corbin Hoffner: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 19 pitches (12 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
4. Loiger Padron: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 17 pitches (14 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO

SQUAD "B" ERRORS: 4
1. 3B Luis Acosta - E-5 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely - eventually scored unearned run)
2. 3B Luis Acosta - E-5 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely)
3. SS Francisco Sanchez - E-6 (throwing error allowed batter reach base safely - eventually scored unearned run)
4. C Wilfredo Petit - E-2 (errant throw on stolen base attempt at 2nd base allowed baserunner to advance to 3rd)

SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Wilfredo Petit: 0-8 CS, 1 E (see above)

FITCH PARK FIELD #3

SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1a. David Bote, 2B: 1-2 (1B, 6-3)
1b. Xavier Batista, 1B: 0-1 (F-9)
2. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-3 (K, P-3, F-9)
3. Jorge Soler, RF: 0-3 (3-1, K, 4-3)
4. Yasiel Balaguert, DH: 1-3 (4-3, 1B, K, CS)
5. Shawon Dunston Jr, CF: 0-2 (3-U, L-6, BB)
6. Reggie Golden, LF: 0-3 (5-3, K, K)
7a. Neftali Rosario, C: 0-2 (5-3, K)
7b. Justin Marra, C: 0-1 (K)
8. Jose Dore, 1B-2B: 0-1 (HBP, K)
9. Jacob Rogers, 3B: 0-1 (BB, K)

SQUAD "A" PITCHERS:
1. Josh Conway: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 45 pitches (27 strikes), 5/2 GO/FO
2. Hunter Cervenka: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 20 pitches (14 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
3. Ethan Elias: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 34 pitches (23 strikes), 1/4 GO/FO
4. Chad Martin: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 37 pitches (25 strikes), 1/3 GO/FO

SQUAD "A" ERRORS: 2
1. P Josh Conway - E-1 (errant throw on pick-off attempt at 1st base allowed baserunner to advance to 2nd)
2. 3B Jacob Rogers - E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely - eventually scored unearned run)

SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Justin Marra: 0-1 CS

ATTENDANCE: 14

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 80's

 

Comments

Phil-- Yoanner Negrin was a strikeout machine tonight at Des Moines -- had 8 Ks in 3.0 innings and has 13 Ks in 7.2 IP so far this year. Small sample size, sure but quite a good start for him. He's 28 years old but was only signed as a free agent back in June of 2011, the same time as Javier Baez's draft, with no organized ball history before that. They've rocketed him through the system lo A and high A in 2011, AA and AAA (plus 124 IP in the Mexican league) in 2012, now starting him in AAA Iowa this year. What does he throw and how does the front office see him? Is he seen as a AAA filler/organizational man or do they project him as a possible piece for the bullpen with the parent club? Edit: I see where you mention him being signed as a Cuban defector in the summer of 2011 in your comment at http://www.thecubreporter.com/2011/07/28/cub-juggernaut-alive-well-fitc… but his birthplace is listed in Baseball-Reference.com and the Cubs.com minor league stats page as being Miami, FL. Was he born in Miami, went back to Cuba and later defected back to the US? Sounds highly unusual.

JOE P: Yoanner Negrin (known as "Yoannis" before he defected) was born in Havana, but he currently resides in Miami. 

Negrin throws a boatload of pitches (four-seamer, two-seamer, change, curve, and slider, plus some secret sauce), and he uses various arm-angles, too, which makes his repertoire even more diverse and unpredictable. 

The only velocity reading I ever heard on Negrin was a 90 MPH fastball on his four-seamer and mid-upper 80's on his two-seamer, and that was in a "live" BP session. But since he can cut the four-seamer or throw it straight, he might be able to alter the velo a bit at certain times if he is so inclined. 

He also has a reputation as being "rubbber-armed" and able to throw a lot of pitches per outing and to pitch more-frequently than the average starting pitcher without incurring arm problems. This is fairly consistent with the way Cuban pitchers are trained, so it's not necessarily unique to Negrin. But it also means he would profile as the ideal "12th man" on an MLB pitching staff, able to start a game on a moment's notice, or pitch in long relief or throw multiple innings in an extra-inning game, and not be adversely affected by inconsistent usage. 

The Cubs have released many of the Cuban defectors that they signed over the past couple of years, but they made sure to keep Negrin under club control (despite his age) by "loaning" him to Tabasco in the Mexican League last season. He had a strong post-2012 pitching for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League (he was 4th in ERA among VWL starting pitchers), and he was a starting pitcher for Team Spain in the 2013 WBC. So he has been pitching virtually year-round since signing with the Cubs, but almost none of that time with a Cubs affiliate (until now). I had predicted last fall (while he was pitching well in the VWL) that the Cubs would likely give Negrin an NRI to big league camp, but they did not, possibly because he was set to pitch in the WBC.

A scout once told me the biggest mistake casual observers make when evaluating a player or pitcher is to assume that a player or pitcher gets to a certain age or point in development and then never improves, when it actually is better to just keep an open mind and see what happens. And then there are guys who just never seem to get a chance or opportunity, but once they do, they make the most of it. 

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.