Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

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

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Game 70 Recap: Cubs 2, Dodgers 5

After further review... still lost.

Box Score, Play Log, Game Graphs

 

W- Who knows? Eh, Howell I guess (3-1), who cares, let's go home.

L- The very concept of the "Win" also, Hendricks (2-4).

S - Jansen (10)

Things to Take from This Game

1. Starters Struggle 

Hendricks was off his game, with the big damage coming on a Justin Turner 3-run Home Run. Bolsinger looked tougher, getting several Cubs to swing over a diving "spike" curveball, but he couldn't make it through five. With Bolsinger getting Rizzo to GIDP in the fifth and picking up some help from Howell to get out of the inning, the Dodgers shut down the only good shot at a big inning.
.

2. Denorfia gets TOOTBLANed

With two outs in the ninth and down by three, Denorfia got Thrown Out On the Bases Like a Nincompoop, running into the final out of the game trying to get to second on a liner off the left field wall.  Van Slyke got a perfect bounce off the wall to him, played it perfectly, threw perfectly, and still just barely beat Denorfia. And it's not as if we likely were to come back against Jansen down by three with two outs in the ninth and a runner on second.  But still, oof.

3. Grimm Looked Good

Justin Grimm struck out the first four batters he faced, in dominating fashion, before losing some steam in his second inning. It still was an encouraging performance.

 

The I-could-have-been-paying-more-attention-to-the-season-premier-of-Big-Brother-17,-but-instead-I-recapped-this?!?! details, below

 

 

Game Recap

Inning 1 - Top

  • Hendricks begins the game with a strike to Hernandez, pitching at a swift pace.  Hernandez hits a bullet back up the middle which Hendricks snags on his glove-hand side near the thigh.
  • Davey Lopes is 70.  And looks every bit of it.
  • Pederson is frozen looking at a called strike three near the top of the zone.
  • Turner lazily flies to Denorfia in right.  If the first few innings of the recap are a bit thin, it's because this is also the opening episode of season 17 of the greatest American television show ever, Big Brother.

Inning 1 - Bottom

  •  Denorfia leading off.  Puig is a late scratch for the Dodgers, so both of the lineups are a bit wonky. Goes down flailing at a curveball.
  • Bolsinger... he is Jered Weaveresque in velocity... Rizzo flails at a curve in the dirt for strike three.
  • Bryant swings at the first pitch and hits a pop fly down the right field line, which Gonzalez catches.  Easy inning.

Inning 2 - Top

  • Rule of Winning Big Brother # 5,787: forming an all-girl alliance on day one never works.   Oh wait, wrong recap...
  • Gonzalez take a tailing-away sinker and lines it out to left field, opposite-field home run.  1-0 Dodgers
  • Guerrero grounds out to Castro who makes a strong throw to first, getting him easily.  Nice play.
  • Ethier hits one right to Russell for the second out.
  • Grandal grounds down the 1st base line, Rizzo unassisted.
  • Huh, so they're bringing back the "Battle of the Block" gimmick again this year in Big Brother. It worked pretty well last time, though hopefully it's paired with some other new twist to give added nuance and intrigue to the alliance-building.

Inning 2 - Bottom

  •  Montero K's swinging at that same "spike" curve in the dirt that got Rizzo.
  • Castro bounces one up the middle, which gets knocked down by the diving second baseman, but no play, base hit.
  • Whose idea was it to get a field reported for the Head of Household contest in Big Brother?  Ugh, horrid.  This better be a one-off, we don't need a field reporter for competitions.  Just awful.
  • Coghlan slices one to left-center where Pederson, of course, catches it with ease.
  • Szczur bounces one out to second, easy play to end the inning.  The Big Brother houseguests are very unimpressive so far in their first Head of Household comp, a combination of balancing on a board, catching balls shot at them, and being hit by tomatoes. This should be a drill for 2016 spring training.

Inning 3 - Top

  • Rollins grounds out to Castro, who is playing sort of a 3B/SS as the odd man out on the shift.
  • Bolsinger lines a hanging changeup directly over Szczur's head in center, one-hopping the ivy.  Not so well played by Szczur, but the error is on Hendricks hanging a change to the pitcher.
  • Hernandez can't quite check his swing on a slider low and away, strike three.
  • Woah, a stunning four-person photo-finish to determine who was the last houseguest to hit the ground in the Head of Household competition. Jace, the "asian country boy" wins the first Head of Household in a thriller.
  • Pederson walks, runners on 1st and 2nd.
  • Turner takes another hanging change out over the plate, and lofts it out to just left of center, a few rows up.  Three-run homer, and it's  4-0 Dodgers
  • Likewise, Big Brother takes a turn for the worse as we learn there will be not just one major season-long twist, but smaller weekly twists. Just like baseball should be played without a DH, Big Brother should be played without so many %%%%%% twists. FML.
  • Gonzalez rolls out to Russell.

Inning 3 - Bottom

  • Hendricks K's looking, as the first episode of Big Brother ends.  Down to two things to recap.
  • Russell shoots one into right for a single.
  • Len nots Bolsinger is walking around the back of the mound, and wonders if there is some tightness in the back or shoulder.
  • Denorfia with a slow roller to short, and, evidently, the throw beats Russell to second base. I have grave doubts about this, but evidently it's just me.
  • Rizzo tries to push one up the third base line, completely unoccupied due to the shift.  he sort of bunt-stab-pops it down the line and it lands just an inch or so foul, past the bag.  nice try.
  • For the second time, Rizzo K's by swinging over a slider.

Inning 4 - Top

Inning 4 - Bottom

  •  Bryant is the latest to miss the slider, strike three.
  • Montero dumps one into the shallow right-center gap but is easily held to a single.
  • Castro with another selling-out wild swing pulls one into the hole, and falls to his knee.  Rollins stops it on a slide and, supposedly, gets the force at second, though I'm not convinced.  I guess I'm the only one not convinced.  They almost get Castro at first, but it's ultimatley just a 6-4 force.
  • Coghlan walks on four pitches.
  • Szczur bounces to Turner who steps on third for the force.

Inning 5 - Top

Inning 5 - Bottom

  • Baxter hits for Hendricks and jams one out to shallow center for a hit.
  • Russell pulls one down the left field line into the corner, and Baxter scores without a play.  double for Russell. A fastball that leaked back over the outside half of the plate.  4-1 Dodgers
  • Denorfia follows up with a single into right on the next pitch, Russell advances to third.  first and third, no outs, first real trouble Bolsinger has faced. 
  • 1-2 count, Rizzo grounds into the shift for a double play, Guerrero to Rollins to Gonzalez.  Run scores, 4-2 Dodgers
  • 3-0 hanging curve to Bryant for a strike. Eventually walks. Bolsinger exits an out from qualifying for a W.  I realize that this has been a really slow-paced game.
  • J.P. Howell in to face Montero. Len and J.D. note there's an extreme shift on against Montero. K's swinging at a pitch in the dirt.
  • Pro wrestling finishing moves not to use during prostate exams.
  • The five knuckle shuffle
  • The camel clutch.

Inning 6 - Top

Inning 6 - Bottom

  • Castro pops to Rollins
  • Coghlan taps back to Howell.
  • Szczur bunts one up the third base line.  Howell grabs it, spins and fires wildly.  Gonzalez does a nice job to make a leaping grab of the throw, holding Szczur to a single.
  • Fowler pinch hits. Bounces one to Gonzalez at first.  Howell face-plants, so Gonzalez takes it to the bag himself.

Inning 7 - Top

  • Grimm in. Gets Guerrero swinging at a tough breaker down and away.  Nice pitch.
  • And another nasty 83mph SOMEthing gets Ethier swinging.  Grimm looks dominant.
  • Grandal also is no match, side is struck out. Impressive work.  Pat Hughes for the Stretch. We've heard better performances out of Pat.

Inning 7 - Bottom

  • Peralta in to pitch.
  • Russell flies out to right.
  • Denorfia rolls out to Rollins
  • Peralta out, Liberatore in to face Rizzo.  Walks Rizzo on four straight and leaves.  Nicasio to face Bryant. Goes up 0-2 on Bryant.
  • Bryant takes an 0-2 fastball up the middle for a single.  1st and 2nd for Montero
  • Montero hits a high fly out toward the well in left, but no real threat of going out.  Inning over.

Inning 8 - Top

Inning 8 - Bottom

  • Castro rolls one to Rollins, because Castro.  Throw almost takes Gonzalez off the bag. Almost.
  • Coghlan walks.
  • Szczur grounds into a 5-4-3, so much for that inning. Replay shows Hernandez wasn't on the bag, but "Neighborhood play" rules were in effect, so not subject to review, according to Len.  Rules are weird.

Inning 9 - Top

  • Medina in for the Cubs. Gonzalez bounces to Rizzo unassisted.
  • Callaspo lines one sharply into center.
  • Ethier flies lazily to center.
  • Grandal takes something bendy high in the strike zone for strike three.

Inning 9 - Bottom

  •  Herrera pinch hits against Jansen.  This will save us...
  • Herrera bounces one off the plate that Jansen fields, with his momentum taking him into the runner's line.  Manages to throw around Herrera for the out.
  • Russell flails at a slider for strike three.
  • Denorfia lines one against the left field wall over in the well. He doesn't get out of the box very easily, and still tries to take second in spite of how quickly the ball got to the wall, hitting off the door and not the vines, carroming to Van Slyke.  Called out, game over, but we go to replay as Denorfia's hand may have gotten in ahead of the tag. A needless risk, whatever the result, and the umpires uphold the call, ending the game with a whimper.

Parachat Recap

Inning 1

  • My obsession with Big Brother
  • Facts about Trans that make us sad.
  • The duck ~quack~ in parachat
  • Mike Baxter, two-legged Rally Rabbit.
  • Mike Baxter and other things that make the Baby Jesus cry.
  • Mike Baxter doesn't have a partner because....
  • We're all in love with Johann's new girlfriend, but can she do an ollie and has he fed her cereal?
  • What the W in the Cubs flag stands for.
  • Things to catch a ball in or with.
  • Using Jon Lester as an on-deck decoy.  Quack.
  • More likely to get a hit: Lester or Wada
  • Ballswinger.
  • Rizzo's new walkup music?

Inning 2

  • Things that are predictable, expected, and still sad:  the Mets tailspin and bizmarquis' porn career
  • Chicago, a Cubs town. White Sox "allegedly playing baseball"
  • Where does Sammyninja land this year?
  • Things that can be done with a baby in your arms
  • Moises Alou holding babies, and subsequent effects on potty training.
  • Crunch meets Anti-crunch. 
  • Reenforcements coming for the Cubs.

Inning 3

  • Heh. It could happen.
  • Where in the World is Rafael Soriano?
  • What's Len's obsession with the color of the Dodgers uniform numbers on the frontside of the jersey?
  • Doom and gloom.
  • Schwarber will save us.
  • Getting behind that.
  • Trans learns a new vocabulary word from Johann. Oh my.
  • Doing an ollie into pegging.  I don't understand what I'm recapping, but eh, I recap it anyway.
  • Pegging.  Because pirates like booty.  Wow, Johann.
  • Trades that won't happen.
  • Carlos Gomez = Hipster = Hipster Hate = Can't play baseball in skinny jeans.  I don't understand the connections either.

Inning 4

  • Why is Kyle Hendricks always sad?
  • The back end of the Cubs rotation: better poker faces than pitchers
  • Hole Camels
  • Poker, Liquor, and Pigeons. I'm lost.
  • Parachat devolves.
  • No one expects the Craposition!
  • Defriending the depressed vs. defending the depressed.
  • Things that are and aren't dick moves.
  • Jimmy Rollins has been around for forever.
  • Game needs more ~punch 2~, fewer updates from Patrick Mooney.
  • The ethics of diving into the stands.
  • There is complaining on Facebook.

Inning 5

  • Sitting in the front row, pros and cons
  • John Beasley, not allowed to sit close to the field by his wife.
  • Bizmarquis, not interested in how you are doing.
  • Crunch, admirer of John Beasley's wife.
  • Patrick Mooney looks like....
  • Will Audrey Marry Him?
  • Don't propose by scoreboard.  Just don't.
  • Why Audrey isn't ready to say yes.
  • Mornington Crescent's persistence pays off.
  • Len's prostate exam
  • While singing the Stretch.
  • Hitting the high notes.
  • Theories of what J.P. stands for.  Crunch wins before we really get started.

Inning 6

  •  Working titles for our James and Addison Russell 1980s sitcom
  • Casting:  Bosio as the cranky landlord who wants to evict them, Hinske as the whacky neighbor.
  • Andy reappears after five years away, promptly gets grilled on his publishing record by CT Steve. It's a rigorous new leader we have, here at TCR.
  • First CT Steve takes Manhattan...
  • TCR is the new black.
  • What the tenure boards things of CT Steve's and my writing at TCR.
  • Skills needed for going into administration
  • CT Steve practices lying to us.

Inning 7

  • Infidelity to parachat during the lean years.
  • Getting Andy back up to speed.  Ip is Not Ip.  Para-censorship. Lack of Rally Caps
  • What happened to Rob?
  • Who's in charge of this place anyway?
  • Pegging. Again.
  • Cub-related bribe offers in exchange for grade-changes.
  • That's not how it works.
  • We explain pegging to Mister Whipple.
  • New and old Parachat memes
  • The etymology of Cubbery.
  • Lags and spoilers and chattiequette
  • Is Ronnie Woo Woo still alive? (yes.)
  • AAA wooers.
  • Montero's popout is worse that.... (winner, bizmarquis with "if 9/11 and Guy Fieri had a baby")

Inning 8

  • Guy Fieri.  Nothing but Guy Fieri
  • And cancer.
  • Easy cancer vs. Guy Fieri
  • Easy cancer?
  • Hard cancer.
  • If Chemo caused Guy Fieri to lose his hair...
  • Pooping in a bag
  • How do you tell a pro-confederate protest at Walmart from any other day at Walmart?
  • Prostates springing leaks.
  • 8675309
  • Are rallitalics futile in situations like these?  Half-hearted rallitalics.

Inning 9

  • Parachat sound effects for pegging
  • Jean cuffs
  • Innocent things that are no longer safe to google for
  • Almost reading a cosmo article
  • Jiminy Cricket roughing people up
  • A parachat of many colors
  • The Denorfia replay
  • Annoyance.

Cubs' record in games recapped in 2015:  1-1

Comments

Whoa, these Parachat guys are infantile jerks--I mean except for the stuff that I am responsible for. That was smart and hi-larious!

Thanks, Trans. For reminding us what we missed and for reminding everyone else what they didn't.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).