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

Cardinals @ Cubs: Wacha vs. Wood (Game 148)

Castro knocks in 6 and the Cubs move one game behind the Pirates.

STL (92-55): RHP Michael Wacha (16-5, 2.96)
CHC (85-61): LHP Travis Wood (5-4, 4.11)
First pitch: 12:05pmCT

Wood gets another spot start. He hasn’t given up a run since August 28 against the Dodgers. After a rough beginning to the season, he has mostly settled in to his new role. July (2.89 ERA) was his best month. He’s been especially good at Wrigley this year, going 5-0 with a 2.89. He has a 7.71 ERA in four appearances against the Cards this season. Overall, they are 83-255 (.325) against him. Holliday is 16-43 with 4 HR. Molina is 15-41 with 3 HR.

Wacha won in Cinci his last time out (6 IP, 2 ER). He’s 1-1 with a 6.75 in his three starts against the Cubs this year. The Cubs are 28-89 (.315) against him. Castro is 9-19 with 2 HR. Rizzo is 8-19 with 2 HR.

Go Cubs!

 

Comments

For the Cult of Olt ruinators out there: .211 .274 .368 .642 with 3 HR 57 AB, most with White Sox, not much alteration in the Sox only numbers (2 HR for them). Small sample size, but familiar pattern. Glad to see the other Cubs black sheep (at least on TCR) mash yesterday. His numbers since the benching are more proof that he is the original enigma.

[ ]

In reply to by johann

His WAR numbers probably took quite a beating from his first 2/3 of 2015. Getting him away from SS is gonna help. Russell is a magician at short, and Baez is a magician everywhere. That's some big time value if Baez keeps working with this new approach at the plate. I don't know how TheoCorp is gonna play it, but I love this group as it is and hope they don't sell off a piece for a pitcher who will surely break down. Unless of course Castro thumps in the playoffs, keeps thumping until the playoffs, and maybe drives up his value some. That could work, but I'm not a Castro hater like 99% of the people here, so I would still like it to be a good deal.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I think long term they will have to trade one of Baez, Castro or Soler if they are set on keeping Schwarber at LF. I don't think any of those want to be a sub in the long run even if it's working well this year. I like all three quite a bit but I just don't see how everyone can get slotted in.

[ ]

In reply to by johann

I doubt Baez goes, Maddon loves his D and if he hits like he is now he'll be fine anywhere in the lineup. Soler and Castro are the likely ones to go I guess, but I won't like it at all if Soler goes because I don't think he's remotely close to his ceiling. I'd like him to go to outfield camp however and learn to track the ball better.

Lineup: Jackson (CF), Soler (RF), Bryant (3b), Rizzo, Castro (2b), Baez (ss), Denorfia (LF), Ross, Wood Wacha evidently has reverse splits

I know it MAY come back to bite them, but Soler would be the piece I would include. He might be the one that is the least "sure-thing" of the bunch. And, with Castro cost-controlled, he becomes a "vet" that could have value at the break next yr

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

Castro teeters between a cost-controlled asset and a bad contract depending on his present streak. He is just as risky as Soler, but differently. More dollars, less power potential, probably a worse overall batting eye, but theoretically more defensive flexibility, too. I am very impressed with the new Baez approach, even if the results haven't shown. As AZ Phil and others have noted, Baez is a notorious slow-starter at a new level. If he sticks with the Cubs going forward, I expect it could click sometime during the course of next year. Or maybe we get lucky and he clicks a hot stretch starting in about 2 weeks.

Len is doing the FOX broadcast. Grimm is pitching and gets a break with Peralta lining to 5.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

it's part of maddon's genius. it's "the plan" personified and it's BRILLIANT. they know teams are scouting everyone and maddon is planting the seeds of doubt by having rizzo purposely commit gaffes and errors. i'm 100% sure this is what's happening and it fits right in with every other maddon theory of planned awesomeness in the face of questionable occurrences. this is the new cubs way. hail hydra.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Is it really necessary to act like this all the time Crunch when there's absolutely no need for it? And E-Man there was actually a question asked to Hoyer this week by I think Waddle and Silvey about how Rizzo hasn't gotten much rest so I think people are noticing the fatigue. He was saying they don't really have people who can play 1st to help unlike other positions so not sure. I know he's sat before but who did we have sub for him? Denorfia?

[ ]

In reply to by johann

"all the time" it's jokes. it's also commentary about how these "odd" things that happens to every team are occasionally turned into a maddon conspiracy by some cubs fans because there has to be a hidden, brainy positive spin in there somewhere. this isn't unique to this site. hell, it's not even common on this site compared to other places. there isn't a need for most anything said here, but we can make room for some jokes and random commentary. hail hydra (not a joke).

yeah...i dont think a.russell is gonna be playing a lot of 2nd in 2016. cubs win. awesome way to end it.

Hell yes Strop bails us out ending on an amazing defensive play by Russell! 2 on 0 outs and we escape.

a few weeks ago the main concern was SF and the 2nd wild card slot...now it's catching PIT (a tie could happen after today's game) and an outside chance of catching STL. neat.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

Umpires have leeway there if the pitch is deemed unintentional. I think Maddon's comments about "finishing things" removed that decision making process from the umpires. I think they did what they had to do...but yes, no chance in hell your closer is going to throw at someone with no outs and no one in the bullpen.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Even if the team went 162-0 you would complain and the lineup would not be to your liking. By the way, with a nice sample size for the 2015 season, after you whined about Joe batting the pitcher 8 for half the year, here are the latest stats on the Cubs Addison Russell, compared to the top 2 AL Teams and their #9 slot just for grins: #1 Boston: .260/.325/.702 #2 Toronto: .246/.306/.647 ARussell: .241/.301/.696

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

or... OR... i would complain about austin jackson being used pretty much exclusively in the 1-2 slot. and i didn't whine about the pitcher batting 8th half the year (or whatever). just because i think it's pointless at best doesn't mean it's a big deal. i was more impressed with how the 2 slot was being used, even stating multiple times that if it takes batting the pitcher 8th to construct a lineup like that, then march the hell on with it. i'd also like to bring up you're bitching about how we shouldn't give a fuck that austin jackson is being used as a 1 or 2 hitter almost exclusively. really? we're gonna just let that one slide. don't question it or you become the anti-maddon. maddon isn't bulletproof, theo isn't bulletproof, that other guy whathisface mcsandiego isn't bulletproof...this isn't a religion, it's not all-or-nothing, it's not faith or GTFO. castro hit the hell out of the ball yesterday and when maddon wants 2 righties up top he goes with austin jackson and jorge soler. that's practically low hanging fruit by itself. questioning that, or drilling in deeper, doesn't mean you're an enemy of the state. ...about the a.russell comparison to 2 AL teams 9 slots. if russell was hitting 8th rather than 9th that ob% would likely get a nice bump from being pitched around...which doesn't affect the AL most of the time in any lineup slot. maddon's stated he doesn't want russell pitched around and that's a huge reason he's been in the 9 slot rather than the 7 slot to boost his production (rather than going with the 'second leadoff man' type construction for the 9 slot). this lineup's been constructed with a hybrid element of MLB-ready execution and youth development for a good chunk of the year...successfully.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Or you'd be complaining about how the cubs should have been here a year earlier if they had only done a padres style rebuild. How's that working out for them?

Should the Cubs remain within a game of the Bucs by next weekend, its gonna be a helluva series. For those of you in the "middle age group" or older, keep a bottle of asprin handy in case your heart can't take the stress.

+26 games over .500; 3rd best record in baseball. Chance at being 2nd best record tomorrow. SF losing to the Diamondbacks 6-0, 8th. Magic should soon be 5. Soonest clinch date would be Tuesday but it would be really cool for that to occur next weekend vs. Pirates in front of a weekend crowd. Nice that it should happen at Wrigley. Looking at the standings and seeing them 5 GB Cardinals is somehow oddly pleasant (and 1/2 game behind Pitt). aka Been down so long, it looks like up to me https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Been_Down_So_Long_It_Looks_Like_Up_to_Me

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.