Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Eyre Follows Fox Out of Town

Veteran LHP Scott Eyre (on the 15-day DL with a sore elbow since 3/23) completed the Extended Spring Training (EXST) portion of his rehab this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, throwing one inning (18 pitches - 14 strikes) in the EXST Cubs 7-3 loss to the EXST A's.

Although Eyre did allow a run (a one-out broken bat single to center followed by an RBI double crushed off the centerfield "Green Monster"), he also struck out the side. His fast ball topped out at 91, and his slider was VERY sharp.

While Eyre was pitching, all of the young Cubs pitchers not scheduled to pitch today (who would normally sit in the grandstand and watch the game from there) crowded into the enclosed "bird cage" behind home plate to get a better look at a major league pitcher in action. They were pretty excited, especially since Eyre actually talked to them (unlike a certain now ex-Cubs pitcher who was rehabbing at Fitch Park for most of last season who shall remain nameless). .

RHP Chad Fox (elbow) completed the Fitch Park portion of his rehab on Saturday,moving his rehab to Daytona after proving he could throw two days in a row.

It's unkown for sure where exactly Eyre is headed to continue his rehab. The Cubs might want him to pitch in Florida (Daytona) where the weather is warmer than it is in Tennessee, Iowa, or Illinois, but they also might not want two rehabbing major league relievers at the same place at the same time. 

As is the custom when a Cubs player completes his rehab at Fitch Park and moves on, there were lots of handshakes and hugs as Eyre headed for the clubhouse. (I tried to give him a big hug, too, but I think he might have taken it the wrong way...) 

In addition to Eyre's final EXST outing, four other pitchers who are rehabbing also pitched today (and so naturally the Cubs team physician was in attendance).

RHP Billy Petrick (at EXST trying to stengthen his shoulder) worked two innings (28 pitches), and he threw the ball very well. He gave up back-to-back doubles with two outs in the top of the 1st inning, but one of the two-baggers was misplayed into a double by neophyte LF Elvis Lara (he was moved from 2B to LF last month at Minor League Camp), and the other was a blooper that fell into the "Bermuda Triangle" between SS-2B-CF.   
 
Tennessee RHP Jim Henderson worked one inning, and struggled a bit with his control. He allowed one run on a walk, a stolen base, and an opposite-field line single to RF.

Daytona RHP Jon Mueller worked two innings and threw the ball better than his line might otherwise indicate, striking out three with a heater that had a lot of zip, and a nice overhand breaking ball that acted like a splitter.

Mueller worked three effective innings in the Camp Day intrasquad game last Thursday in his first 2008 game action, and so he could get out of Fitch Park sooner rather than later.

Daytona RHP Todd Blackford (2007 TJ surgery) had a very poor outing, walking four hitters in his two innings of work. He didn't allow a run, thanks to a CS and a GIDP, but he couldn't find home plate, either.

Up until today, it appeared that Blackford was the most advanced of the Cubs minor league pitchers rehabbing at EXST and might be the next pitcher to get his "Letter of Transit" out of Fitch Park, but if he can't throw strikes, he isn't going anywhere.

Pitching Coach Rick Tronerud did not hide his displeasure with Blackford's performance when he made a trip to the mound after Blackford walked the bases loaded in the 7th. (Tronerud did ALL the talking).    

The one EXST Cub pitcher who got into today's game who was not rehabbing was RHP John Muller, who worked the 9th. But as is typical for a closer who pitches when the game is not on the line, he got hit fairly hard (three singles in addition to a walk), although he did strike out the last two hitters he faced with his killer slider.

Prior to the game, prized 6'7 RHP prospect Chris Huseby threw a 25-pitch "live" BP session on Field #2 to the Cubs position players who did not play in the EXST game on Field #3. Huseby has yet to pitch in an EXST game, as the EXST pitching coaches (Tronerud and Pratt) are trying to fix his severely messed-up mechanics that caused him to be left behind at Fitch Park when the Peoria Chiefs departed Arizona at the end of March. 

Here is today's EXST abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Elvis Lara, LF: 1-4 (1-3, 5-3, 1B-RBI, 4-3)
2. Drew Rundle, DH #1: 2-4 (2B, Kc, 1B + R, Ks)
3. John Contreras, 3B: 0-4 (4-3, Kc, 5-3, 5-3)
4. Luke Sommer, RF: 2-4 (F-8, 2B, 2B-RBI + CS, F-7)
5. Carlos Perez, C: 1-2 (BB, F-7,  BB, 1B)
6. Andres Quezada, CF: 0-2 (BB, 1-3, Ks, BB)
7. Junior Lake, DH #2: 1-4 (F-9, 2B + R, P-6, 6-3)
8a. Bryan Jost, 1B: 0-2: (4-3, BB + R, 4-3)
8b. Luis Bautista, 1B: 0-0
9. Starlin Castro, SS: 1-2 (1B, BB, P-4)
10. Jose Made, 2B: 0-2 (6-4-3 GIDP, F-7 SF-RBI, F-8)

PITCHERS:
1. Billy Petrick - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 GIDP (28 pitches - 18 K, 3/2 GB/FB)
2. Jim Henderson - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1K (2/0 GB/FB)
3. Scott Eyre -1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K (18 pitches - 14 K)
4. Jon Mueller - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K
5. Todd Blackford - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP (4/0 GB/FB)
6. John Muller - 1.0 IP, 3 H. 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K

ERRORS (2):
1. Andres Quezada (fumbled ball in CF allowing runner to take extra base)
2. Jose Made (bobbled RBI ground ball allowing batter to reach 1st base)
 
CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Carlos Perez: 2-4 CS

BASERUNNING ADVENTURES:
1. Drew Rundle was thrown out 9-4-5 trying to stretch a double into a triple with one in the 1st.
2. Elvis Lara was thrown out 8-3-6 to end the bottom of the 5th, when he tried to take 2nd base on an RBI single where the throw home was cut-off by the first-baseman.
3. Luke Sommer was thrown out at 3rd base on a 3-2 pitch "strike 'em out out, throw 'em out" to end the bottom of the 6th inning. 

WEATHER: Warm and not a cloud in the sky, temp in the 80's

ATTENDANCE: 6

Comments

Great to see Huseby throwing even if it's not in a game yet. What are the chance he gets to Peoria this season?

Per Daytona's local rag, Eyre and Fox are both headed to Daytona. Fox will start on Tuesday and Eyre will pitch on Wednesday.

Submitted by Raisin101 on Mon, 04/21/2008 - 8:37pm.

Great to see Huseby throwing even if it's not in a game yet. What are the chance he gets to Peoria this season?

--------------------------------

RAISIN: If Chris Huseby can get his mechanics fixed, he'll be a rotation starter at Peoria sometime in 2007. If he can't, then I guess he'll probably end up at Boise where the 30-man roster makes it easier to carry pitchers who aren't ready to pitch in games. Same goes for Mark Pawelek.

BTW, Pawelek's rehab is currently limited to "live" BP only, because while his ankle doesn't hurt him when he throws off a mound, it does hurt when he has to field his position, like covering 1st base on a ground ball hit to the first-baseman.

Also, I mentioned last weekend that IF-OF Ryne Malone was removed from Daytona's roster when Jonathan Mota got promoted from Peoria to Daytona, and it is now confirmed that Malone has been released. RHP Ryan Meyers (one of two players acquired from the Mets for Angel Pagan) has also been released from Daytona.

And RHP Rafael Cova (who spent a couple of days at Tennessee after Michael Cooper went on the DL, but got dropped when Juan Mateo was demoted from AAA Iowa) has been assigned (loaned) to Los Potros de Tijuana (Mexican League). Cova spent last season pitching for Tijuana.

It's not well-known, but the Cubs have established an informal working relationship with Los Potros de Tijuana over the past couple of years. The Cubs signed Mexican catcher Enrique Lujan in 2005 and immediately assigned him ("loaned" him) to Tijuana (Lujan was subsequently released), Tijuana LHP Marco Tovar and RHP Alan Guerrero were invited to attend the Cubs AZ Instructional League camp at Fitch Park last Fall (both are currently pitching for Tijuana), and the Cubs purchased Cova from Tijuana last August.

Among other things, the "working relationship" with a Mexican League club gives the Cubs another option when there is no room for a player at Iowa, Tennessee, Daytona, or Peoria. As long as the player is willing to accept the assignment to the Mexican League (as Cova did), the Cubs can keep a player they like under contract and in their organization instead of having to release him. (And even Anglo players can be assigned to the Mexican League, as long as it's OK with the player).

So while the Tijuana club in the Mexican League is technically not an affiliate of the Cubs, the informal "working relationship" between the two clubs is a way for the Cubs to extend their international scouting presence into Mexico, as clubs like the Dodgers, Padres, and Diamondbacks have been doing quite successfully for years.

If the Cubs can sign and devlelop a future major leaguer like Fernando Valenzuela, Oliver Perez, Erubiel Durazo, Vinny Castilla, Antonio Osuna, or Oscar Villarreal out of Mexico even only every five years, it will be worth the effort.

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.