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

NL Central Smackdown: 2nd Basemen

1st Basemen | Poll

I started off with the first basemen yesterday and I'll leave the poll up until I get through all the positions. If you need a primer on all this, be sure to check out that first post as well on the first basemen.

Today though we move to the second basemen. While Hendry tries to win by sheer numbers, it's about quality, not quantity. Your contestants after the jump....

Player 3-Year Warp-3 Average
3 Year Warp-3 Projection
Rob's Ranking
Mark DeRosa
3.7 2.4
4
Rickie Weeks
3.2 4.27
2
Adam Kennedy
2.97 1.1
6
Kaz Matsui
3.03 2
5
Brandon Phillips
6.1 (2 years)
4.7
1
Freddy Sanchez
5.73
3.73
3


 

 

 

 

 


The Justification: Another no-brainer at the top spot, as Brandon Phillips 30/30 numbers last year and 27 years of age make him the clear leader of the pack. It gets a little dicey after that. Freddy Sanchez has had two straight big seasons with Pittsburgh and can play a few positions, but at age 30 and now with a bum shoulder I knocked him down to the three spot. Weeks is off to another slow start and making me seriously reconsider my rankings. But he came on strong at the end of last year and at age 25, still seems like a good bet going forward. And as I mentioned, I did these before the year started. That leaves DeRosa at the fourth spot, although his versatility and good start to season are making me believe that 2005 was the turnaround of his career, not the apex. Once again, I think you could almost flip a coin for the 2-4 spots. Matsui is back from his homoerotic adventures, sorry, anal fissures, but let's say that's one signing I'm glad the Cubs got outbid on. Adam Kennedy's claim to fame was his 3-homer game in the ALCS - in 2002. It's gone all downhill since.

There's another poll for you guys to fill out below this and I'll leave the old polls open until we finish this.

Please note, you do have to register to vote. This isn't some scheme to solicit registrations, it's just an anomaly of the site and the poll software that's built in. Trust me, I'd love to fix it, but I haven't found another piece of integrated software that does these ranking polls which I really like. Plus if you register, you get a better user experience as I tend to test everything as a registered user and you get an uncached version of the site. You can also view the results of the poll after you vote, instead of having to wait until I close it. It takes all of two minutes to register and unlikes some sites, I'll be more than happy to cancel your account if you wish. You'll never receive any spam from us either...promise.


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Comments

I tried to pick someone else for '1st' so I wouldn't look like a homer, but I just couldn't put Phillips on top. Also, I had to do this one in reverse order for some reason. Mark DeRosa Brandon Phillips Rickie Weeks Freddy Sanchez Adam Kennedy Kaz Matsui Adam Kennedy's claim to fame was his 3-homer game in the ALCS - in 2002. It's gone all downhil since. There was also the time he broke up a Freddie Garcia no-hitter in the 8th or 9th, I forget which. *giggles* Matsui is back from his homoerotic adventures, sorry, anal fissures lol Not that there's anything wrong with that.™

pitcher James Russell already up to AA. I know AZ Phil did a write-up on him, but 14th round pick last year is already in AA. 6-4", 205, 22 years old lefty was 1-1 with a 2.05 ERA at Hi-A Daytona, 27.1 IP, 25 H, 14 K, 7 BB, 2 HR as a starter.

I have to go Brandon Phillips on top, he is faster with more power than DeRosa. Phillips DeRosa Sanchez Weeks Matsui Kennedy I could see Sanchez over DeRosa, and Weeks could pass them both if he gets it together. DeRosa is the steadier vet of the two. Looking ahead to the other positions, I think the Cubs have only 1 winner in the whole division (A-Ram), maybe 2 with Soto if we think his early promise will carry the day over a pretty weak group of catchers.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

i can see the age thing but Rickie Weeks has been a full time player (close to) for three full years as has Sanchez. In that time Sanchez's number bury Weeks. Sanchez's doubles weeks in RBIs and scores the same amount of runs. So even if Sanchez doesn't steal bases there is no advantage for Weeks. It doesn't lead to more runs. And yes, I know, team dependency. But we are talking about the Pirates versus the Brewers here.

[ ]

In reply to by Chad

well lineup and team dependency...Sanchez has been batting third for the Pirates, a prime RBI spot and ahead of some decent hitters. As I said, it's a toss-up, but I sort of think Sanchez is a bit of a fluke and on his way down. I think Weeks is on his way up.

And the shoulder surgery seems to really have affected Sanchez...I don't think at this point he could play 3b like he use to which knocks him down a bit as well.

 

By the way, you could argue Ryan Freel should rank ahead of Kennedy. Though Freel is in Dusty's doghouse, probably because he gets on base too much and doesn't suck from both sides of the plate like a Macias or Neifi-caliber player can.

Both offensive and defensive numbers make Phillips the obvious top dog (though he should be playing SS anyway). Between DeRo, Sanchez, and Weeks, I'd say it's a tossup. I think Sanchez is a fluke, but his numbers in recent years have been nice. Weeks is a risk as he hasn't yet proven he can hit or field as a major leaguer, but I suspect the bat will come around even if the glove doesn't. DeRo pretty much is what he is, and that's a solid 2B guy who can move all around the field if you need him to. Actually I'd say he's a light-hitting, great fielding 3B guy who can move all around the field if you need him to. I'd rank Mike Fontenot, Ronny Cedeno, and Albert Pujols above Adam Kennedy at this point. What? Pujols played some innings at second.

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).