Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

39 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (one slot is open), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL and one player has been DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT (DFA)   

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-23-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 9 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 3
Kyle Hendricks, P 
* Drew Smyly, P 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P

DFA: 1 
Garrett Cooper, 1B 
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

NL Central Smackdown : Center Field

Submitted by Rob G. on

Catchers | Poll
Third Basemen | Poll
Shortstops | Poll
2nd Basemen | Poll
1st Basemen | Poll

I'm jumping to center field because it's a bit of a mess and not nearly as interesting as left or right, which I'd like to save at least one of those for Monday.

Player 3-Year Warp-3 Average
3 Year Warp-3 Projection
Rob's Ranking
Felix Pie
 		0.8 (1 year)
 3.83
 5
Reed Johnson
 3.13 1.6 5
Mike Cameron
 5.4 3.03
3
Rick Ankiel 2.1 (1 year) 3.37
 1
Colby Rasmus N/A 4.57 3
Corey Patterson 2.77
 2.5 4
Jay Bruce
 N/A
 4.93
 4
Michael Bourn 1.2 (1 year)
 1.37 6
Nate McLouth 1.77 2.77 2


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Justification: This sure is a tough one. There's only one established player in the group in Mike Cameron and he's on the downside of his career. Ankiel causes some problems because he'll likely be moving back to right field as soon as the Cardinals deem Colby Rasmus ready. The Reds are currently employing a mess of players between Korey, Ryan Freel and Jerry Hairston Jr., although they probably have the best player of the group in Jay Bruce waiting in the minors, one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

But here's how I broke it down...

I gave Ankiel the top spot for now because, well, that's where he's playing. He's got the best arm out of the bunch, seems to be able to cover the ground and will at least hit for power. The Pirates seemed to have settled on McLouth and he's rewarding them with some incredible early season numbers. Cameron can still go get them in the outfield and will hit for enough power that I give him the nod over the Cubs and Reds situations. If it was just Jay Bruce, I'd probably have him at least at the three spot if not higher, but we all know about the manager there and who knows when he'll get his shot. Their current Frankstein-CFer would probably battle for the last spot with Michael Bourn. As for the Cubs, the Johnson/Pie combo gets the five spot from me right now,and that could end up swinging to the last spot or the top spot depending on how things break.

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.

Tags
Statistical Analysis
NL Central Smackdown

Comments

Submitted by Ryno on Sat, 05/03/2008 - 05:16 am

Wow, I think you're way off on this one, Rob. If you're talking offense only, maybe I'd be more in line, but Cameron is definitely the best CF in the division. Cameron, McLouth, Ankiel, Bourn, Reds, Pie/Johnson

[ ]

Submitted by Charlie on Sat, 05/03/2008 - 05:22 pm

Michael Bourn over Pie/Johnson? I'd have to disagree with you there. Also, I'd agree with Rob G. that Cameron is on the downside of his career and belongs behind Ankiel (who's upside is the deciding factor in making him most valuable) and McLouth. I can't consider Jay Bruce until he plays some major league games--I've heard he's likely to end up in RF anyway. I'm not sure I'd agree with the Reds situation over Pie/Johnson either. Corey right now is outproducing Pie, but I think Pie's bat will come around and while their range is comparable I think Pie's arm is stronger. Johnson compares nicely to Freel, and I think Johnsons CF defense is underrated and Freel's is overrated. Ankiel and Pie make for interesting examples of how AAA numbers can be misleading, though. Pie showed acceptable plate discipline and an impressive ability to hit for average in AAA, then came up to the majors and could do neither at all. Ankiel showed prodigious power but weak batting average and obp skills in AAA last year, but made it to the majors and improved his walk and contact rates and saw his power diminish a bit. Maybe we shouldn't try to project much from minor league numbers.

Submitted by Q-Ball on Sun, 05/04/2008 - 05:36 am

Rob, I agree with almost all your rankings, and this position is a mess. However, ranking Corey Patterson and his .202 average ahead of anyone right now, that is pure craziness. He is #6 for sure. Can't give anything to Bruce until he actually plays. I had them like this: Cameron (still a good CF) McClouth (keeps it up though and he is #1) Ankiel (probably ticketed for a corner) Bourne (nice young player, boy is he fast) Cubs (though Johnson/Pie will get us by) Corey (and not just Cub bias)

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    bases loaded for the cubs, 0 out...and no runs score.

    cubbery.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Walker was a complimentary piece who was well past his prime. Edmonds, Holliday, Ozzie Smith and a few others were good trades. Notably, they have almost always been quiet in the free agent market. But the fundamental workings of the organization were always based primarily upon the constant output of a well oiled minor league organization. That organization has ground to a halt. And when did that hard stop start to happen? Right at the beginning of the Goldschmidt/Arenado era, perpetuated by the Contreras signing, followed by the rotation purchases during the last offseason. The timing is undeniable and, in my mind, not coincidental.

    Again, we are all saying that player development became deemphasized. I’m just linking it directly to the recent trades and involvement in the free agent market. I don’t see how the two concepts can be decoupled.

  • Charlie (view)

    The Cards also traded for both Jim Edmonds and Larry Walker. It's the developing part that has fallen off. Of course, it could also be the case that there are no more Matt Carpenters left to pull out of the hat. 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Cubs sign 28 yr old RHRP Daniel Missaki. He was in MiLB from his 17yr old to 19yr old years and did pretty well.
    He's been in Mexico and Japan the last four years and has done well also.
    He's supposedly Japanese and Brazilian.
    Interesting sign. We obviously need to RP in the system
    Injuries are mounting everywhere!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Sure, they made generally short term trades for established players to enhance what they already had or traded for players early enough in their careers that they were essentially Cardinals from the start. What they never did was to try to use the more established players as foundational cornerstones.

    Essentially we’re saying the same thing. They have given up on player development to the point that even their prospects that make it to the bigs flop so that they have to do things like buy most of their rotation and hope for the best.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I don’t buy that. They had been doing that for years.

    They did it with Matt Holliday. They did it with John Lackey. They did it with Mark Mulder. They did it with Jason Heyward, who had a great year for them. I’m sure there’s more but those come to mind immediately.

    I attribute it more to a breakdown in what they’re doing in terms of development than a culture thing.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    They won those trades and sacrificed their culture. That’s exactly their problem.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    The other part that’s kind of crazy is they made two very high profile trades, one for Goldschmidt and one for Arenado, and they very clearly won those trades. They just haven’t been able to develop players the last handful of years the way they usually do.

    I guess the moral there is it’s hard to stay on top of your game and be good at what you do in perpetuity.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Marmol was extended at the beginning of the year. Two years I believe.

  • crunch (view)

    Jesse Rogers @JesseRogersESPN
    Craig Counsell doesn’t have a timetable for Cody Bellinger who technically has two cracked ribs on his right side. CT scan showed it today.

Click HERE for the last 50 comments