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

Roster Development in the Works

Gordon Wittenmyer tweets that Jeff Samardzija will be called up before Thursday's game and get this, Neal Cotts is NOT in danger of being moved. Paul Sullivan says pretty much the same thing as well. Both think that Luis Vizcaino is on the hot seat and could be DFA'd, although you have to believe that it would just be to buy some time for the Cubs to complete a trade as there has been interest in some of the Cubs' relievers and I don't think DFA'ing a reliever with zero earned runs is anything resembling a smart move.Contrary to earlier reports, Samardzija will go to the pen and Sean Marshall will stay in the rotation.

Wittenmyer also says Milton Bradley will be back in the lineup tonight and batting cleanup.

Lineup for Tonight: Soriano, Fukudome, Lee, Bradley, Ramirez, Soto, Theriot, Miles, Lilly vs. Taveras, Hairston Jr., Votto, Encarnacion, Bruce, Phillips, Hernadnez, Gonzalez and Cueto.

Comments

The only reason the Cubs have Vizcaino was to dump Marquis, Hendry ate just $875K in that swap. So looking at it logically, even if Vizcaino is dumped at $4MM, the net effect is that Hendry recovered $5MM of Marquis' 2009 salary in exchange for swapping from Marquis to Marshall in his rotation. Sounds about right. So even more obviously, I think if Hendry can get some team to take on even a mere million or so of Vizcaino's $4MM obligation, I'd think Hendry jumps all over it opportunity.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

your math is off...

Marquis owed $9.875M in 2009 which the Cubs paid $875K. Vizcaino is owed $3.5M plus a $500K buyout or $4M option in 2010.

So the Cubs are currently on the hook for $4.875M (3.5M + .5M + 875K) and saved $5M at the moment, plus went from Marquis to Marshall in the rotation. If they just unceremoniously dump Vizcaino, they'll be out $4M more minus the league minimun if he signs with another team. Not to mention what they lost in Gaudin.

also according to Muskat and Lou, Samardzija will be used as the bridge to get to Gregg and Marmol. Something wrong with Heilman?

Lou just said on WGN Radio that Samardzija is coming back in time for tomorrow's game but not corresponding move has been announced.

Can those of you who know more than I give any reason why Cotts would not be the one sent down? Watching Lou's expression as he trudges out to the mound is very telling... IF Cotts is sent down (he has one option left?), would Marshall replace him as the only lefty, if Samardjia is actually coming up?

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

I would guess because Cotts is the lone lefty, and the only suitable replacement at Iowa is Waddell. Lou said on WGN today that Samardzija is throwing middle relief and that he and Heilmann are both going to be bridges to Marmol/Gregg. He called it the "Notre Dame Connection". I figured Samardzija would come up as a starter, Marshall would go to the pen and Cotts would be sent out, but at least for now that does not seem to be the plan. I wonder if they might be trying to work out a trade to retain Patton's contrac so they can send him to the minors.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

1st part, I disagree with. 2nd part is most likely on the money. He did well when he first came up last year, but as I recall a big hunk of that was due to BABIP luck. Cotts is off to a .436 BABIP despite having yet to give up a flyball on the year. A couple years ago when Izturis was playing ahead of Cedeno, one of the writers at BP said that 'the Cubs don't understand the concept of sample size'. I would say that's still the case. Not trying to discount Cott's control problems.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

i don't see the use in getting rid of a guy who's sketchy (but oddly has the best pen #s so far) to replace him with a guy who has similar results with his stuff. about the only thing samninja doesn't do is give up homers... i wanna see the guy get 90+ pitch stamina...i wanna see him hone a 3rd pitch...i don't wanna see him in the pen when there's comparable arms to add (or not subtract). lou uses 5 relievers a game as it is...i'd like to see samninja's development a little more streamlined because his future isn't in that pen...i hope.

a.miles playing 2nd and batting 8th...theriot 7th... 2 best power hitters still batting 1st and 5th...thank gawd bradley is back.

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).