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

Top 10 Most Embarrassing Things About the Cubs

Please feel free to add or make up your own.
Here's my attempt:

#10: It turns out Geovany Soto's rotund shape came from a bad case of the munchies.

#9: Back to back sweeps in St. Louis and...San Diego (May 19 - 24).

#8: Taking out frustrations on a defenseless Gatorade dispenser.

#7: The "Exhibition" Games at the new Yankee Stadium, where the Cubs lost by a combined score of 5 to 17 in the two games.

#6: Getting more left handed.

#5: "Captain Morgan Club" - you just have to hope that the team really got alot of cash from that booze company to put that sign up at Wrigley Field. I can't even walk in there because the name is so embarassing.

#4: Aaron Miles. You can't even say "scrappy" about this guy.

#3: This thinking: "well, it's okay that the Cubs lost because so did St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati." EMBARASSING!

#2: The absolute lack of clutch hitting, and how the loss of one bat (Aramis) completely ruined an entire, expensive, professional, veteran line-up.

#1: Milton Bradley - from bumping the ump in his first game to tossing the ball into the bleachers with only two outs (Milton's Boner) - there isn't alot about Milton that isn't excruciatingly embarrassing.

Comments

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/1640256,CST-SPT-cub26.arti…

There was some concern that Bradley was sitting because of a sore left wrist suffered while diving for a ball Wednesday night, but Piniella stressed the wrist was not the issue.

''That had nothing to do with the tumble, believe me,'' Piniella said of Bradley's name missing from his lineup. ''He's just not playing today. Just call it a day off.''

Joshua thinks he's identified why he's struggling against right-handers...

Stat fun...

.687 OPS vs righties, .890 vs. lefties on the season

.627, .787, .760 OPS by month

231/500/385 last 7 days

313/463/406 last 14 days

at least he's walking...speaking of benching, when is Soriano's turn?

 

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Bradley and Fukudome literally must have swung through 100 fastballs over the last month. Every time I think Fukudome's goose is cooked he lines a couple of gappers like yesterday, but anyone who throws him something other than a 93+ MPH fastball for a strike right now should get his head checked. "speaking of benching, when is Soriano's turn?" For all the no nonsense talk that surrounds Piniella's managerial reputation, he seems to be giving differential treatment to the 'superstars' just like Dusty Baylor did. Punch your catcher? Fine we trade the catcher. Have maybe the worst ISO OBP ever from a leadoff man? Fine, have 60 more at bats.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

There is a major difference between Bradley and Soriano. Soriano knows what it takes to hit over a full season. Bradley is a glorified pinch hitter, a part time player, a player not suited to everyday play, a player best used on a limited basis. We signed a platoon player/DH for 30 million. Did you honestly expect him to drive in 100 RBI? When his max was 77? His 16 RBI is on pace for a 44 RBI season. He might be able to beat out a Neifi "Saved Us" season, thats if he goes on a major hitting rampage. Ryan Theriot has more HR, RBI, and Runs than Bradley. Granted he has more AB's, but you can't be productive sitting out games either. Its June 26th and having 16 RBI is pathetic. Maybe he can reach 20 RBI by the All-Star break.

I was going to say that having CubbyBlue adds a lot of class to the site, but then there's that flabby butt in front of me, so class isn't the right word. 'Character' maybe? Is he a good clubhouse presence? Either way, he's definitely a major coup for TCR.

Bradley, Theriot, Lee, Hoffpauir(DH), Fox(3B), Soto, Fontenot(2b), Soriano, Fukudome... and then I woke up... sori, fuky, milt, lee, hoff (dh), fox (3b), font (2b), soto, blanco(SS). (via Wittenmyer) so much for the "benching"...

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

You know what I think? This is totally me making things up, but it sounded like Lou wanted to bench MB and didn't want to talk about why. I think maybe there was some insubordination or some sort of locker room issue. Lou threatening to bench MB was maybe his way of kicking him in the butt? Total speculation I know, but hey, we do the best with what we have.

saw this on the White Sox executive that has a blog... http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/040042349A4429A8 A very limited number of tickets to TODAY's Cubs-Sox game just became available (These are turnbacks). Click here to take advantage of this special offer for Sox fans on this blog and twitter: So hopefully the Cubs fans can buy them all out...

I think Hoffpauir has looked pretty good in right field this season. --- regarding Rob's picture of Hoffpauir in the featured TCR area... how did he get away with having an extra ball velcro'd to the side of his shirt? Is this a variation on the hidden ball trick? Obviously, the game ball is in his glove.

Someone should give a shout-out to Mitch Atkins for taking a no-hitter into the eighth yesterday. The box score says 7.1 innings, 3 runs, 3 hits, but that doesn't tell you that Dubois lost a ball in the lights or that 2 of the 4 runs in that 8th inning came with Justin Berg on the hill. The Cubs tied it in the 9th and won in the 10th on hits by Fuld, Taguchi, Clevenger and Camp. Camp hit the walkoff double.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Good for Mitch "Average" Atkins...got that ERA down to 6.62. Berg's been decent since returning from the DL (ERA-wise), but not sure a walk-happy, groundball specialist is the way to get out of a jam.

Fuld's had a great June (427/489/547).

Gaub got promoted yesterday to Tripe A to join James Russell and JR Mathes as the  lefties in Iowa. Gaub had a 12.55 K/9 rate in AA. I think he's a keeper.

Russell's pulling a Samardzija. 5.11 ERA in Double A got him a promotion and he's got a 1.88 ERA now at Iowa in 14.1 IP. I'll give Russell a break because he's just 23, but strikeout rates are low and he seems to be a flyball pitcher...so he's got some work to do.

Mathes has a 3.41 ERA in Iowa. How the hell he's managed that with a 3.27 K/9 rate is unbelievable. At least he keeps the ball on the ground.

My top 10 (in no particular order or degree of embarrassment): 10: Soto has more hits after the game than during. 9: True Story - I go to the local sandwich shop today to grab lunch for the wife and me - the lady notices my cubs lid and says, "your total is the $19.08, hmmm the last time the Cubs won the series." She winked and showed me she was wearing a Cardinals shirt underneath her work shirt. 8: We actually signed Milton Bradley. 7: Sosa comes out in the wash. 6: Gregg said even he could have hit his Effus pitch out for a homer 5: Miles, Scales, Blanco, Bradley and Fontenot's RBI total = 60; De Rosa's RBI total = 50 4: They are in danger of being psychologically eliminated from post-season play 3: We just found out that our leadoff man has a "no bench" clause in his contract. 2: Lou stands by his firm belief that "Hey, I don't know what to tell ya, ha ha, I mean ..." 1: The Blackhawks won a first round playoff series before we did.

All I can say about the photo is that crack kills - stay away from it... I have this jingle in my head... "I was going to play in the WBC, and then I got high, then I got high..."

Interesting, Bob Brenly was just on Comcast sports net here in Chicago and said if his son Michael makes it to the majors with the Cubs, Bob will likely quit as an announcer. He said he doesn't want to have to criticize his son and he doesn't want to take it easy on him and not do his job when he struggles, so he would rather not announce.

1) The douchey people who wander around Wrigley; holding their cellphones or worse, wearing a bluetooth, waving at the cameras, paying no attention to the game. The rest of the baseball universe considers these people Cubs fans. I get tired of telling them otherwise. 2)The national media's stereotype of the Cubs (check the records, lazy asswipes). 3)Their historic inability to show discipline at the plate. I knew last year was an anomoly I savored. 4)They dominate blooper highlight reels: either giving up a huge homerun or fielding antics. 5)the scouts 6)Bad Daddies/owners 7)Neverending dick-related commercials 8)Our so-called "mascots" woo woo 9)trading away our best young players (Maddux) 10)lack of mental toughness;crumble at the slightest obstacle

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Wondering which contract history will judge the worst-- Bradley's or Fukudome's. I'm guessing the former. Fucking dumb ass. I don't give a shit about his supposed hard scrabble childhood. Cash your check, shut your stupid ass mouth and play the fucking game.

[ ]

In reply to by Chris

Fucking dumb ass. I don't give a shit about his supposed hard scrabble childhood. Cash your check, shut your stupid ass mouth and play the fucking game. Absofuckinglutely.....

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Len and Bob just confirmed that on air - beat the gatorade machine, got into words with Lou - and also said that Bradley left the ballpark already in street clothes.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Man oh man. The guy came just as advertised, didn't he? Maybe he's on his way up to confront Len and Bob. Man knows the way to the press box.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

It's time to eat his contract, whether it's a trade or just cutting him. They can't have guys leaving the park during a game, even if they are out of the game.

do I really need to say why? my 6 year old could've judged that ball better...

I think it's beyond time for Marmol to spend a few weeks in Iowa and reclaim a modicum of control before he pitches again in the big leagues. Jeff Stevens is on the 40-man roster and would be a decent replacement; even better, Parker or Reinhard. With Guzman out and Heilmann's suckiness, another strikeout arm from the right side is needed right away.

Piniella said he told Bradley to take his uniform off and go home (after he smashed a cooler), then had hot verbal interchange. Lou said he was tired of repeated temper tantrums and it was just time to put an end to this stuff (ie. tossing helmets, cooler attacks). Sounded more like it was focused on MB but I think there was some Z and others in that thought (not sure). But he's not into discipline and may be in the lineup tomorrow. Then says he will talk about it more tomorrow without giving much more detail. --- just for ummm...fun, Fox in 38 AB's has almost as much impact as Bradley all year (169 AB). Fox 11 RBI, Bradley 16. and Sean Marshall has had quite a fine week. He saved Marmol's ass (and the team's).

Lou says that Bradley is starting tomorrow. He told him to take off his uniform and go home after he blew up, then followed him up into the hall and they cursed each other out. Said he was tired of the blowups, but he wouldn't say if it was just Bradley's blowups or everyone's. Sounded like it was Bradley's, but Lou gave the impression it was time for him to get in control of the clubhouse. Didn't commit on Fox playing every day but said "how can you not put his name in the lineup?". Spoke well of Geo, gave Soriano a free pass on the missed flyball.

Paul Noce: Eat a $20mm contact? don't think so. Lou on CSN when asked if Jake Fox is gonna stay in the lineup said, "Put it this way: I don't know how i'm gonna keep him out of the lineup with that bat." He said he sentBradley home. Just is not helping the team. "We'll talk more about it tomorrow."

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Well, you obviously don't know what you did, so let me explain it to you. The just not helping the team bit, you say was 'editor's inference'. You're the editor, and you're unable to have an objective opinion on Bradley, so you should try to keep that in mind when applying your rights as an 'editor'. But the truth is that he did not say that, and actually complemented Bradley on the diving catch he made. So based on a complement about a play he made in the game you inferred that Lou thought Bradley is not helping the team. This obviously is a very poor job using your editorial skills. Now, technically the problem with what you did was this: You've got a paraphrased statement from Lou "He sent Bradley home", and an actual statement from Lou "We'll talk more about it tomorrow" sandwiching your editorial inference. You seem offended by me calling you a liar, but the way you placed your inference would lead any reasonable person to conclude that it was another paraphrase of something Lou said, particularly in the way that you used a fragment, like you were jotting down notes. You should have, at the very least, broken it into a separate paragraph. But your inference wasn't based on the facts of the interview (where Lou complimented Bradley on a play) anyway. Plus we all know that you're a Bradley hater and unable to be objective when it comes to him, so perhaps in the future you can just stick to the quotes and paraphrasing, and if you want to interject your opinion, make it clear that it's your opinion. For instance, "This guy just isn't helping the team."

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

You seem to think that the comments section on this website is a fully copy-edited, professional publication. It is not. You clearly take a great deal of time to write out all of your stuff (see above), but most of us are just typing quickly while at work. They have punctuation and grammar mistakes, and are often not as clear as we would like them to be. They may in fact be read differently from time to time by other posters than the way we intended them to be. You can simply then make a quick note that you watched the press conference and Lou never said "he is not helping the team" (as someone else did above), at which point the original poster says "yeah, that's not in quotes, never mean to imply Lou said that." END OF STORY. We don't really need a wikipedia entry on "editor's inference" and a guide to post comments by TRN.

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).