Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players are on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson

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

OPTIONED: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2 
Seiya Suzuki, OF
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 2
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

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




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

2012 Cubs Minor League Camp Rosters

Submitted by Arizona Phil on
NRI RHP Marco Carrillo was one of four non-roster players cut from the Cubs 2012 MLB Spring Training roster today (RHP Trey McNutt, INF Jonathon Mota, and OF Jae-Hoon Ha were the others), and the Mexican right-hander arrived at Fitch Park Minor League Camp this morning just in time for Pitchers Fielding Practice.

Carrillo got into one Cactus League game, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks in just 2/3 of an inning.

In addition to the 59 players left on the Cubs MLB Spring Training roster (39 players on the MLB 40-man roster, plus 20 non-roster players who received invitations to MLB Spring Training), there are presently 149 players at Fitch Park participating in Minor League Camp (152 once McNutt, Mota, and Ha arrive).

The players at Minor League Camp are divided into four squads that correspond to the Cubs four “full-season” minor league teams (AAA Iowa, AA Tennessee, Class-A Advanced Daytona, and Full-Season “A” Peoria), plus a 5th squad (known as “Boise/Mesa”) that represents the Cubs two short-season teams (Boise and AZL Cubs) that is gradually built from scratch during the course of Spring Training. (“Boise/Mesa” eventually will morph into the Cubs Extended Spring Training team next month).

Players at Minor League Camp are sometimes initially assigned to a squad one or maybe even two levels higher than where they are expected to play during the regular season, while others are initially assigned to the squad where they are expected to play.

As players are cut at Big League Camp and are optioned to the minors and/or sent to Minor League Camp (as was the case with Carrillo, McNutt, Mota, and Ha today), there is a corresponding cascade of roster moves made at Minor League Camp as players are moved down a level (or released) to make room for the players arriving from Big League Camp.(Players on the Iowa squad are moved down to the Tennessee squad, players on the Tennessee squad are moved down to the Daytona squad, players on the Daytona squad are moved down to the Peoria squad, etc).

Right now the rosters at Minor League Camp are fairly stable. Every now & then a player will get moved up or down to a different squad to provide position-balance or injury-coverage, and maybe a player here or there will get released, but generally not much will change with the rosters at Minor League Camp until the first “big cut” at the Big League Camp.

The first big “batch cut” at Big League Camp should happen around March 15th (next Thursday), because that is the first day Draft-Excluded Players (any minor league player eligible for selection in the last Rule 5 Draft who was added to the 40-man roster after August 15th) can be optioned to the minors, and it’s also the first day a Rule 5 Player can be outrighted to the minors.

Additionally, Minor League Spring Training games don’t start until next week, so it doesn’t make much sense to send a player who has already played in MLB Cactus League games to Minor League Camp when the pitchers and position players at Minor League Camp aren’t yet in game shape. Every now & then you will see a player get sent to Minor League Camp early (like Carrillo, McNutt, Mota, and Ha today), but when that happens it’s usually either a very young player, or a pitcher who is injured and/or out of shape and thus unable to pitch in MLB Cactus League games.

Besides the 211 MLB and minor league Cubs players presently in Mesa, there are 78 minor leaguers assigned to the Cubs Dominican Academy for Spring Training, and this group will eventually be split into two 35-man squads. These two squads (DSL Cubs #1 and DSL Cubs #2) are the two Cubs teams that play in the Dominican Summer League. A few of the more-promising and most-ready players at the Dominican Acdemy will be brought up to Fitch Park at the end of Spring Training and will get assigned to the Cubs Extended Spring Training squad.

CUBS 2012 MINOR LEAGUE CAMP ROSTERS

PLAYER PERSONNEL DIRECTOR
Oneri Fleita

MINOR LEAGUE FIELD COORDINATOR:
Brandon Hyde

INSTRUCTORS:
Tom Beyers (Short-Season Teams Hitting Coordinator)
Bill Dancy (Infield)
Dennis Lewallyn (Pitching Coordinator)
Marty Pevey (Catching)
James Rowson (Full-Season Teams Hitting Coordinator)
Lee Tinsley (Outfield/Baserunning)

* bats or throws left
# bats both

IOWA (30)

MANAGER:
Dave Bialas

COACHES:
Dave Keller (Hitting Coach)
Mike Mason (Pitching Coach)

PITCHERS (16):
Frank Batista
Dallas Beeler
Justin Berg (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Marco Carrillo
Hung-Wen Chen
Marcus Hatley
Aaron Kurcz
Jordan Latham
Oswaldo Martinez
* Brooks Raley
Kevin Rhoderick
* Nate Robertson
* Ryan Rowland-Smith
Brian Schlitter
Ryan Searle
Nick Struck

CATCHERS (3):
Juan Apodaca
Luis Flores (see NOTE)
Mario Mercedes
NOTE: Luis Flores is on the RESTRICTED LIST while serving a 50-game Prohibited Substance suspension, but he is participating in Minor League Camp activities

INFIELDERS (8):
Leugim Barroso
# David Macias
* Jake Opitz
Rebel Ridling
Greg Rohan
Nate Samson
Marquez Smith
Elliot Soto

OUTFIELDERS (3):
* Michael Burgess
Evan Crawford
Ty Wright

TENNESSEE (30)

MANAGER:
Buddy Bailey

COACHES:
Mariano Duncan (Hitting Coach)
Jeff Fassero (Pitching Coach)

PITCHERS (15):
* Jeffry Antigua
Dan Berlind
David Cales (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
* Brent Ebinger
Ricardo Estevez (see NOTE)
* Casey Harman
Ty’Relle Harris
* Eric Jokisch
Matt Loosen
Yoannis Negrin
Juan Serrano
* Matt Spencer (ex-OF)
Larry Suarez
Rob Whitenack (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Tony Zych
NOTE: Ricardo Estevez is on the RESTRICTED LIST while serving a 50-game Prohibited Substance suspension, but he is participating in Minor League Camp activities

CATCHERS (4):
* Sergio Burruel
Taylor Davis
* Rafael Lopez
Chad Noble

INFIELDERS (7):
* Justin Bour
* Matt Cerda
* Ryan Cuneo (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
# Zeke DeVoss
* Rubi Silva
Rafael Valdes
* Logan Watkins

OUTFIELDERS (4):
Abner Abreu
John Andreoli
Eliecer Bonne
Taiwan Easterling (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)

DAYTONA (32)

MANAGER:
Brian Harper

COACHES:
Marty Mason (Pitching Coach)
Desi Wilson (Hitting Coach)

PITCHERS (17):
* Kyler Burke (ex-OF)
Zach Cates
Eduardo Figueroa
Dustin Fitzgerald
P. J. Francescon
Su-Min Jung
* Austin Kirk
Luis Liria
* Jeff Lorick
A. J. Morris
Starling Peralta
Jose Rosario
* Zac Rosscup
Bryce Shafer
Hayden Simpson
Charles Thomas (ex-3B)
Brett Wallach

CATCHERS (3):
Yaniel Cabezas (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Anthony Giansanti (ex-OF)
Neftali Rosario

INFIELDERS (7):
# Arismendy Alcantara
* Wes Darvill
Dustin Harrington
Paul Hoilman
* Richard Jones
Pierre LePage
Ronald Torreyes

OUTFIELDERS (5):
* Pin-Chieh Chen
Reggie Golden
* Ben Klafczynski
Mayke Reyes
Blair Springfield

PEORIA (40)

MANAGER:
Casey Kopitzke

COACHES:
Barbaro Garbey (Hitting Coach)
Tom Pratt (Pitching Coach)

PITCHERS (16):
* Hunter Ackerman
* Willengton Cruz
Ramon Garcia
Ryan Hartman
Michael Jensen
Pete Levitt
Dillon Maples (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Carlos Martinez
Hector Mayora
* Sheldon McDonald
* Andrew McKirahan
Tarlandus Mitchell
Roderik Pichardo
Yao-Lin Wang
Ben Wells
Joe Zeller

CATCHERS (2):
Wilson Contreras (ex-3B)
# Wilfredo Petit

INFIELDERS (13):
Gioskar Amaya
Javier Baez
Xavier Batista
# Jeimer Candelario
Ryan Durrence
Dustin Geiger
# Marco Hernandez
# Brian Inoa
* Danny Lockhart
# Rock Shoulders
Kenny Socorro
* Dan Vogelbach
Brad Zapenas

OUTFIELDERS (9):
* Delbis Arcila
Yasiel Balaguert
* Shawon Dunston, Jr
* Eduardo Gonzalez
* Trevor Gretzky (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Dong-Yub Kim
Trey Martin
* Garrett Schlecht (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
# Oliver Zapata

BOISE/MESA (17)

MANAGERS:
Mark Johnson (Boise)
Bobby Mitchell (AZL Cubs)

COACHES:
Bill Buckner (Boise Hitting Coach)
Frank Castillo (AZL Cubs Pitching Coach)
Jason Dubois (AZL Cubs Hitting Coach)
Gian Guzman (AZL Cubs Ass’t Coach)
David Rosario (Boise Pitching Coach)
Rick Tronerud (Fitch Park Rehab Pitching Coach)

PITCHERS (14):
Jose Arias
Ian Dickson
Ethan Elias (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
David Henrie
* Graham Hicks (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Jin-Young Kim
Felix Pena
James Pugliese
Austin Reed
Colin Richardson
Tayler Scott
* Brian Smith
Austin Urban (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)
Scott Weismann

CATCHERS (3):
* Justin Marra
* Alberto Mineo
Antonio Valerio (LIMITED ACTIVITY ONLY)

INFIELDERS (0):
TBD

OUTFIELDERS (0):
TBD

NOT ON FIELD - WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN:
* Frank del Valle, P (?)
Gregori Gonzalez, IF-OF (?)
Yohan Gonzalez, P (?)
* Cam Greathouse, P (supposedly will report to EXST)
Alvido Jimenez, P (?)
Arturo Maltos-Garcia, P (2011 TJS rehab)
Amaury Paulino, P (?)
* Nelson Perez, OF (?)

=================================================

CUBS DOMINICAN ACADEMY (79)

LATIN AMERICAN FIELD COORDINATOR:
Carmelo Martinez

MANAGERS:
Juan Cabreja
Yudith Ozorio

COACHES:
Franklin Blanco (Hitting Coach)
Leo Hernandez (Pitching Coach)
Ricardo Medina (Hitting Coach)
Leo Perez (Catching Coach)
Anderson Tavares (Pitching Coach)

PITCHERS (48):
Gilberto Abreu
Daniel Adrian
Pedro Araujo
Manuel Asencio
* Adrian Aviles
* Alfredo Belizaire
Pedro Brazoban
Enger Cabreja
Javier Castro
* Augusto Colina
Juancito de la Cruz
Michael de la Cruz
* Alberto Diaz
Jorge Diaz
Rafael Diplan
Antonio Encarnacion
* Warner Eusebio
* Frailyn Figueroa (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
Alexander Frias
* Manuel Fuentes
* Victor Garcia
Enyel Gonzalez
Luis Guillen
Jeffrey Hernandez (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
* Richard Leyba
Eric Martinez
* Jose Martinez
Pedro Medina (ex-OF)
* Angel Mejias
Jose Morel (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
Yomar Morel
Loiger Padron
* Jose Paulino (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
Enyelberth Pena (see NOTE)
Hector Perez
Jesus Pereyra
* Christopher Pieters (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
Amalio Reyes
* Carlos Rodriguez (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
Melvin Rosa
Victor Salazar
Julio Sanchez
Yilver Sanchez
Alexander Santana
Carlos Severino
Daury Torrez
Francisco Turbi
* Luis Villalba
NOTE: Enyelberth Pena is on the RESTRICTED LIST, but is assigned to the Dominican Academy

CATCHERS (7):
# Erick Castillo
Steven de la Cruz
# Mark Malave (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
Jhonny Pena
# Felix Perez
* Carlos Ramirez
# Engel Santana

INFIELDERS (14):
Luis Acosta (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
# Roney Alcala
# Varonex Cuevas
# Antonio Gonzalez
* Gabriel Jimenez-Gallardo
* Ricardo Marcano (16-year old signed during 2011-12 International Signing Period)
Carlos Montero
# Jose Montesino
# John Ortega
Adonis Paula
Carlos Penalver
* Jefry Puente
# Jesus Rodriguez
Francisco Sanchez

OUTFIELDERS (10):
Jeffrey Baez
* Frammi Cabrera
Arnaldo Calero
# Roberto Caro
Jose Casilla
* Edwin Contreras
# Kevin Encarnacion
Enderson Mercedes
Shamiel Ubiera
Rhander Valdez

===========================================================

CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS DEPARTED LAST 12 MONTHS:

TRADED:
Ryan Buchter, LHP (to ATL for Rodrigo Lopez)
Kyung-Min Na, OF (to SD with Andrew Cashner for Anthony Rizzo and Zach Cates)
Tony Thomas, 2B (to BOS for Robert Coello)

SELECTED IN RULE 5 DRAFT:
Ryan Flaherty, INF (by BAL)
Marwin Gonzalez, INF (by BOS, then traded to HOU)

RELEASED:
Joel Altagracia, 1B
Manuel Barrios, OF
Vismeldy Bieneme, INF
Smaily Borges, OF
Jane Bremon, RHP
Dave Bush, RHP (signed with PHI)
Johan DeJesus, C
Manolin DeLeon, RHP
Thomas Diamond, RHP (signed with MIN)
Rafael Disla, INF
Darlyn Figueroa, OF
D. J. Fitzgerald, OF (see NOTE)
Carlos Galvez, LHP
Jasly Gonzalez, OF
Miguel Gonzalez, C
Steve Grife, RHP (see NOTE)
Jose Guevara, C
Francisco Guzman, OF
Gian Guzman, INF
Cody Hams, LHP
Chris Huseby, RHP-OF (signed with BOS)
Nick Johnson, RHP (contract voided)
Danny Keefe, RHP
Max Kwan, C
James Leverton, LHP (see NOTE)
Robinson Lopez, RHP
Casey Lucchese, RHP (contract voided)
Alessandro Maestri, RHP (see NOTE)
Corey Martin, RHP (see NOTE)
J. R. Mathes, LHP (see NOTE)
Steven Maxwell, RHP (contract voided)
Brandon May, INF
Jake McAloose, INF
John Mincone, LHP (see NOTE)
Jesus Morelli, OF
Jake Muyco, RHP (see NOTE)
Augie Ojeda, INF
Mike Parisi, RHP (signed with LAD)
Michael Perconte, RHP (see NOTE)
Fernando Perez, OF (signed with NYM)
Marcos Perez, LHP
Manuel Pestana, OF
Alvaro Ramirez, OF (see NOTE)
Max Ramirez, C (signed with HOU)
Ramon Reyes, RHP
Gregorio Robles, OF
Jhon Rodriguez, RHP
Santo Rodriguez, RHP
Carlos Rojas, RHP
Carlos Romero, C
Jean Sandoval, RHP
Deuris Severino, RHP
Aaron Shafer, RHP (signed with ATL)
Cody Shields, OF
Chris Siegfried, LHP (see NOTE)
Kyle Smit, RHP
Luke Sommer, LHP (see NOTE)
Hector Suarez, C
Wladimir Telles, RHP
Pat Terry, C (contract voided)
Jose Tineo, RHP
Polin Trinidad, LHP (signed with OAK)
Jose Valdez, OF
Tzu-An Wang, RHP
NOTE: Player signed with team in independent league after getting released

MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT:
Austin Bibens-Dirkx, RHP (signed with WAS)
Robert Coello, RHP (signed with TOR)
Angel Guzman, RHP (signed with LAD)
Dylan Johnston, OF-RHP
Lou Montanez, OF (signed with PHI)
Scott Moore, INF (signed with HOU)
Chris Robinson, C (signed with TEX)
Carlton Smith, RHP
Brad Snyder, OF (signed with HOU)
Alvaro Sosa, RHP
Jeff Stevens, RHP (signed with NYM)
John Urick, 1B

RETIRED:
Justin Bristow, RHP
Travis Garcia, INF
Braden Looper, RHP
Craig Muschko, RHP
Jon Nagel, RHP
Eric Rice, RHP
Todd Wellemeyer, RHP

Tags
Cubs Spring Training
Cubs Minor League Rosters
Jae-Hoon Ha
Marco Carrillo
Trey McNutt
Jonathon Mota

Comments

Submitted by tim815 on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 03:58 pm

Nice to see our Euro import is accounted for.

Submitted by Koyies Bansaw on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 03:39 pm

I thought Marcos Perez had potential.... guess not. Why did Eric Rice and Craig Muschko retire? Who else do you think is on thin ice this spring training, AZ Phil?

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 03:12 pm

Fri, 03/09/2012 - 10:39pm — Koyies Bansaw I thought Marcos Perez had potential.... guess not. Why did Eric Rice and Craig Muschko retire? Who else do you think is on thin ice this spring training, AZ Phil? =============================== K BANSAW: I can't say for sure why Muschko and Rice retired, but playing minor league baseball can be an expensive hobby. For example, players at Peoria typicaly make about $8,000 a year (even less at Boise), and even players at Tennessee make about $12,000 until they get some leverage by becoming a minor league FA after seven seasons. And if a player is married and has kids it can be a definite financial hardship to play pro ball, especially if the player has other options in the Real World. And then other times it's because a player (usually a pitcher) suffers a serious shoulder or elbow injury and either the player can't afford to spend the time or does not want to invest the time needed to rehab the injury when there is no guarantee the player will ever be anything close to what he was before the injury. And sometimes a player just simply loses his appetite for playing baseball. As to why a particular player is released, sometimes it has little or nothing to do with the player's performance on the field. Not speaking about any player in particular here, but some Cubs minor leaguers have been released over the years because of alcohol or substance abuse issues, or after commiting a crime, or chronic tardiness, or insubordination, or getting into fights with coaches and/or teammates, etc. And if a player is a bordeline prospect to begin with (and most are), the organizatiion will usually give the player a second chance, but you better not be a serial screw up, because It's just not good for morale to allow a particular player to get away with breaking the rules over & over again when other players do follow the rules. .

Recent comments

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Right on schedule, just read an article in Baseball America entitled "10 MLB Prospects Outside The Top 100 Who Have Our Attention".  Zyhir Hope was one of the prospects featured. It stated that he's "one of the biggest arrow-up sleeper prospects in the lower levels right now."

     

    Not sharing to be negative about the trade, getting a top 100 prospect who is MLB ready should carry a heavy prospect cost.  But man, Dodger sure are good at identifying and developing young talent. Andrew Friedman seems to have successfully merged Ray's development with Yankees financial might to create a juggernaut of an organization.  

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
    I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
    I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
    That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
    I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
    We'll find out soon enough!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Teheran minor league deal is done, per MLB.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Based on Phil’s sound analysis it sounds like a no brainer for Almonte to be placed on waivers as today’s roster move. We shall see.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I suspect Counsell/Hottovy will use the piggy-back extensively, with Taillon and Hendricks pitching as the "pig" (and with a very short leash) and some combo of Wicks, Brown, and Wesneski (whichever two do not start) as the "backers."  

    Keep in mind that Keegan Thompson has a minor league option available, and if Yency Almonte is not outrighted by 4/26 he cannot be sent to the minors without his consent after that date. Almonte is out of minor league options, so I am talking about him getting outrighted to the minors if he is not claimed off waivers, and if he is claimed off waivers, the Cubs save the pro-rated portion of his $1.9M salary, which helps lower the Cubs 2024 AAV.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Totally agree. The 26 man roster very rarely consists of the 13 best position players and 13 best pitchers.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Based on what Jed has done in the past, I’d say the plan is to

    -give Hendricks another few starts
    -give Taillon some runway ot get his season underway

    -Mix and match in the bullpen and see what sticks

    Jed usually doesn’t do a whole lot of waiver wire plays in-season, at least early in the season. He only reallly did that after he blew up the rosters in 21 and 22 because they needed bodies (guys like Schwindel, Fargas, etc).

    I think he’s a little handcuffed by a full 40 man in that he can’t really maneuver much with giving anyone showing ability at AAA (R Thompson/ Sanders/ Edwards etc). Brewer has the most tenuous grip there, and we will see what kind of chance he gets. Other than his spot, there isn’t a ton of 40 man wiggle room.

    I’m very curious to see what happens with Brown now that Taillon returns. Bullpen? Wicks to Iowa? 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Pro teams have to play their "big money" guys if they are healthy and not "locker room" issues.
    The Cubs wanted to deal JHey off well before they bought him out. They just didn't want to pay him to play for someone else for that long. Jed did give him 20+mil to play for LAD last yr.
    Jed might also let Kyle walk at some point this year. Similar scenario to JHey, except Jed thought Kyle was going to be good/solid in '24!!
    You'd think Smyly is in the same book as well. Same with Neris (he's a 1yr vet RP, so he's not really in this convo too much).
    That's ~35mil between those three and those three are going to get opportunities until at least late June) over younger guys even if their performance is "iffy".
    But, Jed is going to play Taillon a lot. They have to try and justify that contract and hope a veteran works out.
    So, Taillon, Imanaga, and Hendricks are locks for the rest of April and probably May.
    Assad, Brown and Wicks handle the last spots until Steele is ready.
    Now, you're question has real merit when Steele comes back. That will interesting if Brown is still good and Hendricks is still bad. But Taillon is entirely safe as long as he's healthy.

    And the bullpen moves were "money" based as well. Smyly has actually been okay. But he hasn't been clearly better than Little. Little had one bad outing. But Smyly makes 9mil. If they needed another RHRP and one of Little and Smyly had to go, it was going to Little. But that doesn't mean Smyly is one of the best 13 arms for the team. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: I think there was an issue with Luke Little coming into a game with men on base. He seems to need a "clean" inning to be dominant. So he is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AAA. Same goes for Michael Arias. He needs to come into a "clean" inning, and is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AA. Porter Hodge is a more versatile pitcher, a better version of Keegan Thompson (multi-inning RP). But Little, Arias, and Hodge (probably in that order) are the Cubs top three RP prospects (all three are Cubs Top 15 prospects).

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