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

Solid Goldschmidt Slam Helps D'backs Demolish Cubs at HoHoKam

Paul Goldschmidt blasted a grand slam home run, Henry Blanco and Alfredo Marte slugged solo shots, and Ian Kennedy threw four shutout innings, as the Arizona Diamondbacks coasted to an 12-2 victory over a split squad of Cubs in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm & sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

Ryan Dempster got the start for the Cubs, and was not particularly effective, allowing three runs (all earned) on eight hits (including one double and one HR) and a walk in 3.2 IP (3/1 GO/FO). He struck out three. The best part of Dempster’s outing was that he was stretched-out to 68 pitches (38 strikes), but otherwise the outing was mediocre at best.

Cubs #1 LHRP James Russell relieved Dempster with two outs in the 4th, retiring LH hitting Gerardo Parra on an inning-ending ground out. Russell then allowed a run on one hit in the 5th. However, the one hit allowed was a lead-off routine pop-up in medium deep CF that Marlon Byrd lost in the sun for a gift double, and then the D’backs moved the runner around on a couple of fly outs to plate the run. But the fact is, Russell looked VERY good today, throwing 31 pitches (21 strikes) with a 1/2 GO/FO and one strikeout (Geoff Blum).

Cub closer Carlos Marmol worked the 6th inning, and he threw a shoutout inning, allowing a walk and a single. But he also had control issues, laboring through a long inning of work (29 pitches – only 14 strikes) before finally retiring the side and leaving a runner stranded at 3rd base.

8th inning set-up man & back-up closer RHP Kerry Wood took the mound in the 7th, and was unable to retire the side. He was pulled from the game after striking out David Winfree (looking) with the bases loaded (for the first out of the frame), 27 pitches deep into the inning. LHP and Cubs 2011 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Jeff Beliveau (who was optioned to AAA Iowa earlier in the day) relieved Woody, and could not find home plate, walking in two runs before allowing the Goldschmidt grand slam that landed in the parking lot beyond the LF fence.

Beliveau had big-time control problems in college and in his first couple of seasons in pro ball, before making an adjustment in his delivery and becoming a control pitcher and definite MLB LH relief prospect. But other than a dominating outing at Camelback Ranch versus the Dodgers last Sunday (five strikeouts in two innings) he has reverted to his old form this spring.

The Cub home team offense was once again mostly silent today, scoring one run in the 7th on three singles, and a another on a Michael Brenly solo HR in the 8th.

The other squad of Cubs traveled up the Loop 101 Freeway to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, losing to the Rockies 7-5. I was not at that game, but Junior Lake did hit a three-run HR in the 6th to give the Cubs a temporary 4-3 lead, and Bryan LaHair apparently began to break out his Spring Training-long slump, collecting three hits, including a double.

Marcos Mateo threw a 1-2-3 8th (striking out Brandon Wood and Tyler Colvin and retiring Jordan Pacheco on an infield pop-up) to help advance his cause to make the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster (Mateo is out of minor league options and so irrevocable Outright Waivers would have to be secured before he can be sent to the minors).

Prior to the two games, the Cubs optioned pitchers Alberto Cabrera, Jeff Beliveau, and John Gaub (who did not pitch in a Cactus League game) and infielder Josh Vitters to AAA Iowa, and infielder Junior Lake and outfielder Matt Szczur to AA Tennessee. Also NRI catcher Jason Jaramillo (who has been sidelined with a leg injury since last month) was reassigned to Minor League Camp.

You might have noticed that there was an inordinate number of transactions around MLB today. That’s because today was the first day Draft-Excluded Players (any minor leaguer eligible for selection in the 2011 December Rule 5 Draft who was added to an MLB 40-man roster after 8-15-2011) could be sent to the minors, plus minor league Spring Training games start tomorrow.

Comments

Unrelated to anything, this is a good one from Al Yellon: The Miami Marlins are looking forward to lefty slugger Giancarlo Stanton taking aim at the home-run structure in left-center field at Marlins Park. Maybe he’ll hit a ball into it and it will burst into fireworks like the light tower did in “The Natural”!

DeJesus 9, Byrd 8, Castro 6, Rizzo 3, Mather 5, Clevenger 2, Sappelt 7, Cardenas 4, Garza 1. Byrd seems to be an early favorite for the #2 spot.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Fri, 03/16/2012 - 12:18pm — Rob G. Cubs claim RHP Frankie De La Cruz from Brewers aka Eulogio De La Cruz ===================================== ROB G: Frankie de la Cruz is out of minor league options, and he has been outrighted previously in his career so he can refuse an Outright Assignment should that come to pass. Looks a lot like a two-week try-out to me, and if he does not impress, then it'll be bye-bye Frankie.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Cubs Claim...RHP Frankie De La Cruz from Brewers aka Eulogio De La Cruz --- Here's the connection: Chris Bosio was the one on the current Cub staff who saw the most of De La Cruz' last year because he was the pitching coach last year in Nashville. Less of a connection was Sveum seeing him in his brief 11 games (13 IP) while in the Brewers bullpen last year. Three of the 4 runs he gave up last season were against the Pirates (3 IP), no runs in 5 IP vs Cards.

Coleman over Maholm to win Pitcher's Bracket DeJesus over W. Castillo to win Hitter's Bracket DeJesus beats Coleman to win it all. Always bet on The Jesus.

Garza: 4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Dolis: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K Rusin: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K L. Castillo 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Cubs down 3-1 heading to bottom of 8th.

0/2 today...0/spring so far.

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).