Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Why Not Gain an Edge? (Might As Well)

The All-Star break will give Jim Hendry and the Cubs a great chance to minimize the effect on the 25-man roster of Derrek Lee's impending suspension. Here's how: It seems likely that D-Lee will get his hearing with MLB sometime between the All-Star Game next Tuesday and the Cubs' resumption of the regular season on Friday 7/13. Whether Lee will end up having to serve the full five games or have the suspension reduced to maybe four games is still unknown, but one thing that is known for sure is that while D. Lee is serving his suspension, the Cubs will have to play with a 24-man roster. As of right now, the Cubs roster has an extra man on the bench, but is one-man short in the bullpen. If the seventh-man in the bullpen is restored, the bench goes back to five, and then to four while D-Lee sits out. Unless... Because the Cubs will not need a fifth starter again until Tuesday 7/17, Sean Marshall could be optioned to the minors immediately after tonight's game. Then the Cubs can bring up a 7th reliever (like Clay Rapada), who would remain with the Cubs until whenever Ryan Dempster is reactivated. Meanwhile, Marshall could get a minor league start at AA Tennessee next Wednesday to stay sharp between tonight's game and his next start with the Cubs on 7/17. In fact, if Hendry really exercises his brain, Rich Hill could also be optioned to the minors for ten days (starting today), because his next start isn't until Monday 7/16. (And because R. Hill would be spending less than 20 days on optional asignment, he would continue to accrue MLB service time AND the Cubs would not burn an option). Then the Cubs could add another extra man to the bench (like Cedeno, Murton, Coats, or Moore) for this weekend's series at Pittsburgh and the three-game series versus HOU at Wrigley immediately after the ASB, before recalling R. Hill and Marshall from their minor league optional assignments on 7/16-7/17. The idea is to gain an edge--admittedly a slight edge--but sometimes such an edge is the difference between winning or losing one game, and that one game could make a difference at the end of the season if the N. L. Central and/or Wild Card is a "photo-finish." Might as well take advantage of the All-Star Break and MLB roster rules to maximize the number of bullets available for each game.

Comments

Brilliant. I hope Hendry uses this website as a free resource. I also hope that Marshall and/or Hill understand that this is just a procedural move.

I vote for Scott Moore as the call up in this situation. Left handed bat with the most defensive flexibility to cover for DLee's absence. Plus he can spot Aramis for his enevitable day off during DLee's suspention.

Somebody will pick him up. His ERA at 4.40 isn't that bad and his cost is minimal.

Arizona Phil: .................Your plan makes too much sense. Hendry will never go for it.

It doesn't matter how they maneuver the roster as long as they replace a pitcher with a hitter during Lee's suspension. Micah Hoffpauir seems to be the logical choice to play first base in Lee's absence. Maybe they can convince Hill that he needs a minor league tune-up during the break. It may hurt his confidance; however, he certainly can't be gaining any confidence with the recent shellings either.

GEO. — July 5, 2007 @ 9:22 am It doesn’t matter how they maneuver the roster as long as they replace a pitcher with a hitter during Lee’s suspension. Micah Hoffpauir seems to be the logical choice to play first base in Lee’s absence. ========================= GEO: Micah Hoffpauir is on the Iowa DL with a knee injury. Hopefully it's not too serious. (Hoff- POWER!). Also, RHP Sean Gallagher has left the Iowa Cubs (he did not make his planned scheduled start last night versus New Orleans, so he has a fresh arm) and I would presume he is en route to WAS to join the Cubs to be the 7th man in the pen (at least until Ryan Dempster is reactivated).

Wow. I think Crane Kenny, aka International Man of Mystery, needs to step aside. This makes so much sense.

I would advocate that Rich Hill get his act together and work on something other than his fastball or curve. He needs to use his offspeed stuff more.

Can we vote on who our GM is? I nominate AZPhil. What's the over/under on whether Hendry will do any or all of what AZPhil has suggested? Does anyone have an email address of someone in the Cub's organization? Can you email them a link to AZPhil's article to pass along to the donut king of Greater Chicago? Please?

Did anyone see this? I figured this would stoke up the waning Murton-love... The trade between the Padres and Cubs that brought catcher Michael Barrett was the third between the teams in two seasons. As part of the clubs' discussions last month, the Padres also inquired about Cubs corner outfielder Matt Murton, a right-handed hitter whose ability to work the count fits a Padres preference. But the Cubs firmly made it known that they highly value Murton, 25. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070705/news_1s5padnotes.html

Reliever Doug Brocail, who is on the DL because of a buttocks strain, threw two scoreless innings for Lake Elsinore last night.

great idea AZ Phil... suspension is only 5 games though right now, Lee's hoping to get it reduced to 3 or 4 games fwiw...

mlb.com is broken....I planned on spending the next 5 hours voting for carlos, but it's not working.

"Can we vote on who our GM is? I nominate AZPhil..." I think Phil would not want the headache. Plus, he would not be able to speculate anymore for us as it would be a clear conflict of interest. Don't DO IT AZ PHIL!

I am hoping that not only the team resigns Z (which will be current management's HUGE mistake as time goes on in Cub history, imo), but they lure away a coveted, experienced GM from a successful org.

Great strategy, AZ Phil. It makes the most sense in the world to juggle the roster in this way. Too bad Hendry continues to forget to take his 'Anti-dumbass' medicine regularly. The only chance any part of this happens is if Lou forces the issue and/or makes these moves a demand to Jimbo. I mean, he hasn't figured out his manager is playing with only 12 position players for the past 3 weeks. It's not like Lou is suddenly going to start playing Jones and Izturis even 3-4 starts a week in the near future, if ever. All your proposed moves would cost is travel expenses (probably already budgeted to some extent anyway). Hopefully Lou has figured out that with Jimbo he not only has to connect the dots, but must color in the picture as well.

hendry runs his teams and shares a lot of views on talent positives from his mentor dombrowski...partial architect of past florida and current det teams. it was almost predictable that if anyone would take neifi and his contract it'd be dom...though i was wikid surprised, honestly. they both think anyone who can throw 95+ is a kid worth having even if theyve killed people with it from lack of control. still...think all the high end GMs are under contract and happy where theyre currently at.

Paul DePodesta would be one I might consider, crunch. He's currently holding down some VP position in the Padres organization. He's probably the best GM who is currently not one. Don't know if you consider him high end, but I think he's a better fit than Hendry. He's a sabr guy, though. Take that for what it's worth.

Cliff Floyd was on WSCR today and said there is "alot of pressure" by the fans for the Cubs to win. I heard KC, Pittsburgh, and Tampa are nice this time of year. How about this scenerio- Cubs fall short of playoffs this year, new ownership stays pat, loses Z and no additions. Does Loupa get disgruntled ala Tampa and walk?

No, no Depodesta is pure evil. He ruined the Dodgers. blah, blah, blah, blah. Stupid Brad Penny trade.... I'd love DePo, but he has a hard time communicating his vision with those around him. That's why he got run out of town. He really expected to be handed the job and be able to make his moves without anyone looking over him and the Dodger higher ups didn't care for it.

Cubs minor league news... Iowa signs P Mike Nannini (bonus pts if you can remember the name) and INF/OF John Nelson. Peoria moves: Added 1b Derek Schermerhorn, LHP Casey Lambert (6th round pick this year) and RHP Michael Bartek. Released 1B Ryan Norwood. RHP Adam Harben (the Phil Nevin trade) might resume pitching by the end of July.

I nominate Dayton Moore as the next cubs GM. Can he bring Alex Gordon and Billy Butler with him?

ack..umm....#30 is in reference to rob's "remember the name" question... WILLIS HAS NOT BEEN TRADED. doh...heh

right team, wrong trade crunch and he was actually involved in 2 previous Cubs trades, once we got him from a team and then we sent him off.

Rob G. — July 5, 2007 @ 11:25 am Cubs minor league news… Iowa signs P Mike Nannini (bonus pts if you can remember the name) and INF/OF John Nelson. ============================ ROB G: Mike Nannini was the PTBNL sent to FLA in the Derrek Lee for Hee Seop Choi deal of November 2003. But back right atcha... There was a specific reason why Mike Nannini was a PTBNL at the time. What was this reason?

Sorry to say everyone that the only "out-of-the-box" thinking you'll get from Hendry is how to get those donuts out of the box and into his mouth.

hehe, got me on that one AZ Phil. Nannini was also part of the trade that sent Tom Gordon to the Astros for Russ Rohlicek in 2002. Some guy named Travis Anderson was involved too...

Rob G. — July 5, 2007 @ 10:56 am great idea AZ Phil… suspension is only 5 games though right now, Lee’s hoping to get it reduced to 3 or 4 games fwiw… =========================== ROB G: I have made the correction in the article. Thanks for checking.

Dammit Phil! Can you call Hendry? If you don't there is no way he'll pull that off. It was clever, thoughtful, smart...all things that I don't think Jimbo is capable of. You should really be a special assistant to a GM with that kind of insight.

They had to wait for the Rule 5 draft to be completed, also if I recall we got Nannini as a PTBNL for Tom Gordon along with some other useless parts.

Rob G. — July 5, 2007 @ 11:40 am hehe, got me on that one AZ Phil. Nannini was also part of the trade that sent Tom Gordon to the Astros for Russ Rohlicek in 2002. Some guy named Travis Anderson was involved too… ========================= ROB G: And then Travis Anderson was subsequently flipped in another deal, going to COL with Mark Bellhorn for Jose Hernandez in May 2003, and then Hernandez, Matt Bruback, and Bobby Hill got traded to PIT a month later for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez. So we've got some sort of "degrees of separation" thing between the Flash Gordon stretch drive deal of '02 and acquiring Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee.

yeah, as Rob said, Anderson and Rohlicek were those useless parts, neither ever played a game for the Cubs I don't think.

WISCGRAD — July 5, 2007 @ 11:46 am They had to wait for the Rule 5 draft to be completed, also if I recall we got Nannini as a PTBNL for Tom Gordon along with some other useless parts. ========================= WISCGRAD: You are correct, sir! The Derrek Lee for Hee Seop Choi deal was made after minor league rosters were frozen on November 20th, but prior to the Rule 5 Draft the first week of December. Because Nannini was "frozen" on the Iowa roster, the Marlins and Cubs had to wait until the Rule 5 Draft had concluded before Nannini could be sent to FLA.

Give Hendry more credit. Calling Cherry up so they could put him on the DL and recall Petrick was pretty slick. They must have had that in mind when they sent Petrick down. He looked good the first time up.

doh...yeah, screwed up that one. btw, smoltz has pulled outta the AS game...looks like there's more room now.

rotoworld blurb says they already named oswalt as smoltz's replacement. A bit odd since he's part of the vote.

I guess oswalt was next on the players vote ballot and smoltz was elected by player vote. The more you know...

Young was still leading the vote as of this morning with Z behind him. The Boston faithful have put Okajima ahead for the AL.

FYI -- Brewers currenly in a rain dely at Pitt -- and forecast for D.C. is thunderstorms tonight

"I nominate Dayton Moore as the next cubs GM." I nominate Clayton Moore as next Cubs GM.

Brewers-Bucs still delayed -- I hope they play, because I'd rather see Gorzelanny face the Brewers tonight than the Cubs tomorrow.

Clayton Bixby? How about Bill Bixby. Other GMs wouldn't want to make him angry. They wouldn't like him if he gets angry.

Bill Hall leaves game. Don't know why. I will never rejoice about an injured player but that would be an important piece out of the Brewer's puzzle.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.