Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Game 80 Thread / Cubs @ White Sox (1 of 3)

Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP Ryan Dempster
SP
José Contreras
  9-2, 2.63, 85 K, 38 BB, 102.2 IP

6-6, 3.96, 56 K, 26 BB, 97.2 IP
       
DH
*Kosuke Fukudome
SS
Orlando Cabrera
LF
*Eric Patterson
C
*A.J. Pierzynski
1B
Derrek Lee LF
Carlos Quentin
3B
Aramis Ramirez RF
Jermaine Dye
RF
*Daryle Ward
DH
*Jim Thome
CF
*Jim Edmonds
3B
Joe Crede
C
Geovany Soto
1B
#Nick Swisher
2B
*Mike Fontenot 2B Juan Uribe
SS
Ronny Cedeno
CF *Dewayne Wise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's time for Round Two of the Cubs versus White Sox, a.k.a. Team Inferiority Complex.

The Cubs go with a lineup that's long on lefties and rich on suck. Fontenot? Cedeño?? Ward in the field??? Lou is clearly trying to win the game with one hand tied behind his back, thus completely demoralizing the hosts.

Dempster, who yielded just one run (though 10 hits) to beat the White Sox on Sunday night, gets the nod against Contreras, who the Cubs undressed last Saturday (9 ER, 10H allowed in 3.1 innings).

Every drunken lout who stumbles into the park today wearing a CUCK THE FUBS t-shirt will point out that Dempster hasn't won a game away from Wrigley Field. If you're at the game and can stand to get next to the drunk, point out that Dempster, while 0-2 on the road, has a 2.48 road ERA (5th best in the NL), has held road opponents to a measly .194 batting average, and the bullpen has cost him at least a couple victories. I bet that'll shut the lout right up!

Aramis Ramirez, who torched Sox pitching for 4 HR and 8 RBI last weekend, has also enjoyed great success against Contreras: 7-for-14, 4 HR, 10 RBI.

Though U.S. Cellular Field has been one of the homer-happiest parks in the game, when the Cubs swept the home team there last June, they did so by scores of 5-1 (WP: Zambrano), 2-1 (Wuertz), and 3-0 (Marshall).

Presumably, Cub pitchers had no pig-sized rats running through the bullpen to distract them.

Comments

Is it true that Lou signed Soto up for the Futures Game, Homerun Derby and Celebrity Softball game for the All Star game?

I've got a really bad feeling about this series. It's hard for a starter to beat a team in back-to-back outings, and Demp is already suspect on the road. Gallagher is the X-factor. Marshall hasn't shown us anything yet. The nice thing about having expectations this low is that they have a good chance of being exceeded. :-)

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

The major league record for a season is 36 by Jim Rice. Lee's on pace. His previous career high was 18 with the Marlins in 2001. The GIDP in the first inning was tolerable, but the GIDP in the third inning was the biggest play of the game; Contreras was on the ropes after walking the previous two hitters. For an experienced hitter with a nice opposite-field stroke like Lee, he became pull-conscious and hit two grounders to the left side. (Off the subject, but did anybody listen to the Farmer-and-Stone radio call? Does everything that Steve Stone says sound incredibly arch and sarcastic? I'm as sarcastic as the next guy, but geez ... Still think that Harry was the best broadcast partner that Stoney had or will ever have because Harry reined him in.)

[ ]

In reply to by Mitterwald

Yes, Stone is one smug fellow and coupled with Ed Farmer, who tries to be smug but is simply dull...well, that's one tough listen. The other thing I have noticed about Stone is his obsession with predicting the next pitch or predicting the outcome of the at-bat if a certain pitch is thrown. WSCR feeds this with their promo spots to plug the Sox broadcasts. More often than not, they feature Stone forecasting the result of an at-bat—"This guy is a great double-play candidate; if Buerhle keeps the ball down, the Sox are going to turn two..."—followed by a call by Farmer in which Stone's predicted result happens, and Farmer congratulates his partner.

I thought Stone was fine, not brilliant, when he called the Cubs. That ridiculous business with Chip Caray and Kent Mercker and Dusty Baker left Stone with a much inflated sense of self-importance and no job. I think he always fancied himself a GM candidate and/or team owner, neither of those things came to pass, and now he's just a pompous jerk. Another reason to hate the Sox.

I haven't been seeing many games lately, but I see a lot of fielding errors from Mr. Patterson. What flavor (drops, bad throws) and how ugly have they been? And is he starting to make Mr. Murton look any better in the field?

cubs using hector carassco as a starter tonite.

Any Comments? Unranked Hitters in the System with MLB experience/no longer prospect/Unranked 1.Felix Pie (CF) 2.Ben Broussard (RF/LF/1B) 3.Jason Dubois (LF/RF) 4.Andres Torres (OF) 5.Sam Fuld (OF) 6.Jake Fox (c,1B,OF) 7.Josh Kroeger (RF/LF) Top 10 Cubs Hitters Prospects 1. Josh Vitters (3B) - Age 18 2007 3rd Overall Pick 341/378/512 in 41 ABs in Rookie ball. 2. Eric Patterson (2b,OF) - Age 25 2004 8th Round 273/342/394 in the majors. Only time will tell if he can hit major league pitching. 3. Wellington Castillo (C) - Age 21 2004 NDFA 288/332/407 overall and 321/397/554 with 3 HRs in 17 games at Double A. 4. Ryan Flaherty (SS,3B) - Age 21 2008 Supplemental 1st round 263/364/632 in rookie ball through 19 ABs, Career .349 at Vandy with 14 HR is 63 games as in his final year. 5. Tony Thomas (2B) - Age 21 2007 3rd Round 277/327/435 with 6 HR and 12 SB at High A 6. Tyler Colvin (OF) - Age 22 2006 1st round. 237/307/365 at double A. BA 299/SLG 488 last year in 125 games with 16 HR. 7. Josh Harrison (2B) - Age 20 2008 6th round 364/464/500 with 4 SB in 22 ABs at rookie ball 8. Steve Clevenger (C) - Age 22 2006 7th Round 314/408 at High A. He hit 340/378/441 last year. 9. Marquez Smith (2B,3B) - Age 23 2007 8th round. 310/364/505 through 73 games at low A. 10.Luis Bautista (C,1B,DH) - Age 23 2007 32nd round 310/368/558 through 32 games at low A. 11.Rebel Ridling (1B/DH) - Age 22 2008 25th Round 414/471/690 The power speaks for itself. 12.Ryan Harvey (OF) - Age 23 2003 First Round. 240/304/435 overall 270/337/528 at High A. The leash can't be that long. 13.Nate Spears (2b) - Age 23 305/405 at Double A Acquired in the Corey Patterson trade. 6th year of minor league ball. 14.Jovan Rosa (1b,3b) - Age 20 2006 22nd Round 288/357/400 at low A. 15.Ryan Keedy (1B/DH) - Age 22 2008 16th Round 393/484/464 in 9 games at rookie ball 16.Josh Donaldson (c) - Age 22 2007 Supplemental 1st Round. 221/284/366 at low A through 57 games. 335/460/590 last year in 53 games. 17.Joseph Adduci (OF) - Age 23 312/396 at high A. Playing in his 5th minor league season.

Three clarifications in case anyone is confused: 1. Eric Patterson is not an outfielder. 2. Derrek Lee is not an All Star this year. 3. Despite today's drubbing, the Cubs are still on a 100-win pace. I'm not at all surprised to see the boys lose today. The Sox were royally embarrassed last weekend, so they had something to prove today. Plus, it's really difficult for a pitcher to beat the same team in back to back starts. Now, a prediction: 7 inning quality start from Gallagher tomorrow, followed by Zeus & KW. Cubs win, retaining their amazing streak of not losing 3 in a row. Sunday scares the hell out of me.

I may pitch for the I-Cubs today as they play a DH w/ Albuquerque for second straight day...swept last night's w/ Hector Pipo Carrasco making his first start & throwing six shutout innings while fanning 10 in the nightcap [the old guy has only allowed 4 runs in his last 25 innings spread over 13 apps.]- Hoffpauir has homered each of the last two days, Ben Broussard is hitting .200 & pulling down a $3.8M paycheck & the Notre Dame WR is throwing tomorrow afternoon; hope to have a look @ him; hope he's not still a deep threat...Dallas McPherson homered for the 7th straight game - leads pro ball w/ 28 - in the opener for the Isotopes, then sat out the nightcap...

23 year old right handed reliever Richard Parker pitched a scoreless inning last night in his Iowa Cubs debut. Promoted from Peoria -- skipped both Daytona and Tennessee -- maybe on a fast-track to Wrigley?

don't know about a fast track for Parker; think the I-Cubs are just scrambling through a glut of games brought on in wake of Iowa floods; they also called up an INF [Simokaitis] who was hitting .185 @ AA...

Submitted by Eric S on Sat, 06/28/2008 - 8:25am.

23 year old right handed reliever Richard Parker pitched a scoreless inning last night in his Iowa Cubs debut. Promoted from Peoria -- skipped both Daytona and Tennessee -- maybe on a fast-track to Wrigley?

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

ERIC S: Peoria closer Blake Parker was moved up to Iowa because Peoria was the closest Cubs farm team to Des Moines and Iowa needed a pitcher STAT!

Parker is a converted catcher (although he did pitch in HS), and will likely get returned to Peoria (or he might get assigned to Daytona) once he isn't needed any longer at Iowa.

Parker was the EXST Cubs C-1B-DH and clean-up hitter a year ago, and was converted to pitcher the day after he hit a walk-off GS HR.

Like that scene in The Natural where Roy Hobbs is standing on the mound with a baseball and his teammate is standing at home plate, and the teammate says "Show me what you got," and Roy proceeds to throw the ball past the hitter with such velocity that it gets stuck in the screen at the back of the batting cage. That's sort of how it was that Parker got converted to pitcher.

Park was just throwing off the mound for fun at the end of BP at Fitch Park, and Boise pitching coach Tom Pratt saw him and told him to try that again with the radar gun turned on, And he consistently hit 93 with a fastball that moved, and a decent breaking ball to go with it!. So he immediately was asked to give up catching and become a pitcher. And he's been on the fast track ever since.

The Cubs one day may have half their pitching staff composed of catchers who'd been converted. I love it, true innovation from an organization that rarely showed any original thinking in the past.

Thanks for the follow up Arizona Phil and Mike W -- geographic explanation makes sense for sure. Not a bad debut, hope Parker keeps it up! Was surprised to see Simokaitis get the promotion too.

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).