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

More Than a Very Minor Matter

Not counting NRI RHP Mike Smith (who flunked his physical and got released the day the pitchers & catchers reported in February), the Cubs made their first roster cuts today, sending nine players to the minor league camp at Fitch Park.

Somewhere upwards of around 150 Cubs minor leaguers report to Fitch Park at the beginning of March each year, as the "big league" club moves a half-mile up Center Street to HoHoKam Park and begins Cactus League play.

The minor leaguers at Fitch Park are divided up into five groups (or squads) that correspond to the Cubs minor league clubs at Iowa, Tennessee, Daytona, and Peoria, plus the short-season clubs (Boise/Mesa combined) which is also the Extended Spring Training (EXST) team and Daytona/Peoria replacement cadre that is based at Fitch Park during April-May.

The minor league managers assigned to each club during the season command the corresponding "group" at Minor League Camp (so Pat Listach is in charge of the AAA group, Buddy Bailey is in charge of the AA group, Jody Davis is in charge of the Daytona group, Ryne Sandberg is in charge of the Peoria group, and Tom Beyers and Franklin Font are jointly in charge of the Boise/Mesa group).

Thus there are five squads (groups) of Cubs minor leaguers at Fitch Park right now, but there are only 4-1/2 fields (the 5th is a "half-field" infield-only that is limited to Pitchers Fielding Practice, and bunting and base-running drills), so horns are sounding and the players are constantly running from field-to-field for the next drill, sort of like a Chinese Fire... well, you get the drift. 

With most of what will eventually be the Iowa Cubs initially in "big league" camp with Lou Piniella's Chicago Cubs, the Minor League Camp rosters are very-much subject to change, and the players know it.

Many of the players who are initially assigned to the Iowa (AAA) group at the beginning of Minor League Camp will get demoted one level or even possibly released as the players cut from big league camp begin to trickle down Center Street to Fitch Park from HoHoKam.

And as players are demoted from "big league" camp to AAA, and some of the players initially assigned to AAA get demoted to AA, some of the players who were initially assigned to AA get demoted to Daytona, some who were initially assigned to Daytona get demoted to Peoria, and so forth down the line. It runs downhill.

There are only 24 regular season roster slots available at Iowa and Tennessee, and only 25 at Daytona and Peoria, so the competition for jobs at Minor League Camp is intense.

And so you can expect to see maybe as many as a dozen or more players who are presently at Minor League Camp at Fitch Park get released at the end of Spring Training (or EXST), in many cases just because there is simply no room for them on any of the Cubs minor league regular season rosters. A player can do OK, but still get caught by a number's game at the end and get cut.

Here are the CUBS MINOR LEAGUE CAMP ROSTERS (all five groups) as of today (and SUBJECT TO CHANGE!):

* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS

IOWA:
Mitch Atkins
Matt Avery
Cory Bailey
Justin Berg
* Derrick Ellison
Jesse Estrada
Jim Henderson (limited physical activity - unknown-type injury)
Mark Holliman
Grant Johnson
* Geoffrey Jones (just got sent down today)
* Scott Koerber
* Tim Layden
* J. R. Mathes
Ryan Meyers
* Ryan O’Malley
Billy Petrick (just got sent down today)
Rocky Roquet
* Chris Shaver (had shoulder surgery last June)

TENNESSEE:
Todd Blackford (had TJ surgery last June)
Esmailin Caridad (just got sent down today)
Jose Ceda (just got sent down today)
Michael Cooper (had labrum surgery last May)
* Darin Downs
* Casey Lambert
Alessandro Maestri
Billy Muldowney (had TJ surgery last August)
* Jeremy Papelbon
Mike Phelps
Gregory Reinhard
* Jayson Ruhlman
Joel Santo
* Chris Siegfried
* Donald Veal
Tanner Watson

DAYTONA:
Alberto Alburquerque
* Zach Ashwood
Miguel Cuevas
Rafael Dolis (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Marcus Hatley
* Arik Hempy
Robert Hernandez
Yuri Higgins
Jordan Latham
Matt Maradeo
* Mark Pawelek
Jose Pina (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
* James Russell
Audy Santana (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Stephen Vento

PEORIA:
Ryan Acosta
* Michael Bunton
Alberto Cabrera
Chris Huseby
Simon Lee
Andrew McCormick
Jon Mueller (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
John Muller
Blake Parker
Cedric Redmond
Dae-Eun Rhee
Chris Rivera
* Dustin Sasser
Harol Tolentino

BOISE/MESA:
Francisco Acosta
* Jeffry Antigua
Rogelino Carmona
Eduardo Figueroa
Yohan Gonzalez
Kevin Kreier
Scott Meyer
Craig Muschko
* Taylor Parker (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Hernan Ramos
Carlos E. Rojas
Ryan Searle
Jose Severino
Larry Suarez

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

CATCHERS

IOWA:
Jake Muyco
Tony Richie
* Alan Rick

TENNESSEE:
Matt Canepa
* Steve Clevenger
* Mark Reed

DAYTONA:
Welington Castillo (just got sent down today)
* Matt Hudgins
* Blake Lalli

PEORIA:
Josh Donaldson (just got sent down today)
Carlos Perez
Roberto Sabates

BOISE/MESA:
Carlos Guevara
* Alvaro Sosa

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

INFIELDERS

IOWA:
# Matt Craig (1B)
* Kyle Reynolds (3B)
Robinson Chirinos (2B)
Carlos R. Rojas (SS)
# Bobby Scales (3B-2B) - just got sent down today
Joe Simokaitis (SS)
* Nate Spears (2B)

TENNESSEE:
Brian Dopirak (1B)
Josh Lansford (3B)
* Ryne Malone (2B)
# Matt Matulia (SS)
Jonathan Mota (SS)
* Jeffrey Rea (2B)

DAYTONA:
Darwin Barney (SS)
Russ Canzler (1B)
* Dylan Johnston (2B-SS)
# Nathan Samson (2B-SS)
Marquez Smith (3B)
Tony Thomas (2B)

PEORIA:
# Marwin Gonzalez (SS)
Gian Guzman (SS)
# Jose Made (2B)
Jovan Rosa (3B)
* Drew Rundle (1B-OF)
Josh Vitters (3B)

BOISE/MESA:
Starlin Castro (SS)
John Contreras (3B)
# Dwayne Kemp (2B) - speaks Dutch, communicates mainly by sign-language
* Bryan Jost (1B) - limited physical activity - knee surgery rehab
Junior Lake (SS)
Elvis Lara (2B)

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

OUTFIELDERS

IOWA:
* Matt Camp
* Corey Coles
# Min-Kyu Sung
# Andres Torres (just got sent down today)
# Chris Walker

TENNESSEE
* James Adduci
Yusuf Carter
* Tyler Colvin (just got sent down today)
Ryan Harvey
* Jonathan Wyatt

DAYTONA:
* Kyler Burke
* Leon Johnson
* Brian Leclerc
Ty Wright

PEORIA:
* Cliff Andersen
Brandon Guyer
* Clark Hardman
Jesus Reyes (limited physical activity – injury rehab)

BOISE/MESA:
* Nelson Perez
# Andres Quezada
Kevin Soto
* Luke Sommer

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

THE "MILK CARTON GANG"

I have not seen the following players on the field at Fitch Park so far. Each was listed as a minor league player in the Cubs organization as of 2-5-08. 

Possible reasons for absence:

1. Player is injured to the extent that he is not able to participate even in a limited form, or

2. Player could have failed to report to camp, or

3. Could have reported but failed his physical and got released, or

4. The player could have retired, or

5. Maybe the player received permission from the Cubs to report to camp late due to a visa problem, or because the player is attending college, or ???

WHEREBOUTS...  UNKNOWN (to me, anyway):
Luis Bautista, C-1B
Marco Carrillo, RHP
Hung-Wen Chen, RHP
Rafael Cova, RHP
* Jeff Culpepper, OF
Dumas Garcia, RHP
Kitt Kopach, RHP
Oswaldo Martinez, RHP
Marcos Mateo, RHP
Mario Mercedes, C
* Billy Mottram, 3B
Chris Robinson, C
Issmael Salas, INF
* Marc Sawyer, 1B
Chi-Hsiang Wen, OF

There are two other players who are listed as "active" in the Cubs minor league system as of 2/5/08, but both are (unfortunately) in reality functioning as de facto Spring Training assistant instructors.

Danny Fatheree was Kerry Wood's catcher in HS, and he spent several seasons in the Astros organization but never got out of AA. Danny was signed to a minor league contract by the Cubs this past off-season (possibly at the suggestion or request of KW?) after missing most of the past three seasons with a life-threatening illness that killed two of his uncles. He must weigh well in excess of 300 pounds, and although he was signed as a player, he mainly just throws BP for Peoria--all while wearing his catcher's mitt!

RHP Leo Perez (a converted SS) is another player who has been injured the past couple of years, and he is unable to throw a ball more than about ten yards. So he is working as an "assistant coach," hitting ground balls to the kids in the Boise/Mesa group.

.

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by Rich

Re: More Than a Very Minor Matter

Submitted by Rich on Fri, 03/07/2008 - 8:38pm.

Great post Phil...loved the part about the Dutch guy! Is Jeremy Papelbon any relation to the Boston Pitcher?

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

RICH: Jeremy is Jonathan's younger brother. The Cubs used Papelbon mainly as a lefty reliever his first two seasons in the organization, but word is he will be moved to the starting rotation full-time in 2008.

Dwayne Kemp (Netherlands) is the second player the Cubs have signed out of the MLB European Baseball Academy in Italy. The first was RHP Alessandro Maestri (who pitched for Team Italy in the WBC a couple of years ago), and he is progressing nicely through the Cubs system as a right-handed reliever/set-up man.

The Cubs have tried very hard to get more "international" players in their system over the past couple of years, hiring former Cubs LHP Steve Wilson to be their Pacific Rim Scouting Coordinator (Wilson is married to a Taiwanese woman and lives in Taiwan), and signing players out of Australia (RHP Ryan Searle), South Korea '(RHPs Simon Lee and Dae-Eun Rhee and OF Min Kyu Sung), Taiwan (RHP Hung-Wen Chen and OFs Chi Hsiang Wen and Hae-Siang Kook), and Japan (OF Kosuke Fukudome and RHP Shingo Takatsu), besides the two players signed out of Europe (Kemp and Maestri).

The Cubs have also established a second team in the Dominican Summer League (DSL Cubs #2) that will begin play in 2008.

When and if it becomes possible to sign players out of China (probably not until after the Beijing Olympics), expect the Cubs to be at the front of that line. Two players from the Chinese National team (RF Qi Ze and catcher Huo Guo-chen) spent a month at Cubs EXST at Fitch Park last April, and the Cubs have a good relationship with Team China Head Coach Jim Lefebvre and Pitching Coach Bruce Hurst.  

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Thank you for the additional info. I was looking up Papelbon's minor league numbers and they looked pretty good. Nice strikeout to walk ratio. Are the Cubs pretty high on this kid? I wonder if they will give him the same fast track to the Majors that his brother got? It's great news about the investment in international scouting. Let's hope they continue that trend (nobody tell Zell that it costs money!)

AZ Phil, Why did the front office flip of Listach and Bailey? It seemed both did a respectable at their respective levels last year.

[ ]

In reply to by Hobart Mike

Well, I think it's a good idea. Wrigley has done well that last five years. The stock is at $58, up from $42, with a market cap of $16 billion. The Trib, on the other hand, is at $33 with a market cap of $3.9 bil, down from $51 five years ago. So, it looks like Wrigley sure can afford to buy the naming rights and if they were smart they would. Like you said, the earned media coverage they would get alone would be worth the price, they would be buying the best part of this (loser) franchise with none of the overhead usually involved, and they would cement themselves as eternally beloved Chicago good-guys.

Re: More Than a Very Minor Matter

Submitted by Chifan on Fri, 03/07/2008 - 11:11pm.

AZ Phil, Why did the front office flip of Listach and Bailey? It seemed both did a respectable at their respective levels last year.

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

CHI FAN: I suspect it had something to do with Pat Listach's not-too-secret ambition to be a major league manager, and managing in AAA would help his resume. He already has had an opportunity to manage in the AFL, and that will help his cause, too.

Although Buddy Bailey is a good minor league player development guy, and even though he did a fine job at AAA Iowa last season, I doubt very much that he has any aspirations to be a big league manager. He's past 50 and seems to have settled into life as a career minor league manager. He'll probably get back to AAA again eventually if he wants that, or maybe he'll become a scout, or maybe he'll go back to being a roving minor league catching instructor.

Arizona Phil -- Very insightful! There are a number of other players who appeared in the Cub minors last year who aren't mentioned. Are these players missing as well? Pitchers: Corey Bachman, Michael Bartek, Oscar Bernard, Julio Castillo, Michael Christi, Brad Clipp, Rafael Cova, Junniol Lami, Jose Pena, Charlie Platt, Paul Schappert, Brandon Taylor, Scott Taylor, Donnie Walters, Matt Weber Infielders: Patrick Brooks, Alberto Garcia, Bill Moss, Derek Schermerhorn, Jemel Spearman, Cesar Valentine Outfielders: Alfred Joseph, Andrew Lopez

Minor Matter

Submitted by Alex Dimm on Sat, 03/08/2008 - 7:16am.

Arizona Phil -- Very insightful! There are a number of other players who appeared in the Cub minors last year who aren't mentioned. Are these players missing as well?

Pitchers: Corey Bachman, Michael Bartek, Oscar Bernard, Julio Castillo, Michael Christi, Brad Clipp, Rafael Cova, Junniol Lami, Jose Pena, Charlie Platt, Paul Schappert, Brandon Taylor, Scott Taylor, Donnie Walters, Matt Weber

Infielders: Patrick Brooks, Alberto Garcia, Bill Moss, Derek Schermerhorn, Jemel Spearman, Cesar Valentine Outfielders: Alfred Joseph, Andrew Lopez

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

ALEX: All of the players on your list were released during the off-season except Cova (see "Milk Carton" list), Castillo, Lami, and Pena (assigned to Cubs Dominican Academy), Weber (retired and is playing college basketball), and Scott Taylor (50-day prohibited substance suspension, will be eligible to return to Active List on May 20th).

Re: More Than a Very Minor Matter

Submitted by George Altman on Sat, 03/08/2008 - 2:03am.

AZ Phil, I thought I read where O'Malley had signed with a team in the Northern or Frontier league?

 __________________________

 

GEORGE: Ryan O'Malley is definitely at Cubs Minor League Camp with the AAA Group (or at least he was as of yesterday!). He signed with the Schaumburg Flyers (Northern League) during the off-season, but apparently he's back with the Cubs now.

O'Malley WAS a minor league FA after last season, and he was NOT on a Cubs minor league roster as of 2/5/08, so he apparently signed a minor league contract with the Cubs sometime in the last month. If he gets released prior to the start of the season (which is quite possible), he'll probably have no trouble re-signing with the Flyers. But for now, he's with the Cubs.

Besides O'Malley, the Cubs signed LHP Derrick Ellison (Joliet - Northern League) and RHP Tanner Watson (Rockford - Frontier League) during the off-season. Ellison is presently assigned to the AAA group, and Watson is assigned to the AA group.

As is the case with all itinerant minor league FA pitchers, O'Malley, Ellison, and Watson are at a distinct disadvantage when competing with pitchers who are Cubs organizational guys. 

AZ Phil, I hope you see this. I was wondering what goes on at intrasquads at Fitch. Will the various squads just face each other on those days? I will be at Fitch on what appears to be one of those intrasquad days next Monday and was just curious.

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).