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

Spring Training Battles: Center Field

The Cubs are a little over two weeks into spring training with about three weeks before Opening Day. It's time to check in on the yearly ritual of spring training battles. What's the fun of spring training without a little competition? The Cubs have a few spots up for grabs and today I'll take a look at the center field spot between Felix Pie and Sam Fuld.

The Cubs had the opportunity this offseason to shore up center field with a more reliable veteran, as a few stars hit the market including Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones . The Cubs were obviously determined to give their youngsters a shot at the job, as they didn't even bother to call Hunter, which leads to the obvious conclusion that they probably didn't call any of the available center field free agents. We'll all soon find out if that confidence will be rewarded.

Felix Pie has been one of the Cubs top prospects and usually the Cubs top prospect ever since he joined the organization as a wide-eyed 17-year old out of the Dominican Republic. Pie has often been compared to the Cubs last great center field prospect, Corey Patterson, both being left-handed hitters with five-tool talent and questionable strike zone judgement. A tenous comparison, superficial at best, and, to be honest, a lazy comparison. While Corey Patterson struggled with each promotion in the minors and was truly rushed to the majors, Pie has taken each promotion in stride, often putting up better numbers than the previous stop.

Let's compare the two after the jump....

Corey Patterson

(Note: Minor league OBP is compiled with available data)

Age Level AB
HR
BB
SO
BA
OBP
SLG
OPS
19 Lo-A 475 20 25 85
.320
.354
.592
.946
20 AA 444 22 45
115
.261 .329
.491
.820
21 AAA 367 7 29
65
.253
.308
.387
.695
  TOTALS 1286 49
99 265
.281 .332
.498
.830

 

 

 

 

 

Felix Pie

Age Level AB
HR
BB
SO
BA
OBP
SLG
OPS
17 Rookie 218 4
21
47
.321
.381
.569
.950
17 SS A
8 0
1
1
.125
.222
.250
.472
18 Lo-A 505 4
41
98 .285
.339
.388
.727
19 Hi-A 412 8
38
113
.299
.358
.442
.800
20 AA 240 11
16
53
.304
.349
.554
.903
21 AAA 559
15 46
126
.283
.341
.451
.792
22 AAA 229
9
19
40
.362
.410
.563
.973
  TOTALS 2171 51
182 478
.300
.355
.469
.824

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While they do share similar K/BB ratios (2.63 for Pie and 2.68 for Patterson) and career OPS numbers, Pie has almost twice as many minor league at-bats. More importantly, he's almost twice as good. Corey's numbers are inflated by his one good year in lo-A ball, while Pie has continually progressed. And what doesn't show in the numbers is the difference in personalities. While Corey has been marked with the "uncoachable" tag (maybe he's just stubborn or stupid), Pie is known for being eager to please and willing to adjust his game. Had the Cubs remained patient with Corey, they would have had a much better idea of exactly how poor a player he'd end up being.

Sam Fuld's minor league career hasn't been dogged with the same ridiculous comparisons as Pie, but he has struggled with injuries. The 10th round pick out of Stanford has had a tough time making it through a full season with hip, oblique and shoulder injuries, some attributed to his hard-nosed style of play. He's remained consistent with the bat though, putting up a line of 297/377/417 (794 OPS) as a minor leaguer. He certainly helped his cause by being named the AFL MVP with a line of 402/496/626 (1.118 OPS). But before you get too excited about that MVP award, remember he's in a class with Chip Cannon, Eric Duncan, Chris Shelton, Jason Dubois and Ken Harvey.

Defensively, both players are considered a plus and both probably have the arms and range to play any of the three outfield spots. Fuld has a reputation as a player that will run through a wall for you and he nearly did last September for the Cubs, with this highlight reel catch against the ivy. Pie showcased his arm in his very first game, gunning down Russ Branyan to preserve the tie, in a game the Cubs eventually lost. Either one will likely make the Cubs pitchers very happy.

PECOTA has Pie projected at 291/344/480 (824 OPS and 3.8 WARP) which would put his OPS fourth among NL center fielders last year, with at least 350 plate appearances. While that might be a bit kind, it is, at least, encouraging. Sam Fuld comes in at 265/334/369 (703 OPS and 2.5 WARP), which would put him in Juan Pierre territory.

So heading into camp, it looked like Pie was probably the favorite, based on both talent, past performance and future projections. But anybody can get hot in March, so how have they been doing so far? Well, Pie has staked his claim, hitting a robust 321/406/607 in about 32 plate appearances. Fuld has showed that top of the order patience that has been expected of him with 8 walks and a 455 OBP, but has had problems finding holes in the defense, hitting a paltry .143 in his 22 plate appearances. Manager Lou Piniella has already acknowledged that Pie has taken the early lead. But, as mentioned, anyone can get hot over a few weeks and Fuld could still catch fire.

It's my opinion though, that it's time to see what Pie can do in the majors. I understand the desire to supplement him with a right-handed hitting counterpart, as he's historically struggled versus lefties in his career. Beyond that, Piniella should pencil him in regularly at the 7 or 8 spot in the lineup and let his glove make up for the offensive learning curve that any 23-year old in the majors will have to go through.

Coming Up Next: The Starting Rotation

Comments

Just stick him in the 8 spot and let him play a season. What's the point of making him untouchable for years, if they weren't going to give him a full shot to prove himself?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Heh, I thought it had more of a Daily Show / Colbert Report vibe. I expect to see a graphic of an eagle shedding a single glistening tear the day Murton gets traded.

Pie should be given the chance to be the starting CF on an everyday basis for at least through the AS Break. If he is struggling then, we might need to go get a CFer. I say might, because if he is playing excellent defense and SS, RF and C steps up and successfully answering many of the questions and concerns about them, then we could live with Pie out there even with him struggling with the bat. But we couldn't live with it if those other positions struggle also.

He'll continue to struggle at the plate until he shortens his swing, which he doesn't appear to be doing at all. By month two, he'll be booed by the drunks and we'll all be trying to find someone for CF so we can send him back to AAA to work on his hitting mechanics. *sigh* I guess if fans & the club can tolerate this guy hitting .230/5-10 HR, he'll give them A+ defense all year.

"The Cubs were obviously determined to give their youngsters a shot at the job, as they didn't even bother to call Hunter, which leads to the obvious conclusion that they probably didn't call any of the available center field free agents." I thought unless we hear directly from Hendry, we can't assume Hendry wasn't involved with every known possible free agent or traded player...:)

I'm wondering at what offensive level Pie can contribute that will ensure his stay in CF for the season. What would be the bare minimum acceptable here? If he cuts down his s/o ratio and raised his ops to the league average for CF's, would that be considered successful for a full 1st season in the majors? Lou didn't show much confidence in him when he came back at the end of last year, what kind of committment will he demonstrate this season?

[ ]

In reply to by Dmac

Well, that's easy. Here's what Cubs CF's put up last year when we won the Division title: .254 .305 .404 .710 Those numbers are clearly achievable by Pie this year if he's allowed to play regularly. The same goes for Soto at catcher and Theriot at SS. Here are the numbers they need to beat to be better than the Cubs' cumulatives from last year: C .239 .304 .369 .673 SS .254 .309 .331 .640 Ironically, the player least likely to beat last year's numbers is Fukudome in RF. RF .293 .375 .419 .794

[ ]

In reply to by Dmac

If he defense is Gold Glove caliber, I'll settle for an average year of the 8-time GG, former Oriole Paul Blair: .250/.302/.382, 11 HR, 14 SB I'd be thrilled with an average year of 7-time GG Devon White, .263/.319/.419, 17 HR, 29 SB Or that of the "Secretary of Defense," 8-time GG Garry Maddox: .285/.320/.413, 11 HR, 23 SB And wow, could he really have an average Andy Van Slyke (5-time GG) year? .274/.349/.443, 13 HR, 19 SB Sure, I cheated and did not include Barry Bonds, Larry Walker, or Andruw Jones. I don't think Pie will ever reach Jones' level. But if his 2008-2011 seasons are of the lines above in the #7 lineup spot, it would be difficult to call him a bust.

According to ESPN 1000 reports out of Boston that Bosox are not interested in deal and are in no hurry to move Crisp. Although, Beckett left yesterdays game with back spasms.

I'm fine with Pie in CF, especially since we don't have the depth to acquire both Crisp and Roberts at this time. I am worried about batting Pie 8th, as he won't see anything good to hit and his plate discipline is really suspect to begin with. I realize that if he does get on, the pitcher can bunt him over to utilize his speed, but I'd rather see him hit 7th so that he can have some success and gain confidence. My final offer for Roberts: Gallagher, Cedeno, Patterson and Veal.

Depends, was the article any good?

I agree with most, let Pie start the season starting in CF and give him a couple of months of everyday play. This should give us a good glimpse as to what type of MLB player we have on our hands. If he proves to be a solid option in CF awesome and if he doesn't, make a deal for a franchise type of CF'er we have always wanted (Carl Crawford, PLEASE!!!) or an experienced fill in to take us through the regualar season and into the playoffs. (Kenny Lofton, Marlon Byrd, Rajai Davis) But I'm truly optimistic on Pie's abilities and think he will develop nicely over the first couple of months. The great thing about this situation is we have good enough pieces around Pie we don't need him to be great like we needed Corey Patterson. The cubs will be successful in 08 regardless of whether Pie develops or not.

Sorry, couldn't resist. No, that wasn't me.

Rob, etc. -- Now that we have the subject lines and the new threaded organization of comments, is there a reason we need different comment sections for each story? That is, couldn't we do with one master comment section for all stories, and let the subject lines and threads work their magic and organize things? It would make the comments more cohesive and easy to use, and we would all be virtually present in one comment "room" at all times.

[ ]

In reply to by 433

Yeah, I could just close the comments and add a message board instead. But I think your in the minority on that one. I mean, have you looked at Orioles Hangout and NSBB? Brutal to follow a conversation in my opinion...

 

 

Logo needs more fire, imo. I like the new site. When TCR switched from allbaseball to MVN, there were real problems. Nested comments are nothing.

I would like to see Pie get a healthy chance to show if he's ready. No matter how much money we can throw around, there's nothing like getting production out of a cheap young player. It's the reason I like Theriot. He's a good utility infielder. Also, I like the new TCR.

Pie's surgery: assuming the testis is viable... To prevent subsequent torsion, fix viable gonads to the scrotal wall with 3-4 nonabsorbable sutures. Perform both exploration and anchoring of the contralateral testis through the same incision. http://www.emedicine.com/Med/topic2780.htm in case it's not viable: Patients requiring an orchiectomy because of a nonviable testis may benefit from the placement of a testicular prosthesis.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • crunch (view)

    in other news, it took 3 PA before a.rizzo got his 1st HBP of the season.

  • Eric S (view)

    With two home runs (so far) and 5 rbi today … clearly Nick Martini is the straw that stirs the Reds drink 😳

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022.