Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus one player is on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-12-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 3
Julian Merryweather, P
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Gathright Gone, Wells Up...Cubs Interested in Freel

Submitted by Rob G. on

The Cubs needed to make a roster move with Randy Wells getting the call-up for today's start. With MIlton Bradley's ridiculous 2-day suspension loooming and Derrek Lee in injury limbo - too hurt to play, not to hurt to be put on the DL - the Cubs are going to ask Joey Gathright to go the minors.  WIth 5+ years of service time under his belt, Gathright can refuse the assignment, but then he forfeits the remainder of his $800K contract and has to hope another team will pick him up. And him getting picked up is an unlikely scenario with a .214 batting average, being a putz in the outfield and getting caught twice stealing to just one successful attempt for a guy whose speed is suppose to be his main tool. Enjoy Iowa Gathright, I hear it's lovely this time of year. Say hi to Jeff Samardzija...and your mother.

On the rumor front (hat tip to VA Phil for the find), the Cubs are interested in utility-man Ryan Freel who seems upset with the Baltimore Orioles. Freel is owed whatever is left on his $3.3M contract this year and can play all three outfield positions along with second and third base. Once an easy bet to steal 30 bases, it looks like he's lost a step but will at least take a walk although he brings almost no power. As an added bonus, Freel also brings his imaginary friend Farney with him....fun on bus rides or when you've accidentally killed a hooker.

"Farney, what have you done?"

So those that had Jake Fox to the Orioles in your trade pools, I think the odds just went up.

In day old news (that high priest and ruler of all men "The Joe" uncovered for us after hours of laboring), Luis Vizcaino will sign a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians.

Tags
Cubs rumors
Cubs Roster Moves

Comments

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:25 pm

It would be nice if they could just make him the PTBNL in the Hill trade, but I don't know what type of players they discussed and how desperate the O's are to get rid of him.

[ ]

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:33 pm

I really don't mind Freel. Always did a pretty good job of getting on base. Can run fairly well. 75% success rate stealing or so. He plays all those different positions and does a pretty good job of it, too. Not exactly the piece(s) we're missing right now, but always good to have a couple league average hitters that can play multiple positions well laying around. Freel's a career 90 OPS+, which isn't exactly average, but I'm generalizing. Right now we've got two guys (Miles and Scales) who aren't league average hitters and can't play all the positions Freel can play. Although, having all 3 (or 2 of the 3) is fairly redundant.

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:52 pm

I think what needs to happen is this: At the next MLB GM Ice Cream Social, someone needs to make sure Jim Hendry puts himself out there and mingles with the other GMs instead of just chatting in the corner with Andy MacPhail. That way, when he discovers we have a need at the big league level he'll be able to pull out his rolodex and call some of the other GMs in the league and ask if they have any players he might be interested in.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:07 pm

The only deals he makes with the O's are for someone to take out the Cubs trash. I'm too lazy to look it up, but Hendry has made trades with almost every GM in the league...although I recall a blurb that Minaya was tough to deal with. Off the top of my head...

Beinfest (FLA - and the GM before Beinfest), Gillick(PHI), Colletti (LAD), Towers (SDP), Sabean (SFG), Dowd (Rockies), Cashman (Yanks), Epstein (BRS), MacPhail (O's), Friedman (Rays), Dombrowski (Tigers), Williams (White Sox), Shapiro (Indians), Ryan (Twins - maybe new guy too), new Mariners GM, Beane (A's), Daniels (TEX)

past deals with Pirates and Jocketty when with the Cardinals and the Astros before Wade too, but you expect less inter-division trading.

only GM's I can't think of deals with are Nationals (new guy anyway and they did make a minor league deal when Bowden was there), Braves since Schuerholtz left, Byrnes (ARZ), Riggins (Angels), Royals and Minaya and most of the NL Central. And I could be forgetting some deals.

That being said, I'm sure certain GM's work better together and are easier to deal with...McFail, Beane and Towers are probably high on Hendry's list.

[ ]

Submitted by WISCGRAD on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:57 pm

I am fine with Hendry going to the Orioles. Let's take a look at the balance sheet. Lost: Sammy Sosa Mike Moriarty Corey Patterson Freddie Bynum Scott Moore Rocky Cherry Jacob Renshaw Felix Pie Rich Hill Gained: Jerry Hairston Mike Fontenot Dave Crouthers Nate Spears Carlos Perez Kevin Hart Steve Trachsel Garrett Olson Henry Williamson PTBNL Now, Crouthers retired, Perez is out of baseball, Trachsel sucked, and Hairston wasn't good either. But Fontenot is our starting second basemen, Spears is in AAA, Hart is in AAA and has contributed to the big league team, Olson was turned into Heilman, Williamson has talent in the lower minor leagues, and we are still owed a player for Hill. All of that for a complete steaming pile of crap. Baltimore has to HOPE that Pie and Hill SOMEHOW work out or they have ZERO for all of the deals with Hendry.

Submitted by MikeC on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:27 pm

So let me get this straight we have Patton and Fox in the bullpen who both suck and we released Luis Vizcaino? Vizcaino isn't the greatest in the world but he is easily more valuable than having those 2 knuckleheads. For all the hate Wuertz got he could atleast keep a sub 4.00 ERA, we will be lucky if Patton or Fox can get it below 6.00. And yet some how our Cubs bullpen is better off without Wuertz. Hmmmm weird logic that is. Some pretty strange and dumb decisions regarding the bullpen over the last 6 months.

[ ]

Submitted by Romero on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:54 pm

I don't understand the Wuertz trade that much either, other than A) Hendry over-estimated the talent in the bullpen and/or B) Piniella just didn't seem to like him. (and it's not like Wuertz was costin' a lot of dough, so this seems extra baffling). His career ERA is 3.47 in 277.1 IP over 279 games. His career ERA+ is 130, with EVERY season above 100-- his worst season was his rookie year in 2004 (101 ERA+) in only 29 IP. Every other season has been b/w 116 - 123 (2.66 - 3.81). Wouldn't that be nice right now? His WHIP is a little higher than you'd expect for that low an ERA, but I wonder if there's just something the organization didn't like about him-- remember in 2006 when Wuertz was CLEARLY better than some of the bullpen parts and he stayed in Iowa for most of the season? Also-- Wuertz's career line includes this season so far at Oakland: 14 G, 15.0 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 13 K, 1-1, 1.80 ERA, 2 SV Who did we get for him? Richie Robnett (who will likely be a career minor leaguer-- his numbers in AA right now are really bad) and Justin Sellers, who we traded for a PTBNL. I think Wuertz musta been fucking somebody's mom.

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:04 pm

Mlb.com article http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090508&content_id=4625566&vke… seems to infer that Joey Gathright might be the player going back to the O's...maybe they just want out of the contract. Although it just seems to cite the Rosenthal article. Some other teams are apparently interested too and McPhail has a quote that there should be some sort of resolution soon with Freel. Freel in Wrigley should last about a week before he kills himself on the brick wall.

[ ]

Submitted by Dr. aaron b on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:35 pm

Freel for Gathright would be a great deal!IMHO Saves the O's some cash. Gives the Cubs a 25th man upgrade, who can play multiple positions to boot. Plus Farney would be like a 26th man on the Roster!!!

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:52 pm

I continue to be amazed--AMAZED--at the money Jim Hendry squanders on fringe players. Were I the owner of the Cubs, I'd be damn pissed. Now the Cubs swap out Joey G for Farney, and Hendry takes on ANOTHER $2.5MM in salary for ANOTHER fringe player. Amazing. I certainly don't dispute the trade based on talent--such as it is with these two choads--but my gawd, Hendry wastage is up to $10MM now this year, that's a third of Florida's entire payroll! Hendry couldn't keep his job with a mid-market team.

Submitted by The E-Man on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:17 pm

HICKMAN: From Rosenthal just a little bit ago: "The deal is cash-neutral, according to one source. The Cubs will pay the balance of Gathright's $800,000 salary for 2009 with the O's paying the balance of Freel's — about $3.3 million." How does HEndry take on $2.5MM here of salary? Am I missing something?

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 05:30 pm

Maybe the O's play Gathright in LF? ----- Gathright reports to AAA Norfolk. I expect a shuttle car will be available for both of them although Gathright probably can just go jump from Norfolk to Baltimore.

Recent comments

  • Bill (view)

    I had mixed emotions when I heard of the trade, as I have with most trades that involve high potential prospects.  But that is because I hate to trade a high potential prospect for a veteran with only a few years control, and with a much lower potential than the prospects give away.  I hated the trade of Cease and Jiminez for Quinta, because I viewed Quintana as a decent, but not top pitcher, being traded for two very high-potential prospects.  I disliked the trade for Chapman, because a high-potential prospect was traded for a rental, although in this case, the fact that the rental was a top player greatly softened the blow.  The trade of Ferris and Hope for Busch seemed even at the time, to be a good one, even though they gave up one of my favorite prospects.  The return was a high-potential prospect with 6 years of control, at a time when he could be a difference maker on the team.

    13 games hardly proves that it was a good trade, but at least it was a reasonable one, no matter how it turns out.  So far, so good.

  • crunch (view)

    i was strongly happy about the deal, but words can barely describe how quickly zyhir hope went from "interesting youngster" to "high end prospect" when he showed up in arizona post-draft.

    it may not have shown up in the team prospect numbered rankings, but the dodgers had their eyes on such a low level guy for a reason and the cubs knew what they gave up.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I have to disagree. They got not just A triple A stud but THE AAA stud of the entire PCL for a position player who hadn’t played above the AZL level and a pitcher who was rather mediocre in his first taste of pro ball at low A. I’m not saying the guys they traded haven’t shown great promise but they have a very long way to go and a whole lot to prove before they make the bigs. Especially since Busch nearly filled a defined need (whether it had been at third or first) I take this trade any day of the week and don’t bother looking back.

  • crunch (view)

    matt shaw (AA) has a .381/.552/.905 line through 7 games...3 homers and a triple.  6 games at 3rd, 1 game DH (5 PO, 7 A, 0 E).

    that's somewhat fun news.

  • crunch (view)

    i was blown away confused/pissed when it was announced the cubs were trading for y.almonte.

    i was thrilled when m.busch was announced as part of the trade.

    it's really weird to have the "you gotta take this payroll guy, too" (1.9m) part of the trade leak before the main piece.

    the cubs didn't get a deal given what they gave up, but i was very happy to have a guy like busch in the fold with so much club control.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Have to admit I was initially disappointed the Cubs traded away the upside of Jackson Ferris but Busch is making a believer out of me.  If I still lived in midwest guessing we would have invented some drink special named a Busch Bomb at the local drinking establishment to celebrate his homers.  

  • Cubster (view)

    per Tribune: Suzuki MRI results pending from yesterday so we should get a timetable for return later today.

  • crunch (view)

    suzuki says he injured his oblique running to 1st, not swinging.  okay.  it's gonna be that kind of 2024 cubs year, huh?

    i would say that's good news compared to screwing it up swinging, but i'm not familiar with the recovery time of people screwing up their oblique by running.

    right side is at least different from his left side oblique injury last year.

  • crunch (view)

    5 IN A ROW!

    hack wilson, ryne sandberg, sammy sosa, christopher morel, and michael busch.

  • Cubster (view)

    A bit more Jewish take on one of my favorite Cubs, Kenny Holtzman. His 9-0 season while serving in the National Guard and being available to pitch on weekends was one of my coolest teen recollections. 

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388554

Click HERE for the last 50 comments