Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

39 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (one slot is open), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL and one player has been DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT (DFA)   

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and nine 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 4-23-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 9 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 3
Kyle Hendricks, P 
* Drew Smyly, P 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P

DFA: 1 
Garrett Cooper, 1B 
 





Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Gathright for Freel Done

UPDATE: If I understand this correctly, the offical deal is the Cubs getting Ryan Freel and $2.6 or $2.7M from the Orioles for Joey Gathright. The O's would then pay the rest of Gathright's contract (about $670K), thus making it "cash-neutral" as Rosenthal described as Freel was owed about $3.3M on his $4M deal for 2009.


 

I guess the O's really did want to get rid of Ryan Freel as Rosenthal is now reporting that deal has been made...Joey Gathright for Ryan Freel.

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 (ed note - Freel's 2009 deal was for $4M total).

If that source is correct, then an absolute no-brainer for the Cubs as Freel can play the outfield and a few infield positions at the same cost for the Cubs. Freel also gives the Cubs a right-handed bench option that they'd be missing, whenever a walk or a single might be needed.

 


Besides his little friend Farney, Freel also brings a rap sheet with him...a DUI offense in Kentucky in 2005 and then "disorderly intoxication" during a bachelor party in Tampa, FL in January of 2006. He's also a magnet for concussions.

 

On the other hand, Christie Freel is part of the package as well.

 

 

 

Soriano, Theriot, Fukudome, Ramirez, Hoffpauir, Bradley, Fontenot, Hill and Randy Wells tonight versus Weeks, Hart, Braun, Fielder, Cameron, Hardy, Hall, Kendall and Dave Bush.

Comments

Okay, maybe I should change my name to doom and gloom. Freel is just one concussion away from having to quit playing. This is just another Meh trade imho. We need some bullpen help and Mark DeRosa, come back: all is forgiven. The Freel trade reeks of Dusty-like desperation. Meh.

This is better than just eating Gathright's salary. If in fact we don't have to pay any of Freel's this is a good trade. It won't be a big help to the team (and DeRosa is a much better option than Freel), but at least it gives Lou some flexibility and we won't be seeing Koyie Hill at 3rd base anymore.

[ ]

In reply to by mannytrillo

not jumping down your throat, but the dero talk just needs to die. the guy deserves and is a starter...he was either gonna start for the cubs and have fontenot ride pine waiting for injury or he was gonna be traded away with fontenot sliding in. dero's flexibility would have been nice, but the guy deserves to start. yes, the cubs paid for him and they could do whatever they want with him, but hendry and co. would have issues in the future with FA's signing in dero's range for dero's years if they rode him for 300-400ab's after what he did the past 2 seasons. of course, many would be just fine having fontenot ride pine...i, personally, think fontenot is ready for 2nd and doing a good job. why he's playing 3rd so much...no comment...cuz it's not a good comment.

Freel later said that Farney's name arose from a conversation with Reds trainer Mark Mann: "He actually made a comment like, 'How are the voices in your head?' 'What's the guy's name?' I said, 'Let's call him Farney.' So now everybody's like, 'Run, Farney, run' or 'Let Farney hit today. You're not hitting very well.'"[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_freel wscr says Farney has an mlb.com e-mail address

I agree with others that it's better than just eating Gathright's salary, which had to be done after last night's trainwreck defense. How much Freel has left is questionable, but it's a good gamble for no increase in salary. If he stinks, cut him.

Tribune says Freel doesn't have to be activated until Saturday. Gathright was sent down and Wells called up before the trade, so they are supposedly ok for Friday. Scales will almost certainly be the guy sent down, but he had to be thinking he was going down to make room for Wells anyway.

Interesting deal. Makes me wonder a few things: 1. Why did the O's want to get rid of Freel so badly? 2. Is it because his numbers the past few seasons kind of suck? 3. How much of a clubhouse influence will Farney be? 4. Freel might be an upgrade over Gathright, but is Freel a better option than Scales? 5. Will Felix Pie start calling Joey Gathright "Farney"? 6. Who is next to eat a dick?

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 05/08/2009 - 3:59pm.
Not 100% sure on the rules here, and maybe AZ Phil or dave or somebody can help me out here...

I believe a player on the DL has to be activated before the trade goes through unless you get some kind of special exemption from the commissioner.

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

WES: A player on an MLB DL can be traded, but he cannot be reactivated until he has served the minimum time required.

In the case of Ryan Freel, he was placed on the Orioles 15-day DL on April 21st and has been on a minor league rehab assignment since April 27th, so he should be ready to play immediately.

And although he was added to the Cubs Reserve List (40-man roster) as soon as the trade was completed, the Cubs have 72 hours to place him on the Active List (25 man roster).

And a slight clarification on something Rob G mentioned in another post about Gathright earlier today....

Gathright did not have the right to refuse an outright assignment to the minors because he had accrued at least five years of MLB service time. Actually, a player can refuse an outright assignment to the minors once he has accrued at least three years of MLB service time, or if the player had been previously outrighted in his career. So Gathright had the right to refuse an outright assignment to the minors because he has accrued three-plus years of MLB service time (he had 3.064 MLB ST coming into the 2009 season)

Players with at least five years of MLB service time can refuse an OPTIONAL assignment to the minors, but since Gathright has not yet accrued five years of MLB service time, and since he is out of minor league options anyway, that rule isn't relevant in this particular case

arod's gonna pay the price, much like the rest of the roiders. ...loss of job, shunning of the baseball community, having to find new work, making way for the clean players to take their place over those that used drugs to keep them out of a fair shot at a job... it's a new era and all these guys paid a huge price for it. ...wait... i hope every f'n roider gets in the hall of fame and they put a picture of the team's owner and bud selig up beside every single one of them.

If I were an Oriole fan I would be pretty pissed that they keep getting the Cubs rejects. As for Freel? Who knows. I should never call a player completely washed up after seeing what Edmonds did with us last year. Just have to see how he does in whatever amount of playing time he gets. Freel was great when he was healthy 5 or 6 years ago.

The Orioles apparently kicked in more than $1 million to even out the scales, which is why the trade required approval from the Commissioner's Office before it could be approved and announced. (Hopefully it's more like $3M which would make the trade more $$ neutral) ------ Note below, Freel recently failed an Impact test as referenced in the mlb.com article below (for post-concussion eval). For those who want to know what is exactly included in an impact test...here is a link: http://www.impacttest.com/testmodules.php --------------------------------- new update on the mlb.com site wrt the Freel-Gathright trade. http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090508&content_id=4625566&vke… The Orioles apparently kicked in more than $1 million to even out the scales, which is why the trade required approval from the Commissioner's Office before it could be approved and announced. Freel, who had been on the disabled list with a head injury, will go to Chicago along with a significant cash amount designed to even out the team's obligations. Andy MacPhail, Balitmore's president of baseball operations, said that the deal took around four days to complete and that both the Cubs and Orioles were trying to fix an organizational surplus. Freel had one game scratched because he couldn't pass an impact test, and he sat out both ends of a rain-strewed doubleheader for Double-A Bowie this week. "It's just one of those star-crossed things," said MacPhail. "Ryan and I talked a couple times, and he saw himself more as a National League player. Double-switch, get to play there more than he did here.

Freel on the DL, not saving any money on the deal...bleh Not a big deal...appears to be garbage for garbage. Better than just sending Gathright down though.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

big_low: "Huh? What money did you want to save?" The first report I read it seemed like the Cubs were going to net save some money. But like many first reports that was not 100% accurate. big_low: "They are not spending any more money, and got a better, more versatile player." Agree 100%. I even mentioned that earlier in the thread (you must have just accidentally missed that). Unfortunately though, Freel is on the DL right now. big_low: "But no surprise that you would criticize it..." I wouldn't say I criticized it, I, just like at least a few other posters, just aren't that excited about it. Like I said it is better than just eating Gathright's salary by sending him down to Iowa. But I would rather have DeRosa. But hey, what the hell am I doing posting here with the Cubs winning two in a row, right? Go Cubs! Go Wells!

Hey guys-- Am watching on Gameday-- can someone tell me what happened with Ramirez? Please GOD tell me he's not seriously injured.

Recent comments

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Is it just me or does it seem that official scorers are becoming less likely to call a misplay an error? 

     

    Guess I've hit my cranky old-man phase in life.  "I remember back in the day when an error was an error.  Official scorers have gone soft.  Now where did I put my readers?!!??"

     

    Sidenote, maybe Bellinger should be a little more careful against the Astros.  That was the series last year that a play at wall put him on the IL.   

  • crunch (view)

    i hated the almonte pickup, but he's 9-10 out of 12 for good outings, following a great spring.  hope he can keep it up.

    i already miss cooper, but yeah...the thin OF roster backup the team seems to want to carry probably got wisdom preference over cooper.  i could live without seeing wisdom at 3rd unless it's a blowout, though.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Things I've been wrong about:

    -Tauchman is fine as a 4th OF. I knew that. I just want a better LH DH option and he was really the DH for us until Seiya got hurt. I'm glad Mervis is getting a chance at it. Caissie is coming for that job for sure. But Tauchman continues to be highly useful as a 4th OF with Seiya being hurt

    -I wanted Yency to go to get guys at Iowa a chance. Guys like Palencia and Sanders or RileyT. Maybe even Hodge! But Yency has been better the last two plus weeks. He did hit 96 the other day. He was 93 in Texas to open the season.

    -Leiter has his split working enough. It just needs to stay there

    -I was surprised Jed picked Wisdom over Cooper. I wonder if this happens if Seiya wasn't hurt. Wisdom has more power. Cooper is the better hitter. Jed picked Wisdom and Wisdom had an option left as well.

    -Palencia just doesn't miss enough bats. Similar to ManRod, just two yrs younger. ManRod is killing AAA for TB right now!

    Things I got right so far:

    -Hendricks. Sorry Kyle. You got paid though!

    Jed, you missed there.

    -Smyly. If Jed could've traded him before or during ST, then he should have and saved some cash.

    -Mastro.  Not a LH DH. Pinch runner. Defensive utility. Maybe he's better than Madrigal but didn't get a legit chance to prove it.

    -Luke Little is good. He's had one bad outing. That's it. Needs to get better entering with guys on base. But he needs to stay in MLB.

    -Oh yeah....Morel is doing fine at 3B! He'll get better as well!!

  • crunch (view)

    bellinger "right rib contusion"

  • Childersb3 (view)

    South Bend just lost the lead in the bottom of the 9th on the weirdest scenario, ever.

    It's absolutely pouring rain....men on 1st and 2nd, 1out....JPatterson asks for a new ball, but no time out was called....he throws the old ball toward the dugout (not sure if it rolled out of play).....the ump declares the runners get two bases each so one run scores. Then a single up the middle ties the game.

    The rain was coming down in buckets at this point.

    Just weird

  • crunch (view)

    ...and bellinger is gone in the 7th because of that 2nd blown chance and the wall he bounced off of...

    hopefully his rib cage/shoulder feels better tomorrow, we just got happ back.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil,

    Any thoughts on Y. Rojas' stuff and Y. Melendez's game (I believe I've asked about him before, sorry)?

  • crunch (view)

    wow, things are moving fast.  hopefully it continues.

  • crunch (view)

    morel with 4 clean plays in 4 innings...showed off his 100000000mph arm a couple times.

    cody bellinger not having a good 4th, though...5 run leads are handy when your CF is making your pitcher have a 5-out inning.  2nd blown chance was ruled a hit even though it went in/out of his glove...1st was lost in the lights, also ruled a hit.

  • crunch (view)

    welcome back happ!  double off the wall 1st PA back.