Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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

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

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL
* Justin Steele, P   

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





Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Oswalt Loses Mind, Will Still Start Against Wells, Cubs

The Astros and Cubs meet in a 12:05 game at Wrigley following yesterday's washout.

The pitching matchup is a reset of what was scheduled Friday, with Roy Oswalt opposing Randy Wells. Oswalt (1-2) fell to the Cubs on Opening Night and didn't notch a win until his most recent and eighth start of the year, versus the Padres.

From mlb.com:

Oswalt, mainly a fastball-curveball pitcher, admitted he's using his slider more, for no other reason than "I don't know what I'm doing right now. I've kind of lost my mind."

Wells is coming off his first Major League start, in which he completed five scorless but event-filled innings against the Brewers. In his brief Major League career, spanning 5 games and 10 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays and Cubs, the 26-year-old righty is still unscored upon.

With Wells going today, Sean Marshall moves into the bullpen until Thursday, when he will go against the Cardinals.

About the Theriot story...I'm no great fan of Rick Telander, but I think he's dead on when he says that MLB owners and players have wrought a situation in which any and every player can find himself the subject of suspicion simply for displaying a sudden power surge or otherwise seemingly uncharacteristic jump in performance.

For the record, Telander said he was pretty sure that the notion was Theriot was a steroids-user was "ludicrous," but that's just the point: none of us, not the fans, not the reporters can be certain any more about anybody. And for that, we can thank Mr. Selig, the owners, Mr. Fehr, and the members of the players union who have opposed testing.

 

Comments

Besides RANDY WELLS' start today, if you're like me, you'll be interested in following the Orioles/Royals game featuring the return of RICH HILL and the Mariners/Red Sox game where GARRETT OLSON (0-0 2.57) gets a spot start. BTW, after bouncing around MLB for awhile, DAVID AARDSMA (0-1 1.53) has taken over the closer role for the Mariners.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

I'll never forget seeing Aardsma pitch in the bullpen one time, we had some really good bullpen seats. His fastball is wicked live. He had great stuff, his problem had always been control. Clearly he's solved those problems?

Cubnut - I agree with you about Tealander. I've never been a fan. Even so, like you, I agree with his take on the Theriot/steroids association. It's ridiculous, but unfortunately, everyone is a suspect now. And you're right, the players only have themselves to blame. If someone would have had the nads to speak up and demand testing at a time when the Players Union was fighting testing, maybe this situation could have been avoided. Unfortunately, the players and the Union were more concerned with protecting their limited concept of privacy, which also meant protecting the PED offenders.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubnut

Theriot hit 0 HR in March, 0 HR in April. He started yanking them out only after Lou asked his healthy players to try to elevate the ball to fill the power gap resulting from injuries to UNCLE MILTY, DEPLETED LEE, and ARAM. To believe that Ryan Theriot is a roider you have to believe that all you have to do is pop 'em and the next day you turn into Sammy Sosa. Of course that's not how they work, but Telander went with it anyway. What a jerk. His career and his loser newspaper cannot die soon enuf.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

Yet, here we are talking about Wittenmyer's racism article and Tealander's Theroid article. Their shameful attempts at sensationalizing news to drum up more interest works.

thanks jeebus for LaTroy Hawkins...Scales would have been out by about 5-10 feet if Pence didn't airmail the throw home on the last play. Better to be lucky than good...

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Or...maybe Mike Quade is so good that he knew Pence would airmail the throw. Or, more likely, Scales is SO GOOD that he actually made Pence's throw fuck up in the middle of the air. Bobby Scales = Baserunning Jedi.

Well that was way more exciting than it has to be but chalk it up as a W. Gregg is that guy, he's either lights out or has nothing. Lets hope he goes back to being good the next time. Randy Wells has been impressive working on a big scoreless streak to start his career.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

Are you really that suprised? I called it back when the Ricketts were chosen as would-be owners that the whole "by opening day" was nonsense. They've been talking about this for so long, before the Ricketts' name even came up. I'd be surprised if it's done by the end of the season, or even the end of the calendar year. It doesn't really matter except for: 1) it will be a convenient excuse to not make a deal at the trade deadline. Not that they would necessarily make a deal anyway, but that will be the excuse. 2) then we get to hear the tired line of "getting player x healthy in July will be like getting a new player but for free." *sigh*

Fun stat of the day -- Gregg gives up back-to-back homers and loads the bases with no outs, putting the tying run on 2nd and the go-ahead run on first, but Heilman gets the BS despite not being charged with a run. Gregg, who blew the lead, is not charged with a BS. That's the rule, I guess, but it seems odd. Gregg has never been a lights-out closer, so we shouldn't expect him to become one now. But, still...that was ridiculous.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

"You didn't answer my question." I believe I did answer your question, you just must not like the answer. I don't think Gregg has the mental makeup to be a very good closer. I believe there is a big difference from pitching in the 7th or 8th innings, versus coming in and closing games in the 9th, especially playing for the Cubs vs. Marlins. "Kevin Gregg has had success as a closer. You claim that he cannot be a good closer, but he can be a good setup man." He had success in 2007, but in 2008, Gregg was tied for the lead in all MLB in blown saves with 9. He only closed 29 games, so he had a 76% save rate last year. So far in 2009, Gregg has 1 blown save in 7 chances, so that is an 85.7% save rate, definitely improved, but it is a small sample size. I do hope he keeps it up, but I doubt he will. Of course that does not take into account his non save situations where he has been horrible this year. In fact his numbers for save situations have not been good either, but has has held on for saves for the most part Also, IMO, saving games for the Cubs in front of a a packed house everyday is tougher than closing out games for the under the radar Marlins in front of 10,000 people. I think Gregg would be a fine setup man, but when it comes to a closer I think the Cubs have a better option (Marmol). I hope that answers your question.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    happ, right hamstring tightness, day-to-day (hopefully 0 days).

    he will be reevaluated tomorrow.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I guess I'm not looking for that type of AB 

    Just a difference of opinion

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I don’t see Tauchman as a weak link in any position. He simply adds his value in a different way.

    I don’t know that we gain much by putting him in the outfield - Happ, Bellinger and Suzuki and Tauchman all field their positions well. If you’re looking for Taucnman’s kind of AB in a particular game I don’t see why it can’t come from DH.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Tauchman gets a pinch hit RBI single with a liner to RF. This is his spot. He's a solid 4th OF. But he isn't a DH. 

    He takes pitches. Useful. I still believe in having good hitters.

    You don't want your DH to be your weak link (other than your C maybe)

  • crunch (view)

    bit of a hot take here, but i'm gonna say it.

    the 2024 marlins don't seem to be good at doing baseballs.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Phil, will the call up for a double header restart that 15 days on assignment for a pitcher? Like will wesneski’s 15 days start yesterday, or if he’s the 27th man, will that mean 15 days from tomorrow?

    I hope that makes sense. It sounds clearer in my head.

  • Charlie (view)

    Tauchman obviously brings value to the roster as a 4th outfielder who can and should play frequently. Him appearing frequently at DH indicated that the team lacks a valuable DH. 

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally onboard with your thoughts concerning today’s lineup. Not sure about your take on Tauchman though.

    The guy typically doesn’t pound the ball out out of the park, and his BA is quite unimpressive. But he brings something unique to the table that the undisciplined batters of the past didn’t. He always provides a quality at bat and he makes the opposing pitcher work because he has a great eye for the zone and protects the plate with two strikes exceptionally well. In addition to making him a base runner more often than it seems through his walks, that kind of at bat wears a pitcher down both mentally and physically so that the other guys who may hit the ball harder are more apt to take advantage of subsequent mistakes and do their damage.

    I can’t remember a time when the Cubs valued this kind of contribution but this year they have a couple of guys doing it, with Happ being the other. It doesn’t make for gaudy stats but it definitely contributes to winning ball games. I do believe that’s why Tauchman has garnered so much playing time.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Miles Mastrobuoni cannot be recalled until he has spent at least ten days on optional assignment, unless he is recalled to replace a position player who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And for a pitcher it's 15 days on optional assignment before he can be recalled, unless he is replacing a pitcher who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, or Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And a pitcher (or a position player, but almost always it's a pitcher) can be recalled as the 27th man for a doubleheader regardless of how many days he has been on optional assignment, but then he must be sent back down again the next day. 

     

    That's why the Cubs had to wait as long as they did to send Jose Cuas down and recall Keegan Thompson. Thompson needed to spend the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he could be recalled (and he spent EXACTLY the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he was recalled). 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.