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

2009 Cubs Draft Ticker Tracker - Day One

ROUND 1 (31): Brett Jackson, OF (Cal)
L/R, 6'2, 210, 20 years old
COMMENT: College junior was named 1st team All-PAC-10 in 2009... Also was a pre-season All-American... Above-average defender with enough arm to play CF or LF, but not RF.... Above-average speed... Aggressive baserunner... Outstanding bat speed, but he strikes out a lot... Hit 321/407/564, with 8 HR & 41 RBI, 17 2B, 6 3B, 29/61 BB/K in 253 PA, and 11 SB (5 CS) for the Golden Bears in 2009... A similar type player as Cubs OF prospects Cliff Andersen and Drew Rundle...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ROUND 2 (79): D. J. LeMahieu, INF (LSU)
R/R, 6'4, 190, 20 years old
COMMENT: Draft-eligible sophomore... Played SS as Freshman at LSU, then was shifted to 2B as Soph... Has power potential, but so far has been intent on hitting ball to opposite field... Will probably have to learn to pull the ball if he wants to progress... Has average speed... Below-average arm for SS, and struggles with footwork at 2B... Might have to be moved to a corner IF-OF spot at some point... Hit 340/408/462 for Tigers in 2009, with 4 HR & 39 RBI, 12 2B, 3 3B, 27/38 BB/K in 286 PA, with 10 SB (3 CS), and nine errors... Played HS ball in Michigan... Follows in the footsteps of LSU Cubbies Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ROUND 3 (109): Austin Kirk, LHP (Owasso HS - Owasso, OK)
L/L, 6'1, 205, 19 years old
COMMENT: Went 9-1 with a 0.45 ERA and 21/111 BB/K in 62 IP for the Rams in 2009... Showed an overpowering fastball that was clocked at 95 MPH in state semi-finals, as well as a sharp breaking ball and solid change-up... Has signed NLI with University of Oklahoma... Played OF & 1B when he wasn't pitching, and hit .400+ with 5 HR in 2009...

The draft will resume tomorrow, starting with Round #4.   

Comments

I didn't love Jackson, but I preferred him to say, AJ Pollock, and overall, I'm okay with this pick. I think I liked Wheeler's upside better than Jackson's, but it's a slim difference. There were a lot of arms that I really liked, though. Understandably, we weren't going to spend too much, so a guy like Scheppers was unrealistic, but some of those lefty arms intrigued me. Here's hoping someone lasts to the late 2nd.

BA's summary of pick: Brett Jackson goes to the Cubs, who has five-tool ability and might be the best hitting prospect in the system after Josh Vitters as soon as he signs. Of course, he also could be another Tyler Colvin. But at No. 31, the Cubs get solid value, considering the fact that Jackson was projected to go top-half of the first round earlier this season. BA's review BRETT JACKSON, OF, CALIFORNIA Jackson is most frequently compared with J.D. Drew, at least physically. But while critics often question Drew's passion, the same accusation could never be directed at Jackson. Strong and muscular, Jackson is a wonderful athlete who is a perpetual motion machine on the field and plays with flair. He is an enthusiastic, upbeat and supportive teammate, and he's an aggressive baserunner who challenges outfielders and takes the extra base, often diving in headfirst while doing so. He uses his above-average speed to chase down drives in the gaps in center field, and he has the range to flag down balls hit in front of him or over his head. His arm can be inconsistent, but he has enough arm strength for both left and center. Most criticism surrounding Jackson centers on his hitting, where he's not nearly as polished as Drew. He utilizes an inward-turning, hand-pumping, leg-kicking, load-up-and-let-it-fly swing. He has excellent bat speed and shows the ability to rifle the ball around the diamond, with acceptable home run power, particularly for a leadoff man. His high strikeout totals hurt his draft chances, though, and he had 58 whiffs in 206 at-bats this season.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

1) Maybe we need another check-in on Stevens, Archer, and Gaub. Last we saw, they were all three tearing it up. I mean, it's not like we need good pitching or anything. Yeah, it sucks we don't have Dero anymore. Those three pitchers may be of significantly greater value. 2) We'd be Ok with a weak hitting 2nd baseman if Milton and Soto were hitting and Rammy were healthy. I still think Bradley will turn it around this season. In his worst season since 2003 he hit 267/362/424 and that was all the way back in 2004. I'm not convinced yet that all of a sudden he's going to hit 100-150 points lower OPS than in the previous 6 years.

round 2 pick #79: is another LSU infielder, but he's 6'4 so it's double fonty... David LeMahiew SS, sophmore 6'4" 193 lbs R/R Summary: As a shortstop from a major college program, LeMahieu is going to get plenty of looks. Like most LSU products, he plays the game the right way and makes the most of his average tools. He's got a solid approach at the plate, but doesn't have a ton of raw power. That wouldn't matter, except for the fact he might have to move to third as he matures. Still, as a real "baseball player" who's excelled in a major program, he's bound to be drafted well. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2009/reports.jsp?content=lemahieu

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

Here is BA: eMahieu looked like a first-round pick last summer when he starred in the Cape Cod League. Scouts saw enough athleticism in his lanky 6-foot-4, 193-pound frame to think he could play shortstop, and they liked his power potential. But he hasn't played up to that level this spring. Though LeMahieu led Louisiana State, which has been in the top 10 most of the season, with a .356 average heading into the final week of the regular season, scouts expected him to deliver more than four home runs. He employs an inside-out, opposite-field approach, so he should have more power if he turns on more pitches. Scouts also have noted that his swing seems slower and longer this spring. They also think LeMahieu now has no chance at playing shortstop, as he has looked more methodical and less explosive. The Tigers concurred, moving him to second base at midseason after they had trouble turning double plays. His arm has regressed, too, and at shortstop he would need a full windup to make longer throws. A fringe-average runner, LeMahieu may not have the quick feet for second base, either, and he'd have to produce a lot more power if he shifted to third base or the outfield. Further complicating matters is the extra leverage he possesses as a draft-eligible sophomore. Enough scouting directors saw LeMahieu play well on the Cape that he still should get picked in the second or third round, and he may be signable if he goes that high.

Milton Bradley is a $10MM schlepp, my gawd. O fer 6 with 10 men LOB! We're one week away from being able to trade this turd. Any conceivable takers? Angels would like to be rid of GMJ. Jose Guillen is unliked and unwanted in KC. Those are the two bad contracts that immediately come to mind. Any others?

[ ]

In reply to by Doug Dascenzo

There was a discussion on this in that Baseball Prospectus chat. Sometimes pitchers do, but it's pretty rare. Nevertheless scouting directors think that anyone who is 6'4" and throws 90 will be able to throw 94 by the time they're 22, and continue to use that as a reason to draft them. If the kid we took in the third round was 4 inches taller he would have been drafted in the first round. But since he isn't 6'4" he can't add any imaginary MPH's to his fastball so he was a 4th or 5th round pick.

When the comments given by AZ Phil on the 3rd round pick are better than the comments on the 1st and 2nd round picks it seems on paper that we had a bad 1st day of the draft. Of course drafts take atleast 3 years to evaluate though.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Overall I certainly agree -- would have loved to grab three pitchers. Not sure that I wanted the Sac St. kid at 31, but if we were drafting a athlete project, I would have gone with Everett Williams. It seems like the Cubs fell in love with Pollock and Jackson (or CF in general) and would take them no matter what. I thought when Williams fell they might grab him. But if they weren't going to overspend for Scheppers, Jackson seems like someone who was slotted for about that spot. He appears to have a weird swing and perhaps he can be taught more control so that he makes more contact. Not sure, however, where I am getting any faith that the Cubs have hitting expertise such that the swing correction will make a difference. Am very hopeful for Kirk -- from the report, it sounds like there is potential he develops into a very good starter. Not at all sure about LeMahieu. He was considered a mid first round pick after the Cape Cod League last summer, but was not impressive this year. Again perhaps the Cubs found something they thought they could fix, but your Flaherty comparison seems apt; I am not sure Flaherty will develop much further as it seemed like he was quite developed already (coach's son, worked hard at the game). Likewise, LeMahieu seemed to have hit a high point and then did not develop further. He is young though, so we can hope.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

How so? I am fairly pleased with last year's pitching heavy draft. On paper, it looks pretty solid right now. I don't fault him for his first draft - we didn't have many picks. The 2nd draft was a bit debatable after the early goings - the only reasoning I could attach was that they wanted some guys that could perhaps move fast and fill in the thin upper levels. Even then, Vitters looks good, Donaldson looks good, and some useful guys were picked later on. We knew what we would get with Wilken - a tools oriented guy. According to some, Hendry has influenced him more towards collegians, although that seems debatable based on Wilken's history. As I said last week, and as many are apt to disagree, I'm not against taking gambles this year with the way the organization is right now. The organization is lacking in high level talent. We've got plenty of cup of tea guys. In saying that, I don't really love the first 3 picks, but I don't hate it. Kirk is the one that intrigues me the most. I was okay with Jackson, didn't like him, preferred several guys that were still on the board, but it was okay. I somewhat expect LeMahieu, though I don't really care for it, as he seems like a raw Ryan Flaherty, and Flaherty's going through his own adjustment period (along with the fact that LeMahieu is likely going to cost). Also, LeMahieu, as of now, is either a below average defensive 2nd baseman with a decent bat, or a 3rd baseman with below average power. Eh ... obviously he's young, so there's growth potential, but eh.

I don't understand. Everyone in the world said this year's draft is rich in pitching and bare in hitting. So what do we do? Select hitters in the first two rounds, one of whom struck out in more than a quarter of his PA's last year. The other is a 6'4" infielder who can't hit, at least not for power. Sure, both of these guys could become major leaguers if everything works out, but you don't draft project guys in the first two rounds. Wilken's strategy, if he has one, just doesn't make sense to me. Colvin was a waste, and while I liked Cashner, there were better prospects on the board. Last year was when you draft a hitter in the first round. It's like he's trying to be contrarian for contrarian's sake. P.S. Does AZ Phil or anyone else know if the Cubs have started having their scouts videotape the prospects they watch themselves, rather than relying on just stock video and the scouts' eye analysis. Keith Law was on ESPN radio yesterday talking about how three of the better drafting organizations of late, TB, SF, and Boston, have all made their scouts videotape their players themselves so that there is more video evidence to use (e.g. break down a swing again back in the hotel, etc.). Law said more teams are starting to use this and I was wondering if the Cubs do.

meh...it was a weak draft class for the cubs...esp. when their 1st pick was 31st. that said, the cubs did go out and draft the 1 guy i hoped they wouldn't in the 1st round...dunno crap about the other 2 guys aside from what i learned here tonight.

Empty take is that Brett Jackson strikes out too much, LeMahieu is a limited offensive player, and Kirk is a raw arm that probably was overdrafted. All of that has valid backing to it. Taking a look at the other side, though ... if they pan out Brett Jackson is a CF with elite ability. He might have the ability to hit for average and power if they can shake out the swing a bit. Gotta get him to be a bit more patient, but the potential is there. CF was certainly a hole in the system. DJ LeMahieu certainly has the potential to hit for power. Say he develops - then you have a plus power 2nd baseman or an average power 3rd baseman. The depth charts in the system could use either - 2nd base this year has seen Nate Spears struggle, Tony Thomas collapse, leaving Junior Lake and Ryan Flaherty as the most intriguing options. Austin Kirk is a power lefty, and those are rare. Not trying to sugercoat the first three picks (I'd give it a C+ right now), but there is some potential to the picks. One befuddling thing is that the LeMahieu pick suggests that they have some money to spend - I would've rather gambled on one of the arms in the first and paid more.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

Look at the overall season - he was ridiculously red hot to start this year and has really cooled off tremendously. That said, the reason I used collapse was in regards to his strike zone judgment. After a solid K/BB to start the year (15/8), and he was battling, his K/BB is now at 53/24, striking out 25.4% of the time, on par with his K rate last year. It's hard, for me, to imagine Thomas succeeding as a starting caliber 2nd baseman in the big leagues while striking out that much. Not writing him off, but if I had to pick who I thought had the best chance to be our starting 2nd baseman in, say, 3 years, I'd go with Flaherty or Lake (not that those two are exactly standing out right now). I was really intrigued with Thomas when we drafted him, so I'm disappointed.

Trying to find some hitting comps for Jackson: In 2000 Joe Borchard hit .333 .433 .624 with 44 BB's,57 K's in 255 at bats for Stanford. Being a White Sock he made it to the majors and 'hit' .205 .284 .352 with 222 K's in 716 at bats. Jason Grove hit .314 .436 .505 with 25/29 Bb/K ratio against 105 at bats the same year for Washington State. Never made it out of AA. In 2004 a guy named Don Lucy hit .313 .381 .534 for Stanford and had a 17/47 BB/K ratio over 208 at bats. He went 3/16 with 6 K's in his cup of coffee in 2007 and has hit .256 .328 .347 in the minors. Those guys are the closest I could find looking in the top three rounds of the 2000 to 2005 draft. None of them K'd as much and walked as seldom as Jackson and none of them is worth paying the ML minimum.

We are in a three way tie for second in the central. How did that happen.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

Isn't that like saying you cannot judge an investment in the stock market or any other instrument until you know the actual returns? That certainly is not true -- there are investments that are considered wiser than others based on future projections of value. Afterward, parties can reassess and determine whether the judgments were correct and the projections accurate, but that doesn't mean you do not make decisions based on value at the time of the investment. While there will be a different (and more precise) judgment on these draft picks when we know their performance, we can still judge them based on relative and projected value right now.

Okay ... here's a question for folks - where do you think these guys rank in our system? Granted, rankings are more for discussion value than anything ... I think, as much as I've said I'm okay with the Jackson pick, I'm very borderline on if he's top 10. After all, in some ways, he profiles like Tyler Colvin, and I'm not sure Colvin is top 10. LeMahieu, I'd roughly have him in that 15-20 area I think, and Kirk a bit below. Anyone have any thoughts? I also expect that we'll take several overslots in the next few rounds that will probably make the draft look a bit better. Here's to hoping that I find out good news when I check in later this evening.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

Until Jackson's performance shows otherwise (which I hope it does not), though, his ranking will be based on possible value and upside. I think Jackson is going to be ranked in the top 6-8. LeMahieu is a 2B with lots of uncertainty. He likely is rated lower than Tony Thomas was coming into this season, so high teens to 20 sounds about right. If Kirk throws consistently in the 90s with a good curve, I think he will be in the low teens. I might be overly optimistic (which is my Cub fan survival mechanism) but he could be a steal if reports are correct.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

I just don't see how Jackson projects as a MLB hitter. I think we've got 30 guys who project as major league players and Jackson isn't one of them. He may be the best athlete in the system once he signs, but that's not a position. Scoured the BP chat and found these comments on him: Kevin Goldstein (5:40:14 PM PT): Cubs take Brett Jackson from Cal, who seemed to be in the mix for every team in the 20s. He's either a star or the next Tyler Colvin. That's really the range here as a risk/upside college guy. Bryan Smith (5:40:59 PM PT): Brett Jackson is sort of like how KG described Wheeler -- he gets a lot of power-speed credit, but in two years, he hasn't hit more than eight home runs or stolen more than 12 bases in a season. Plus, I've heard a lot of question marks about his ability to stay in center. I think there's a pretty decent chance the Cubs just drafted a fourth outfielder. KG: Perfectly fine pick there that fits in well with his talent. I love the commentators telling us he's a hitter when that's actually his big issue. "It can be corrected" I'm told, which is always funny. Joe Hamrahi (5:43:27 PM PT): I agree Bryan. I watched his numbers quite closely this year, and his lack of power, combined with a low contact rate and limited ability against LHP, makes me think the Cubs could have done better at this spot. *********************************** I think that last comment is the most telling. The Cubs must expect to totally re-work what sounds like a ridiculous swing, but when have the Cubs ever been able to do that successfully?

The Cubs philosophy being a big market team should be to go for upside, not "safe" picks that will be average ML's. I think Jackson fits the upside category, so it's a decent pick and at the appropriate slot at 31. The LSU guy must be something they saw that others didn't. I love the Kirk pick given left handed power pitchers are a rare commodity. He's worth picking even if it was a bit of a reach. Wilken seems to have done better at finding value in late rounds than necessarily getting the first 2 rounds right in the past (Vitters excluded), so let's see how he does today.

6th round is Brooks Raley 6'3 185 LB LHP who started for Texas A&M. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2009/reports.jsp?content=raley 7-3 3.76 ERA with 95Ks, 26BBs and 8 HR's in 93.1 innings. Probably this guy wanted to go in the top 3 rounds, and being a sophomore he may be a difficult signing. He was the Friday starter for A&M and as recently as May 7th BA said "(7-1, 1.96) is simply one of the nation's best Friday starters, not to mention a catalyst in the No. 2 hole in the lineup" about him. He hit .304 .420 .424 as an outfielder. Didn't K enough to become a positional prospect for the Cubs, though.

[ ]

In reply to by OakLawnGuy

Sounds like they both like the pick, just that Smith doesn't have much faith the Cubs will do anything with it. Missed this one from my BA, they had him as a Sandwich round talent. "He's spooking scouts by not giving them an inkling on his asking price or an agent". "He works mainly with a 87-90 MPH sinker, a slider and a changeup. He also has a four-seam fastball that peaks at 93 MPH and a curveball." Goes on to say he would also be a center field prospect, and that he's made a case as the best two-way player in college baseball.

8th Round: "ID3271, Whitenack, Robert Whitenack right handed pitcher from SUNY Old Westbury in New York". Have to see if AZ Phil knows who's speaking. 6'5" junior throws an 88 to 92 MPH fastball.

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).