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

Here Come The Sox, Time To Get Out The Flip Flops

flip-flops

Not here to talk about how awful life is for the Cub fan right now.
It's a day off, lets talk about flip flops - this'll make Cubs sense later.

They have an underdog kind of history, flip flops, especially in the midwest.
When I came to Chicago in the 80's, people didn't wear flops except in the shower.
There were sandals, sure, but sandals have that Jesus thing going on.
The real midwestern flip flop in the 80's was a hideous boat shoe called the Sperry Topsider, leather and sometimes with tassels - like little cardigan sweaters for the feet.
They made me feel silly so...I went with flops.
The kind from Walgreen's that come in all colors.
I'd get about 6 pairs for a grand total of about 10 bucks, last all summer long.
Especially fabulous in the bleachers at Wrigley, where staying cool is a must and the beer spillage is rampant.
You can just hose 'em off after.
They've come a long way since then.
Fashionable even.
Found my favorite kind about 5 years ago at a surf shop in Kona: Reefs.
I still have 'em.
Bulletproof.
I've got a pretty big collection now, including the sporty "Fannings" with the super cool beer bottle opener on the bottom (which surprisingly I've never used).
Okay, back to the White Sox, the flops, and the point of this little chat.
If I'm going to Wrigley and I put on a pair of flops, I can look at my sock drawer and say, "Fuck the socks."
And I do, every time.
Say that out loud right now.
Awesome, right?

Tim Souers is the illustrator and author of Cubby Blue and appreciates the opportunity to guest blog here at The Cub Reporter.
http://www.cubby-blue.com

Comments

Nice artwork again. What are you using, watercolors and black ink? I have to admit, I dislike flipflops anywhere but at the beach or the locker room. When I was seven I was chasing my brother around my grandparents house in stockinged feet. I slipped and busted my lip open on an end table in my grandfather's den. All the way to the hospital the only thing I would say around my crying was 'NO MORE SOX! NO MORE SOX!'

I don't quite get the flip-flop Cub connection, but I am wearing a pair of "Reefs" as I write. I love 'em. But, as Jacos says, I personally would not wear them into Wrigley's men's rooms at any time.

Who was it that said the highlight of their season is listening to Ozzie complain about Wrigley? Ozzie strikes! After the Brewers series... Everytime I go to Wrigley I puke... Start a "send Ozzie a bottle of Pepto-bismol" campaign, anyone?

Looks like the Iowa Cubs are streaming on the internet and maybe even have video if you're so inclined. Having a little trouble getting the audio though. Speaking of Iowa - amazing but true department. Jake "The Hammer" Fox went two for five last night with a triple, and managed to lower both his batting average and slugging percentage.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Somehow, I cannot imagine Jake "The Hammer" hitting a triple. Someone must have fallen down.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Keep in mind that in the PCL guys like The Hammer and Dubois are allowed to patrol the outfields.

After mowing 2.3 acres of dust and weeds, add 2 white socks to boiling water, 1 drop foul mouth Ozzie saliva and 2 drops Dye blood. Cool for 24 hours. Use as needed. Off label use: 1 cup in bowl to open septic systems and increase bacteria and sewer flowage.

[ ]

In reply to by artskoe

Off label use: 1 cup in bowl to open septic systems and increase bacteria and sewer flowage. --- also is medicinal as a substitute for normal colon flora...aka Bartolojuice

Kyle Burke leads all of professional baseball with 27 doubles...he was the bounty for Michael Barrett in 2007. Cubs 5th round pick Wesley Darvill has signed. and I think this was mentioned, but Doug Deeds demoted to Tennesee, Brandon Guyer and Todd Blackford demoted to Daytona (Blackford was acquird for Todd Hollandsworth once upon a time).

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

The Cubs got two pitchers in the deal: Angelo Burrows and Blackford. Burrows struggled mightily in 2006 and was released, after which he went on to Independent leagues. Blackford didn't fair well his first couple years in the Cubs system, but he finally put it together in 2008 going 7-1 with a 2.40 ERA for Daytona. He just turned 24 last week, and is 6'4" 205, but he is running out of time, especially since he struggled to start the season at the next (AA) level. I should also note that Justin Berg was acquired just two days prior to Blackford from the Yankees for Matt Lawton.

okay...i'll go ahead and bite. wtf is the cartoon about? it reminds me of andy warhol's early work for Life magazine, but beyond that i can't find a commentary or joke in there. -edit- okay, i just read the writeup under it...i dunno how i missed it the first few times. i blame the "new" button on the posts, the liberal media, and P.C. thugs. muh bad.

Steve Stone flames Jim Hendry on Chicago Tribune Live tonight: "Kenny Williams would never make an 8-year, guaranteed, no-trade offer to a DH who happens to be playing left field for the Chicago Cubs right now....". Only slightly out of context. He smoked other contracts the Cubs are currently burdened with, and again brings up St. Kenny as the Patron Of The Good Contract. (I had hoped his ax was ground all the way down since he started rooming with Hawk. Guess he still sees red when Jim Hendry is the subject.) Then he makes an appearance on WGN Sports Central (!), and during an interview with Crane Kenney, he and Kap try to pin Kenney down on the flexibility Hendry might have for a mid-season deal. Kaplan brings up DeRosa specifically, and Kenney replied (paraphrasing somewhat) "DeRo is in the last year of his deal, he makes what, $2.5 million? That would probably be considered a small deal that we might be able to fit in this year's numbers." (10 minutes later, DeRo hits an RBI double for all you young fans who miss him.) So maybe the Cubs will be able to get someone in the last year of a deal, not making much. So who's a free-agent-to-be, not making a ton of money, that could help and not cost much in the way of players? It was pointed out earlier that Will Carroll of BP spoke to the real severity of Jake Peavy's injury. Stone said the ankle is bound to at least bother him when he comes back in September and make him a less effective hurler.

[ ]

In reply to by OakLawnGuy

steve stone...that guy sure does have opinions. my favorite recent-memory steve stone moment barely involves him. len/bob have a studio area and before it was finished it was a bare-wall area with a hung-crooked autograph picture of steve stone on a thumbtack hanging on the wall. i'd love to know what's behind that, who hung it, and why len/bob left it there until they completed their studio renovation.

[ ]

In reply to by OakLawnGuy

Stoney is a little over-the-top on that comment. Soriano isn't the most graceful outfielder in the world, but the league has a number of far worse fielders and he'll age in the same mold as Jr. I have no problem with Soriano in LF for several more years. Anyways, that's what big-market teams do. Rather, I sense some lingering resentment from Stoney. On the larger point of Hendry giving some irresponsible contracts out, I guess I can agree with that. All those NTC reduce the flexibility of the team. Of course the team won two pennants in a row and I guess that's a nice accomplishment, but it's easy to forget seeing as how they have a 0-6 playoff record the last two years.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

Expounding on Hendry's roster moves in the offseason, he mentions that the Cubs "shipped Jason Marquis and $800,000 to Colorado for a pitcher they knew they were going to release, and by the way Jason Marquis is tied for the league lead with 8 wins....Marquis a guy Lou Piniella didn't want on the team, and who lives a block away from Jason and walks to the park with him every day - Mark DeRosa, who is traded to Cleveland for three pitchers who may help you down the road, but certainly will not help this season." Again paraphrasing only slightly, but I don't quite understand why Stoney would imply that since DeRosa was Marquis' buddy, he needs to go too. He went on about DeRosa's stats, his 44 RBI (added to tonight against the Brewers), and "if you can count, and I know you can, that's more than Derrek Lee and Milton Bradley combined." His partner on the telecast, Frank Thomas, laughed out loud several times - as if he's a disciple of Kenny Williams now too. I really don't buy into the whole "gotta beat the Sox - gotta beat the Cubs" mentality. It makes me sick to see kids running around in "Cubs Suck" or "Sox Suck" shirts. Too bad the media doesn't feel the same way. (Then again they make money with it.)

[ ]

In reply to by OakLawnGuy

If you had been sentenced to sit next that old flatulent verbal mastubatorb who tells the same story of how he invented the batting glove(he didn't) and how good Yaz's cock taste you would be bitter against your former employer too. Stone is probably still hurt the Cubs picked Merker and Dusty over him and he's probably right, but for all his baseball insight he still shills like a carney you can find at any country fair this summer.

[ ]

In reply to by OakLawnGuy

"Williams would never make an 8-year, guaranteed" Of course the Sox would not have the money to make that offer. Might as well say the Royals would not make that deal either. I still believe that Peavy would have came to Sox if they guaranteed the final year, and Uncle Jer shot it down.

[ ]

In reply to by OakLawnGuy

Kenny Williams would never make an 8-year, guaranteed, no-trade offer to a DH who happens to be playing left field for the Chicago Cubs right now Yea... instead he will trade for a worse version in Jim Thome. And if Stoney thinks that Soriano is a DH, then he has lost any baseball acumen that he once had.

"I like Gerald's approach, but if you step out of line, he gets you back quickly," Thomas said. "Von was more fundamentals. We clashed at first because his fundamental style was different from what I was taught by [former Sox hitting coach]Walt Hrniak, but we worked it out. He's a real professional and a good guy. But it will take a few weeks. They'll go backward a little before they go forward." Asked about the Cubs' hitting problems, especially regarding Alfonso Soriano, Thomas said he considers Soriano a prototypical fifth hitter. "I've always loved him as a hitter, but I would never have had him in the leadoff spot," Thomas said. "The guy can drive in runs. Put him in the five hole." Thomas called the crosstown series one that brings a new level of intensity.

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In reply to by crunch

I vote anywhere from 7-8 right now, he's been the worst hitter on the team since May 1st.

OPS since May 1st....

Lee - .976, Johnson .908, Theriot . 785, Soto - .756, Bradley . 747, Fontenot .678, Fukudome .670, Soriano - .636

the scrubs

Hill - .620, Hoff - .682 (TRADE LEE!!!!)

Reed's done most of his damage versus lefties and Theriot's OPS is all thanks to the homer binge, so I have no fucking clue what to actually do with the lineup. You can rearrange it anyway you want right now and it's not gonna score anymore runs.

.485 OPS for Soriano since getting punked on the WWE...Neifi! would be an improvement.

A 6-run, 8th inning for the Brew?! What the Fuck?!! I am jealous! I am pissed! Oh, Luis Vizciano, who some of you point to as a great loss, started the inning with two straight walks, and then was removed. And the Brew come from behind by 4 runs late to get the W.

M. DiFelice  	        1.0  	1  	1  	1  	0  	1  	1  	0.86  1.40 	 
T. Coffey (W, 2-1) 	1.1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	2 	0 	1.19 	2.48 	 
M. Stetter (H, 13) 	0.2 	0 	0 	0 	0 	2 	0 	0.97 	2.91 	 
T. Hoffman (S, 16) 1.0 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0.65 	0.45 	
WHIP and ERA are the last two columns...talk about lucking into a good bullpen.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I was thinking about this as I watched the game. I thought, gee, how come the Cubs couldn't get those guys off the scrap heap, then flashed on the luck factor. Hoffman was the most fortunate selection of all (and we'll see how he holds up in August), but the history of middle relievers and specialists in the game seems to be when they are on, they are on, and you have to have the lucky timing to get these guys on your club. Cotts flashed brilliance at the right time for the Sox, crapped out at the wrong time for the Cubs. Milwaukee flashed on at least three of them and it's all falling into place. I also kept thinking that the Cubs could very well snap out of it facing the likes of Pavano, Vizcaino and whoever the skinny lefty was this weekend. Hopefully the snap-out comes three games earlier.

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).