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

Game 62 Recap: Cubs 6, Bad Father's Day Gifts 5

Yes, Six.
W - Gregg (1-1)
L - Thornton (4-2)
Things to Take from This Game
1. Eventful day for Getz
Sox second-baseman Getz doubled in a run, made a fine run-saving catch at second, but also had two errors.  The second one was notable because...
2. Big 8th for Cubs
...it came at the start of the Cubs' half of the eighth, letting Hoffpauir get on.  Without that, the inning would have ended with a Bradley strikeout with one man on base.  Instead, Lee had a chance to save the rally, and hit a three-run homer to bring the Cubs within a run at 5-4.  Soto made it back-to-back homers off of Linebrink, tying the game.
3. Z, Bradley, Lee look fine
Z gave up a two-run homer to Alexei Ramirez and the Getz double, but otherwise looked like he was in command of his fastball and pitched well.  Bradley, other than that strikeout, continued to show a good eye and had a couple of sharp singles. Lee of course continued his hot hitting.
4. Most everyone else does not
Marmol kept getting hit on sliders up in the zone, giving up a couple of Runs.  Soriano kept hitting from behind in the count, Theriot kept swinging from his ass, Fukudome and Blanco failed to spontaneously transmogrify into major-league hitters.
5. However...
After the exciting 8th, Reed Johnson led off the bottom of the ninth with a pinch-hit single, Blanco bunted him to second, and Soriano got just enough of one to bloop a ball into right-center for the game-winning hit.
All the late-inning heroics follow....


Game Recap
Pregame
  •  Phew, it's Len and Bob on WGN.
  • LouPa eventually is going to have to do things he doesn't want to do
  • LouPa feels for these guys
  • Looks overcast at Wrigley
  • Len with a nice crack about "Hoping I can out-yell the Hawk today."
  • Wayne Messmer belts it out.  Just once, I want to see him change it up, and do it to a Samba style beat or something....
Inning 1 - Top
  • Game starts will ball one to Podsednik, then a fastball down the middle for a strike. Sinker, Podsednik chops one to Blanco who makes the easy flip to first.
  • Fastball strike to start Alexei Ramirez.  Grounder to Fontenot's right, a nice backhand and throw for the 5-3.
  • Another first-pitch strike to Dye.  0-2 count, Dye chops one back to Z, who sort of goes down on one knee to cradle it in, still bobbles it a bit.  Fires an unnecessary fastball to Lee for the putout.  Easy first inning, 11 pitches.
Inning 1 - Bottom
  • Floyd spikes the first pitch into the left-handed batter's box, to a few cat calls.  Gets the second pitch over for a strike. 
  • Hanging slider, Soriano lines it toward the left field corner, but Podsednik makes a nice running catch.
  • Fastball down the middle, Theriot flies out to Podsednik.
  • 2-1 to Bradley, swings over a slider, 2-2.  Two more balls for the walk.
  • Lee goes down to reach for a fastball, drives it to right field, but Dye's there for the easy catch.
Inning 2 - Top
  •  Slider for strike one to Konerko.  Quickly 0-2 on a bunch of sliders, K's chasing one down and outside.
  • AJ gets some boos as he steps in.  Z working very quickly, I turn my head and it's 1-1.  
  • AJ grounds one up the first base line, foul, but Lee completes the play, firing the ball to Z as he covers.  Z bare-hands it.
  • AJ flies out to right.
  • Anderson singles into left.
  • Rob G says that Pat Hughes says that Z. hasn't given up an XBH in three games.
    • And right as rain, Getz pulls one, dumping it down the right field line for a double, runners at 2 and 3
  • Beckham gets grazed by a pitch, takes first.  Not too bad, with the open base and the pitcher up next.  Just barely caught the sleeve, it looks like.
  • High fastball and Floyd K's swinging.  Long inning, Z now at 34 pitches.
Inning 2 - Bottom
  • 2-0 to Soto.  That sort of rhymes.  Two-oh Soto.
  • Grounder to Alexei, 6-3 to Soto.  That doesn't rhyme.
  • Fontenot with a nice line-drive single into the right-center gap, Dye cuts it off.
  • Fukudome grounds into the Easiest 4-6-3 Ever, except Getz gets a bit of a high-hop at the end, he drops it, shovels it to Alexei Ramirez, who has his eye on the sliding Fontenot, and the ball gets away.  Everyone safe, runners at 1 and 2.
  • Blanco hits a pretty sharp liner back up the middle, but Floyd gets a glove on it, slowing it down for Getz, who goes to the bag, and turns an easy 4-3 double play, inning over.
Inning 3 - Top
  • Quickly a 1-2 count to Podsednik, who stares at strike 3, a fastball on the outside corner.
  •  Ramirez grounds to Blanco.
  • Anotehr quick 0-2 to Dye.  Pops up a 1-2 slider, foul, Soto grabs it.  51 pitchs, 2 hits, 0 BB and 3 K for Z, through 3.
Inning 3 - Bottom
  • Z flails away, and gets a quick 3-pitch strikeout. 
  • Soriano rolls one to the left of Alexei Ramirez, who makes a nice play for the 6-3 putout.
  • Theriot with a sharp grounder to Getz, who again drops it, but recovers for the 4-3.  Just 31 pitches through 3 for Floyd, 1BB, K and hit.

Inning 4 - Top
  • Konerko rolls out to Blanco on the first pitch.
  •  and AJ bounces one to Fontenot.
  • 3-2 to Anderson.  As Brenley points out, Z looks to have good command of a live fastball today.
  • and that said, Anderson walks.
  • Anderson runs, a called strike, and Soto makes a bit of a high throw, but Theriot gets down the tag for the end-of-inning caught stealing.
Inning 4 - Bottom
  • Bradley dumps a low fastball into left field for a single
  • Lee hits a slow grounder to third, but Beckham turns the 5-4-3.  Surprisingly, just Lee's second of the year.
  • Soto walks.
  • wtf.  They aren't holding Soto on, and Soto runs, just barely beating the tag.  1st stolen base for Soto!
  • full count to Fontenot.
  • Fontenot walks, bases loaded and two outs for Fukudome 
  • Fukudome bounces one back up the middle, but Getz makes a very nice diving catch, and flips to Ramirez to just barely get the force.  Tough way to end the inning.
Inning 5 - Top
  •  Getz quickly rolls out to Blanco
  • Len notes the wind is shifting, blowing in from right, and might be a portent of the coming rain
  • Beckham rolls a single into right.
  • Floyd with a nice bunt up the 1B line, Lee tags him out.  Beckham advances.
  • Podsednik with a soft fly out to center, inning over.
Inning 5 - Bottom
  •  Blanco rolls out to second.
  • Zambrano chases a pitch in the dirt, striking out.  Not happy about it.
  • Soriano pops to second.  Lame inning.
Inning 6 - Top
  • Ramirez flies out to straight-away center. 
  • Dye lines one just to the right of the tommy armor sign in left-center for a double
  • Konerko comes up and you can hear the Sox fans chanting "Paulie".  Cubs fans try to drown it out with boos.
  • 3-1 to Konerko, pops a slider into right, Dye holds at second.
  • AJ intentionally walked to get to Anderson.  1 and 2, two outs.
  • Anderson dumps one into right-center, Bradley with a little bobble, but no play at the plate anyway.  0-1 Sox
  • and Gets rolls out to Blanco, ending the inning.

Inning 6 - Bottom
  • I just want to point out to Sister Trans that the only person shown talking on a cell phone at wrigley today, so far, is a Sox fan.
  • Theriot singles to right on an 0-2 count. 
  • Bradley takes a big swing at the first pitch, a fastball down the middle, and misses.
  • Another fastball down the middle, Bradley fouls it off, 1-2 count.  Floyd keeps missing inside, full count.
  • Theriot runs, and Bradley hits a sharp single to center.  1 and 3, no outs.
  •  Lee hits a weak roller to Getz.  They try for the 4-6-3, can't get Lee at first.  Theriot scores, one out, Lee at first, and 1-1 game
  • As Brenley points out the huge hole on the right side of the infield, Soto pulls a grounder to shortstop, for the easy 6-4-3 double play.
Inning 7 - Top
  •  Beckham with the leadoff walk, Floyd stays in to try to bunt him over.  Good grief, he's only thrown 76 pitches, so probably a no brainer.
  • Floyd bunts him over.
  • Heilman warming up.
  • Podsednik pops one toward the Cubs' bullpen, where Heilman stares at the popup, almost blocking off Soriano's path.  Soriano stumbles over the bullpen and makes a fine back-handed catch up against the wall.
  • Slider down the middle, and Alexei Ramirez lines a home-run to straight-away left, a few rows into the bleacher.  Lots of cheers heard at Wrigley.  1-3 Sox
  • Dye lines out to Bradley
  • The coach to some hockey team sings the stretch.  Whoever he is, he's horrid.  But what did you expect, he's a hockey coach.  He goes "root, root root for the" and shuts up, only to then go on with "if they don't win it's a shame."  Pretty sad.
Inning 7 - Bottom
  • Marmol now up.  Fontenot rolls out to Beckham.
  •  Fukudome bounces back to Floyd.
  • I'm going to do this part of the recap before it happens:  Blanco makes an out, and the inning ends.
  • Yep.
Inning 8 - Top
  • Marmol in.  1-2 count to Konerko, he hangs a slider, Konerko goes to right for the single.
  • Marmol misses his location with a fastball by about three feet, and Soto stretches from outside of AJ back towards AJ, with the ball just getting away from him.  Konerko takes second, and it's ruled a passed ball.
  • AJ rolls to second, for what would have been a GIDP.  Instead it's a 4-3, runner advancing to third. AJ looks into his dugout as he runs down the line, Len wonders if it isn't to indicate to someone that he had made the right play and advanced the runner?  Who knows.
  • Linebrink warming up.
  • Anderson pops to Lee, just foul of first base.
  • Getz pulls yet another looping hit down the right-field line, this time for a double.  1-4 Sox.
  • 0-2 to Beckham, he inside-outs a slider thrown over the plate, and lines a single to right.  Bradley tries for the play at the plate, but Getz is safe.  Marmol getting hit pretty solidly on the breaking stuff.  1-5 Sox.
  • Sean Marshall in to face Josh Fields.  Thome had been on deck.  Was he announced as the hitter, or not?  Not yet sure, he may still be available for pinch-hitting.  Ok, he was announced, then taken down.
  • Marshall walks Fields.  Len and Bob fail to make any sort of department store-related pun.
  • Podsednik grounds out to Blanco.
Inning 8 - Bottom
  •  A Micah Hoffpauir sighting, as he hits for Marshall.  Linebrink in. Just 90 pitches for Floyd, 3 BB and 2 K.
  • Hoffpauir down 0-2.
  • Hoffpauir accepts some charity from Getz, as a ball clangs off his body.  Eventful day for Getz at second.
  • I look up, and it's an 0-2 count to Soriano.
  • Linebrink makes a mistake, a fastball in to Soriano, and he lines it to left for a single.   Hoffpauir to second.
  • Theriot swings from his ass at a fastball, missing it. 0-1 count.  And again, fouled off, 1-2.  Battles back to 3-2 count.
  • Another big swing, and Theriot pops up to Getz.  1 out.
  • 2-0 count to Bradley.  Only Cub who seems to be working from ahead in the count these days.  On to a full count.  K's swinging over a down and inside change-up.
  • Mercifully, Lee bails us out of another failed rally, and hits an opposite field home run into the basket directly about the 368 sign in right field.  Fastball over the plate.  4-5 Sox.
  • And now Soto hits a home run on the next pitch, to straight-away left, several rows up.  Wrigley finally sounds like Wrigley.  5-5 tie.
  • Matt Thornton in, Jake Fox in to hit for Fontenot.  Flies out to center.

Inning 9 - Top
  • Gregg in. Miles in for Fontenot at third, Fox out of game. Alexei Ramirez hits one back up the middle, Gregg has his back turned to the plate and goes for the back-hand grab, no go.  Ball sneaks into center for the single.
  •  Dye chops to Theriot, who starts a very ugly 6-4-3 attempt.  Theriot has the ball stick in his glove a bit, then does an awkard shovel, screwing up Blanco's rythem, who double-pumps, and throws one past Lee.  Dye holds at first.  Dewayne Wise runs for Dye.
  • Konerko is 7-9 with a HR off of Gregg.  Gregg gets him to fly to Bradley
  • Wise runs, AJ bounces one right up the line to Lee, who steps on first.
Inning 9 - Bottom
  •  Reed Johnson to face Thornton instead of Fukudome.  Wise stays in for Dye, in right.
  • Johnson singles sharply up the middle.
  • Blanco, who had given up on batting righty, will face Thornton right handed to attempt the bunt.  It works, a fine bunt up the first base line.  Johnson on second with one out.
  • Aaron oftheridiculouslookingbeardforhisbodyandbattingstance Miles hits a slow roller to the 6-5 hole.  Beckham had the easier play, but lets Ramirez get it so that Beckham can cover third and keep Johnson holding at second.  Ramirez gets to it, gets Miles at first.
  • Guess what?  1-2 count to Soriano.  Now 2-2
  • Soriano fists a floater over Getz and into shallow left-center for a single.  Johnson scores uncontested, 6-5 Cubs.
Parachat Recap
Pregame
  • mlb.tv and computers
  • sick kids
Inning 1
  •  the new G.I. Joe movie.
  • Michelle Yeoh
  • Touch-ups.
  • Ewan McGregor's skin.
  • The rationale for new movies.
  • Tattoos become the new parachat litmus-test, and The Joe will never get hired as a Wal-mart Greeter.
Inning 2
  • 555
  •  According to babelfish, Carlos told The Joe his penis is respectable?!?
  • How does Milton Bradley relax?I
  • Blame Rob.
  • Our latest scurrilous rumor designed to gin up some traffic and help me pay for my computer:  Joe Morgan has Downs Syndrome.  (credit to The Joe).
  • Ibanez hurts his groin.
  • New position for Jake Fox:  Outfield.  All of it.
  • Downloading Mongols.
  • Anyone watch a game from a rooftop?
  • More on Von Joshua being one of the Troy O'Leary All Stars

Inning 3
  •  "Journalism"
  • Rebranding "Christians" as "Fun-ions."  Or "Jesus Light."
  • Cults and Rerun.
  • The Cult Reporter: No Good Will Come of This.
  • Chatting with Jehovah's Witnesses.
Inning 4
  • Cheerleaders and Felix Pie.
  •  Phone plans, paper bills and movies.  ~yawn~
  • Soto's stolen base
  • Chasing Pedro.
Inning 5
  • Where's Manny? 
  • Weather on the moon.
Inning 6
  • Right play to IBB AJ?
    • yes.
  • Rallying.
  • Not thinking of Jim Hendry on the toilet.
Inning 7
  • Getting beat by a 13 year old.
  • Ditkaesque Stretches. 
  • Marla Collins' daughter, omellettes and eggs.
  • What would happen if the Cubs switched to competitive Curling?
Inning 8
  •  This seasno's misery. 
  • Possible lineup changes.
  • The worst possible, plausible defensive arrangement for the Cubs.
  • Griping about Theriot's approach.
  • Going bananas.
  • The silliness of giving up two HRs and not having any of them count as Earned Runs.
  • Baseless Mark Cuban rumors.
Inning 9
  •  The ugly 6-4-3 effort by the Cubs.
  • Trying not to get our hopes up.
  • Rally Salamander, or Rallymander.
  • Victory!
Cubs' record in games recapped since my return from exile advances to 1-1.
Tags

Comments

2. Big 8th for Cubs ...it came at the start of the Cubs' half of the eighth, letting Hoffpauir get on. Without that, the inning would have ended with a Bradley strikeout with two men on base. I think it would have ended with Bradley striking out with one man on... /accuracy police.

Kosuke looks like he's just about done. After a bad start this month, he's 0 for 20 the last week.

Nice comeback! Way to make them pay for the errors. All but 1 of the Cub's runs today are unearned! Watching on Yahoo! I kind of freaked out when I saw: HR: A Ramirez It took several minutes before I realized who it really was.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

I'm hoping that he can somehow maintain, say, a .800+ OPS with his current K rate. Considering his "status", I wonder, if he stays hot for say, a month or so, if they'll bump him to AAA. ________________________ After struggling quite a bit, Dan McDaniel rallied and had a solid start tonight, 6 ip, 5h, 1 r, 1 bb, 3 K's. A very nice sight. Josh Vitters went 2/5, RBI, K. Here's hoping he turns his June (entering today, 55 AB's, .200/.258/.273) around. Mitch Atkins picked up his 5th win. 7ip, 6, h, 2 r, 1 bb, 3 K's. He hasn't been as bad as that ugly ERA (6.90), although he certainly hasn't been good. Basically, he's what he was last year, IMO.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I actually wasn't pointing it out as a negative or a positive, just pointing it out for pointing it out's sake. That said, if you are going to use BABIP as an argument for his June, then one should also point out the BABIP with May, particularly, iirc, due to his LD rates. Overall, not worried either way, there's always a bit of balancing and no one really expected him to maintain his ridiculous power. I still expect him to get called up to Daytona at some point in the near future. Not sure how the rest will shake out, but I'm hard pressed to see Vitters stay at Peoria for the whole year and I somehow doubt that they'd be brash enough to jump him to Tennessee. Just watch me be dead wrong.

a 12th-inning walkoff homer for Tennessee, his second of the game. --- wow...two walkoff HR's in one game. Now THAT is a neat trick.

I wish I had seen this one, too. Luckily I subscribe to MLB Tv so I'll watch the last part of the game. When Len Kasper first started announcing for this team I did not like him one bit. But I really like him as an announcer now. And Bob is great, IMHO. I don't know how long they can keep sending Kosuke out there. I really wanted that guy to succeed but it just ain't happening. Strangely enough, I've been wanting to see Milton Bradley succeed, too. Not to get all psychiatric on you guys but it just seems like he is hurting inside big time for some reason and I always root for people like that.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Well given its Cliff Lee pitching tomorrow, I hope we do see Fox playing 3B tomorrow. Fontenot cant hit LHP and with Harden going going tomorrow you know if he is on there wont be that many balls hit into play. It seems like the perfect opprunity to give him a chance there.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Really odd comparison, as Fox is much more of a free swinger. I guess if he thinks that Fox's discipline can significantly get better at this age, perhaps, but I tend to doubt that would happen. I've been trying to ponder a Fox comparison for awhile, going with different names, but the one I'm going with, for now, as a positive scenario, is Josh Willingham. Former catcher as well.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

This is from Stark's Rumblings on ESPN.com, sheds some light on why they might be benching him - $: He has fewer extra-base hits than Joe Thurston. He has a lower slugging percentage than Anderson Hernandez. He has fewer home runs than Brendan Harris. And no, we're not talking about David Ortiz. We're talking about another fallen bopper who has somehow stayed off America's radar screen, Magglio Ordonez (.273 AVG./.343 SLG/2 HR/11 XBH). "He might be Big Papi's biggest fan," said one scout, "because Big Papi has taken all the attention away from him. I'm not sure what happened, but this guy has aged a lot quicker than the norm. I don't see him getting better. I see him getting worse. I don't see the ball jumping off his bat at all. He's up there now, and he's just content to look for the breaking ball and hit soft line drives the other way. It's almost like he's playing hit-and-run every at-bat." If this keeps up much longer, it will become more than just a baseball issue for the Tigers. Another 215 plate appearances, and Ordonez will lock in an $18 million option for next year, a payout the Tigers can't possibly find too attractive at the moment.

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

it was mentioned in the previous thread as well, looks like they've gone back to Utay


 

An exclusivity period between Tribune and the Ricketts group has ended and the media company is now talking to a group that includes private equity investors Marc Utay and Leo Hindery, three sources familiar with the situation said.

"We know that they went back to the Utay group," said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified because the sales process has not closed.

it does say that Ricketts deal is still considered close and probably Trib trying to get Ricketts to finish up the deal.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri-cubs-0619-jun19,0,585909… and http://espn.go.com/chicago/columns/blog?post=4270926&name=levine plus Personal Seat licenses coming your way.. The Cubs showed a $31 million profit in 2007, according to major league sources. Projecting more revenue sources for the future is a key for any ownership group to be able to recognize. League sources have told me that Personal Seat Licensing (PSLs) for season ticket holders are a projected revenue source that creditors and banks are looking at in trying to judge whether or not to give out a loan to prospective buyers, in this case, the Ricketts family. For example, a one-time call for 20,000 season-ticket holders paying $2,500 each per license could realize up to $50 million. That would bring in a huge amount of cash that could be projected against the debt by any new owner. So far, the banks aren't so sure of the fan base buying into the idea because of the country's economic downturn.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

If the banks think that won't work because of the economic downturn, they are beyond retarded. There's what, like 50,000 people on the season ticket waiting list? The whole PSL thing sucks hard, but they're out of their minds if they don't think they could come up with 20,000 people willing to pay it.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

When did Casey McGehee ever look like a potential offensive contributor? I like prospects as much as just about anyone, but McGehee's slugging percentage constantly hovered around .400 and his OBP was typically under .350 in the minors, all while not stealing bases and playing mostly third base. His mediocrity with the bat was the reason the organization tried to teach him to catch, wasn't it? I'm guessing he's on a hot streak (though I acknowledge that players CAN get better--I just don't think the sample size is big enough yet to consider proof that McGehee has improved that much). I'm be interested to hear an expert's take on him, though--something more in-depth than the PR stuff you get out of the front office about prospects.

Btw, it hasn't crossed my mind in awhile, but did we ever find out what was going on with Jordan Latham? I remember the odd circumstances at the start of the season, and then he sorta slipped my mind. He was a promising pen arm with that, um, off the top, slider? I thought he was about on level with say, a Blake Parker, who really took off this year. Part of me wanted to see Latham tried as a starter.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

Submitted by toonsterwu on Fri, 06/19/2009 - 2:01am.
Btw, it hasn't crossed my mind in awhile, but did we ever find out what was going on with Jordan Latham? I remember the odd circumstances at the start of the season, and then he sorta slipped my mind. He was a promising pen arm with that, um, off the top, slider? I thought he was about on level with say, a Blake Parker, who really took off this year. Part of me wanted to see Latham tried as a starter.

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

Toonster:

It all started with this.

That was during the post-2007 off-season and he did pitch at Daytona last year.

I don't know exactly happened during Spring Training 2009, although he probably was under some type of Cubbie super-secret double-probation as the result of the 12/07 incident.

I don't know what his exact status is at present. Somebody here at TCR said he got released, but I'm not sure that's what happened. He might have gotten released, or he could be on both the Daytona 35-man Reserve List and Temporary Inactive List, or he could be on the Restricted List. I guess we'll find out eventually.

Hilarious watching the Comcast replay of the game with Hawk and Stone as the announcers. Hawk's calls of the Lee and Soto HRs were barely above a whisper and he basically blamed the loss on the home plate ump not calling Soriano out on strikes in the 8th.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

That was one of the least professional things I have ever heard in sports announcing. He sounded like an 8-year old kid who was whining that people were picking on him. The boderline pitch (and it was borderline, as either side would have been upset with the call) on 1-2 was the whole inning, per Hawk. The Sox error and Cub HRs had nothing to do with it. The CF camera is not in a direct line with the rubber and the plate -- it is at an angle (so as not to be in the hitter's line of sight), which distorts the appearance of pitch location. I am normally OK with Hawk -- despite his flaws, he clearly loves the game of baseball, and is into every game, no matter the score. But that was awful.

Rob - when I come to the page via Firefox not logged in I get this: "user warning: Incorrect key file for table '/var/lib/mysql/tmp/#sql_1524_0.MYI'; try to repair it query: SELECT n.nid, c.cid, c.subject, c.comment, c.timestamp, c.uid, c.name, c.format, u.name username, n.title FROM node n INNER JOIN comments c ON c.nid = n.nid INNER JOIN users u ON c.uid = u.uid WHERE n.status = 1 AND c.status = 0 ORDER BY c.timestamp DESC LIMIT 0, 15 in /home/thecubre/public_html/includes/database.mysql.inc on line 174." Also, weather.com's hour by hour is showing a 3 hour sun window from 2 - 5 as it stands right now. They have to get this in, right, because they can't do a day-night tomorrow (City rules) or Sunday (ESPN rules)?

#46 I also had to listen to way to many ,dadgummit,getup,but the best one was when i think ramirez couldnt get the ball out of his glove. (He just couldnt find the ears on it). Farmer or the Hawk what a choice sox fans have.

there's a window this afternoon to try and get the game in...

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Well Given that its interleague, I am sure they will try to get in because if they cant they will have to play a traditional back to back doubleheader (thanks to the agreement they have with the city) tomorrow or Sunday. Looking at the Indians schedule it looks like we have no common off-days to make it up with a double header. BTW, i dont know if its 3/44 but Jake Fox is playing 3B and batting fifth.

"According to babelfish, Carlos told The Joe his penis is respectable?!?" I forgot to clarify this important information. According to babelfish, Carlos told me in Mexican that me penis was small. My response was that, no, it is respectable. Carlos was thinking of that time we were nude together, but in my defense, I had had a popsicle in my pocket prior to our encounter.

Still kind of dark here, but it's not raining. At one point, the storm was threatening enough that they asked us to move away from perimeter windows (we're on the 17th floor of our building).

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).