Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Sunday Night Chat

Everyone's last chance to see some baseball for a few days, join the fun in Parachat.

*Shumaker 2B
*Fuld CF
*Rasmus CF
Theriot SS
Pujols 1B
Lee 1B
Ludwick RF
Ramirez 3B
*Ankiel LF
Soriano LF
Molina C
# Bradley RF
*Thurston 3B
Baker 2B
Wainwright P 
#Hill C
Ryan SS  Wells P

 

A win, and the Cubs are tied for 2nd and 1.5 back of the Cardinals heading into the break. A loss and their 3.5 back from the Cardinals and in third place.

Comments

I'm sure some will think this is ridiculous, but I think Jake Fox has just become Mark DeRosa. In fact, he's DeRosa+, becuase he's a better hitter, and he can catch. He's played 1B, 3B, LF, RF, and now C. And they've worked him out at 2B (which I don't get, don't we already have 20 guys on the 40-man roster who can play 2nd). He may not be a wizard at any of these positions, but he's got flexibility, and he hits. I love it.

Lou is putting Marshall into LF for a batter with the bases loaded! Plan is to put him back at pitcher after this hitter and a new fielder in left. Defensive improvement in LF

[ ]

In reply to by Jumbo

holy shit heilman K's the batter, marshall back to pitcher, reed to LF Joe Morgan says Fox looks good behind the plate. My instincts tell me not to trust him, but he hasn't screwed anything up yet edit TLR pinch hits after Marshall sent back to P, now right hitter up. Lou keeps marshall in, but I think he only has to stay in for 1 pitch and a reliever could be called in. I would guess they'll leave him in

[ ]

In reply to by Jumbo

holy fuck blooper tailing away from johnson in left, he dives too early, hits the ground and kind of dives again and catches it. A play Soriano would never have come close to even having a chance at making

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

On replay, I couldn't tell whether Johnson had his glove under the ball or whether the ball hit grass, but my reaction in real time was to laugh and think, "No, he didn't catch that ball!" But I couldn't tell without a doubt that it hit the ground and not the leather.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

first replay I thought it was a trap, then it looked like it might have bounced in his glove...

an ump though if he saw the play would have probably just seen the bounce and called it a trap, which apparently they weren't watching much of the game last night, including the call that Wainwright was not trying to intentionally block the throw from Theriot on that double play. I mean, it's normal to throw your hands as high as possible right at the last minute.

Next Cardinal should get drilled in the face that tries to break up a double play...

 

well that inning was exiting, weird, and lucky. with karma like that, we deserve to win this one.

3 straight called 3rd strikes in the bottom of the ninth? Great way to go down fighting into the break. What the fuck?!

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Saw the replay -- tough calls, but all were close. The kind of pitch you can't take, say, with 2 strikes in the 9th when you are behind. Of all of Bradley's faults so far, this is my least favorite -- he takes tons of close pitches with 2 strikes. The umps are not going to give him a break, so, even if they are slightly out of the zone, he needs to swing.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Those pitches may have been balls, but they were too close to take. The umpire was consistent throughout the game, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that he called them all strikes. Soriano can drive me nuts at times when he swings at pitches that are a foot outside the strike zone, but it drives me even crazier when a batter goes up to the plate late in the game, down a couple of runs, and looks at a called third strike. Swing the bat, boys.

[ ]

In reply to by Sweet Lou

Soriano strikes out a lot. Mostly because he swings at pitches out of the strike zone. When you are down, especially by more than one run, you need base runners. I will ALWAYS take a walk over a strikeout. And its simple - a player should not swing at pitches out of the zone. Were the pitches close? Sure... but they (at least the first two called thirds) were definitely not strikes.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

Big L -- I agree in principle, but not in practice. True, you should not swing at pitches out of the strike zone. Also true, when you're down late in the game you need base runners. However, the ump was calling those close pitches as strikes, even though K-Zone showed they were slightly out of the strike zone. Even so, what the ump says is what matters, not what K-Zone says. And considering that the ump had been calling those pitches as strikes all night, the hitters need to adjust. In the end, the pitches were just too close to take, even if they were "technically" balls. The Cubs hitters (at least two of them) can claim that they were right and that the pitches were in fact balls, but it doesn't mean anything now. The pitches were called strikes, the batters struck out, and the game is over with the Cubs losing. A "moral victory" isn't the same as a "victory."

[ ]

In reply to by Sweet Lou

Kind of a silly nit pick I think it is better to think of those pitches as actual balls but "technically" strikes because the ump said so. IMO the solution is to find a better way to call balls and strikes. Works in tennis.

[ ]

In reply to by Sweet Lou

"K zone" showed all three to be balls. And the home plate ump wasn't calling them all game, just in the 9th inning. The hitters all did the correct thing. The umpire, for whatever reason, wanted the game to be over and made it so. My best guess is that the Cards slipped him some Ex-Lax around the 7th inning and it was starting to take it's desired effect. I wasn't happy that the Cubs made out, but to say "the Cubs hitters, who know they need at least one baserunner to have a chance should anticipate that the strike zone is going to be 4 inches wider on the outside part of the plate in the bottom of the 9th and adjust accordingly." Well, it just doesn't make sense. My friend, the Cardinals fan who ribbed me over the Friday loss and declared the Saturday win 'luck', acknowledged that it was horseshit umpiring, and the Cubs got screwed.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

thought the last one, K-zone showed to paint the corner....

the one to Bradley was terrible though....

also think the ump had a pretty generous strike zone all night, at least I made that comment about 4 times during parachat...maybe it was just me.

but just cause the ump is blind, don't make it right.

Cubs won and lost today, so not sure if I am suppose to be posting or not, but oh well. Going into this series, I would have taken a split and run into the break. We got a split are back to .500 and tied for 3rd. It could be much worse and much better. Not sure what tot expect from this team in the 2nd half. Can't say I got lots of confidence they will do much better, but hopefully the division continues to be mediocre and they can get hot at the right time and sneak in to teh playoffs, but I won't be booking any airfare to CHicago in October yet, that is for sure. Go Cubs!

Wow no fontenot sighting in ninth i thought he would hit for baker either hurt or in doghouse. Baker sucked at plate ,i hate his batting stance,and he is slow at second, i guess i just dont see an improvement from what we have,if fontenot cant start ,PLAY BLANCO.

"He could be in the doghouse because he's terrible." Wait! He has had a monster July (for the first four days of it, at least - and, on his birthday). When I gave the case for starting Blanco, after my post, "FONTENOT, You Suck, Dude", several here opined that Fontenot was significantly better at the dish, minimizing Blanco's spectacular and consistent D. After having 35 2B-men it seems, over the few years - only Mark DeRosa gave us any pop and RBI's (Fontenot did in his limited AB's in 2008 - but that's the thing - he really is a spot starter and util guy) And now we have Jeff Baker! UGH!!!!

The defining moment of the first half -- Cubs have bases loaded, one out in a a crucial game against the Cards.....and Jeff Baker and Koye HIll are the next 2 batters. Did Lou start Baker in both gmaes to send a message to Hendry? Seems an odd move.

Sean Gallagher to the Padres as PTBNL in Scott Hairston deal --- GALLAGHER TO PADRES: The player to be named in the Scott Hairston deal with the Padres will be right-hander Sean Gallagher, two sources confirmed to The Chronicle. Gallagher (knee) is on the disabled list at Triple-A Sacramento and is not eligible to be sent to San Diego until he comes off the DL. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/13/SPD918NBA7…

Paul Sullivan/Trib discusses Cubs interest in the Ryan Express off ramp? -- After (BJ) Ryan clears waivers, he becomes a free agent, and any team can sign him for $200,000 in '09 and $400,000 in '10. Former Toronto outfielder Reed Johnson said Ryan "would be a great fit in this clubhouse," but cautioned that several teams are likely to be interested in signing him. The risk isn't great because Toronto will be paying the bulk of his salary, and the reward is there if Ryan can regain the velocity that made him such a dominant reliever. If the Cubs do sign Ryan, they could send him to the minors to get some work in before bringing him up to be their late-inning left-hander. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-13-cubs-brite-ch…

[ ]

In reply to by Wes

I could definitely support Ryan as a LOOGY. Definitely not a closer. It would also move Marshall to the rotation while Dempster is on the DL. IMO Ryan LOOGY, Marshall rotation is an upgrade over Marhsall LOOGY, Hart rotation.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

Sure, especially at that kind of price. But, thinking he's going to be even a shadow of his former self is a bit on the optimistic side, I think. That said, it's probably a good idea for a team that has such little faith in it's LHP depth that the only lefty on the major league roster has to go play left-field so Lou can match-up.

Hendry interview in baseball prospectus. Nothing newsworthy though. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9218 DL: When that time comes, how do you hope to be remembered? JH: Well, I hope that I’m remembered as a guy who took the job very seriously and understood my responsibilities to the city of Chicago and to the fans. I hope that they feel that I treated the players with honesty and respect and that I was loyal to the people I worked for, and to the ones who worked underneath my role. And hopefully someday I’ll be remembered as having been the GM when the Cubs won the World Series.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

sheesh, why didn't they just interview Chuck Wasserstom...the interviewer seemed more interested in him.

please remember this quote next time anyone brings up that Hendry wants so-and-so to play...

At the end of the day, we’re the ones who are in charge of providing Lou with the roster, just like I would never tell him who to bat first or third, or who to start tomorrow against Pittsburgh.

Could not find it in print, but just on ESPN radio was a tape of Milton Bradley after game last night. He said (paraphrasing) "that's he's ready, and he knows what he was doing wrong" batting wise. He said "mark my words, I will be hitting the whole second half." Can't wait.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

We should have a Milton Bradley prediction contest for the 2nd half. I know E-Man is going to want to set the over/under for his games played at 5. He's been looking pretty good the last 10 days or so from the left side. He's not swinging through nearly as many pitches as he had been.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

He said "mark my words, I will be hitting the whole second half." Hitting what? .233 like in the first half? or hitting the DL when he tweaks his leg again? If he starts out 1 for his first 15 after the break, I hope one of the reporters brings that quote up again.

On the broadcast, they even mentioned how they first thought it wasn't a strike and then said sometihng like "Oh, K-Zone confirms it was indeed a strike."

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

I must be confused then. Seems like after the last out they showed a pitch and it was white K zone and there was space between the zone and the box, but maybe that was a replay of Bradley's K and I just didn't notice the batter.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

the replay on Hoff's showed it crossing the bottom corner of their little box and that it was a strike (as I remember it)...the replay of Bradley showed it to be well outside and possibly a bit high. Don't recall Baker's, think it showed outside too...

and not that I think K-zone is all that accurate or anything...

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Maybe I was thinking of Strike 2 on Hoffpauir, then seeing how he was owed a strike on a close pitch on the 6th pitch. Is there a site that shows the locations of the pitches? I thought ESPN did, but I can't find it.

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In reply to by Rob G.

Thanks. You're right that seems to be some guy just drawing dots on a chart. Franklin obviously has better control than Maddux did in his heyday since he was able to paint the edges 8 times in three at bats.

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In reply to by The Real Neal

Gents- It don't matter. As has been said -- 2 strikes, close pitch, swing. Bradley should know he won't get any calls. Of course, Soriano should know they are going to throw him sliders in the dirt, too.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

"It don't matter" It does matter. A strike should be a strike. It shouldn't matter who the batter is (other than their height), what the count is, who the pitcher is, who the ump is, etc. Control of the strike zone is the most important part of the game and to continue to allow the strike zone to be arbitrary is bad.

"Well, you can get a healthy guy to go out there and play 162 games, but he won’t do what I did in 120." - Milton Bradley --- Fun with numbers. Bradley, 2009 season to date: G71 AB210 H51 so if he is to hit .300 in 120G, if he averages 3AB/game (walk don't add to this total and he's averaged 3AB/game season to date) to get to 120G... G49 estimates out to AB147 then adding them together, G120 AB 357 H107 so he needs 56 hits in 147AB or .380 from here on out to end the season at .300 ---- also the Cubs have played 86 games so far, thus 76 games remain...he's got the leeway to miss 27 games (36%) and still be in 120G. Which implies plenty of playing time for RJ, Fuld or Hoff.

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In reply to by Cubster

I like numbers and all, but huh? He's got 6 HR's.... Abreu's got 6 HR's (last I checked) He hasn't been hitting well for the majority of the season. If he made that comment, like yesterday, you would have a point. He made that comment before the season started. Let's wait until after the season before we say 'nanny-nanny-boo-boo', since he's on place to play more than 120 games and the only time he K's lately is when the umps redefine the strike zone haphazardly.

he's on track to play 133 games although 13 of his 71 games were one at bat pinch ABs

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.