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

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

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

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

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

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

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

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




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Randy "ROY" Wells?

Submitted by Rob G. on

Randy Wells continued his dominance of the Houston Astros last night. He's started three times against them this season, won two of them and has yet to give up an earned in 20.2 IP, with just one unearned run last night in the 7th. The win last night was his 10th on the season, the first Cub rookie to accomplish that since Kerry Wood in 1998. I took a look at some of the more advanced metrics too see how fluky Wells' season may have been and you know, it's not to bad. While a low 3 ERA is probably a bit much to ask for next year, his .285 BABIP isn't ridiculously out of whack, like let's say his ROY competition J.A. Happ and his .249 BABIP. Wells' FIP (Fielding Independant ERA) is 3.85 and his xFIP (a fancier version of FIP that tries to 'normalize' for expected home runs per flyball) is higher at 4.30, which is still pretty respectable for a guy that will barely make over the league minimum next season.

I think if they did vote today, J.A. Happ would likely win the Rookie of the Year vote with a better ERA in a tougher park, nicer win-loss record(thanks Cubs bullpen) and the strength of a better team. A quick look at some of the other competition.

J.A. Happ: 2.63 ERA, 10-3, 143.2 IP, 97 K, 51 BB

Tommy Hanson: 3.15 ERA, 9-3, 88.2 IP, 73 K, 32 BB

Randy Wells: 2.90 ERA, 10-7, 133.1 IP, 82 K, 35 BB

Chris Coghlan: 9 HR, 301/377/446/823 OPS in 422 PA's

Colby Rasmus:  14 HR, 259/315/427/742 OPSin 418 PA's

Andrew McCutchen: 11 HR, 288/362/495/857 in 354 PA's and 15/18 in SB's

Garrett Jones:  17 HR, 295/365/614/979 OPS in 233 PA's

(I missed McCutchen and Jones on the first pass)

Today's must-win lineup is Fukudome, Blanco (wtf?), Lee, Bradley, Fox, Fontenot, Baker, Hill and Lilly.

Tags
Randy Wells
Cubs Recap

Comments

Submitted by The Real Neal on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:40 pm

The Pittsburgh kids, McClutchen and Jones want to take issue with your ROY candidate list. I agree Wells has a chance to win, he needs to nail down his last five starts.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:24 pm

Yeah the 'He's 27 though' part is the crucial bit to me. If I recall correctly the 'injury nexus' cuts off pretty sharply at 25. There's two good reasons to let him continue to pitch. The first is that the Cubs are still nominally in contention, and the second is that it is a long season and if he wants to be a successful big leaguer he needs to know how to get through 162 games just like CC Sabathia does. Big pitch innings late in games is the thing I would be more worried about than just innings, or even pitch counts.

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Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:36 pm

I think your question of the role of pitching age is a good one. What I wonder about the rule is do we stop protecting after 25 because the risk of injury actually goes down (in which case we actually worry less), or do we stop protecting because it's time for them to start producing or go home (in which case we worry just as much, but the value we are risking is actually less)? So is it a risk-reward decision, or is it a kinesiological decision? You can probably tell that I suspect it has much more to do with risk-reward. If anything, the risk of injury should go up with age, shouldn't it? The tendons and ligaments should be losing their elasticity and recovery time should be increasing.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:17 pm

there's no definitive answers of course, you want to build up a young arm though to pitch a certain number of innings or pitches or whatever. You shouldn't run a marathon the 2nd day you go jogging, and you shouldn't throw 200 innings if you've never thrown more than 150. Some people might hack it, most probably won't...and just because some pitcher did hack it, doesn't mean it's a good idea to try it with the next one.

I think as you get older, the pitchers are use to throwing those types of innings, so you worry a little less

The age 25 cutoff I think was something BP showed at the beginning of the decade, that pitchers after that age showed a steep decline in "catastrophic injuries". And certainly more injuries of the catastrophic nature occurred in what they called their "formative years".

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:02 am

You're not really going to be able to tease out cause and effect with a study like that, and obviously generalizations can never be applied to one single person with any certainty. But for every pitcher who has long term success there is going to be some ideal time where their body tends to stop growing, and they have built muscle memory for the pitches that they can use effectively in a way that throwing those pitches isn't going to cause undue strain on the various muscles and ligaments in the arm. For some guys that's going to be 22, for some it's 29, for most it never happens. If Wells is not physically exhausted, then continue to let him pitch, unless mental exhaustion starts to give him bad habits, then skip a start if necessary.

Submitted by mannytrillo on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:43 pm

Wow, those last 4 in the lineup must send shivers down the HOU pitching staff.

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Submitted by Ahone Ahtwo Ahthree on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:36 pm

I tend to agree - not hitting the ball as hard turns some of those line drives into popcorn fly balls. And his BABIP seems to indicate his luck isn't very good when he does hit the ball on a line... I'm sure his injuries, weight gain and lack of a solid spring training haven't helped either...

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Submitted by navigator on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:07 pm

40 extra pounds of fresh flab will tend to slow a guy down. Ironically, Jake Fox says the Cubs regard him (6'0" 200) as short, fat, and unathletic while Hendry claims Soto (6'1" 230) is in great shape, just "big-boned."

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Submitted by big_lowitzki on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:38 pm

Ironically, Jake Fox says the Cubs regard him (6'0" 200) as short, fat, and unathletic while Hendry claims Soto (6'1" 230) is in great shape, just "big-boned." Yup... because every body is exactly like, and carries weight in the same ways.

Submitted by Cubster on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:22 pm

π squared... Adam Jones suffered a bad sprain while scrambling back to first base last night. He's projected to miss two-to-three weeks, but it could be longer. "Jones is going to be out indefinitely," manager Dave Trembley said. "I couldn't tell you when or if he'll come back. http://masnsports.com/2009/09/jones-could-be-done-for-the-ye.html

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:28 pm

That's really going to put a damper on their playoff chances. I wonder if they Orioles were to take a survey of their pitchers, if the Pitchers would want Pie in center and Jones in left or Jones in center and Reimold in left.

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Submitted by navigator on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 09:20 pm

Since you mention Pie, yesterday Felix hit his 8th home run of the season in the first inning off A J Burnett (who is tanking the second half and has 17 wild pitches and 9 hit batters this season if the Orioles announcers can be believed) and it caused quite a stir because Burnett made a disgusted gesture and apparently said something unprintable as well as Pie headed to second base. The Orioles were pissed! A J denies it and says he was chewing himself out but I went to the video and made this screen capture. He's looking at Pie, not the area where the HR landed. http://s378.photobucket.com/albums/oo222/naftikos/?action=view&current=… fwiw -- the Yankee broadcasters said it looked like A J was saying something like, "Look at that guy, he doesn't even know he hit a home run."

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Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:00 pm

I didn't see any of this but I have seen a couple of his homers live (on TV) this year, and announcers sometimes remark on how he tears around the bases. You know, act like you've been there before, that sort of thing. Maybe that's what Burnett was reacting to. Sort of like when Pete Rose used to sprint to first on a walk. Of course, with Pie, it's all youthful exuberance.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:11 pm

Let me get this straight. Burnett was mad at Pie for running the bases too fast? I hope the next time he gets him for one he takes 4 minutes going around the bases, then when Burnett goes back the dugout after the inning his teammates will laugh at him and say "Reap what you sow, pussy."

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Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:57 pm

video I saw on mlb.com, it looked like Pie was busting it as it was opposite field shot and certainly wasn't a no-doubter...when it went out, he slowed down around 2nd and proceeded with a somewhat normal trot.

I've seen other hr's by him recently though where he's done the super-slow trot around the bases which I could see irking some pitchers.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:51 pm

Right at the end of that video Pie gives Burnett a "You got something to say, M'fer?' look. He did slow down, after he realized it was out - he was also half way to second by that time. How fast is he?

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Submitted by Ahone Ahtwo Ahthree on Fri, 09/04/2009 - 09:57 am

Holy ballz - so you can't run too slow and you can't run too fast, or you are showing up the pitcher??? Is there an optimal and acceptable trot speed after a HR? Burnett is a sausage - there is nothing wrong with running hard until you know it is gone. He was getting bombed pretty good that game and I'm sure a HR by Pie really frustrated him, but that reaction seemed over the top to me... It's surprising Sorry-ano doesn't get drilled more often with all of the cadillacing he does around the bases...

Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:46 am

I just heard there are tickets available for today's game!? White Sox @ Cubs. Geez...

Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:11 am

I'm convinced whatever they decide to do with Bradley this winter... whether they keep him or not... everyone will hate the decision.

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Submitted by John Beasley on Thu, 09/03/2009 - 09:23 am

I'll go on record - keep him, unless there's an AL team that wants to give up a really good player to replace him. Carl Crawford? Don't hold your breath. As much as Jim likes selling low, he should avoid the temptation on this one.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

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

    he will be reevaluated tomorrow.

  • Childersb3 (view)

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

    Just a difference of opinion

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

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

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

  • Childersb3 (view)

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

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

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

  • crunch (view)

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

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

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

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

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

  • Charlie (view)

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

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

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

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

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

  • Arizona Phil (view)

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

     

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

     

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

     

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

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

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

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

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