Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus one player is 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 3-28-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# 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 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 1 
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Randy "ROY" Wells?

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.

Comments

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.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

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.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

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.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

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".

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

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.

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

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

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...

[ ]

In reply to by Ahone Ahtwo Ahthree

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."

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

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.

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

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

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.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

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."

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

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.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

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."

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

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.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

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?

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

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...

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

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

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

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

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I think if you had ranked players by how much the team could ill afford to have them miss significant time, Steele would be right at the top of the list.

  • crunch (view)

    steele MRI on friday.  counsell expects an IL stint.

    no current plans for his rotation replacement.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    I would say also in the bright side column is Busch looked pretty good overall at the plate. Alzolay…man, that hurts but most of the time he’s not giving up a homer to that guy. To me the worst was almonte hanging that pitch to Garcia. He hung another one to the next hitter too and got away with it on an 0-1. 

  • crunch (view)

    amaya blocked like 6-8 of smyly's pitches in the dirt very cleanly...not even an exaggeration, smyly threw a ton of pitches bouncing in tonight.

    neris looking like his old self was a relief (no pun), too.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In looking for bright spots the defense was outstanding tonight. The “stars” are going to need to shine quite a bit brighter than they did tonight offensively though for this to be a successful season.

  • Eric S (view)

    Good baseball game. Hopefully Steele is pitching again in April (but I’m not counting on it). 

  • crunch (view)

    boo.

  • crunch (view)

    smyly to face the 2/3/4 hitters with a man on 2nd in extras.

    this doesn't seem like a 8 million dollar managerial decision.

  • crunch (view)

    i 100% agree with you, but i dunno how jed wants to run things.  the default is delay.  i would choose brown.

    like hellfrozeover says, could be smyly since he's technically fresh and stretched.

    anyway, on a pure talent basis....brown is the best option.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Use pitchers when you believe they're good. Don't plan their clock.

    I'm sorry. I'm simply anti-clock/contract management. Play guys when they show real MLB potential talent.

    If Brown hadn't been hurt with the Lat Strain he would've gotten the call, and not Wick.

    Give him a chance. 

    But Wesneski probably gets it