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

9th Inning PH HR Drives Cubs to Victory

Richard Jones slammed a pinch-hit tie-breaking home run over the RF fence with one out in the top of the 9th, and the Cubs held-on to defeat the Angels 2-1 in AZ Instructional League action at Diablo Park Field #3 in Tempe this morning.

Jones, the Cubs 2009 9th round selection out of The Citadel, was drafted as a catcher, but his #1 attribute is raw power. In fact, after signing with the Cubs in June, Jones hit seven HR in just twelve games for the AZL Cubs (Mesa), before moving up to Boise. (Jones ended up tied for 3rd in the AZL in HR, while playing there only two weeks!). And remember, he did all that while playing in the AZL's huge minor league complex ball parks with 25-ft high fences, where it's almost easier to hit a triple than it is to hit a HR.  

While Jones was a catcher in college, he appears more comfortable at 1B (or DH)  But if he can remain a catcher, his value will be greatly increased, since power-hitting catchers who bat left-handed are always in demand.

Besides working on his defense behind the plate, Jones is also at Instructs to try and learn to make better contact at bat (56 K in 174 PA at Mesa and Boise combined in 2009).    

Today's game was scoreless through five innings, before the Angels broke-through with a run off RHP Nick Struck (Cubs 2009 39th round pick out of Mt. Hood CC) in the 6th, on a walk, a sac-bunt, and an RBI double. (Struck dropped to the 39th round only because he was considered a virtual "lock" to transfer to the University of Hawaii, but the Cubs came up with some additional money and were able to sign him just before the August deadline).  

The Cubs came back to tie the score in the top of the 7th with two outs, when Brandon Guyer (yesterday's hero) lined a single to left (his second hit of the game), and scored on a near-HR RBI triple smashed high off the RF fence by Ryan Flaherty.

23-year old polished college LHP Chris Rusin (2009 4th round pick out of U. of Kentucky) got the start for the Cubs today, and he hardly broke a sweat, allowing just a lead-off bunt single in the 1st (and then he immediately picked the runner off), throwing just 15 pitches (12 strikes) combined over two innings of work. He was on the field maybe seven minutes.

RHP Chris Archer followed Rusin with three shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk on 43 pitches (26 strikes). while retiring the last five men he faced.

One of three pitchers the Cubs acquired from Cleveland for Mark DeRosa last off- season, Archer throws a 92-94 MPH  fastball, a curve, and a change-up, and was 4th among Cubs minor leaguers in strikeouts in 2009 (trailing only Jay Jackson, Mitch Atkins, and Chris Carpenter). But he is at Instructs to work on his command & control (he led the Cubs minor leagues in walks in '09), and he has indeed shown some progress with his strike-throwing in his last two outings, allowing just one walk over six innings. Of course he also has only one strikeout in those six innings, but he's not down here to rack up the punch-outs. The Cubs already know he can do that. He's down here to improve his control and cut-down the number of pitches he throws per inning.  

Today's game also featured three really nice defensive players by the Cubs, including a sliding catch of a pop up in short CF by 2009 #1 draft pick Brett Jackson in the 4th, a full-speed running shoestring catch by 17-year old Korean LF Kyung-Min Na on a pop up in short left-center in the 8th, and a probable game-saving running catch in RF foul territory (and then a flawless a spin & throw to 3rd to keep the base-runner at 2nd base) by 2009 2nd round pick D. J. LeMahieu with no outs in the bottom of the 9th.

LeMahieu played SS at LSU, but I think it's fairly obvious that the Cubs think that the athletic LeMahieu's future is at 2B. He has spent many hours at Instructs working with minor league infield instructor Franklin Font on his DP footwork from the second-baseman's side of the bag (which requires different footwork and an altered rhythm than is the case when turning the DP from shortstop), and hopefully he will take what he has learned at Instructs into the 2010 season, where he will probably begin the year at Daytona. 

Here is today's abridged box score (Cubs players only):    

LINEUP:
1a. Logan Watkins, DH #1: 1-3 (1B, L-9, L-1 DP)
1b. Richard Jones, PH: 1-1 (HR), R, RBI
2. D. J. LeMahieu, 2B: 1-4 (4-6-3 DP, 1B, F-9, L-8)
3. Brett Jackson, CF: 0-4 (F-8, F-8, F-8, F-7)
4. Brandon Guyer, RF: 2-3 (1B, F-8, 1B), R, CS
5. Ryan Flaherty, SS: 1-3 (F-7, 4-3, 3B), RBI
6. Michael Brenly, C-DH: 0-3 (P-3, P-6, P-8)
7. Jovan Rosa, DH-C: 0-3 (K, 6-3, K)
8. Matt Cerda, 3B: 1-3 (P-2, 1B, 4-3)
9. Justin Bour, 1B: 2-3 (1B, 1B, 4-3)
10. Kyung-Min Na, LF: 0-3 (F-9, K, L-6)

PITCHERS:
1. Chris Rusin - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 PO, 2/1 GO/FO, 15 pitches (12 strikes)
2. Chris Archer - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 4/5 GO/FO, 43 pitches (26 strikes)
3. Nick Struck - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 BALK, 2/2 GO/FO, 30 pitches (19 strikes)
4. Jose Rosario - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 15 pitches (7 strikes)  
5. Steve Grife - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 2/1 GO/FO, 18 pitches (9 strikes)

ERRORS: NONE

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Michael Brenly - 0-1 CS
Jovan Rosa - 1 PB

WEATHER: 70's & overcast first-pitch, then mostly sunny by noon 

ATTENDANCE: 21

 

Comments

Hey Phil a couple questions. Any ideas on why Brenly and Falherty are in instructs? Are the Cubs already decided on Cerda as a utility guy, or are they trying to find his best position?

 

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Submitted by The Real Neal on Sat, 10/10/2009 - 3:44pm.

Hey Phil a couple questions.

Any ideas on why Brenly and Falherty are in instructs?

Are the Cubs already decided on Cerda as a utility guy, or are they trying to find his best position?

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

REAL NEAL: Michael Brenly is at Instructs to work on his hitting with Dave Keller and possibly to develop a power-stroke (he looks like an offensive tackle, which is why you'd think he would be a HR hitter). No question Brenly is a first-class defensive catcher, but there are still questions about how much he will hit at the higher levels.  

Ryan Flaherty is a big kid who has developed into a LH power-hitter in search of a position. He played SS at Vanderbilt, 2B with Team USA, and most recently, 3B and SS at Instructs, but I think he will eventually end up a corner IF-OF (3B-1B-LF-RF). Flaherty needs to work on his throwing and versatility, and he also needs to find a better approach versus LHP. Because of his improvement at the plate the second-half of 2009, Flaherty could get jumped to AA at the start of the 2010 season, although I'm not sure what position he would play there (probably 3B if Vitters starts out at Daytona, or else 2B or 1B or maybe a corner OF spot if Vitters starts out at AA)

I think with Cerda it's a matter of trying to find a position he can play at Peoria next season, and with Logan Watkins the likely starting 2B for the Chiefs in 2010, 3B could be the only other possibility for Cerda. So far, Cerda has been very slow to react to hard-hit balls at the hot corner, although he makes all other plays just fine.

Beyond next season, I believe Cerda's future will probably be as an offensive-first utility player (probably 2B-3B-LF-C), which is why the Cubs might want Cerda to revisit catcher eventually somewhere down the line. I still don't see what the Cubs saw in Cerda to rate him a 4th round draft pick, though.

bob gibson on TV...about f'n time. don't see/hear enough of him. good to hear him again. on players wearing armor today: "oh, i think i could break that." ha.

shows the obvious (what else is PRogers good for?), that really bad teams don't draw (except for KC) --- Empty seats: The final numbers are in, and MLB was down almost 6.7 percent in total attendance. The relative lack of playoff races was the final blow in a season in which the down economy made life challenging for marketing directors and advertising salesmen. The biggest total decreases were in New York, where smaller stadium capacities contributed to drops of 22 percent for the Mets and 12.7 percent for the Yankees. On a percentage basis, nine teams were down at least 15 percent, including the Blue Jays (21.8), Nationals (21.7), Padres (20.8), Tigers (19.8), Indians (18.6), A's (15.4), Reds (15.1) and Diamondbacks (15.0). Nine teams picked up attendance. The biggest gain was in Kansas City,...up 13.9 percent. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-11-rogers-in…

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Isn't that exactly what every GM is going to say when Hendry first calls? It's not like a team is going to leak "we're willing to pay $5 million for Bradley over the next two years", when they know retardo has already just about destroyed his trade leverage. Not saying that it's not true, but did their opinion of Bradley really change so much that a guy they were willing to give $8 million to a year ago they'd only commit $800K to now?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Just keep him Hendry. Paint a yellow spot at the end of the bench and tell him to stay there during games. Surround him with shrinks and masseurs. Use him for what he's suited for, a part time outfielder and bat boy. Let him do his little take-me-out-of-the-ball-game stat packing routine and by mid-season he'll be tradeable.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

This may be 3/44 but it's in today's Sun Times "I never thought so, but this year it's kind of obvious." -- Shortstop Ryan Theriot, on whether one player can disrupt the clubhouse chemistry for an entire team

[ ]

In reply to by Pell Mell

lol, poor poor Andres Blanco. Don't get his due because he can't put up offensive numbers. With fans these days if you don't have numbers you ain't shit. If you do have numbers you can get away with nearly anything.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

Keep expecting Torii Hunter to say "we would have never got here if we had Milton Bradley" in this post-game interview. A whole lot of Cubbery going on in these playoffs so far. What odds could you have gotten on a Nathan, Paplebon and Franklin 0-3 in save opportunities trifecta?

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Wrong. I want to get rid of Fukudome. He sucks, I'm tired of his whirling dervish act and frigid, ice-cold, month-long streaks of ineptitude. He doesn't drive in runs, he has just barely enough speed to be a liability on the base paths when he decides to steal, and overall he is just a very middling player. $13MM a year for nice defense and a OK-ish OBP for three months out of the year is a joke. But of course, fat boy Hendry in all his wisdom gave Dome a NTC, so fat chance he goes anywhere. Nice move (again), Jimbo. The Cubs have had a hole in RF since Sosa left and still haven't fixed it, but CF has been a hole for this franchise FOREVER, jeez. Four decent years from Rick Monday, some nice play from Eric Young and Brian McRae briefly, one excellent year from Bobby Dernier and two great months from Kenny Lofton. That's it since the 60s, awful.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

Ryne Sandberg played some pretty good CF for us too. Glanville and CP had a couple nice seasons between them. Walton won a ROY. I have been working on the Sosa to Cubs right fielders = Santo to Cubs third basemen. Hopefully it won't be 25 years, though.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

dero sure loves him some press. more than a 2nd base option the team lost a media-team leader when he was traded, imo. he could give the press enough blurbs to fill 2 deadlines all within a few minutes of chatting.

Davey Martinez was decent in '87 I believe. Bill North would have been good but Phil Wrigley wasn't comfortable with the combination of North's manner and skin color. Tuffy Rhodes had a monster nine innings.

Can you comment on progress of 7th round draft pick Blair Springfield for Cubs? Also, how can I search and track progress for him and other cub minor league players in lower minor leagues? thanks

maybe Brad Hawpe will be available this offseason

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.