Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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 4-21-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 14
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

Cubs Rumor Mill: Iwamura, Bradley & Grabow

I'm not sure I'll get an offseason potential target up tomorrow, but with the World Series almost wrapping up and the Cubs organizational meetings next week, the rumor mill is beginning to warm up for the offseason. Let's blast through these real quick.

- Bruce Levine reported that the Cubs and John Grabow are discussing a two year extension and the Trib concurs that it appears likely he'll be back with the Cubs next year.

The two sides are talking about a two-year deal for anywhere between a total of $6.5 million and $7.5 million. Grabow's people would like a vesting option for a third year added to the contract.

There would also be incentives in the deal for games finished. Relievers and $3-$4M a year don't really mix in my opinion, but this sure isn't the first time Hendry's thrown money at the bullpen, or the second, or third or fourth or...well you get the point. 

- The same Trib article says that the Cubs have some interest in Akinori Iwamura - seems like some friendly blogger recently brought that up - and then the Trib suggests an Iwamura/Pat Burrell for Milton Bradley swap with the Cubs throwing $3-$4M into the pot. I guarantee it's not the Cubs holding up that deal if it ever gets on the table. If a deal with Iwamura somehow materializes, it could happen quickly as the Rays have one day after the World Series to decide about his option.

- As for the Bradley market, the Trib brings sobering news that attendance was down for 22 of the clubs in the league and expect most of them to be looking to dump salary making Hendry's job to unload Bradley without paying for it all the more difficult. The Rangers seem to have left the door slightly ajar for a Bradley return if they can get the Cubs to pay the freight.   

Comments

If we're going try to pull of a deal with the Rays we should shoot for Upton or Crawford. I do not want Burrell under any circumstance (unless he's part of a three-way deal to another club). I'd rather keep Bradley. As for Iwamura, he's a nice little player but we already have more second basemen than Pfizer has pills. The Cubs need to get younger, faster and more athletic.

The only way we bring over Burrell is if we plan on flipping him to another team.....we have a Burrell - his name is Jake Fox and he gets paid $400k/year. Burrell can only play LF and we already have a LF who can't be moved to another spot. Good times.

I believe that the organizational meetings run from today through Friday. Sullivan's article in the Trib (interview with Hendry) also reiterates that the Cubs are in the market for a "leadoff hitter with speed and a corner outfielder with power." The OF reference is interesting, as it implies that Fukodome will stay in CF and the new OF will play RF. The leadoff hitter, barring other moves, would have to play 2B. Iwamura doesn't seem to fit that bill, with a career high of 12 SB's. Perhaps the "corner outfielder with power" reference is simply a set up for the Burrell acquisition. An OF of Soriano, Fukodome and Burrell would make a lot of beer league softball teams look good.

Pitching for the AFL Phoenix Desert Dogs yesterday at Surprise, Nationals' #1 draft pick (and 2009 overall #1 pick) RHP Stephen Strasburg (San Diego State) was consistently clocked at 98 MPH+ and hit 100 MPH several times. (He threw 68 pitches, about 85% fastballs).

Mark Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reports that the Rays "are on the verge of completing a trade" of Akinori Iwamura. There was speculation earlier this week that the Dodgers and Cubs were interested in Iwamura, but Topkin writes that neither of those teams would be the destination. Tampa Bay holds a $4.85 million option or $550,000 buyout on Iwamura for 2010.

Why on earth are the Cubs talking about 2-3 year contracts with John Grabow? He is the epitome of the guy you offer arbitration and go year to year with. Hasn't Jim Hendry learned how fickle relief pitching and Lou is? Didn't we just pay Philly to take Stevie Ire just last year?

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

I don't really see a reason to offer him anything more than arbitration which is yeah, probably somewhere between $3.5 and $4.5 if you're unlucky. Rob and others like to bash on the Hendry's signing of relievers, but he didn't do one last year and our bullpen was really awful, plus Howry, Eyre, Hawkins and ... Remlinger? didn't actually do that badly. The idea that you can just bring up arms from the minors that are going to get the job done in the 6th through 8th inning, one I used to subscribe to, just hasn't panned out for the Cubs. Offer him arbitration, let him shop around a bit, and if someone offers him three years and $12 million, wish him luck. If you can get him back for $2 million less than that, then consider offering him more than arbitration.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Rob and others like to bash on the Hendry's signing of relievers, but he didn't do one last year and our bullpen was really awful, plus Howry, Eyre, Hawkins and ... Remlinger? didn't actually do that badly. The idea that you can just bring up arms from the minors that are going to get the job done in the 6th through 8th inning, one I used to subscribe to, just hasn't panned out for the Cubs.

well I like to bash because he gives out multi-year deals to these guys and the last year seems to never work out....think he'd be better served just waiting to March and signing some 1-yr deals and guys getting kicked off rosters and stop filling roster spots with guaranteed deals so some of the youngsters who don't win a rotation spot can work out of the bullpen. 

As for not signing anyone last year, he already had Marmol in the set-up role and went the trade route with Heilman and Gregg instead. Previous years it seemed he already had his closer and decided to fill the gaps in the set-up role.

Actually Rob I was most interested in your comment, "seems like some friendly blogger recently brought that up" I don't read that blog but I assume this implies an interesting strategy on the part of mainstream media. Build alliances with certain blogs that don't tend to slam the inept reporting so often found in, say, the Tribune, and the blog grows and gets "respect" from advertisers. It's actually rather brilliant. The Bears reporting, I've noticed, is much better than the Cubs. Maybe because a deep football knowledge is required. Haugh is an excellent analytical reporter IMHO. I can't even think of anyone on that level on the Cubs beat, except for that guy from the Daily Herald maybe. Can't remember his name as I write this and I'm sure as shit not gonna look it up in the middle of an 80 hour work week.

Recent comments

  • Finwe Noldaran (view)

    Phil: Great to see what Rosario is doing!

    Do you think having Rosario may have influenced/impacted the front office's decision on including Hope in the trade for Busch at all?

  • crunch (view)

    it's so crazy we got a new "barnstorming" harlem globetrotters-type baseball product that was introduced less than 5 years ago and is wildly popular all over the nation.

    a notion left long in the past, unearthed, polished for modern audiences and popular as ever.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    No question right now Alfonsin Rosario is one of the Cubs Top 20 prospects (probably Top 15). Rosario is to the Cubs what Zyhir Hope is to the Dodgers.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Savannah Bananas will be playing the Party Animals at Sloan Park in Mesa this coming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The games are sold out (15,000+ each night), and berm tickets are going for well over $100. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    RAISIN: In the game versus the A's at Fitch Park last Friday, Mule threw half FB and half SL (16/16), and one CH (which coincidentally was the only hard-hit ball off him -- a near HR line-drive double off the LF fence). FB was 91-94 and the SL (really more of a "slurve") was 80-82, and he got three swing & miss on each pitch (six swing & miss total out of his 20 strikes). So I think it is safe to say that right now, Mule is strictly a two-pitch pitcher (FB/SL), 

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Recalled it was sampled in a Nas song.  Did a little sleuthing.  It was a Nas song called "Hate Me Now" that featured Puff Daddy.  Imploring the crowd to hate somebody seems a bit overly dramatic for a keyboardist but perhaps there is some other connection to the song. 

     

    In general there has been a weird overuse of Carmina Burana's O Fortuna in sports and commercials in past decade or so.  Maybe it is a fallback choice if there isn't anything else.   

     

    Sidenote, while the O Fortuna part has become a bit pop-culture cliched; the overall piece is very interesting and rather expansive in scope. I played percussion in a production of it while in college.  There is a rather jovial movement set in a tavern.  In the score it calls for the clinking of beer steins.  Let's just say we did a lot of research to determine the best sounding beer steins. 

  • crunch (view)

    ooof...this is just as likely as anything.  professional organists are weird humans.

  • SheffieldCornelia (view)

    Maybe it is only played when the hitter thus far in the game is "oh for two"-na at the plate?

  • crunch (view)

    who was AB when it was being played?  it could be something as corny as playing it for nick fortes because fortes/fortuna...fortes...marlins...fish...tuna...sigh.

    while the cubs organ player isn't a frequent groaner weaponizing the organ song selection, they all dabble in it.

  • crunch (view)

    in 2016 hendricks threw 190 innings for 45 earned runs.

    in the shortened 2020 season hendricks threw 81.1ip for 26 earned runs.

    in 2024 hendricks has thrown 21ip for 28 earned runs.