Cubs MLB Roster

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40-Man Roster Info

39 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (one slot is open), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL and one player has been DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT (DFA)   

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and eight players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-24-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Pete Crow-Armstrong 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 8 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2
* Cody Bellinger, OF  
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 3
Kyle Hendricks, P 
* Drew Smyly, P 
* Justin Steele, P   

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

DFA: 1 
Garrett Cooper, 1B 
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Trio Help Solar Sox Glow to Victory

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Starlin Castro jacked-up his AFL league-leading batting average to .423 as he ripped two singles, knocked-in two runs, and scored one, Josh Vitters tripled and scored, and John Gaub tossed a 1-2-3 7th, leading the Mesa Solar Sox (Cubs, Marlins, Red Sox, Angels, and Twins) to a 7-2 victory over the Peoria Saguaros (Padres, Reds, Indians, Braves, and Astros) in Arizona Fall League action this afternoon at sunny HoHoKam Park in Mesa. 

box score

AFL leading hitter Castro was the Solar Sox DH today and hit 2nd, getting four ABs.

Facing Saguaros starting LHP Mike Minor (Braves 2009 #1 draft pick out of Vanderbilt) with a runner at1st base and no outs in the bottom of the 1st. Castro lined a single to LF on the first pitch he saw, advanced to 2nd uncontested on the back-end of a double-steal, and then scored on a two-out two-run RBI single to CF by Hank Conger (Angels).   

Castro bounced out weakly to the third-baseman in his second PA against Minor in the 3rd, before lacing a two-run RBI single past the SS into left-center off RHP Mike Leake (Reds 2009 #1 draft pick out of Arizona State) with two outs in the 5th. In his final AB of the day, Castro struck out looking to end the 7th, only his 5th K in 55 AFL Plate Appearances.  

Vitters played 3B and hit 6th, grounding out on a first-pitch broken-bat roller to the second baseman his first time up leading- off the 2nd. before popping out to short RF in his 2nd PA the 5th. But the 20-year old really tagged one leading off the bottom of the 7th against Padres RHP Mike DeMark, juicing a laser-liner stand-up triple into the right-centerfield gap that rolled all the way to the fence. He then scored on an error. In his final AB, Vitters flied out to CF.

Vitters had only one chance in the field today, handling a routine grounder without incident, as he back-handed the ball, squared himself, and made a strong & accurate throw to 1st base to nail the batter by two steps. .

LHP John Gaub entered the game in relief in the top of the 7th and was unhittable, striking out Mitch Canham (Padres) swinging and Josh Rodriguez (Indians) looking, before retiring Lance Zawadzki (Padres) on a lazy pop up to the 1st baseman in foul territory. This was certainly Gaub's best AFL outing (so far), as he alternated a 94 MPH heater and filthy breaking ball.

The 24-year old Gaub was one of the three minor league pitchers the Cubs acquired from the Cleveland Indians in the Mark DeRosa trade last-off-season. He figures to get added to the Cubs 40-man roster on 11/20, because otherwise he would be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft. .  

And Michael Brenly made his AFL debut this afternoon, entering the game as a defensive replacement at catcher in the top of the 9th. Brenly replaces Welington Castillo (DL retro to 10/23) on the Solar Sox roster.

RHP Andrew Cashner is scheduled to make his 4th AFL start tomorrow, as the Solar Sox travel to Peoria Stadium for a rematch with the Saguaros. 

 

Tags
Josh Vitters
Michael Brenly
Starlin Castro
John Gaub
Arizona Fall League

Comments

Submitted by Cubs Win on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 11:26 am

Phil - After watching Castro, do you think he can be ready to contribute at mid year or do you think 2011 is much more likely? If the hype is real, it seems to me the Cubs brass has to be thinking that they can slide Theriot over to 2B when he is ready. I'm assuming Castro would be an upgrade over Theriot at SS defensively (at least range and arm wise) and personally I would love to have Theriot back at 2B with the ability to slide him over to SS when necessary (or for double switches). Let me know your thoughts on where Castro stands after seeing him in person.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 11:21 pm

Submitted by Cubs Win on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 10:26am.

Phil - After watching Castro, do you think he can be ready to contribute at mid year or do you think 2011 is much more likely? If the hype is real, it seems to me the Cubs brass has to be thinking that they can slide Theriot over to 2B when he is ready. I'm assuming Castro would be an upgrade over Theriot at SS defensively (at least range and arm wise) and personally I would love to have Theriot back at 2B with the ability to slide him over to SS when necessary (or for double switches). Let me know your thoughts on where Castro stands after seeing him in person.

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

CUBS WIN: I think the Cubs will let Starlin Castro's performance on the field determine when he is ready for the big leagues. That could be sometime in 2010 or 2011.

Castro will certainly get an NRI to Spring Training next March, where Lou Piniella will have an opportunity to evaluate Castro's progress, and where Castro will have a chance to work with Alan Trammell and Ivan DeJesus on his fielding and with new Cubs hittng instructor Rudy Jaramillo on his hitting.

I also would not be too quick to dismiss 2007 4th round pick Darwin Barney (Oregon State), another SS who has rocketed through the Cubs farm system. Barney played in the AFL a year ago and got an NRI to ST this past March, and played well enough at AA Tennessee (hitting 317/368/409) that he got a mid-season promotion to AAA Iowa. While Castro is probably the more-talented of the two (or at least has a higher ceiling), Barney isn't exactly chopped liver. He's a very polished player, a "true" shortstop, and a legitimate MLB prospect.

So Ryan Theriot will have to fend-off competition from both Barney and Castro at some point in the not-too-distant future, and it certainly is possible that Theriot will get moved to 2B if and when Barney or Castro make it to The Show. Or as an arbitration-eligible player who will likely get about $2M for 2010 and perhaps considerably more in 2011, The Riot could get traded sometime next off-season.

Submitted by Hrubes20 on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 11:30 pm

Just wondering what the scoop is on Cashner. I see that he didn't make his scheduled start today, and he has been declared "unable to participate" in the AFL Rising Stars game. Hopefully it isn't an injury. Anybody know of anything?

Submitted by Cubs Win on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 11:59 pm

Phil - Agree....as much as I like Theriot, he turns into a pumpkin when his arbitration number gets too high (or worse, when he is a free agent). It is key for the Cubs to replace players like him with young talent and not overpay for mediocrity. Theriot at $750k is a steal but Theriot at $5MM Year (or more) is not good business. Knowing that Castro (and possibly Barney) is coming up the ladder, what would you do if you were the Cubs brass in looking at SS and 2B options the next 2 years? Would getting a Short term 2B option (O Dog or Adam Kennedy for 1 year) knowing that you can slide over Theriot if Castro forces his way up in 2011 be smart?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 11:03 pm

Submitted by The Real Neal on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 7:57pm. I am trying to remember and drawing a blank... what did Sandberg do when he was assisting at spring training? Has that changed a lot over the last couple seasons? It would be nice if we could instill the organization with some of the baserunning, fielding and batting smarts Sandberg used to display.

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REAL NEAL: Before Ryne Sandberg became a Cubs minor league manager in 2008, he was a Spring Training Instructor. As a STI, he worked with the infielders (mostly at 2B, but also at SS and 3B) and did some baserunning instruction with Bob Dernier. I don't recall him doing any hitting instruction on the field, but he may have worked one-on-one in the cages with certain hitters who weren't responding to Gerald Perry or Dave Keller.

As a minor league manager at Minor League Camp, he was very hands-on with his players (Peoria group in 2008 and Tennessee group in 2009), but he did not become involved with the other squads.

BTW, Sandberg is VERY intense and vocal as a manager, while Jody Davis was very laid-back when he was manager at Daytona. That might be one of the reasons Sandberg got promoted to AA manager, while Davis was reassigned to organization catching instructor duties.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 11:17 pm

Submitted by Cubs Win on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 3:59pm.
Phil -

Knowing that Castro (and possibly Barney) is coming up the ladder, what would you do if you were the Cubs brass in looking at SS and 2B options the next 2 years? Would getting a Short term 2B option (O Dog or Adam Kennedy for 1 year) knowing that you can slide over Theriot if Castro forces his way up in 2011 be smart?

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CUBS WIN: Given the Cubs tight payroll right now, I can't see them signing or acquiring any middle infielders from outside the organization anytime soon.

I think they are probably a lot more concerned about the pitching staff (Ted Lilly is a FA after next season), and available payroll will probably be moved in that direction.

There also is the problem of Derrek Lee becoming a FA after next season with no replacement ready in the organization. The Cubs need to decide pretty soon whether to re-sign D-Lee.

Also, Aramis Ramirez can be a FA after next season (player option), and that would be a huge hole to fill if he were to leave. Josh Vitters is a third-baseman, but he needs a LOT of work on his defense before he will be ready to play in the big leagues. Marquez Smith will be the 3B at Iowa in 2010, and is a borderline MLB prospect right now, but if he proves he can hit at AAA and can hit some HR, he could become a Top 15 Prospect by this time next year. M. Smith is a better all-around player than Vitters, although Vitters has a much higher ceiling (as a hitter).

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 11:44 pm

Submitted by Rob G. on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:45pm.
you know if Lee wants to take a contract that addresses his aging skillset and likely decline, then I'm all for bringing him back...

since that won't happen, see if they can trade him this offseason or cut bait next year...

Ramirez would be tougher to lose, but he's also on the wrong side of the bell curve.

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ROB G: With no real 1B prospect in the upper levels of the organization pipeline, I strongly suspect the Cubs will re-sign D-Lee to a contract extention past 2010 for the same money he's making now ($13M per year), probably for two years (2011-12) with a third year vesting option based on games played and/or PA.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Miguel Cruz walked six in 1.2 IP in his last start, so I guess he is improving. Wilme Mora also walked six in one of his appearances a week or two ago, and one or two others have walked five. I don't know what would be the most I have ever seen a pitcher throw in a game out here, because the manager / pitching coach usually gets the pitcher out of the game if it gets too ridiculous. 

    As for the attendance, probably about 20 of the 25 were early arrivals for the Savannah Bananas game who came over to Field # 1 to see what was going on, and once they saw all the bases on balls (12 walks by Cubs pitchers and four by Angels pitchers) they ran away screaming. I'm used to it so it didn't bother me that much. 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Jed has added Teheran, Tyranski, Kissaki, and now Straily and Nico Zeglin today.

    Zeglin is 24 yrs old. Pitched well at Long Beach St in '23 and well in some Indy Ball.

    They also added Reilly and Viets in late ST.

    Have to search for MiLB arm depth anywhere you can and at all times!!!

  • Childersb3 (view)

    25 in Attendance!!!

    Phil, is that a backfield record?

    Also, 6 BBs for Cruz in 2 IP. What's the most walks you've seen in one EXT ST outing that you can recall?

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    He has a pulse. Apparently that’s the only requirement at this point.

  • crunch (view)

    cubs sign dan straily...for some reason.  minor league deal.

    welcome back.

    zac rosscup is down in mexico trying to make it happen...maybe they could throw him a contract, too.  junior lake is his teammate.  shore up a bunch of holes with some washups.

  • fullykräusened (view)

    The great thing about going to live sports events is you don't know if you're going to see something historic. Today I went to the Cub game, after putting the liner back in my coat and fishing my Cubs knit hat out of the closet. I needed all that- my seats are in the upper deck, left, so the east wind was in my face. Both teams failed to capitalize on good situations, but both starters did a good job to accomplish this. So, we go to the bottom of the sixth inning. The Cubs tie it up, and then Pete Crow-Armstrong comes up. We all know he would still be in AAA if not for injuries, and future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander absolutely carved up the young fellow up in his first two plate appearances. So this time he hits a fly ball. The wind was blowing in and had suppressed several strong fly balls- including a rocket off Altuve's bat that Canario hauled in (does anybody else remind me of Jorge Soler?) , but the ball kept carrying and carrying. 107mph, legit angle and carry. The crowd went nuts, the dugout went nuts. Maybe, just maybe, I saw the first homer from a long-term Cub.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Which was my original premise. They won the trades but lost their souls. They no longer employ the Cardinal way which had been so successful for so long.

  • crunch (view)

    STL traded away a lot of minor league talent that went on to do nothing in the arenado + goldschmidt trades.  neither guy blocked any of their minor league talent in the pipeline, too.  that's ideal places to add talent.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Natural cycle of baseball. Pitching makes adjustments in approach to counter a hot young rookie. Now it’s time for Busch and his coaches to counter those adjustments. Busch is very good and will figure it out, I think sooner than later.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In 2020, the pandemic year and the year before they acquired Arenado, the Cardinals finished second and were a playoff team. Of the 12 batters with 100 plate appearances, 8 of them were home grown. Every member of the starting rotation (if you include Wainwright) and all but one of the significant relievers were home grown. While there have been a relative handful of very good trades interspersed which have been mentioned, player development had been their predominant pattern for decades - ever since I became an aware fan in the ‘70’s

    The Arenado deal was not a deal made out of dire need or desperation. It was a splashy, headline making deal for a perennial playoff team intended to be the one piece that brought the Cardinals from a very good team to a World Series contender. They have continued to wheel and deal and have been in a slide ever since. I stand by my supposition that that deal marked a notable turning point within the organization. They broke what had been a very successful formula for a very long time.
     

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