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 4-18-2024
 
* 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

Castro the Star-lin in Cub Victory

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Starlin Castro smacked an RBI double into the left-center gap to drive-in the tying run, and then scored the go-ahead tally on a Micah Hoffpauir double, as the Cubs rallied from a 6-2 deficit to edge the Los Angeles Angels 8-7 at Tempe Diablo Stadium this afternoon.

box score

The Cubs got off to 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st against Angels (and ex-STL) starter Joel Pineiro. Mike Fontenot singled with one out, and then with two outs, Kevin Millar doubled off the left-field fence to drive-in Fontenot. Marlon Byrd and Alfonso Sorian followed with back-to-back line drive singles to LF, with 3rd base coach Mike Quade aggressively sending the baserunner home from 2nd on both hits. Millar scored eaily on the first one, but Byrd was thrown out 7-2 to end the inning.

Randy Wells got the start for the Cubs, and after an easy 10-pitch 1st inning marred only by a two-base throwing error by SS Darwin Barney, the right-hander gave up a six-spot in the 2nd. Kendry Morales crushed a HR over ther RF fence to lead-off the inning, and then with one out, Wells issued a walk to Mike Napoli and gave-up consecutive singles to Brandon Wood, Reggie Willits, and Maicer Izturis. Howie Kendrick then tripled to right-center to drive-in two runs, and after another walk, Hideki Matsui completed the scoring with an RBI single. It took Wells 30 pitches to get through the 2nd, and then he threw another 20 (and only eight strikes) in the bottom of the third, although no runs scored in that inning. After pitching very well in his first two starts, Wells really laid an egg today. 

For the day, Wells labored through three innings (60 pitches - 33 strikes), allowing six runs on six hits and three walks (he bounced a lot of his pitches), while striking out two (4/3 GO/FO).

The Cubs got two of the runs back off Pineiro in the top of the 3rd on a towering Kevin Millar two-run HR over the LF fence on the heels of a Xavier Nady double into the LF corner, and then Mike Fontenot narrowed the deficit to just one run when he smashed a solo HR over the RF fence off RHP Anthony Ortega with one out in the 5th. With Jeff Baker in a slump all Spring and with Fontenot playing well both offensively and defensively, it looks like Fontenot is winning the 2B job (Cubs Manager Lou Piniella doesn't want to platoon at 2B).

And Kevin Millar has probably played well enough to win a job, if there is one open for him. I just don't think there is such an opening at this time. Perhaps he'll ask for his release at the end of Spring Training and try his luck someplace else.  

Cubs closer Carlos Marmol pitched the 4th and allowed no runs (2/0 GO/FO, 23 pitches - 13 strikes), although he did issue a lead-off walk to Kendrick before striking out Torii Hunter and getting a couple of 4-3 ground-outs.

LHRP John Grabow worked the 5th, allowing a lead-off double to Mike Rivera and a walk to Mike Napoli. However, Geovany Soto cut-down PR Jeremy Moore trying to steal third on ball four to Napoli, and then Grabow got a couple of fly outs to close the inning. He may not have a allowed any runs, but Grabow did not look good today, as he labored through his one inning (20 pitches - only eight strikes).

RHP Andrew Cashner (the Cubs 2008 #1 draft pick out of TCU) threw two innings today (the 6th and the 7th), allowing two hits and two walks but no runs, thanks to three timely strikeouts. He threw a lot pitches to get through the two innings (43 pitches - 25 strikes), however.

The Cubs finally took the lead back in the top of the 7th off Angels RHP Rich Thompson, as James Adduci led off with a ground single down the RF line, followed by Castro's big RBI double to tie the score. Then with one out, Hoffpauir delivered, smoking a double into the right-center alley to score Castro with the go-ahead run.

The Cubs added an insurance run in the 8th off Angels NRI RHP Andrew Taylor, as Adduci walked with two outs, advanced to 2nd base on a wild pitch, and scored on a Starlin Castro line single.

And the Cubs needed the insurance, too, as Blake Parker and Thomas Diamond walked a tightrope (and I do mean WALKED a tightrope) to get the final six outs.

Parker struck out the first two men he faced in the bottom of the 8th, before falling apart and walking the bases loaded. After throwing 29 pitches (and only 12 strikes) to get to this point in the inning, Parker was relieved by Thomas Diamond, who proceeded to walk-in a run, making the score 8-7. But then Diamond struck out Efren Navarro to leave the bases loaded.

Diamond had more difficulties in the bottom of the 9th, as he allowed a bunt single to speedy Peter Bourjos and a walk to Freddy Sandoval with one out, but then SS Starlin Castro made a diving stop of a grounder behind second base and flipped the ball to 2B Darwin Barney for a force-out (Castro appeared to injure his leg on the play), and then inexplicably hitting with a 3-0 count, NRI OF Michael Ryan popped out to James Adduci in RF for the final out of the game, preserving the Cubs 8-7 victory. Diamond threw 1.1 IP (26 pitches - only 13 strikes) to get the save.

The Cubs travel to Hi Corbett Field in Tucson tomorrow for a Cactus League game with the Colorado Rockies. Carlos Zambrano is the scheduled starter for the Cubs.

BTW, prior to today's game in Tempe, Carlos Zambano and two buddies bicycled down to Fitch Park from HoHoKam Park just to hang-out with the Cubs minor leaguers (that's right, they just rode their bikes down Center Street). Nobody is more friendly and down-to-earth than Big "Z." He knows the names of the ground crew at Fitch, and he never fails to remember what it was like when he was a 17-year old in the U. S. for the first time. Same goes for Angel Guzman (who sometimes cooks for the minor leaguers). Not many people know just how wonderful these guys really are.

Tags
Cubs Spring Training Recap
Carlos Marmol
Micah Hoffpauir
Randy Wells
Mike Fontenot
Starlin Castro
Thomas Diamond
Blake Parker
Kevin Millar
Andrew Cashner

Comments

Submitted by JoePepitone on Sun, 03/14/2010 - 03:01 pm

Great report, Phil! I especially liked the info on Z & Angel Guzman -- it's a good example of how to be a human being that we can all learn from. Kind of a Chicken Soup for the Cubs fan's Soul thing.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    The issue is the Cubs are 11-7 and have been on the road for 12 of those 18.  We should be at least 13-5, maybe 14-4. Jed isn't feeling any pressure to play anyone he doesn't see fit.
    But Canario on the bench, Morel not at 3B for Madrigal and Wisdom in RF wasn't what I thought would happen in this series.
    I was hoping for Morel at 3B, Canario in RF, Wisdom at DH and Madrigal as a pinch hitter or late replacement.
    Maybe Madrigal starts 1 game against the three LHSP for Miami.
    I'm thinking Canario goes back to Iowa on Sunday night for Mastrobuoni after the Miami LHers are gone.
    Canario needs ABs in Iowa and not bench time in MLB.
    With Seiya out for a while Wisdom is safe unless his SOs are just overwhelmingly bad.

    My real issue with the lineup isn't Madrigal. I'm not a fan, but I've given up on that one.
    It's Tauchman getting a large number of ABs as the de factor DH and everyday player.
    I didn't realize that was going to be the case.
    We need a better LH DH. PCA or ONKC need to force the issue in about a month.
    But, even if they do so, Jed doesn't have to change anything if the Cubs stay a few over .500!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally depends on the team and the player involved. If your team’s philosophy is to pay huge dollars to bet on the future performance of past stars in order to win championships then, yes, all of the factors you mentioned are important.

    If on the other hand, if the team’s primary focus is to identify and develop future stars in an effort to win a championship, and you’re a young player looking to establish yourself as a star, that’s a fit too. Otherwise your buried within your own organization.

    Your comment about bringing up Canario for the purposes of sitting him illustrates perfectly the dangers of rewarding a non-performing, highly paid player over a hungry young prospect, like Canario, who is perpetually without a roster spot except as an insurance call up, but too good to trade. Totally disincentivizing the performance of the prospect and likely diminishing it.

    Sticking it to your prospects and providing lousy baseball to your fans, the consumers and source of revenue for your sport, solely so that the next free agent gamble finds your team to be a comfortable landing spot even if he sucks? I suppose  that makes sense to some teams but it’s definitely not the way I want to see my team run.

    Once again, DJL, our differences in philosophy emerge!

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