Cubs MLB Roster

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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, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players are on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-17-2024
 
* 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
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* 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: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2 
Seiya Suzuki, OF
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 2
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

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




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Game Thread / Cubs @ Mets

Submitted by Rob G. on
Cubs Mets
Theriot, SS #Reyes, SS
Baker, 3B #Castillo, 2B
Lee, 1B Wright, 3B
Byrd. CF Bay, LF
Nady, RF Francouer, RF
Soriano, LF *Davis, 1B
Soto, C Barajas, C
*Fontenot, 2B #Pagan, CF
*Gorzelanny, P Santana, P

Good news is the Cubs can split the series with the win tonight, bad news is they're still the Cubs. AmIrite? Okay, the actual bad news is that it's Johan vs. Gorzelanny.

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Comments

Submitted by tem99 on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 04:54 pm

So apparently the new lineup against southpaws lasted all of one game. Lou is nothing but consistent in his inconsistency.

Submitted by Cubster on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 04:46 pm

two more hits tonight for Starlin Castro including a dooble, single, a walk and two runs scored Josh Vitters went 3 for 4 including two HR's, 3 runs scored and 4 rbi's

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 04:56 pm

Nice to see Vitters wake up a bit. I am starting to think he is just a streaky hitter and scouts' impression of him are based entirely on whether he is on a hot or a cold streak when they see him. He first gained prominence by dominating some HS exhibition tournament, as I recall - 4 years later, it looks like he just happened to be hot that week.

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Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:46 pm

I googled "streak hitter" and came up with a lot of all-stars, from current Mets Reyes, Wright and Beltran to Ichiro, A-Rod and Willie Mays. It may depend on what you do when you're hot. Vitters had a streak last May where he hit 8 home runs in 10 games (without any two-homer games) and 12 for the month. If he's waking up, that's good for Daytona, a team that is below .500 and lagging way behind Tennessee (12-2, 6 wins in a row) and Peoria (10-5, 7 in a row). Burke may be waking up also, and Ridling is due back from Mesa rehab any day. Even asleep, Vitters is hitting .283.

Submitted by Ross_Barnes on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 04:36 pm

Actually, the Smokies swept a double-header and Castro went a combined 4 for 7 with 2 doubles and a walk. He now has 2 hits in eight out of his last nine games. He's now hitting .404 and slugging ~.650. Robinson Chirinos is also just plain raking in Tennessee (.351/.381/.676). He's 25, so somewhat elderly for the level, but as a catcher who has really caught fire the past year plus, his stock might rise enough to be prime trade bait.

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Submitted by Ross_Barnes on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:48 am

Absolutely Charlie. You made a great point with respect to Chirinos's ability to play multiple infield positions as well as catch. If he continues to hit and does so after promotion to Iowa, he's the type of player who really adds flexibility to a major league roster. I gather he's a pretty decent defensive infielder and has made good strides behind the plate.

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Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:55 am

I was thinking that a former ROY would be prime trade bait. The Cubs don't seem to like Soto's defense or his handling of pitchers, and that situation isn't going to improve. The better he hits, the more tradeable he gets. (I know that last sentence confuses many people, who tend to think that playing poorly makes you tradeable.) Not for Chirinos's sake necessarily. I've thought that the catcher of the future for the Cubs is Castillo, ever since I saw him use that cannon in spring training when he picked a runner off second. Never mind how Castillo hits, it's a defensive position. Koyie Hill can't hit and he started 69 games last year for Piniella. I really have no idea what kind of catcher Chirinos is, although the reports have been good. Same with Robinson.

Submitted by MikeC on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:24 am

Was reading over at Desipio and this kinda sums up my feelings on the Zambrano situation...
He was good enough to be their opening day starter, and then after three good starts in a row they told him to go sit on a stool in the dugout and help Jeff Samuldjian braid his hair or whatever they do down there while the real players are playing in the game. I can tell you what. If my foreman came to me and told me that four people who aren’t as good at my job as I am are going to do it so I can go do something less important, I’d have shown plenty of maturity. I would have maturely told him to go fuck himself.

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Submitted by Jace on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:15 am

"He is what he is... very high potential but not nearly consistent enough to hang with the top aces." He is NOT an ace. Pure and simple. He has moments when he pitches very well. So do other #3 starting pitchers in the league. Just because he was our opening day pitcher does not make him an ace. At the beginning of the year, Lou thought he was the best of what was available to start. In my opinion, with Lilly back, he is the club's #3 starter, behind Lilly and Dempster.

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Submitted by MikeC on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:14 pm

Call me Real Neal when any Cubs starter has 8 consecutive seasons of pitching with an ERA under 4.00 and has a 60%+ winning % as a starter. Your idiocy of mentioning his ERA two weeks into the season, as if it means anything, is the best you can come up with? Like i said why aren't you dry humping the shit out of Aramis Ramirez and screaming for his removal from the lineup? At least be consistent with your stupidity.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:12 pm

Yes, and Sammy Sosa is going to hit 60 HR's this year. Quit living in the past. Zambrano is a primadonna with back-up dancer prodcutivity. He is about 10 times as likely to be a dominant setup man than his is likely to be a starter worth $18 million. The Cubs #1 pitching need right now is a setup man. They're putting their biggest 'name' in that role, because they think he can do it and the other guys have out pitched him (and don't walk 4 batters per 9 trying to impress everyone with their breaking pitches). You get so fixated on these players, wishcasting that they're going to return to their form of 7 years ago. That happens about as often as a guy comes bak from shoulder surgery to become an effective starter, or one is moved from closer to become a teams #1 starter. P.S. Aramis got benched yesterday.

Submitted by Mike Wellman on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:03 pm

whatever the 'real' reason[s] for zombie's reassignment, the fact is that he can now impact several games a week, for better or worse, instead of one every five days...I'm surprised @ the level of support for his lackluster record as a starter, let alone a contracted 'ace'...he is an immature & undependable, albeit pysically talented, overpaid veteran who has either plateaued or regressed @ a stage where he should be in his prime - instead of a team leader he is, at best, an enigma...

Submitted by Mike Wellman on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:24 pm

Meanwhile, down on the farm; from the Smokies website... 'The two wins improve Tennessee's record to 12-2 this season, the best in all of minor league baseball and the fewest losses in any level of baseball.'

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Submitted by Ryno on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:36 pm

Me: "See what he did, kids? That's kind of an unwritten rule in baseball, you shouldn't do that." Kid: "But isn't that the guy that did steroids?" Me: "Yeah, that's okay, though, you do your suspension and collect your paycheck. Just don't walk across the mound."

Submitted by Sweet Lou on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:16 pm

I look at this situation with Zambrano differently than a lot of people. I don't look at it as a demotion or a punishment. The bullpen is way underperforming and the Cubs feel that Zambrano can help by taking on the 8th inning duties. I don't think he's going to the pen because he can't handle it as starter. He hasn't had a good start to the year, but regardless, he has the stuff to help in the pen. As far as I'm concerned, the only thing important about the move is, does it help the Cubs win. I think it does. I also think that Zambrano can be moved out of the rotation, at least in the short term, and not hurt the rotation much. I also think the move will significantly improve the bullpen.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:05 pm

Not really. Z pitched in a high leverage situation for all six of his innings on Tuesday night. Pitching well is pitching well. If you have a 3 ERA, it doesn't really make much difference how you get that 3 ERA - unless you're being brought in in the middle of the inning with runners on. I'd rather have Z walk in a guy than Silva give up a grand slam with the bases loaded after they try to cleanup a Grabow mess. You want your best relievers to pitch with 1 and 2 run leads. How many guys they walk to become a best reliever, shouldn't really play a big role in it.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:45 pm

No, I am just explaining that thinking that there are certain components of allowing runs (like walks) that are more damaging in later innings than other components (hits and home runs) is incorrect. We need a setup man, we have no setup man. Do you really think that Silva or Gorzellany is going to be a better setup man than Zambrano?

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Submitted by Sweet Lou on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:57 pm

I don't think Gorzelanny makes sense because he's left handed. The bullpen is kind of left handed heavy already with Marshall, Russell, and Grabow. Silva doesn't make sense because he's throwing really well in a starting role right now. True, he could fall apart at any minute, but then is that the guy you want in the set-up role. Zambrano has not had a good start to the year, but there's a good chance he'll at least be decent. Finally, I don't think it makes sense to move either Gorz or Silva to the bullpen because they are currently being used as trade bait. You want to keep showcasing them in the hopes of finding a trade partner willing to part with a good set-up man. At least I think that's the plan.

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Submitted by Paul Noce on Fri, 04/23/2010 - 04:48 pm

That already has been answered. You move Gorzelanny to the pen, send Russell to the minors, activate Lilly, send Sharkface to the minors and call up a RH reliever, or now just sign Juan Cruz since he won't cost much. Either Gorz can get big league hitters out or he can't. He seems to do fine in innings 1-5, which includes getting right handed hitters out. But he seems to run out of gas, which makes him a perfect relief candidate. Z can throw 120 pitches. And he's the opening day starter, supposed ace of the staff, making $18 mil per year. He's not truly an ace, but he does eat innings. You don't move your opening day starter to the pen as as a setup guy, period, especially after only two weeks. And when Z struggles, it's generally early, which makes putting him in the pen not a genius move. It's poor managing.

Submitted by mjmiller73 on Sat, 04/24/2010 - 04:58 pm

Curious about the no-fly on Cruz's personality issue comment, because he seems like a fit. Though would we even get first crack? Would the O's get first crack? What a nightmare. Wuertz would be a fit. Maybe Hendry will send Vitters for him.

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 04:34 am

Submitted by Rob G. on Sun, 04/25/2010 - 2:20pm. he'd have to go through the AL first and then the NL by reverse standings. =============================================== ROB G: In the case of Release Waivers and Outright Waivers, the waiver procedure does not require teams in the player's own league to pass on the player before a team in the other league can be awarded a claim. Getting "waived out of your own league" before clubs in the other league can win a claim only applies to Trade Waivers (August-September). Also, through the first 30 days of the MLB regular season, the previous season's standings are used to determine waiver claimm priority. After that, the standings as they are the morning the player clears waivers apply. And in the case of Release Waivers, if a club makes a claim it is responsible for 100% of the players remaining salary. But if a club waits until the player clears waivers before signing the player, the player's former club is responsible for most of the player's remaining salary, while the new club USUALLY only has to pay the MLB pro-rated mininum salary (the exception being if the player gets a new contract that exceeds the value of his termination pay, as happened with Reed Johnson in 2008). And in the case of Release Waivers, a player can refuse a waiver claim and become a free-agent, and if he does that, his former team still owes him 100% of his remaining salary. So there really is no point in claiming a player off Release Waivers. You just wait until he becomes a FA, and then sign him (as the Cubs did with Reed Johnson and Jim Edmonds in 2008). The only problem is that you might have to compete with other clubs for the released player's services, and if that is the case, you might have to offer the released player a contract extention. But that is pretty rare.

Recent comments

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Right on schedule, just read an article in Baseball America entitled "10 MLB Prospects Outside The Top 100 Who Have Our Attention".  Zyhir Hope was one of the prospects featured. It stated that he's "one of the biggest arrow-up sleeper prospects in the lower levels right now."

     

    Not sharing to be negative about the trade, getting a top 100 prospect who is MLB ready should carry a heavy prospect cost.  But man, Dodger sure are good at identifying and developing young talent. Andrew Friedman seems to have successfully merged Ray's development with Yankees financial might to create a juggernaut of an organization.  

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
    I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
    I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
    That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
    I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
    We'll find out soon enough!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Teheran minor league deal is done, per MLB.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Based on Phil’s sound analysis it sounds like a no brainer for Almonte to be placed on waivers as today’s roster move. We shall see.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I suspect Counsell/Hottovy will use the piggy-back extensively, with Taillon and Hendricks pitching as the "pig" (and with a very short leash) and some combo of Wicks, Brown, and Wesneski (whichever two do not start) as the "backers."  

    Keep in mind that Keegan Thompson has a minor league option available, and if Yency Almonte is not outrighted by 4/26 he cannot be sent to the minors without his consent after that date. Almonte is out of minor league options, so I am talking about him getting outrighted to the minors if he is not claimed off waivers, and if he is claimed off waivers, the Cubs save the pro-rated portion of his $1.9M salary, which helps lower the Cubs 2024 AAV.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Totally agree. The 26 man roster very rarely consists of the 13 best position players and 13 best pitchers.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Based on what Jed has done in the past, I’d say the plan is to

    -give Hendricks another few starts
    -give Taillon some runway ot get his season underway

    -Mix and match in the bullpen and see what sticks

    Jed usually doesn’t do a whole lot of waiver wire plays in-season, at least early in the season. He only reallly did that after he blew up the rosters in 21 and 22 because they needed bodies (guys like Schwindel, Fargas, etc).

    I think he’s a little handcuffed by a full 40 man in that he can’t really maneuver much with giving anyone showing ability at AAA (R Thompson/ Sanders/ Edwards etc). Brewer has the most tenuous grip there, and we will see what kind of chance he gets. Other than his spot, there isn’t a ton of 40 man wiggle room.

    I’m very curious to see what happens with Brown now that Taillon returns. Bullpen? Wicks to Iowa? 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Pro teams have to play their "big money" guys if they are healthy and not "locker room" issues.
    The Cubs wanted to deal JHey off well before they bought him out. They just didn't want to pay him to play for someone else for that long. Jed did give him 20+mil to play for LAD last yr.
    Jed might also let Kyle walk at some point this year. Similar scenario to JHey, except Jed thought Kyle was going to be good/solid in '24!!
    You'd think Smyly is in the same book as well. Same with Neris (he's a 1yr vet RP, so he's not really in this convo too much).
    That's ~35mil between those three and those three are going to get opportunities until at least late June) over younger guys even if their performance is "iffy".
    But, Jed is going to play Taillon a lot. They have to try and justify that contract and hope a veteran works out.
    So, Taillon, Imanaga, and Hendricks are locks for the rest of April and probably May.
    Assad, Brown and Wicks handle the last spots until Steele is ready.
    Now, you're question has real merit when Steele comes back. That will interesting if Brown is still good and Hendricks is still bad. But Taillon is entirely safe as long as he's healthy.

    And the bullpen moves were "money" based as well. Smyly has actually been okay. But he hasn't been clearly better than Little. Little had one bad outing. But Smyly makes 9mil. If they needed another RHRP and one of Little and Smyly had to go, it was going to Little. But that doesn't mean Smyly is one of the best 13 arms for the team. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: I think there was an issue with Luke Little coming into a game with men on base. He seems to need a "clean" inning to be dominant. So he is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AAA. Same goes for Michael Arias. He needs to come into a "clean" inning, and is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AA. Porter Hodge is a more versatile pitcher, a better version of Keegan Thompson (multi-inning RP). But Little, Arias, and Hodge (probably in that order) are the Cubs top three RP prospects (all three are Cubs Top 15 prospects).

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