Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

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

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs & Giants Share Thrill of Victory, Agony of Defeat

18-year old Taiwanese infielder Pin-Chieh Chen had three hits, knocked-in two runs, and stole a base, leading the Cubs to a 4-2 victory on Field #1, while the Giants rallied with five runs in the 7th to win the other game 5-1 on Field #2, as the EXST Cubs and the EXST Giants split a Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader played at Indian School Park in Scottsdale this morning. Both games were pre-planned to be eight-inning affairs, and the two games were played simultaneously with split squads.

Rebel Ridling (appendectomy rehab) played 1B today (he had been restricted to DH in his previous EXST games), and got a total of seven Plate Appearances in the first seven innings of the game on Field #1. He grounded out to second, lined out to CF, and flied out to CF in his first three at bats, before rapping singles in three of his last four ABs. The HR power might not be there yet, but in most other ways he looks like he might be just about ready to move up to Daytona.

20-year old LHP John Mincone (2009 11th round pick out of Suffolk County CC) had a good day on the mound after having poor outings in his previous two EXST appearances, throwing three hitless innings on Field #2, and 20-year old Dominican LHRP Marcos Perez had another perfect outing, mowing down the Giants six up & six down. In four Extended Spring Training appearances, Perez has thrown 7.1 IP of shoutout ball, allowing just one hit (a bunt single) and no walks, while striking out eight.

20-year old lanky 6’5 Australian LHP Cody Hams really struggled, though, getting ripped for five runs on four hits (two singles and two doubles) and two walks while getting just two outs in the bottom of the 7th, as he took the loss on Field #2. Hams has revamped his delivery this year, as he now throws from a near-sidearm arm slot. Some of you may remember Hams as the former cricket bowler who received a $150K bonus from the Cubs in 2008 after paying his own way to the MLB Australian Baseball Academy the previous year to try his hand at baseball. (He had never actually seen a baseball game until he got to the academy, and the second game he ever saw was one where he was the pitcher!).

Two of the recent arrivals from the Cubs Dominican Academy got into their first U. S. game action, as 18-year old 6’1 160 RHP Alvido Jimenez (who had the second-most strikeouts among the pitchers on the Cubs two DSL teams last year) threw a shutout inning of relief (albeit only after walking the bases loaded!) in the game on Field #1, and 21-year old 6’2 170 RHP Jadel Mendez threw a perfect five-pitch 1-2-3 inning (F-9, F-7, 6-3) on Field #2.

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHP Larry Suarez (3.0 IP, 5 H, 3.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP 1/2 BB/K, 39 pitches - 31 strikes, in two appearances at EXST) and outfielders Francisco Guzman (471/500/588 with 7 R, 5 RBI, and 3 SB in five games at EXST) and D. J. Fitzgerald (267/353/400 with 3 R and 4 RBI in five games at EXST) have been promoted to Peoria, and outfielders Jesus Morelli and Alvaro Ramirez have been sent to Fitch Park (Extended Spring Training) from Peoria.

Here are today’s abridged box scores (EXST Cubs players only):

FIELD #1

NOTE: 1B Rebel Ridling batted in seven of the eight innings, getting seven Plate Appearances total in the game.

LINEUP:
X. Rebel Ridling, 1B: 3-7 (4-3, L-8, F-8, 1B, 1B, K, 1B)
1. Rafael Disla, 2B: 2-4 (1B, F-8, 2B, 4-3, CS, R)
2. Arismendy Alcantara, SS: 0-3 (L-7, 5-3, BB, 4-3, R)
3. Charles Thomas, 3B: 2-4 (K, 6-3, 1B, 1B, R, RBI)
4. Xavier Batista, CF: 1-4 (K, K, 1B, K, R, RBI)
5. Sergio Burruel, C: 0-4 (K, F-7, 1-2-3 GIDP, K)
6. Pin-Chieh Chen, DH: 3-3 (1B, 1B, 1B, 2 RBI, SB)
7. Blair Springfield, LF: 0-3 (K, F-7, P-6)
8. Melvin Camarena, RF: 0-3 (K, L-8, K)

PITCHERS:
1. Luis Liria – 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HBP, 1 WP, 5/1 GO/FO, 48 pitches (30 strikes)
2. Alvido Jimenez – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 19 pitches (6 strikes)
3. Carlos Rojas – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 3/1 GO/FO, 37 pitches (21 strikes)
4. Marcos Perez – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 4/1 GO/FO, 18 pitches (12 strikes)

ERRORS (1):
2B Rafael Disla E-4 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base – did not score)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Sergio Burruel: 2-3 CS

OUTFIELD ASSIST:
LF Blair Springfield threw out runner at plate 7-2 as runner was trying to score from 2nd base on ground ball single to LF with two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

FIELD #2

LINEUP:
1. Vismeldy Bieneme, 2B: 0-4 (K, 6-4 FC, 4-3, K)
2. Runey Davis, RF: 2-3 (5-3, 1B, 1B, SB, CS)
3. Albert Hernandez, LF: 1-3 (1B, K, 5-3)
4. Brandon May, 1B: 1-3 (6-4 FC, 4-3, 2B, R)
5. Jonathan Mota, C: 0-1 (BB, 4-3, 1-3 SH)
6. Bobby Wagner, 3B: 1-1 (BB, BB, 1B, RBI)
7. Carlos Romero, DH #1: 0-3 (K, 6-4 FC, K)
8. Cody Shields, CF: 0-3 (6-3 GIDP, 4-3, F-8)
9. Wes Darvill, SS: 0-3 (5-3, 3-U, F-7)
10. Jae-Hoon Ha, DH #2: 1-3 (1B, 4-3, K)

PITCHERS:
1. John Mincone – 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 3/3 GO/FO, 29 pitches (16 strikes)
2. Jadel Mendez – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1/2 GO/FO, 5 pitches (4 strikes)
3. Danny Keefe – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 27 pitches (19 strikes)
4. Cody Hams – 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 30 pitches (17 strikes)

ERRORS: NONE

CATCHERS DEEFENSE:
Jonathan Mota: 1-2 CS

ATTENDANCE: 8

WEATHER: Mostly cloudy and windy, with temperatures in the 60’s

Comments

I'm not sure of the "official" definition of a double header but I always thought it was sequential games, i.e.the first game of a DH and a 2nd game. What you saw, Phil...was a two headed monster! Kudo's for being able to watch/score both games.

The Smokies are absolutely manhandling the Southern League at the moment. They're 13-2. Castro is hitting an amazing .426/.455/705 and Chirinos has posted a .341/.396/.707. What's really great to see is Brandon Guyer succeeding in a big way in the early going after struggling at AA last year and earning a demotion to Daytona. He's showing a great approach (11 BB versus 5 K), intelligence on the basepaths (7 SB versus 0 CS), and finally demonstrating some consistent pop (.314/.453/.529). With his positional flexibility, he definitely has supersub potential, and perhaps more if he keeps adding power to his game. Good stuff. Cashner starts tonight. He's pitching against the Birmingham Barons at home. Birmingham is hitting a lowly .226/.288/.306 as a team. This could be brutal.

[ ]

In reply to by Ross_Barnes

The number I like is Castro's 15 RBI. He's not leading the league, though. Ty Wright has 18 RBI. (Somebody has to knock Castro in.) Campana, batting ahead of Castro, has 15 runs scored, third in the league. Castro and Guyer have each scored 13 runs. People talk about speedy players being supersubs, but meanwhile the Cubs have two lineup slots, one and two, that aren't very well occupied on a daily basis. Fukudome has good April numbers, except one, runs scored (6). Steal a base, Riot. Steal a base, Fuku. (I realize I'm asking for the moon.) Sometimes the 3-4 hitters deserve to get an RBI on a ground ball. Is it a mystery--has it ever been a mystery--why this team has a problem with consecutive runless innings?

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

I assume you just didn't look at the discussion above. Phil said "Steal a base Riot" and my point was that he HAS been stealing bases so far this year, so that is not the problem with the offense. Just for kicks though, if you want to analyze each attempt more qualitatively, then you have one steal in which the catcher didn't even throw the ball. Another where he outright beat an excellent thrown. Another was a bounced throw the infielder couldn't handle. The other one was a throw that Weeks dropped when Theriot slid into him. That's the only one in which he definitely "should" have been out. But this is why we use statistics. Had he been out, I could have come back with the same logic you did and said he was unlucky since it was a ridiculous throw by Zaun and that 9 times out of 10 he is safe on the play, etc. Sometimes line drives are caught, and sometimes bloopers fall in. That's baseball. So statistically, Theriot he has been running well (4 for 5) so far.

[ ]

In reply to by MikeC

More like so we should move Soto closer to the middle of the lineup so he gets more chances to hit with runners on base and where pitchers would either have to throw him more strikes or face someone other than the pitcher after him. We need somebody to drive in runs and Lee and Ramirez aren't cutting it. I think I'd actually suggest cutting moving Theriot to the 8-spot. A lineup something like this against righties: Fukudome Lee Ramirez Soriano/Byrd Byrd/Colvin Soto Fontenot Theriot Pitcher and this against Lefties: Byrd Lee Ramirez Nady/Soriano Soriano/Nady Soto Baker Theriot Pitcher At least until 1. Soto cools off, or 2. Theriot gets hot, or 3. Fontenot gets hot and makes sense at the top of the order. No, I don't want Soto to take Lee and Ramirez's place every time they get cold.

Apr. 16 - 8:28 pm et According to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Brett Anderson could potentially earn $31 million over the length of his new contract with the Athletics. Apr. 24 - 6:18 pm et Brett Anderson departed Saturday's start after just 80 pitches with tightness in his left (throwing) elbow. doh.

It strikes me that Soriano's At Bats have been looking much better for the past few days -- good pitch recognition, making good contact, making good adjustments to pitches and not looking off balance or fooled. Hope this lasts for awhile.

is it too late to add a third tie-breaker question to the 2010 predictions contest: "who will have more bullpen innings in 2010, z or smudge?"

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).