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

Sandberg Auditions in New Orleans

Iowa Cubs skipper Ryne Sandberg got tossed from the game for arguing a called third strike in the top of the 9th inning of his team's 2-1 loss in New Orleans last night.

Right now the top two layers of the Cub organization could be peeled and tossed like a rotting onion. Maybe Castro and his band of Smokies should all come north together. Things are at a low ebb.

 

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Well of course sping training should be used to gauge anyone's ability. Not performance in the minors, or scouting done, or by any past performance. Come on Neal. Again, the light seems to have come on for Cashner in AA this season, but it's not like he's been lights out in previous seasons, and scouts have questioned his ability to develop secondary pitches, and that he may be better as a short reliever.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

Let's take a look at the evidence. He's a starter. He's doing very well as a starter. The Cubs have said repeatedly that they want him to be a starter, and increased his pitch limit this year. Now let's look at your conclusion. He's pitching really well- move him to the bullpen. I don't understand the logic you are applying. He had a chance to make the bullpen out of spring training - he blew it. You say that ST means nothing, but it seems to mean a lot to Tyler Colvin. Now he's pitching like a top 10 starter prospect in all of baseball and you want to move him to the bullpen- why? The light came on for Samardijza as a starter when he first got called up - how's that working out?

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

You're right. Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano were ruined by starting in the bullpen. What was I thinking. This is not suggesting that the Cubs bring up Castro..and make him the first baaseman. Cashner has pitched in the bullpen. He's had a good season, all 6 starts. Great. Hopefully, this is the corner being turned. I just don't see how bringing him up to pitch in the bullpen "smacks of desperation."

[ ]

In reply to by Q-Ball

"The Cubs are missing a lot more pieces than better fielding at SS." How about better hitting in the 2 hole? Castro leads the Southern League in hits. Maybe you like the way the Cubs shape up at the top of the order, but I don't like Theriot or Fukudome up there. They're just not my idea of table setters, or guys you want to see hitting with men in scoring position. The two winning teams in the org, Peoria and Tennessee, have a lot going on at the top of the order. (They also have good pitching, but so do the Cubs.) Campana and Castro have been phenomenal. Call it scrappy, call it whatever you want. Fukudome doesn't have it. Theriot has it some, but not enough.

domino effect rippling through the organization - how far & wide? can't be much left to burn on the zombie fuse as the starters' era's start climbing...$15 million 3B-man hitting sub .150 & now adding multi-error games to his rep so let's demote his sub...this pittsburgh debacle was a real humbler; if the cubs were a drunk or a stock market index, it would be looked back upon as a bottom [i hope]...

Location- Denny's in Northern KY When- Friday a.m. Lou and Fontenot in booth eating grand slams Castro is closing in on Cincinnati ~cut to scene~ Lou-I thought it would uh.uh.uh be you Fonty-I'm smart, I have talent, I'm no Cedeno! Lou-It was you Fontenot. You broke my heart!! ~Lou picks up Fontenot by his head and kisses him on the cheek~ The kiss of death for Fontenot. ~end scene~

Let's all gather round the TV sets to watch another rush job to the major leagues flame out. Z in the bullpen, and Castro in the majors at age 20.....what a dumb ass franchise this is.

David Kaplan is reporting via Twitter that they're going to start Castro tonight. I disagree with this--the kid's never played above AA! Why would you have him start on his first night with a big-league team? I say let him get adjusted for a day or two and then start him maybe Sunday. Give him a PH at-bat tonight or tomorrow night to see MLB pitching for the first time.

By the way, in a "holy shit I'm old" moment for your old pal Wes, I just discovered this roster move means there's a Cub on the 25-man born in 1990.

Baseballprospectus has a blurb up on the call-up and it's pretty rosy. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=10809
Certainly not .376, but he should hold his own, as in yesterday's Scouting Notebook, a scout believed he could be a future 70 hitter, which is nearly batting title territory. Beyond the ability to hammer line drives all over the field, Castro has a good, not great approach, but he's not overly aggressive like Corey Patterson was, and it shouldn't be a problem in the big leagues.

what is castro supposed to help, anyway? setting up dlee/aram to uh...nevermind. maybe if they bat him 5th soriano could hit him in until his bat goes dormant. at castro's best he's a singles/doubles slap hitter who isn't going to draw walks. for as much stuff as castro gets to with his glove you can't exactly count on him to seal the deal. ...still waiting on that RH reliever

There is a decent chance we will face a rain delay tonight in Cincy. Storms are a brewin'. It would be nice to have craZy throw long relief And maybe even hit. Swept by the butt-pirates...wow. If I see him, I will tase Marty for all Cub fans.

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).