Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Game #66 Preview: A's (33-34) @ Cubs (29-36)

Though it sounds like Jim Hendry truly couldn't care less, it's the first day of the Ari Kaplan Era at Wrigley Field. As for the game on the field, mlb.com reports that Randy Wells is looking at today's start against the A's as hitting the reset button on his thus far rocky season.

The irony, of course, is that Wells's employers might not be able to overlook the past quite as easily: since the beginning of May, the righty is 0-5, 6.47. His first-inning troubles have been especially ugly. In 13 Wells starts this year, opponents are hitting .357 against him in the opening inning and Wells's first-inning ERA is a Grabow-esque 11.25. (Stats from Baseball-Reference.com.)

Moreover, all of this is happening while Tom Gorzelanny collects dust in the bullpen—since his last start 22 days ago, Gorzelanny has pitched just three times (1 2/3 IP) and thrown a total of 52 pitches.

The lineups have been posted. You'll note that with the A's starting another lefty, the Cubs' "everyday" right fielder will be sitting for a second consecutive day.

A's vs. Randy Wells (3-5, 5.15; first appearance vs. A's):
Davis 8, Jackson 7, Barton 3, Suzuki 2, Kouzmanoff 5, Cust 9, Ellis 4, Pennington 6, Braden 1

Cubs lineup vs. Dallas Braden (4-6, 3.95; first appearance vs. Cubs)
Theriot 4, Baker 5, Byrd 8, Lee 3, Nady 9, Soriano 7, Soto 2, Castro 6, Wells 1

From the FWIW Department, Marlon Byrd is the only Cub to have faced Braden and has gone 6/16 against him, including 3 doubles. As for Braden, he's 0-4, 4.75 in six starts since his perfect game against Tampa Bay.

Comments

That Hendry comment from that Herald link is bothersome. "Look at Carlos Silva's stats from last year, who needs stats?" Far too long overdue to get a shift in philosophy in the Cubs Front Office.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Bruce Miles is characterizing the hire as more than just a functionary/assistant to Wasserstrom: "Cubs owner Tom Ricketts put his first stamp on the baseball department with the hiring of Ari Kaplan as manager of statistical analysis." From my own, limited, business contact with the Cubs front office, I know that the line between the baseball people and the business people is a significant one--more like a wall than a line. If Ricketts really had a hand in this hire and has chosen to impact the baseball part of his business, as Miles writes, I think this is a newsworthy development.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

hendry and crew didn't know what they had...as late as a few weeks ago hendry said when he snagged silva he didn't know if he'd be a innings eater out of the pen or a starter. there's nothing in the stats that point to what he's doing this year and the "inevitable collapse" of his "luck" is moving into the 1/2 way point of the season. it's not good stuff in this era for a GM or manager to even look like they're dismissing stats even if they're not. scouting + stats are used by every team, but a lot of people seem to have the idea that only a handful of team have clued-in to the stats thing and it's all happened recently.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

"Using advanced statistics for player evaluation and valuation is just now fully taking hold in the major leagues, primarily due to Moneyball and the success of the Red Sox" that book has a lot of dramatically blown up mistruths. mlb teams have actually been developing and using priority stats for a long time. a lot of the work was subcontracted out to Stats Inc. or an in-house manager of stats much like IBM takes contracts to do "custom solutions" for customers. when we got beane we got a GM in the fold of the game who didn't suddenly realize something new...we got a guy who championed and brought closer to the top advanced stats. there's more respect for advanced stats, but very few teams were clueless, not using them, or ignoring them. those books of stats on are not just raw data of baseball-card stats left for a bench coach/manager to do quick evaluations in-game. there's notes/words/links on how the data can be best used along with those stats. chuck w. isn't just making a binder full of stuff printed off from the internet the past 20 years. he's working with the data and analyzing trends...

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

i think hendry is trying to point out stats aren't the end-all-be-all and guys like silva are doing things numbers say they probably won't do. That's fine. But the point is there's also no way any scout would suggest Silva would do this either. If Hendry implies that, it's inaccurate. the jim edmonds scrap-heap pickup was a nice one, too. Joe Borowski. Ryan Dempster. Taking a flyer on cheap guys is smart management, but it's just luck. Didn't work for Wade Miller or Chad Fox. just like scouting can "lie" numbers aren't absolute, either. it's not a war, it's a partnership. Agreed.

I'm not sure if this was talked about, but why did the crowd give Soriano an ovation for laying down a sacrifice bunt last night? It's Soriano's job to drive in runs, not Soto's or Castro's. That was as selfish a play as Soriano has made in a Cubs uniform, and I have no idea why he received an ovation. The only way that's a good play is if Soriano beats it out, which he didn't.

[ ]

In reply to by Mitterwald

Short answer: Fans like "Hustle." Long answer: Soriano was trying to bunt for a hit and would have had it if he could get the ball just a little farther down the third base line. The pitcher had to a make a fairly difficult play to get him, barehanding and spinning to throw to first. It's also pretty much the opposite of watching a high fly ball as if it was homerun and then getting a double on what should've been a triple, so I think Soriano's history has to be taken into account when trying to understand the fan reaction. It turned out all right, but I wouldn't want to see Soriano try it more than two or maybe three times a year.

I don't what he exactly does, but if it's putting the binders with splits and batter vs. pitcher matchups together, probably get someone here from TCR to do that for $15 p/hour He's probably the genius that tipped Hendry to sign Aaron Miles because he was good in day games. All in all, if he's been there for 20 years, he's probably not helping much or not being listened to and sounds like his idea of stats is just basic splits and stuff. As for Kaplan, sounds like a database administrator more than anything, but maybe he'll give the Cubs a fresher take on stuff. None of it matters with Hendry as GM, who will always defer to his scouts cause that's his background. For the most part it's served him well to be honest, Bradley and Fukudome being the major exceptions.

I dunno if this is a shift in philosophy or anything, but I do know that, in my job, if some young gun got hired under me, a guy who reports to me, no less, who sort of is well known for something I'm known to be indifferent to, I'd be stupid not to notice. If I was Hendry I'd have a hard time not looking at this as kind of a statement being made by his boss. I don't think it matters much whether this new guy is a stats guy or what the hell he does. The fact the owner hand picked a guy Hendry should be responsible for hiring is a pretty strong statement.

BTW: "Randy Wells is looking at today's start against the A's as hitting the reset button on his thus far rocky season. The irony, of course, is that Wells's employers might not be able to overlook the past quite as easily" What exactly is ironic about this? Just curious.

Fukudome's hitting coach security blanket seems to be working again. They need to flag him as a terrorist so he can't leave the country again. I wonder if the Cubs can package Fukudome for $1-$2M each, but if you want him to work, you need to add his hitting coach at $12M a year.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

i have read...and it still makes no sense. any time you have a power hitter with more or as much power hits as RBIs you should re-evaluate a player's role. high K rate, low walk rate, speed declining (it was just silly when he was hobbled and still leading off), 30+hr power, 30+ double power yeah, let's get that guy his 70+ rbis and pay him 15m to do it. what you guys like out of leadoff hitters don't jive with soriano's use over a couple years. i've heard the "he can't hit there because he can only hit in 1 and 6 slots or whatever" excuses which are laaaame as hell...

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Yes, he had a .330 OBP by the end of the season. Fine, but season stats can cloud major in-season variation. He was absolutely dismal early in the year and contributed greatly to the season going south. Through June 9th he was at: .231/.277/.295/.572 - and getting the most at-bats on the team. It was brutal. At that point the Cubs were 12 games under .500, and 12 games out of first already. From then on out he put up a nice line of: .326/.359/.440/.799 , which brought his season stats up. But at that point, it didn't matter. People here have been on the Cubs to bench or get rid of Theriot, and to give you an idea of how bad Pierre was, Theriot's OPS was nearly 40 points higher on June 9th than Pierre's was in 2006. And at least Theriot has been moved down to 8th in the order a few times and sat a few games. Pierre started and led off basically every game.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.