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 Preview: Angels(39-32) @ Cubs(30-38)

The Cubs try to avoid the sweep and hopefully save my little Katie and I from years of humiliation. Colvin sits against another lefty (don't ever go 0/4 again kid), but Baker still gets to play after yesterday's Brook Robinson impression. I should be in chat for most of the game if anyone is around and still cares.

cf byrd, 3b baker, 1b lee, rf nady, c soto, lf sori, ss castro, 2b riot, p zambrano

Have you felt like there's been a lack of timely hitting by the Cubs and wasting good starts by their pitchers? Well reader WISCGRAD was wondering the same thing and calculated the numbers of wins as a percentage of quality starts. Unsurprisingly the Cubs are worst in the NL and third worst in the majors behind the poor Mariners that can't buy a run and the Land of Misfit Cubs Toys known as the Orioles.

Chart after the jump...

Please note, if it's not obvious, that is the percentage of all team wins, not just wins in games where the team had a quality start

Happy Father's Day, hopefully the Cubs make it a little happier

Comments

Len just called Dempster the de facto ace. Thoughts? **Update** Shortly after that he says "I guess a case could be made for Silva" Fuck, really?

Hunter's diving catch on Castro's ball? "Marlon Byrd-like" How TF does Len Kasper live with himself?? (Or have a job?) **This post is dedicated to Steve Stone**

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

My favorite announcers were Harry and that kid he had as his straight man for the White Sox. Ducks. Sorry, my dad was a White Sox fan. I think the kid's name was Bob Waller or some such, but don't quote me on that. That was when Harry said, "That wouldn't be a home run in a phone booth" and "Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhd Carew". Harry was a great Cubs broadcaster but he was a better Sox announcer. I also remember Walt Williams spitting into his helmet every at bat, and rubbing it on his not so shabby afro. There really is some good Sox lore out there. I'm glad my dad was a fan so I could enjoy some of it. If you wanna know why I turned on the old man, it was the 69 Cubs and Brickhouse. God I loved that team.

A percentage implies a part of a whole. I'm not sure this percentage is very meaningful. But no sense splitting hairs, because the point remains... the Cubs are getting decent starts and not winning. Lack of offense. Same ol' story.

All you have to do is look to the right of this page and you can see Ricketts is stuck with Zambrano, Soriano, and Fukudome until their contracts expire (almost $50M/year through 2011) unless he and the family want to eat some serious cash (probably not likely). For that matter, add Ramirez at another $15M through 2011 also. What makes no sense is Lou playing Koyie and his OF stiffs over Colvin. Lou isn't going to win anything with this current roster (one of the most unwatchable Cubs teams since 2004). If Hendry and anyone else in the leadership hierarchy expects him to, then they should replace Lou now. I cut bait with Kosuke, make Zambrano the 5th starter for the forseeable future, and play Soriano everyday provide he maintains his average above .290 and produces runs. I give Castro, Soto, Ramirez (when he returns), Theriot (until I find a trade partner), Colvin, and Byrd everyday playing status. I trade Lee as soon as I can find a taker because I wouldn't re-sign him or Nady; and leave the the last one standing to play 1B until October. By late summer I would have Jay Jackson, Diamond, Schlitter, and Russell up here to see if they're ready to get MLB hitters out. I would try to trade Grabow and Lilly to contenders. In the off season, this team needs a first-baseman (maybe ARam) or third baseman, an OF (maybe Brett Jackson), at least 2-3 relief pitchers, and 1-2 starting pitchers (depending on Cashner moving to the rotation or staying in a setup role). I would suggest Samardzija try football.

Santo scaling back...not going on this road trip to his home town of Seattle. On the radio broadcast yesterday in relation to conversation about players getting uniform numbers in 1932, and the numbers given were based on where one batted in the lineup (Ruth #3, Gehrig #4, etc), Pat Hughes teased Santo in that his #10 was because he only dated "tens". He asked Santo if any of his old flames would visit the booth when they were in Seattle (so I think not making this trip was a decision made yesterday).
Ron Santo has agreed to cut back on travel because of his health....said he may miss more trips this season and that next year he and WGN agree that limiting his trips to the Midwest only would help his health.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0621-cubs-bit…

and no, it's not cuz I write twice a year for his Bears blog. I really have to say that I keep trying other Cubs blogs and this is where I always end up. I'm not a stats hound, but I'm learning how to become one, and AZ Phil is ridiculous, and most of you posters are insanely knowledgeable about baseball. I just want to say thanks to you guys. This is a sucky season, and you all knew it coming in, and still here you are. And no, I did not have a near death experience. I'm just sort of nostalgic today (see my earlier post about the White Sox). But, I don't love you guys. I only like you.

Cubs 29th round pick LHP Casey Harman is starting for Clemson at the College World Series this morning versus #1 ranked Arizona State. Harman was Clemson's "Friday Night starter" (#1 starter) this season and was projected to get selected somewhere in rounds 6-10, but inexplicably fell all the way to Round 29. He had an outstanding outing (albeit taking the loss) in Clemson's opening Super Regional game versus Alabama a week ago Saturday (one earned run, nine strikeouts, and no walks), and should command "5th round money" despite his draft position, although the Cubs can't sign him until Clemson finishes playing in the CWS. Harman throws an 86-89 MPH sinker with "average" curve and change, but he has outstanding control (he has not walked more than two batters in any game throughout his college career).

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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.