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

Springfield & Burruel Lead Cubs to Victory

Sergio Burruel smacked a bases-loaded triple to put the Cubs on the board, and Blair Springfield reached base four times on two singles, a double, and a walk, drove-in two runs, and scored two more, leading the AZL Cubs to a 10-5 victory over the AZL Rangers in Arizona League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa tonight.

box score

Cubs 2010 4th round draft pick LHP Hunter Ackerman (Louisburg JC) made his pro debut, working one inning (nine pitches - seven strikes), allowing no runs on two singles, while striking out one. He should have been out of the inning after having faced just three hitters, but the Bieneme-Chen DP tandem was unable to make a clean-exchange on what should have been a routine inning-ending 6-4-3 GIDP, getting just the force at 2nd for the second out, and prolonging the inning. Ackerman then gave up another hit, before striking out the final hitter he faced. 

The Cubs sent ten men to the plate and six of them scored in the bottom of the 2nd.

Jake McAloose reached base on an E-6 muffed grounder to lead-off the inning, and then Cody Shields reached on a bunt single and Anthony Giansanti drilled a single to left to load the bases with no outs. Xavier Batista struck out (looking), but Sergio Burruel (2009 19th round draft pick out of Trevor Browne HS - Phoenix, AZ) picked-up his teammate, ripping his bases-loaded triple into the right-center alley, giving the Cubs a lead they would not relinquish. Blair Springfield then got the first of his three hits and two RBI, driving a single past the shortstop and into LF, scoring Burruel. Vismeldy Bieneme lined a single down the LF line to advance Springfield to 2nd, and then Pin-Chieh Chen reached on an infield hit, as Springfield scored and Bieneme advanced to 3rd on a throwing error by the Rangers 2nd baseman, who was trying to throw the speedy Chen out at 1st (with the pitcher covering) after the batted ball deflected off the 1st baseman's glove. Ryan Cuneo capped the inning with an F-7 sac fly to the warning track in left-center, scoring Bieneme with the 6th and final run of the inning.

After struggling mightily throughout Minor League Camp, Extended Spring Training, and the first three weeks of AZL play, Blair Springfield had probably the best game of his pro career. He hit the ball hard to all fields, and showed patience at the plate, too, working deep into counts. For the first time since signing with the Cubs last Summer, the 19-year old Decatur, IL, native showed why the Cubs thought enough of him to make him a 7th round draft pick out of MacArthur HS. Now he just has to find a way to keep it up, because after having been moved to LF, he must hit to advance.

In what is the latest information regarding the Cubs future Spring Training plans, the powers that be in Naples, Fl, have (at least for the time-being) withdrawn their offer to be the Cubs new Spring Training hosts. Naples could revisit the matter if Mesa cannot get funding for a new Cubs Spring Training and Minor League campus, but as of now, it appears Mesa has won the game.

The City of Mesa has proposed relocating the Cubs to a still-secret location on the far east-side of town on open land owned by the City (perhaps as much as a square-mile) near the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (ex-Williams Field AFB), but any site out there would be a good 15 miles east of downtown Mesa (albeit with good freeway access), and about 25 miles from the Spring Training stadium and Minor League camp of the next-closest MLB team (the Giants in Scottsdale or the Angels in Tempe).

But the newest site revealed to be under consideration is one just a half-mile southeast of Fitch Park (HoHoKam Park being a half-mile north of Fitch), at the S/E corner of University & Mesa Drive, just across the street from the former site of Rendezvous Park, the original Mesa Spring Training stadium used by the Cubs in the 1950's and 1960's (and by the Oakland A's in the 1970's). This site would also be just a half-mile north of the Main Street light-rail extention expected to be completed into downtown Mesa in the next few years. (The light-rail presently terminates on Main Street west of Dobson Road, about three miles short of the proposed downtown Spring Training stadium).

The Downtown University-Mesa Drive site would be for the Spring Training Stadium ("Wrigley Field West") only, with the Minor League HQ at Fitch Park to be retained and upgraded. Whether the Cubs would accept this plan is still to be determined, but a location in downtown Mesa would certainly be good for the Main Street Business District, and certainly a lot closer to where most of the fans who attend Spring Training games in Mesa are located.  

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Submitted by QuietMan on Wed, 07/14/2010 - 6:46am. AZ Phil: What do you hear about Hayden Simpson - illness wise? ===================================== QUIET MAN: I don't know what type of illness Hayden Simpson contracted, but it apparently had a major impact on his body to the extent that he is on the AZL Cubs injury list. Hopefully he'll get into some game action soon. 16th round draft pick RHP Ryan Hartman (Mt. Zion HS - Mt. Zion, IL) is in Mesa but he is injured, although I don't know what specifically is wrong. He's not wearing an elbow brace or a sling so he hasn't had elbow or shoulder surgery, but he is on the AZL Cubs injury list. RHP Gian Guzman (elbow), OF Melvin Camarena (sprained ankle), 2B Doug Cherry (???), and C Carlos Romero (???) are also on the DL. RHP Melvin Rosa (TJS), OF Manuel Pestana (shoulder surgery), and OF Dong-Yub Kim (???) are on the AZL Cubs 60-day DL and so they do not count against the AZL Cubs 35-man Reserve List/Active List. BTW, milb.com has Melvin Rosa listed as an outfielder and 3B Dustin Geiger listed as a pitcher, but that is just plain wrong. Rosa is a pitcher, and Geiger is a 3B.

AZP - what do you think about trying to acquire the hawaiian first baseman from the royals' omaha team in anticipation of end of the d. lee era & what might it take to get him?

[ ]

In reply to by Mike Wellman

Submitted by Mike Wellman on Wed, 07/14/2010 - 1:32pm. AZP - what do you think about trying to acquire the hawaiian first baseman from the royals' omaha team in anticipation of end of the d. lee era & what might it take to get him? ============================================= MIKE W: Kila Ka'Aihue has been a Royals Top 10 Prospect in the past, but he has not been able to cross the line from AAA to MLB. He might be worth a look. As for what it would take to get him, I would think a position-player prospect like 1B-OF Matt Spencer (who would have three option years ahead of him once he's added to a 40-man roster, while Ka'Aihue will have one option left as of Spring Training 2011) and an MLB-ready pitching prospect like Jeff Stevens or Mitch Atkins would probably be what it would take to get Ka'Aihue. But that's presuming the Cubs don't plan to move Tyler Colvin or Alfonso Soriano to 1B in 2011. I would think playing Colvin at 1B and maybe taking a look at Brad Snyder in RF come this September and then again in Spring Training 2011 might be a better option than trading players just to give Ka'Aihue a shot at 1B (with Colvin remaining an outfielder).

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

i don't know what sort of tap dancer he is around the bag but his obp #'s are consistently high plus his power #'s are good this year, the royals don't need him &, bless his heart, he hits lefty...i don't like idea of moving soriano to first because it's a more critical position than given credit for & think colvin's speed would be wasted defensively @ first...maybe we could snag the hawaiian & alex gordon both from the omaha club & move the one-time wunderkind back to the infield as a bridge from ramirez to vitters, although gordon's been manning LF in the pcl this year...

[ ]

In reply to by Mike Wellman

Submitted by Mike Wellman on Wed, 07/14/2010 - 2:40pm. i don't know what sort of tap dancer he is around the bag but his obp #'s are consistently high plus his power #'s are good this year, the royals don't need him &, bless his heart, he hits lefty...i don't like idea of moving soriano to first because it's a more critical position than given credit for & think colvin's speed would be wasted defensively @ first... ========================= MIKE W: I would agree that Colvin's speed would be wasted at 1B (so did Clemson coach Jack Leggett), but if Brad Snyder (for example) were to get a shot with the Cubs in September 2010 and in Spring Training 2011 and shows he can hit big league pitching, moving Colvin to 1B and playing Snyder in RF in 2011 might accomplish the same thing as making a trade for Ka'Aihue, except no players would have to be sacrificed. And while I agree that 1st base is an underrated and under-appreciated defensive position, and that playing Soriano at 1B would almost certainly have a negative overall effect on the Cubs infield defense (I just can't see Sori doing the splits to nab an errant Castro throw), MLB clubs (including the Cubs) have had a long history of moving guys with leg and knee problems to 1B as they get older. And the Cubs are probably stuck with Soriano through the 2014 season, so a move to 1st base might be considered or even tried at some point, even with the aforementioned down-side.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

Submitted by Dr. aaron b on Wed, 07/14/2010 - 8:12pm. I don't worry about his defense. Its more a case of yet another marginal offensive player in the lineup. Especially at a position that is supposed to utilize a slugger. ================================= DR AARON: I don't think the Cubs see Colvin as a marginal offensive player. I think they project him as an everyday player in search of a regular defensive position, and in 2011 that will be either RF or 1B (or LF if Soriano were to be moved to 1B). It's also possible that Geovany Soto will get more PT at 1st base with the Cubs in 2011, especially if Welington Castillo improves his hitting enough by next season to play in the big leagues. Castillo consistently throws out 40%+ of opposing base stealers and slugs at or near .500 despite a BA in the 240's. The Cubs will be closely watching Castillo's development as a hitter over the last two months of AAA ball and in Winter Ball (he'll probably play in the Dominican Winter League).

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

Submitted by Paul Noce on Wed, 07/14/2010 - 4:52pm. I read somewhere a week or two ago that Colvin played 1b in college. Not sure if he played much 1b or what. The Baseball Cube stats do not show fielding numbers for his time at Clemson. ================================== PAUL N: Tyler Colvin was a 1B in HS, and was moved to LF at Clemson to take better advantage of his speed. But he is a natural 1st baseman. I've never seen Colvin play 1B, but I talked to someone who played with Colvin at Clemson, and he said Colvin occasionally played 1B there and that he is a good defensive 1st baseman.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

I think the idea of Soriano playing first base is laughable. Scooping throws? Jumping for high throws? Charging bunts? 3-6-3 double plays? Acting as the cutoff on throws home? Handling pop ups around the mound, in foul territory, and near the catcher? Catching the ball consistently? Handling hard smashes with less time than he had at second? What in his career gives any indication that he could do this adequately? He switched to probably the easiest position on the field - Left - and will soon play his 5,000th inning there. He plays there in spring training every year, practices there when he shags flies, and has worked with various outfield coordinators on his play. And he has gotten better, but he is still not good. They pull him for defensive purposes with a lead in the late innings as it is. There is simply no way, in my mind, he becomes an adequate first basemen. Someone asked Bruce Miles this beneath one of his posts a few weeks ago and he basically said that the Cubs are not even giving this a thought.

"Zambrano watch: Carlos Zambrano won't return to the Cubs in the Phillies series that begins the second half of the season Thursday. The Cubs insist they don't know when Zambrano, who's on the restricted list, will be back, or when he can begin his rehab, or even if he's done with his anger management therapy. "We're still in limbo," Piniella said." ............. whatever...can we drop this "anger management" b/s yet? i guess it's his own business, but how many weeks can we sit around waiting for something he hasn't started yet for reasons no seems to want to explain. hi, we run a business and this part we're paying 17m for...yeah, we have no idea when we'll get around to fixing it or making it a part of the team. go figure. you believe that yet?

Its more a case of yet another marginal offensive player in the lineup. --- when I read this the first time, I was thinking the reference was to Soriano as the marginal offensive player over the next few years.

"The New York Mets, once considered to have the inside track for Oswalt, have turned their attention recently to Lilly -- and the Cubs are seriously considering their overtures. The Cubs, sources say, have been doing their homework on three key Mets prospects -- left-hander Robert Carson and right-handers Kyle Allen and Jeurys Familia." http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/2499696,CST-SPT-deluca15.article (it's at the bottom of the article)

This is one for Arizona Phil. Why are the Cubs force-feeding Josh Vitters through their system? After putting up only mediocre numbers in A+, he's really struggling at Tennessee. 3 for his last 36 with a .203 BA. Is there any chance the Cubs will demote Vitters?

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • 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...