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

Let the Lou Piniella Farewell Tour Begin

After 23 years as a manager and many, many victories, though not a single one of them in the post-season as the manager of the Chicago Cubs, Lou Piniella is retiring at season's end.

Piniella, Jim Hendry, and Tom Ricketts are scheduled to meet with the press at about 4:15.

More to come later on.

Comments

"Piniella, Jim Hendry, and Tom Ricketts are scheduled to meet with the press at about 4:15." press - "So Lou, are you going to stick around with the club after the season in any capacity?" lou - "Jesus Christ...look, just ask the players?" press - "Ummm?" lou - "Look, I have no explanations. Go ask the players about it. It's their game." press - "This has nothing to do with..." lou - "YOU'RE A PIECE OF SHIT! Interview over." hendry - "Well, that was...interesting. We just signed Lou to a 3-year backloaded deal as a bench coach by the way, 500K, 500K, and 7m." rickets - "I'd like to thank the media for coming...now who wants my autograph or a picture taken with me?"

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

You are hilarious! In the worst way you want Cub rookies to FAIL so you can continue your single-handed "Dump Tim Wilken" campaign. You have evidence of Colvin juicing? Would it surprise you if he does not? Most everyone here has acknowledged that just maybe, the "Three C's", have terrific potential. Except you. Because You can't live with the fact that Wilken might know more than some negative internet NAVIGATOR about baseball. Give it a rest, dude.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Even if that were remotely true...so what? "Teflon" Tim refers only to the fact that at TCR at least, no criticism of Wilken is allowed, he's a saint, but you can slam his picks til they're bloody stumps (Samardzija e.g.). Apparently they drafted themselves. On the other hand, any and all success in the minor league system is attributable to Wilken even if he had nothing to do with it. When the draft is over, Wilken switches over to advising Hendry on trades and player acquisitions. When these don't work out, they're all Hendry's fault. Teflon Tim. That said, I have never advocated getting rid of Wilken. Please show me where I have. He's not even that important a cog, not really in the top management loop, and he's doing better job than Hendry ever did running the draft. But that's not saying much. So, I'll go further and say that if Ricketts ever cleans house and the only guy left is Wilken, I'll be pleased.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

Re: Colvin. Nope, it sure as hell wouldn't surprise me, and no one else should be surprised either. I love the kid, but it's SNAC or whatever the next 'barely legal' clinic is we haven't heard of yet. And as for Byrd's #s, you're exactly right, and he's making no secret about it. What scares me is this sounds an awful lot like when that reporter found the andro in McGwire's locker, legal now, not tomorrow.

j.stevens up, m.atkins down ...i was going to post the latest "milton bradley is satan"...i mean "carlos zambrano is satan" blurb from paul sulivan's twitter, but whatever...there will be another 2-3 per day until he's traded or gets hit by a truck.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

For another Greatest Hit, how about B. Rozner trashing his old whipping boy ARam on The Score this morning? Right, Barry, he's only been OPSing about a billion for three weeks, so good timing for your usual ready-fire-aim job. Then I find out the context was "would or should the White Sox trade for Ramirez?" and of course Rozner's answer was no. Not suggesting the answer should be yes -- just the thought makes me sick -- but only a true chowderhead's chowderhead could look at what the Sox trot out at the hot corner and pronounce it preferable to ARam.

Good PR move for a team that is more of a publicity and ticket-selling machine than a baseball team. Now instead of three months of "fire Piniella" talk radio, we will be treated to pre-game ceremonies in every road city from here on out and a rush of "voices from Piniella's past" to sing the 7th inning stretch and gush in the TV booth. Classic PR move of redirecting attention away from a flawed and aging team. I'm speculating that this was to have been announced the day after the All Star game, but that the death of George Steinbrenner caused the delay (and ultimately the leak).

[ ]

In reply to by DC Tom

Don't know about the delay (interesting theory) but I totally agree with the PR aspect. Makes you wonder if Ricketts/Hendry came up with the idea to press Lou into making/announcing his decision now. But being as objective as a lifer Cub fan can be, doesn't it make sense from a baseball standpoint too? We were already fucking swimming in questions about Lou and Hendry for a while now, and they put it all to rest in one afternoon, Lou's gone at the end of the year and Hendry gets to keep his job at least through the offseason. Which then makes me wonder, was Lou pushed into this, overtly or otherwise? Hendry tells Lou that Ricketts doesn't want him around but respects him a ton, Lou says I'll retire at the end of the year if you let me leave with some fucking dignity left and don't fire me from the Cubs. Hendry/Ricketts says deal, but you've gotta announce it now so we can interview whoever MacFail doesn't hire in Baltimore... Random thoughts...

With Brandon Inge going on the DL with a broken hand and Carlos Guillen a good candidate to move from 2B to 3B, how long can Dave Dombrowski withstand the compulsion he must feel to acquire Ryan Theriot? Over/under anyone?

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 3:33pm. if we don't keep at least one of baker/fontenot/theriot the club will be out looking to sign 2 guys who can fill the role. fonte playing a little SS and taking balls there pre-game is just an option i'd rather gamble on than baker...either i'd rather see on the bench. =============================================== CRUNCH: Darwin Barney will be brought up as soon as one of the three (Theriot/Fontenot/Baker) is moved. That is a lock.

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

As much as I'd like to bitch about the seemingly mindless nature of your retort, we need a little more of that, here and in 'Cub-world' in general. I don't need either fancy stats or scrappy 'intangibles' to figure out that a) Font is a nice bench piece at best b) Theriot's worth goes down as his price goes up c) where the fuck has baker even been? If Hendry looks at it a little more like you do, maybe a few more aggressive moves get made. Cubs fans of a certain age were seemingly happy for years to simply have somebody swell to root for, with a sporadic division title here or there. Now we want rings like the BoSox got, so a 'feel good' story isn't enough anymore. I'm as guilty of this as anyone else. Prime example is the DeRosa trade. Tons of people here and elsewhere freaked out because Hendry was trading a leader (which I think DeRo was) etc. etc. but the fact is it was the right baseball move at the time. 2 yrs. of 20/80 out of DeRo was more than anyone had any right to expect, and Hendry got a (semi-) serviceable return. We fall in love with players and then bitch when the team doesn't win. One of the biggest problems with this fan base has been accepting 'Good Guys' fucking losing for years. I'm not saying dump DLee for a ham sammich because he has a bad April, but I'd at least be listening to offers for my fucking father if he wasn't hitting .250 by the break. Is DLee going to rebound and get back to solid numbers by the end of the year or is he old and finally washed up??? Fuck, I don't know. These things are what all the 'staff' and 'talent evaluators' get fucking paid for.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I think they should find a starting 2b for next year and perhaps plug Darwin Barney in as a backup. Fontenot and Baker have done nothing to impress anyone. I think the other thing that has to be considered with keeping Fontenot for next season is his salary. He is overpaid at $1 million this season. Bringing him back once again to be a backup 2b for over $1 million is crazy. He's proven he can't be a starter. Backups, with few exceptions, should be around the MLB minimum. Darwin Barney makes sense in that role, much more than Fontenot. Maybe Barney impresses enough to be in the starting mix. I'm not counting on that though. I like the little I've seen of him but I don't know if he can produce enough offense to start on a team with any aspirations other than simply fielding a team.

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

Submitted by Paul Noce on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 3:47pm. I think they should find a starting 2b for next year and perhaps plug Darwin Barney in as a backup. Fontenot and Baker have done nothing to impress anyone. I think the other thing that has to be considered with keeping Fontenot for next season is his salary. He is overpaid at $1 million this season. Bringing him back once again to be a backup 2b for over $1 million is crazy. He's proven he can't be a starter. Backups, with few exceptions, should be around the MLB minimum. Darwin Barney makes sense in that role, much more than Fontenot. Maybe Barney impresses enough to be in the starting mix. I'm not counting on that though. I like the little I've seen of him but I don't know if he can produce enough offense to start on a team with any aspirations other than simply fielding a team =============================================== PAUL N: I think the Cubs will target a 2B in a trade, either as part of the return in a trade deadline deal, or during the upcoming off-season. And then Darwin Barney will be the 2B-SS back-up. I believe Theriot, Fontenot, and Baker will all be gone in 2011,

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

This is an interesting question. If that $800K is the last money making the difference between a 3-win 2B and a 2-win 2B, aren't 3 wins more than two and a half??? Say that to say this--I believe in my heart of hearts that some guys are just good bench players (Hollandsworth comes to mind, and there are a bazillion others) and some guys aren't, but spending money on a 'better bench' is something the fucking Yankees would do because they've got money to burn. It's the same mentality that has led us (most MLB teams) to spending millions upon millions on fucking relievers/closers. What happened to the bullpen being filled with guys who just weren't quite good enough to make the big league rotation? Do you need DECENT guys on the bench? Absolutely. Can/should at least 1-2 of them be kids who are there to listen to the old heads as much as anything else? Yes. Is it a team-building category concerning stats and wins you need to 'focus on in the offseason' like the fucking rotation? No. Get a better starting 8 and your bench suddenly isn't the fucking issue anymore. MLB is going the way of everything else, it's like everybody has to get a fucking prize or a ribbon or a pat on the back. Do your fucking job better than the other guy, and you won't be on the bench, you'll earn your trophy.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

In other words, you think Barney IS chopped liver. Sandberg may not think so. Barney has made Sandberg a nice #1/#2 hitter this year. The team scores runs and wins games. Barney is one hit from being tied for the lead in the 16-team PCL. And don't confuse that stat with Theriot's leading the NL in singles last year and once or twice before. Good hitters don't always stop at first base. Theriot led in singles in 2009, but was 15th in hits. To put it another way, among players with the most hits in the NL last year, Theriot was 41st in doubles.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Barney is a much better glove, so even if he's the exact same hitter as Theriot, it's an upgrade--or he would be, as I said, depending on how many stolen bases you lose. I doubt that either one of us has had a good look at Barney, but he made the PCL all-star team this year and the SL team last year, so he must be making a favorable impression on somebody. I googled around for evidence of Theriot ever being an all star and didn't find any, except, oddly enough, a story about him not making the team when he was at West Tenn:
Inside The Ivy: Were you surprised to be left off the All-Star roster? Ryan Theriot: I'm not playing this game to get on all-star teams; I play to get to the big leagues. It would have been fun, but to tell you the honest truth, I needed to spend time with my newborn son. You don’t get a bonus for making the all-star team anyway.
I just don't think the Cubs should be putting money or effort into the middle infield right now, when a year from now there will be several attractive in-house candidates. At the same time, because of Barney, it's not necessary to hold onto Theriot.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 3:19pm. anything to get fontenot more ABs this season to see if he's worth carrying into 2011 is fine with me...even if his 2011 role would be bench. the options for 2nd are weak internally and they're probably going to want to carry at least one of theriot/fontenot next year. ============================================= CRUNCH: The Tigers are probably a match for Ted Lilly and possibly Xavier Nady, too, especially if the Cubs pick up some of their remaining salaries. Hendry and Dombrowski are good buddies (Dombrowski gave Hendry his first managerial job in pro ball) and Dombrowski seems to always like Cubs players nobody else much wants (Kyle Farnsworth, Neifi Perez, Jacque Jones, et al).

Ricketts has finally spoken and said Hendry will be the GM going into next season: "Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts thanked Piniella for his service and confirmed that general manager Jim Hendry would remain in his role and be in charge of finding a successor... "Jim is our general manager full stop and will be our general manager going into next year," said Ricketts, adding that president Crane Kenney also will be involved in the search. "We have a good organization" http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/07/cubs-piniella-says-retirem…

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

Ricketts expounds:
"When we came in to this organization, I said our opening press conference that Day 1 was square one with everyone in the organization," Ricketts said. "I think from that day going forward we had a very good offseason. I think Jim delivered on bringing in some players who contributed a lot to this season, and we had a good offseason, no question. "I think the second thing that gives me 100 percent confidence in Jim is that we have a good organization. The way you win consistently in baseball is to draft well, to develop players well and to bring those players up to the major leagues to give you the flexibility you need with payroll and trades. I think we have the organization in place. I have the highest confidence in everyone in our organization, and I think that speaks well of Jim."
-ESPN "I have the highest confidence in everyone in our organization, and I think that speaks well of Jim." -Tom "Year 1" Ricketts Love the logic in that quote.

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

Submitted by Paul Noce on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 5:10pm. Stability sounds great, and is a huge change for the organization. However, Hendry needs to do a better job of building rosters if he's going to stay. He can't have a team of sluggers who can't run, don't take many walks, and play mediocre to bad defense to boot. He also can't have so much money wasted on backups - backups that do little to help the team. After almost 10 years, or however long Hendry has been the GM, I really doubt he's going to change. =========================================================== PAUL: If Hendry is given a $120M payroll budget for 2011 (which I think is likely), he won't be able to sign anybody to long-term mega-bucks contracts. It will be like sending him to a de-tox center, where he'll just have to learn to live without it. SIGNED FOR 2011: Does not include signing bonuses not actually paid in 2011 + has NO TRADE rights in 2011 + Alfonso Soriano - $18M + Carlos Zambrano - $17.875 + Ryan Dempster - $15M in 2011 (includes $1.5M deferred from 2010) + Aramis Ramirez $14.6M (player option) + Kosuke Fukudome - $13.5M (only partial NO-TRADE) Carlos Silva - $6M (SEA pays additional $5.5M) Marlon Byrd - $5.5M John Grabow - $4.8M + Jeff Samardzija - $2.8M 2011 SUB-TOTAL: $98.275M ELIGIBLE FOR SALARY ARBITRATION POST-2010: Jeff Baker (likely non-tender) Mike Fontenot (likely non-tender) Tom Gorzelanny ($2.5M est) Angel Guzman (likely non-tender) Koyie Hill (likely non-tender) Carlos Marmol ($4M est) Sean Marshall ($2M est) Geovany Soto ($3M est) Ryan Theriot ($4M est) PROJECTED 2011 ESTIMATE: $15.5M AUTO-RENEWAL (PRE-ARBITRATION) POST-2010: James Adduci Mitch Atkins Justin Berg Esmailin Caridad Andrew Cashner Welington Castillo Starlin Castro Tyler Colvin Rafael Dolis Sam Fuld John Gaub Jeff Gray Micah Hoffpauir Marco Mateo Blake Parker James Russell Brian Schlitter Jeff Stevens Randy Wells PROJECTED 2011 ESTIMATED SUB-TOTAL: $4M PROJECTED ESTIMATED TOTAL: $117M+

[ ]

In reply to by Tony S.

Submitted by Tony S. on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 11:14am. Az Phil-- If we non-tender Guzman do you think we bring him back cheap for rehab? ======================================= TONY: Yes. I think the Cubs will very likely non-tender Angel Guzman on 12/12 and then offer him a 2011 minor league contract with a low base salary (maybe $25K per month) with maybe a $150K per month MLB salary if he is added to the 40-man roster at some point in 2011. That way, Gooz can continue his rehab at Fitch Park without having to change facilities or training staff. The Cubs made a similar offer to Neal Cotts (2009 TJS) after they non-tendered him on 12/12/2009, and he declined the offer, instead signing a 2010 minor league contract with Pittsburgh. I don't know if the Pirates offered Cotts more money or if Cotts maybe just wanted to try his luck with a new organization. (Cotts is on the AAA Indianapolis DL and has yet to appear in a game this season).

[ ]

In reply to by rokfish

Submitted by rokfish on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 4:04pm. So AZ. Phil if any of the three (Theriot,Lilly,Nady) or all go to Detroit what would they have that we could get. ==================================== ROKFISH: It depends on how much of the remaining salaries the Cubs pay. LHPs Andy Oliver, Charles Furbush, and Giovanni Soto would probably be the Cubs main targets, but they also may have at least passing interest in AAA guys like 1B Jeff Larish, 2B Scott Sizemore, and/or RH closer Jay Sborz as more-immediate replacements for players who are traded (like Sizemore for Theriot) or who leave via free-agency post-2010 (perhaps Larish as a possible replacement for D-Lee) or to fill a need (bullpen depth). But again, who the Cubs can get back in any trade they might make would be predicated on how much of the remaining salaries of the traded players the Cubs are willing to pick-up. The more salary the Cubs pay, the better player or players they get back. Oliver, Furbush, and Soto are probably the main guys the Cubs would target.

Colvin, Castro, Lee, Ramirez, Byrd, Fukudome, Hill, Theriot, Lilly.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

Lou has already mentally retired. Good idea to get Hill (.213 avg, .253 OBP, ZERO HR) in the lineup at the expense of Soto (.400+ OBP, 4HR in last 8 games.) I know it's a day game, but tomorrow's an off day, Lou. Read the damn schedule.

took a late lunch & wangled a pass to the press conference that was to be held this afternoon by the no longer angry pitcher...postponed, supposedly until after tomorrow night's game in which he will supposedly pitch a little...stay tuned

I can envision no circumstance in which it makes sense for Theriot to take 2nd there....

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

How about how our president was going to fund his health care bill with windfall taxes on the oil companies? I think we did hear about that by now, haven't we Dave? WTF are you talking about? And how is that relevant to anything that you are wrong about here? Lets just say this - Lou's IQ is high enough to know that you can't swap people in a lineup, or pinch hit people who are already in the lineup. By the way... still waiting for the evidence on Lee giving up his charity. And still waiting for you answer on why the Cubs are going to pay Cliff Lee's salary.

Why did they just walk Colvin to get to Castro?

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

they were setting up a double play with theriot on 2nd bunted over by fontenot. now why the fuck they wasted fonenot to bunt him over (his first sac in 2 f'n years) in a tie game...well, wtf?

I remember this guy made the Cubs look completely hapless when he pitched for Toronto... Not a bad move for the Asstrolls to pick him up...

Okay, as we have been saying for three weeks now, it is time to PUNT on this season, guys! Enough of all this talk about having a chance. PUNT!

AZ PHIL: Does any of the below youngsters coming in the Tribe trade for DeRo project out to be anything even moderately successful? (Keep in mind these are all better numbers than John Grabow) Berg - 5.59 1.5 .225 Stevens - 5.71 1.67 .271 Gaub (AAA) - 6.52 1.79 (BAA ?)

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Submitted by The E-Man on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 10:44pm. AZ PHIL: Does any of the below youngsters coming in the Tribe trade for DeRo project out to be anything even moderately successful? (Keep in mind these are all better numbers than John Grabow) Berg - 5.59 1.5 .225 Stevens - 5.71 1.67 .271 Gaub (AAA) - 6.52 1.79 (BAA ?) ========================================= E-MAN: Justin Berg was acquired from the Yankees for OF Matt Lawton back in 2006. He projects as nothing more than a journeyman MLB middle-reliever. RHP Jeff Stevsns was a closer at Loyola Marymount and then for Team USA, and has pitched fairly well at the AAA level, but has struggled versus big league hitters. Stevens was drafted out of LMU by Cincinnati and then was traded to Cleveland for Brandon Phillips, before moving to the Cubs in the DeRosa deal. He might be a candidate to get dropped from the Cubs 40-man roster post-2010. LHP John Gaub was a hotshot freshman fireballer at the University of Minnesota before blowing out his shoulder, and that hurt his draft status when he was selected by Cleveland as a college junior in the Rule 4 draft in 2006. But he had a couple of impressive years working out of the bullpen for the Indians in "A" ball in 2008 and then at AA and AAA for the Cubs in 2009 (36 H and 80 K in just 60 IP combined between Tennessee and Iowa last season). He got shelled in the AFL post-2009, however (although he was added to the Cubs 40-man roster on 11/20/09), and then he has not been able to throw strikes at Iowa this year. He left the I-Cubs and went home a couple of weeks ago for some undisclosed reason. When or if he will return is unknown at this time. If he doesn't return, he will probably be transferred from the Temporarily Inactive List to the Restricted List. The third pitcher the Cubs acquired from Cleveland for DeRo was RHP Chris Archer, and he is probably the Cubs 3rd or 4th best pitching prospect right now. He led all Cubs minor league pitchers in strikeouts last season, although he struggled with his control. Then he had problems in the AZ Instructional League post-2009, where he was trying to learn how to pitch-to-contact to cut down on his pitches-per-inning. But he has been outstanding this year, first at Daytona, and then more-recently after his promotion to AA Tennessee. He has improved his control without losing his gas. Barring a catastrophic injury, Archer is a lock to get added to the Cubs 40-man roster post-2010, and is a legitimate MLB pitching prospect.

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).