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

Cubs Throw No Hitter at Fitch Park

Five Cub pitchers combined to throw a no run, no hit game, but the Angels threw a three-hit shutout of their own right back at the Cubs, as the two teams played to a scoreless tie in AZ Instructional League action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning.

The Cubs mounted the only real scoring threat of the day in the bottom of the 3rd inning against Angels starter RHP Fabio Martinez. Willson Conteras smacked a lead-off double off the LF fence, but was still on 2nd base two outs later after Chris Huseby struck out and Xavier Batista flied out to left. Evan Crawford then lined a single into RF that looked like it might score Contreras, but the slow-footed ex-catcher was held up at 3rd, and then Crawford was caught stealing to end the inning and the threat.

The Cubs also had runners at 1st and 2nd with one out in the 7th, but pinch-runner Marco Hernandez was picked-off 2nd base and Reggie Golden grounded out to end the inning.

Meanwhile, the Cubs hurlers were shutting-down the Angels, allowing three walks but facing only one batter over the minimum through nine innings, thanks to a pick-off that short-circuited the Angel 7th and a 4-6-3 DP that concluded the Halo 8th.

Cubs 2010 10th round pick RHP Aaron Kurcz (College of Southern Nevada) got the start and continued his Instructs magic, throwing today’s first three innings of no-hit baseball. The 20-year old allowed just a walk while striking out four. In four AZ Instructional League outings covering 9.2 IP so far, Kurcz has allowed two hits and two walks, and no runs, while striking out 16.

6’4 230 RHP Dustin Fitzgerald (Cubs 2010 19th round draft pick out of Hill JC in Texas) followed Kurcz to the hill and retired the Angels six up/six-down on just 23 pitches (L-5, 4-3, 4-3 in his first inning of work, and 5-3, 6-3, and K-looking in his second inning).

19-year old RHP Robinson Lopez (one of three pitchers acquired by the Cubs from the Atlanta Braves in the Derrek Lee deal) worked the 6th and 7th, striking out the first man he faced and then getting two long fly outs to complete a 1-2-3 6th inning, and then after walking the lead-off hitter in the top of the 7th on four pitches, Lopez picked the runner off 1st, before inducing two routine ground outs (a 6-3 then a 4-3) to end the frame.

RHP Kevin Rhoderick (Cubs 2010 9th round pick out of Oregon State) worked the 8th and allowed a lead-off walk, but then got a 5-4 FC for the first out (nice leaping stab by 3B Gioskar Amaya to start the play), and a slick 4-6-3 GIDP to end the inning.

2010 29th round pick LHP Casey Harman (Clemson) threw an eight-pitch 1-2-3 9th to guarantee the no-hitter, with the Cubs needing just one little old run to complete what could have been a stirring victory, and with the top of the batting order due up. But Evan Crawford, Hak-Ju Lee, and Engel Santana went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th (5-3, K-swinging, and 4-3), resulting in a scoreless tie that would have made World Cup Soccer proud.

Here is today’s abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Evan Crawford, CF: 1-4 (F-7, 1B, F-8, 5-3, CS)
2. Hak-Ju Lee, SS: 0-4 (P-6, K, 5-3, K)
3a. Max Kwan, C: 0-1 (E6, HBP, BB)
3b. Marco Hernandez, PR-DH: NO AB (PO)
3c. Engel Santana, PH: 0-1 (4-3)
4. Justin Bour, 1B: 0-3 (3-1, 6-3, K)
5. Logan Watkins, 2B: 1-3 (4-3, 3-1, 1B)
6. Reggie Golden, DH #1: 0-3 (K, K, 5-3)
7. Micah Gibbs, DH-C: 0-2 (K, F-7, BB)
8a. Willson Contreras, 3B: 1-1 (2B, HBP)
8b. Gioskar Amaya, 3B: 0-0 (1-3 SH)
9. Chris Huseby, LF: 0-3 (K, K, P-6)
10. Xavier Batista, RF: 0-3 (F-7, F-7, L-6)

PITCHERS:
1. Aaron Kurcz: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 37 pitches (26 strikes), 1/4 GO/FO
2. Dustin Fitzgerald: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 23 pitches (15 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
3. Robinson Lopez: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 PO, 26 pitches (13 strikes), 2/2 GO/FO
4. Kevin Rhoderick: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 11 pitches (5 strikes), 3/0 GO/FO
5. Casey Harman: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 8 pitches (6 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO

ERRORS: NONE

=================================================

ATTENDANCE: 31 (including cubs.com beat writer Carrie Muskat)

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 80’s

Comments

Phil - from what I have heard, Lopez is the only real prospect we received for Lee. From what you have seen, is he more likely to be a Stevens/Gaub type prospect, or does he have the ability to be as interesting as Archer? I realize that I didn't give you much middle ground.

[ ]

In reply to by DavidP

Submitted by DavidP on Sat, 10/09/2010 - 7:36pm. Phil - from what I have heard, Lopez is the only real prospect we received for Lee. From what you have seen, is he more likely to be a Stevens/Gaub type prospect, or does he have the ability to be as interesting as Archer? ======================================= DAVID P: In comparing the three pitchers the Cubs got from the Braves for D-Lee with the three the Cubs got from the Indians for Mark DeRosa, Ty'Relle Harris = Jeff Stevens, Jeff Lorick = John Gaub, and Robinson Lopez = Chris Archer, at least in terms of ceiling. In other words, Lopez has the most potential, Harris is closest to being ready for MLB, and Lorick has all the earmarks of a future MLB LOOGY. Lopez has yet to pitch above Peoria, but he does top out at 94 and throws a change-up and a slider, so he should progress on a track similar to Archer's (albeit without maybe the extraordinary success Archer had in 2010), if he can stay healthy. Lopez should be in the Daytona starting rotation next year. Both Lopez and Lorick are at Instructs, and both have pitched well so far. Lopez is a bit spotty with his command, while Lorick is really polished and could jump from Peoria to AA in 2011, although he will at least go to Daytona (depending on the bullpen needs at Tennessee). Lorick is especially tough on lefties because he sort of pitches from "around the corner," and he doesn't have the extreme control issues that haunt John Gaub.

I see that Huseby is playing the field again. Do you think he can hit enough to become a position player in the system? I'm curious what the competition level is at Instructs. Could it be compared to Low or High A? I realize there are probably players from several levels being represented here. Based on his success so far, where do you think Kurcz starts the 2011 season? Are there any hitters who have impressed you? Thanks for all the updates

[ ]

In reply to by Jumbo

Submitted by Jumbo on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 4:36am. I see that Huseby is playing the field again. Do you think he can hit enough to become a position player in the system? I'm curious what the competition level is at Instructs. Could it be compared to Low or High A? I realize there are probably players from several levels being represented here. Based on his success so far, where do you think Kurcz starts the 2011 season? Are there any hitters who have impressed you? Thanks for all the updates ============================================================ JUMBO: Generally speaking Instructs is approximately equivalent to Boise-plus or Peoria-lite. Chris Huseby looks good in BP but has difficulty transferring it to games, where he is continually fooled by off-speed pitches & breaking balls. So far in Instructs he is hitting 192/241/231 with one XBH, and one BB and 12 K in 29 PA. He also is a bad fielder in the OF (slow to react). So he is an extreme longshot to ever get out of "A" ball as an outfielder. There hasn't been any talk of him going back to pitching. I think Aaron Kurcz will probably begin the 2011 season at Daytona. Reggie Golden has been the most-impressive hitter so far. He is hitting 267/372/567 with two HR and three doubles, and has the most power of any of the young hitters in the organization. He has power to all fields (pitch him inside and he'll yank the ball over the LF fence, pitch him outside and he'll punch the ball over the RF fence), and he is a very patient ("choosy") hitter who is not afraid to hit with two strikes or get called out on strikes if he doesn't think the pitch is a strike. So he strikes out a lot as a result (11 K in 35 PA so far at Instructs). He has a plus-arm in the OF, but has (at best) just average speed and range. He is still VERY raw in certain aspects of his game (his defense and baserunning need a LOT of work), and I'm not sure how coachable he is, but there is no denying his bat speed & XBH power to all fields. Hak-Ju Lee has hit 360/407/480 and leads the Cubs Instructs team in both runs scored and RBI. Although he does not have a HR stroke he has been driving the ball to all fields. He also has yet to commit an error at SS, while making some nice moves turning the DP. He looks like a much more confident player at SS, like somebody who actually will push Starlin Castro to 2B in a couple of years. Jae-Hoon Ha hit two HR and stole four bases in six Instructs games, and he made some spectacular catches in CF, too. He will almost certainly begin the 2011 season as the starting CF at Daytona. He has not drawn a walk but he also has struck out just once in 27 PA. He is a hyper-aggressive first-ball fastball hitter and it's almost impossible to get a fastball by him, so despite his plus-speed he profiles as a middle-third of the order hitter (4-5-6). His combination of speed, power, and athleticism is fairly rare. Evan Crawford (acquired from SF in the Mike Fontenot deal) has had a good Instructs at the plate and in the field, hitting 317/347/591 with two doubles and two triples and only one strikeout in 23 PA. He's probably the fastest player in the organization. The problem with Crawford is that (like Ha) he doesn't walk much, but he doesn't have Ha's power, so he probably projects as nothing more than a 4th OF in the big leagues (if he gets that far). If Crawford could be more patient at the plate and draw some walks he would have a much better chance of reaching the big leagues and be an everyday player. He also probably hits the ball in the air too much.

I thought the whole point of instructs were for players to work on weaknesses in thier game. Ha should be told to take 2 strikes every AB and work on getting deep into counts. Why woundn't the Cubs coaches tell a kid like Ha to do this and hold him accountable for working on it during games? Just to let him go up there and hack isn't doing anything for him, everyone knows he can do that.

[ ]

In reply to by The Stick

Submitted by The Stick on Sun, 10/10/2010 - 9:53am. I thought the whole point of instructs were for players to work on weaknesses in thier game. Ha should be told to take 2 strikes every AB and work on getting deep into counts. Why woundn't the Cubs coaches tell a kid like Ha to do this and hold him accountable for working on it during games? Just to let him go up there and hack isn't doing anything for him, everyone knows he can do that. ====================================== THE STICK: Probably because the Cubs don't consider what Ha does to be a bad thing, or else they don't think he can change, or else they believe if he were to change it would have a negative impact on what he does do well (hit for power). A couple of years ago one organization out here (I believe it was the A's) required every batter at Instructs to take a strike before they were allowed to swing. The Cubs don't take that approach. In fact, toward the end of Extended Spring Training this past May Manager Jody Davis would automatically take the next AB away from any player who was called out on strikes, because he felt the Cubs hitters weren't being aggressive enough.

Speaking of Fontenot - nice triple today culminating in the Giant's first run today. Started at 3B. Hopefully, no balls will get hit higher than 6'3" off the ground over his head.

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.