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

Brad Snyder Elects Free-Agency

On the heels of the eight Cubs minor leaguers opting for free-agency this week per MLB Rule 55, the Cubs have outrighted 28-year old OF Brad Snyder to Iowa.

Because he was outrighted previously in his career, Snyder is eligible to be a free-agent immediately per CBA Article XX-D. And he has in fact exercised his right to be a FA (he is not signed for 2011, so there was no point in deferring his free-agency until the end of the 2011 MLB regular season).

Snyder was a Draft-Excluded Player (meaning he was added to the Cubs 40-man roster after August 15th), so the Cubs needed to secure Outright Waivers on him no later than the 4th day following the conclusion of the World Series, and then outright him to the minors before the waivers expired (within seven days, or by the end of the waiver period on November 10th, whichever came first), otherwise they would not have been able to outright him until 20 days prior to 2011 MLB Opening Day. So apparently the Cubs figured that they were going to need Snyder's roster spot in the interim, otherwise they would have just kept him around for Spring Training. .

Snyder was the Cleveland Indians 1st round draft pick (18th overall) in 2003 out of Ball State, but was not able to develop into an MLB player during his six seasons in the Indians organization. The Cubs claimed Snyder off waivers in September 2008, and although he was a Rule 55 minor league FA last off-season and could have gone elsewhere, he opted to re-sign with the Cubs. He got an NRI to Spring Training 2010 and then hit 308/381/568 with 19 SB (5 CS) at AAA Iowa in 132 games (543 PA), before getting called up to Chicago in September, where he hit just 185/214/222 in 12 games (28 PA). He was named to the 2010 Topps AAA All-Star team.

Snyder is "toolsier" than your typical "4-A" guy, in that he has a plus-arm, plus-power, plus-speed, and is a solid defender. But he has a long swing and is prone to strikeouts, and likely will struggle to hit the better pitching he would see consistently in the big leagues. Also, he was in a position with the Cubs where he was out of minor league options, and would have gone into Spring Training battling Sam Fuld and Micah Hoffpauir (who are also out of minor league options) for a roster spot that (by the time Spring Training rolls around) might not even exist.

The Cubs MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) now stands at 36. The deadline for adding a player who is eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft to an MLB 40-man roster is November 20th, so the Cubs could add up to four players to their 40-man roster on November 20th without having to drop anybody else from the 40, or even more than four if additional players are outrighted to the minors. However, keep in mind that Cubs GM Jim Hendry usually likes to keep at least one roster slot open going into the off-season for free-agents, so the Cubs might not add four players to their 40-man roster on November 20th.

RHP Chris Archer and OF Brandon Guyer are locks to get added to the 40, but 3B Marquez Smith and RHP Alberto Cabrera are probably "on the bubble."

Comments

I'll be a tad surprised if all the remaining pen arms hang on to their 40 man spots. I'm expecting at least 1, if not more, slots to be cleared. AzPhil, what's your current take on Luke Sommer? Awhile ago, I asked someone and they suggested that Sommer might be a dark sleeper to be protected. Realistically, it probably won't happen, particularly since with Grabow/Russell/Marshall/Maine/Gaub, there's a lot of lefties on the 40, but am curious about your take on him.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

Submitted by toonsterwu on Wed, 11/10/2010 - 7:27pm. I'll be a tad surprised if all the remaining pen arms hang on to their 40 man spots. I'm expecting at least 1, if not more, slots to be cleared. AzPhil, what's your current take on Luke Sommer? Awhile ago, I asked someone and they suggested that Sommer might be a dark sleeper to be protected. Realistically, it probably won't happen, particularly since with Grabow/Russell/Marshall/Maine/Gaub, there's a lot of lefties on the 40, but am curious about your take on him. ================================== TOONSTER: As you may recall, I was at Fitch Park the day Luke Sommer was converted to a pitcher, so I have followed his progress a little closer than some other guys. Sommer's breaking ball is just so-so, and he pitches to contact (so he isn't the kind of guy you would bring into a game to get a strikeout), but he has a really good "natural" two-seamer with movement, he throws strikes, and he has the "rubber-arm" you see a lot in a converted position player. I don't think Sommer is a candidate to get added to the Cubs 40-man roster at this time, although I was told that it was between Maine and Sommer when Scott Maine got called up in August. If the Cubs were considering Sommer for the 40 post-2010, he probably would have gotten a slot in the AFL or a roster spot in Venezuela. That said, he could very well get an NRI to Spring Training, and I'm sure he will be monitored closely by the Cubs next season. I don't know if anybody will select Sommer in the Rule 5 Draft, because all it takes is one scout to recommend a guy, but none of the scouts I talked to over the past couple of months mentioned Sommer like they did Rafael Dolis last off-season.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

as a side note ... is there any sleepers that you think could be added? Doesn't seem like any on paper - the obvious candidates are guys like Guyer (should be), Archer (definitely), with the borderline cases being guys like Cabrera (I hope), Smit, Marquez Smith, amongst others, but just curious if you think there's a darkhorse out there. I guess, if you don't mind a tag-along, who do you think has a chance of being plucked in the rule 5. I'd guess any of the above if they aren't protected, maybe Clevenger.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

Submitted by toonsterwu on Wed, 11/10/2010 - 10:16pm. as a side note ... is there any sleepers that you think could be added? Doesn't seem like any on paper - the obvious candidates are guys like Guyer (should be), Archer (definitely), with the borderline cases being guys like Cabrera (I hope), Smit, Marquez Smith, amongst others, but just curious if you think there's a darkhorse out there. I guess, if you don't mind a tag-along, who do you think has a chance of being plucked in the rule 5. I'd guess any of the above if they aren't protected, maybe Clevenger. ================================================== TOONSTER: I don't know if you would consider him to be a dark horse, but I do think IF-OF Marwin Gonzalez is a candidate to get selected based on his performance in the VWL. If he does get picked he'll have to show in Spring Training games that he is able to hit big league pitching, and if he he's obviously not ready, the Cubs will get him back. He's not the type of prospect who would get stashed on a 25-man roster for an entire season if he's not ready. Steve Clevenger definitely should get consideration in the Rule 5. He went back to AA in 2010 when he should have been playing in AAA, only because he was blocked by Welington Castillo and Chris Robinson at Iowa, and even on his own team by Robinson Chirinos. And the way things stand now, he'll probably end up back at Tennessee again in 2011 sharing catching duties with Michael Brenly. So it would be good for him if he can get a chance with another organization. He has a nice LH line-drive stroke (albeit without much HR power) that should translate well to pinch-hitting duties, and he can play 1B in addition to catcher (and he can also play 3B in a pinch). His receiving still needs some work and he has (at best) an average arm, but pitchers love throwing to him. He really knows how to work hitters. He will probably be a manager or coach once his playing career is over.

Not only did Gordon Edes shitcan Phil Rogers lede balloon that Fukudome could be headed to Boston but Kosuke and his wife just closed on a $1.3 million 3 bedroom Lakeshore Drive condo. Frankly, the Cubs should just hang on to KFuk this year. Expensive or not, the other three outfielders Soriano, Byrd, and Colvin are good for only about 120 games each before they're gassed, injured or just phoning it in. So we need a four man blue-man group out there this year.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

From Your Morning Fill (of bullshit): "Hendry and Mike Quade say Colvin's 2011 position -- right field or first base -- will depend on what happens to the roster. But would the Cubs have to acquire a first baseman if they found a way to open an outfield spot for Colvin? Not necessarily. They could move Ramirez across the infield to play first -- gambling that he will hit enough to offset his lack of fielding -- and fill third base internally. Josh Vitters, 21, isn't ready but could come fast if he ever gets his wrists and hands healthy. But the Cubs have a sneak-attack player worth a look in 25-year-old Marquez Smith, who hit .297 with 20 homers in 107 games between Double-A and Triple-A a year ago. He wasn't promoted in September but seems likely to be added to the 40-man roster this month. It wouldn't be the worst thing to take a look at him with guys like Jeff Baker and Darwin Barney providing some insurance while keeping a spot open for Vitters when (if?) he's ready." Az Phil said in different thread that Smith had a possible shot to hit the 40 man... (On a side note, is Jeff Baker really insurance?)

[ ]

In reply to by Tony S.

Bill James projections for the Cubs haven't been very accurate or useful recently but FWIW here's where he has Jeff Baker next year: Jeff Baker: .281/.336/.448/.784 in 366 AB; 24 doubles, 11 HR, 51 RBI

phillies hire juan samuael as bench coach...sam perlozzo moves to 1st base coach from 3rd (already hired and in-house) ...pickings are getting slimmer for sandberg not riding a bus next year

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Not to make a political debate about it, but this is the same stupidity as when the current US administration talks about the repealed tax cuts not being a new tax on anyone.... If you made $250K in 2001, that's not the same as making $250K in 2011, and if you make $16.1 million in 2010, that's not the same as making $16.1 million in 2040, and anyone who tells you it is is either being deceptive or too stupid to be in the position they're in.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

it's more like a low-interest up front loan from a state organization that has a historical/economic/civic/legal interest in wrigley field. the repeal of upper income bracket tax breaks don't fit into it too well, imo. hendry and crew are probably riding high on the victory in mesa, az. -edited out political stuff and commentary upon reflection- ...basically it was a rant..."well, to get political as an aside since i havent seen it brought up..." followed by the whole rickets family (esp. big daddy) involvement in 1-source funded political action committees (PACs) pouring 100s of thousands into elections.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

funded by none other than joe ricketts...literally... their logo should be "Because it's my money." not "Because it's our money." it's one thing to promote advocacy with these kind of single-funded PACs...it's another thing to use it as a front to shovel unlimited money around to politicians, imo...even though it's legal.

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Well, if the $16.1 million figure in the article is accurate then the actual mean average ticket price last year can be figured from it and I come up with $43.85 a seat based on 3.06 million attendance. As for the Ricketts bond scheme, it looks like he's betting the house on roaring inflation saving the bonds from default because there's not a lot of unsold seating capacity for ticket sales (plenty of room to go the other way though) leaving ticket price increases as the only way to provide revenue to pay those bonds. And if those $200-300 million in bonds are going to pay even marginally realistic interest you're looking at needing another $16 million/yr to do it. This seems like a helluva way to pay for park maintenance and capital improvements...things the Ricketts should be paying for. In fact, the Ricketts (that would be Joe not Tom) grand plan seems to be a gradual dumping of Wrigley onto the public while the family invests in the neighborhood around it...similar to what they're doing in Mesa, AZ.

Dan Uggla might get traded ... I'd think Hendry likes the idea of getting another high-K right-handed all-or-nothing power hitter. He's no slap-hitting, low-OBP middle infielder, but hey, there's still almost two months until Christmas, right?

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

I'm not saying he's not a good player - in fact, a team that needs to improve its offense and that marks second base as one of its weakest positions would almost definitely target him this winter. I'm just pointing out that he might make a ton of sense as a trade target *IF* Hendry hadn't already gone with an all-righty-power lineup every damn year of his tenure. Doesn't he *need* to get a lefty again, which is how the Cubs have ended up with Jones, Fukudome, Bradley, and Nobody?

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

soriano's best redeeming feature is that he at least stays in shape, imo. he also seems to be in the middle of trying to figure out how to adjust to his age catching up with how quickly he can put his bat through the zone...he took the skill for granted (or he never had the skill to adapt) for so long. he's gone back/forth from his comfort zone at the very front of the box to giving standing back in the box a better shot for his wrists/hands to catch up to the ball. him standing back means he doesn't get to feast on late breaking offspeed stuff, though. hopefully he figures out enough to put together something decent for the duration...and he puts some actual effort into fielding now that people won't give him a pass on the bat alone...and he stays healthy...and he stays healthy...and the health thing...

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

josh hamilton over miggy? one of these guys didn't miss 3+ weeks of playing...one of them had more doubles, homers, walks, RBIs, and ob% over the other. it's not night/day, but that voting is heavily in favor of hamilton. weird. -edit- votto over pujols? really? does any random fan vote on this? some guys with 1st place votes shouldn't even be on the list...brandon lyon, really?

Hard to believe Kuroda can't get a better deal. It's probably a situation where he only wants a one-year deal and/or likely just wants to stay with the Dodgers. But in this winter's class, he's probably the second-most desirable free agent out there, and the thought of him not getting at least a two-year deal is pretty weird. Someone's gonna make up for it by making Jake Westbrook an awfully rich man.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

For this particular writer, he might want to do something else anyway: "one dedicated to each Division 1 college basketball tam in the U.S...." - What tam is that? "The results surprisingly readable, if a bit dry. Here is one typical lead, which was..." - lead in journalism is not spelled that way ("lede"). It is particularly funny that the subject matter could correct his own lack of knowledge/mistakes... Go Internet!

"Padres acquired outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Marlins for RHP Ryan Webb and RHP Edward Mujica." phew...hell of a trade for FLA. mujica and webb are ready now (and webb has room to improve). maybin is a nice return, but nice one for FLA.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I agree. I thought it was a heck of a deal for the Padres. Worst case scenario is they give up a couple righty relievers for a defensive outfielder. Not a good situation ... but not exactly the biggest loss. Sure, Maybin is a free swinging, pound it into the ground guy, but that that cost ... and for that ballpark? Why not? Excellent gamble on their right. To be honest, I'm mildly surprised that no one else offered a better deal than that. Mujica and Webb? That's all? As a side note, geesh, the best return in that Miggy and Dontrelle deal is ... Burke Badenhop? eh.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

last year's regression with his contact quality scared the hell out of people. if you're going to K 150+ times a year and not walk people expect you to hit for power. i think it's a decent deal for either team...i just like the relievers FLA got. i like webb a lot. i'm also probably sensitive to relief pitching right now after sitting through the 2010 cubs pen...holy f'n crap... that said, im oddly confident in the prospect of caridad/guzman/marshall/marmol being a decent core going into 2011...well, i'd feel more confident if i knew how healthy cardidad/guzman actually are.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I'm not completely sold Marshall makes the rotation, but honest question ... why do we need a left-handed setup guy? How many teams legitimately have a left and right setup option? Now, the problem right now is that Marshall is our only setup guy, but if the Cubs decided that Marshall was better off in the rotation, and then went out and added a righty setup arm, I'd be fine with MR, FA SU, Marmol. My hunch is that Marshall is in the pen, along with FA SU guy, and that the Cubs add a veteran starter to go with Dempster/Zambrano/Wells. That would leave one spot for Gorzelanny/Silva/Coleman or someone else.

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

Submitted by toonsterwu on Mon, 11/15/2010 - 10:21pm. I'm not completely sold Marshall makes the rotation, but honest question ... why do we need a left-handed setup guy? How many teams legitimately have a left and right setup option? Now, the problem right now is that Marshall is our only setup guy, but if the Cubs decided that Marshall was better off in the rotation, and then went out and added a righty setup arm, I'd be fine with MR, FA SU, Marmol. My hunch is that Marshall is in the pen, along with FA SU guy, and that the Cubs add a veteran starter to go with Dempster/Zambrano/Wells. That would leave one spot for Gorzelanny/Silva/Coleman or someone else. =============================================== TOONSTER: Keep in mind that Randy Wells does have a minor league option left and he is still a cheap auto-renewal guy with a lesser minor league split salary, so I would think that if the Cubs do add a FA 3rd starter, that Carlos Silva (guaranteed $6M salary to be paid by Cubs in 2011 plus too much MLB Service Time to be sent down without his OK) and Tom Gorzelanny (out of minor league options) would get first chance to cop the #4 and #5 starter slots, and even Jeff Samardzija (who is out of minor league options, and can't be traded or even placed on Outright Waivers if he doesn't give his permission in advance) might get a shot to be a starter before Wells and Coleman. Sometimes it's all about who can be sent down and who can't, and how much it would cost to release a guy instead of keeping him and trying to fit him into a round hole. That said, I would think that if the Cubs sign a FA #3 starter, that Gorzelanny and either Wells or Coleman will be #4-5, because the Cubs will want one lefty starter (which would probably be Gorzelanny, because Marshall has proven he can throw VERY effectively out of the pen, while Gorzelanny has not), Silva will be showcased in Spring Training, and if he pitches well, he'll get traded to a team coming out of ST desperate for a starter (with the Cubs eating maybe half his salary), and if he doesn't pitch well, he'll get stashed on the DL and left at Fitch Park with Angel Guzman (or he could even just get released), and Samardzija will be kept as a de facto Rule 5 guy as the #12 man on the staff (garbage, long relief, and emergency starter), and then the Cubs can outright him after the season once they decline the club option for 2012, unless he pitches well, in which case they'll still decline the 2012 club option, but then because he'll still be pre-arb auto-renewal after 2011, they can unilaterally drop his salary the max 20% to about $2.25M for 2012 (but again, that's only if he does a decent job next season, otherwise they'll just outright him this time next year). FWIW, note that if Samardzija were to get outrighted post-2011 after spending the entire season on the 25-man roster, that the Cubs would still have him under club control (subject to selection in the Rule 5 Draft in 2011 and 2012) as a minor league player through the 2013 season, at which point only then he could be a minor league FA, which would be significant if Samardzija turns out to be a "late bloomer" and finally becomes a "big league pitcher" in 2012 or 2013.

the Maybin trade reminds me of the Felix Pie trade, albeit Maybin was supposed to have a higher ceiling. Pie, at age 23, was dealt to the McFail's for Henry Williamson and Garrett Olsen. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2009-01-18-cubs-trade-pie-to-or… Olson was soon after flipped to Seattle with Ronnie Cedeno for Aaron Heileman. middle relievers, mostly meh. Pie still shows flashes under his Oriole raincoat, no? (sorry for the twisted testicle reference) Pie (at age 25) line with the O's last year: PA 308--.274/.305/.413/.718

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

i just hope the cubs don't screw up their "left handed 1st baseman" wish. funny thing is fuku could be our primary leadoff hitter vs. righties with dewitt leading off vs. lefties (meh on dewitt leading off). castro seems to be firmly seated in the #2 slot being the contact guy. we got "mystery first baseman," aram, soriano, soto, and byrd to fill out a 3-7... then we got dewitt (or whoever) vs. righties buried in the 8 slot and fuku vs. lefties (or whoever, though i feel he could play everyday even if not spectacularly vs. righties and lefties).

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

he walked over 10% of the time and K'd 23% and an iso SLG of .260. for comparison, Dunn BB'd 11.5% last and K'd at 30.7% with a .276 iso. so clearly Snyder is just as good as Dunn. just kidding of course. But you're talking out of your ass on this one and were taking a pot shot at the Cubs for apparently wasting a Triple A spot on Snyder when he fully warranted it, even though his demise with the Cubs is the exact opposite of what you're normally railing on. He did perform for the Cubs (and yes his K's are too high), but he was nothing more than taking a shot at a guy with high upside potential, kind of like your love child Jeremy Hermida last year.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

that's fine, he should be around there, still wouldn't be the best hitter for the Cubs since Sosa. If Cubs sign him, great, they could do worse and probably will. But at best he's puts up a year like Lee did in 2009 with worse defense and the Cubs were just okay in 2009 and don't think the rest of the roster is all that upgraded to make them a contender. I would argue they are heartily worse.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

his K rates are bad and he struck out almost 50% of the time against righties in his cup of coffee in the majors. Small sample size and all, but that's just not good and foreboding. whatever, the Cubs obviously don't believe in him as more than a bench guy that probably needs regular AB's to be anything and don't see him getting those Ab's with the Cubs. No huge loss, not even a minor one.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

He probably would have gotten an NRI from the Cubs and still may, my guess is that he's hoping for one with a team with less OF'ers so he actually has a shot. For what it's worth, Brenly raved about Snyder's swing and how crisply the ball came off his bat during one telecast that I heard. that is worth absolutely nothing. and I'm impressed there was a time Snyder made contact in the majors that Brenly noticed.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

"that is worth absolutely nothing." It would be strange if Brenly's comments were worthless, since he could get a job as a scout if he wanted it, in which case he would get paid for his observations about unproven hitters. There, you've goaded me into defending Snyder, 13 of whose 27 at-bats came between 9/30 and 10/3, after he had been reduced to mostly pinch-hitting duties for three weeks following the end of Iowa's season. That's some audition. I'm not complaining, it's life in the big city. If you're not Josh Vitters and you don't fall into a good situation out of pure luck, it's tough to get a shot.

Riddle me this, Batman: Why did Ryno take the same job with another organization, when from all accounts, it was "Major Leagues or Bust"? The Amish towns of Penn are better than the cornfields of Iowa? What gives?

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Well....major league jobs are filling up...maybe he decided that AAA with the Phillies is better than no job, and that Charlie Manuel may not manage more than another season or 2?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

im so ready for the cubs to quit playing at wrigley. aside from players who don't want to deal with the craphole with a lack of amenities...and massive amounts of day games...all the in-season stuff to raise extra loot is getting old. the offseason stuff is just getting goofy, but as long as the field is in shape by april then whatever. players had to play on worse quality fields pretty regularly in the 70s/80s...

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

"As a partner to the Chicago Cubs and Northwestern University, we are truly honored to help paint the Cubs marquee in preparation for this occasion," said Howard Heckes, Senior Vice President Global Consumer Division with Valspar. "We are excited to see Valspar paint turn Wrigley Field purple for the November 20 game."

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

OMG! you are so right! I realize they have less scholarships available than the rest of the Big 10, but geez! They have not had a decent kicker since Brian Gowins who beat Michigan twice by kicking a long field goal after a penalty on the first attempt (also good) with time expiring, when Michigan was a power. And, watching last year's Bowl game against Auburn when this current talent-less guy could have iced their first bowl win since the ice-age blow it, had me screaming. Maybe the last ten years of kickers have all been walk-ons? I mean Fitz is incredible for what he has to work with talent-wise, but I hope they can step it up in the special teams department, as well as running back.

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).