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

Byrd-Scales Tag Team Too Much for Friars

Marlon Byrd doubled twice, walked once, and scored three runs, and Bobby Scales walked with the bases loaded to drive-in one run and cracked a two-run HR to knock-in two more, leading the Cubs to a 9-4 victory over the San Diego Padres in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm and sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

box score

Battling for the 5th starter job, Andrew Cashner got the start for the Cubs today (2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 45 pitches - 23 strikes, 3/2 GO/FO), and he had all kinda trouble finding the strike zone in his first inning of work (24 pitches - only nine strikes). The Padres scored just one run off of him in the 1st, but he allowed four baserunners (a ground-rule double sliced down the LF line by Max Venable to lead-off the game, a Brad Hawpe two-out RBI single, and and two walks) before escaping the jam with no further damage. Cashner settled down in the 2nd inning (21 pitches - 14 strikes), allowing just a one-out excuse-me check-swing opposite-field single by rival pitcher Wade LeBlanc. Cashner tends to throw more pitches-per-inning than your average pitcher, and if he can't be more efficient and throw more strikes, the high per-inning pitch count could jeopardize his future as a starting pitcher. But if he does not claim a job in the starting rotation, he should have a slot waiting for him in the bullpen, where he can hit 100 MPH with his fastball when he knows he is going to throw only one inning. 

The Cubs answered with one of their own in the bottom of the 1st against Padres stater Wade LeBlanc. Marlon Byrd sliced a two-out double into the RF corner, and then scored on an Aramis Ramirez "seeing-eye" ground single between 3rd and short. 

Randy Wells relieved Cashner to start the 3rd, and the Padres took the lead when Chase Headley doubled into the LF corner, stole 3rd base, and scored an unearned run when the throw from catcher Koyie Hill ticked-off Aramis Ramirez's glove for an E-5. Wells ended up throwing three innings (46 pitches - 31 strikes, 5/1 GO/FO), and looked good.

Meanwhile, the Cubs came back to score three in the 3rd, two in the 4th, and one in the 6th, to take a 7-2 lead. 

Kosuke Fukudome led off the 3rd with a ground ball single to center, but was picked-off 1st (nifty move by LeBlanc) when he left early on what was apparently going to be a hit & run. Starlin Castro followed the pick-off with a line-drive single to center, and advanced to 3rd on a Marlon Byrd double into the LF corner (Byrd's second double of the day). Aramis Ramirez walked to load the bases, and after Carlos Pena was called out on strikes, Alfonso Soriano picked up his new teammate, ripping a two-run single to score Castro and Byrd. Jeff Baker then followed the Sori 2-RBI with a line-drive RBI single of his own to score Ramirez with the Cubs third run of the inning, sending LeBlanc to the showers.   

The Cubs scored twice in the 4th, as Padres reliever Simon Castro had control issues. With one out, Fukudome singled, stole second, advanced to 3rd on a throwing error by SD catcher Hundley, and then scored on a WP. Then with two outs, Byrd walked, Ramirez was hit by a pitch, and Pena walked to load the bases. Alfonso Soriano then hit what should have been an inning-ending bounce-out to 3rd, but Headley bobbled the ball for an E-5, as Byrd scored an unearned run.

The Cubs scored a run in the bottom of the 6th with no hits, as SD RHRP Aaron Pareda could not find the strike zone. Augie Ojeda, Brad Snyder, and Josh Vitters walked to load the bases (with Vitters showing excellent patience, taking close pitches for balls on both the 2-2 pitch and the 3-2 pitch). But Bryan Lahair popped out to short left (Ojeda wisely held 3rd) and Lou Montanez popped-up weakly in the infield, leaving it all up to Bobby Scales, who worked the bases-loaded walk to perfection.   

Jay Jackson pitched the 6th and 7th for the Cubs, and after logging a shutout 6th despite struggling with his control (22 pitches - only 11 strikes), he got a lot of his pitches up in the strike zone in the 7th, allowing two solo home runs (one to Aaron Cunningham and the other to Mike Baxter) and two long fly outs, as the Padres cut the Cub lead to 7-4. 

But Scales gave the Cubs some breathing room in the bottom of the 8th, lofting a one-out opposite-field two run HR off 6'6 RHP Brad Brach that just barely cleared the LF fence, plating Bryan Lahair, who had led-off the inning with a ringing double into the RF corner. 

Scott Maine had an easy 1-2-3 8th and Robert Coello threw a shutout 9th (allowing one walk) to complete the Cub victory.

Today's crowd was not a complete sell-out (although the lawn seating did sell-out 30 minutes before the start of the game), but at least attendance was more robust (10,445) than was the case at HoHoKam earlier in the week (6,229 on Opening Day last Sunday, 5,405 on Monday, and 6,892 on Thursday). 

The Cubs will divide into split squads tomorrow, playing one game against the Dodgers at HoHoKam, and another versus the Reds in Goodyear.  

Comments

Thanks PHIL. IS it a foregone conclusion that even if Hill should go hitless for the Spring, Max Ramirez will not have a real shot at making this team? And, if yes, was there some strategy behind signing him to a minor league deal that I am missing, since he is out of options? Noting the play of our "stubby-fingered" catcher so far, and his empty bat from the fan's viewpoint, it appears as if there is almost nothing he can do to get off the team as the pitchers like throwing to him.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Submitted by The E-Man on Sun, 03/06/2011 - 10:07am. Thanks PHIL. IS it a foregone conclusion that even if Hill should go hitless for the Spring, Max Ramirez will not have a real shot at making this team? And, if yes, was there some strategy behind signing him to a minor league deal that I am missing, since he is out of options? Noting the play of our "stubby-fingered" catcher so far, and his empty bat from the fan's viewpoint, it appears as if there is almost nothing he can do to get off the team as the pitchers like throwing to him. ======================================== E-MAN: I suspect the reason the Cubs claimed Max Ramirez off waivers was as an insurance policy in case Geovany Soto's shoulder was not 100% to start the season and/or if Soto or Koyie Hill started the season on the DL. (The Cubs do not believe that Welington Castillo is ready for MLB yet). Otherwise M. Ramirez probably has virtually no chance of making the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster, unless a trade occurs prior to Opening Day that opens up a spot.

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In reply to by tim815

Submitted by tim815 on Sun, 03/06/2011 - 8:52pm. It wasn't a minor league deal. The problem is, we can't send him to the minors unless he clears waivers. Since four catchers have been somewhat to severely injured this spring Max in Iowa looks highly unlikely. Houston would gobble him up. So, yeah, why sign him if you're just going to release him? =================================== TIM: The Cubs claimed Max Ramirez off waivers right after they opened up a couple of slots on the 40-man roster with the Garza trade. I strongly suspect that Ramirez was claimed as insurance in case something happens to Soto or Hill during Spring Training, or if Soto's shoulder isn't 100% at the start of the season (although so far so good). If Soto and Hill get through Spring Training healthy, and unless the Cubs open up a roster slot with a trade (which is unlikely), I would think that M. Ramirez will probably get claimed off waivers by another MLB club if the Cubs try to send him to AAA, so they might decide to try and trade him before they put him on waivers.

2 hours and change til the first televised cubs game...woos. RF Fuke, LF Johnson, CF Byrd, 3B Ramy, 1B LaHair, C Soto, 2B Baker, SS Barney, P Dempster (LAD, TV) 2B DeWitt, SS Castro, DH Colvin, LF Sori, 1B Pena, 3B Smith, CF Jackson, C Hill, RF Adduci (CIN, non-TV)

Recent comments

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Neris must have been sand-baging spring training. He's a veteran, so he knew what he was doing. Had me fooled to be honest. Glad I was wrong.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    Looks like he might the cliche veteran pitcher in spring not really ramping it up and just “forking on stuff” in spring. If he gets to 94 on the regular he’ll do just fine. 

  • crunch (view)

    topped out a 94mph, threw 4 of those.  feeling a lot better about neris.

  • crunch (view)

    neris has thrown 2 pitches at 93mph out of his first 5 pitches.  that's a positive turn.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    I really am not interested in the wesneski head case experience again any time soon. Give me smyly over wesneski. Hell give me keegan Thompson over wesneski every day of the week. His stuff isn’t as good but at least he doesn’t melt down mentally every time something goes mildly awry. 

  • crunch (view)

    they might not want to start the clock on brown and give us wesn.  hopefully it won't come to that.

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal ground rule double!

    he blows a play and hits a double.  we're getting bizarro madrigal.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Close up video shows Steele saying to the Trainer "no it just cramped up"

    Hope so

    Ben Brown and not Smyly please

  • crunch (view)

    agreed and agreed.

    he walked off on his own, but we may not find out for a few days how this will impact the club.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    Looked like a hamstring rather than a knee, not sure if that’s better or worse.