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

Game 3 Recap - Garza Discovers What Being a Cub Is Like

Box Score | Video

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R H E
Pirates 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2   5 16 0
Cubs 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0   4 9 1

The Good: Let's start with Matt Garza's first start as a Cub. It wasn't perfection, frankly it was odd. The Pirates knocked 12 hits off him, all 12 being of the single variety and a handful of the pure 'effin luck variety including a check swing hit and run and jammed dribbler through the right side. Garza matched those 12 hits with 12 strikeouts though on 0 walks and threw 80 of his 106 pitches for strikes. I'm feeling confident the earned runs will look a lot beter if he can maintain that strikeout to walk ratio the rest of the year. Honestly it was a pretty epic start, if not for the seeing eye singles and some bad defense, most notably Ramirez botching a double play with a bad throw.

While the infield defense was a hot mess today, the outfield did a good job cutting off a few gap hits and keeping them singles and then of course Tyler Colvin's big throw in the top of the 8th and the face tag by Soto to preserve the Cubs lead.

Offensively, the Cubs got their first home run of the season by Soriano and Starlin Castro had himself another good day at the plate with three hits, two of them triples and a walk out of the leadoff spot. Carlos Pena looked like he had a grand slam that the wind kept in the park and got on-base with a walk and almost a bunt single to beat the shift if not for a great throw by Pedro Alvarez.

The Bad: The fan getting thrown out for obviously accidently knocking over his beer on Pena's double. Garza getting a little too much of the plate at times with 2 outs and 2 strikes. The infield defense, especially in the 9th. We know Marmol's going to get himself in trouble, but Castro had no good reason to try and make that throw that let the winning run score. And let's not forget Marlon Byrd still batting third and ending the game on a double play with the tying run at third base.

The Armchair Managing: Start with the lineup and Barney hitting second and Colvin hitting 8th. End with Reed Johnson leading off the 9th against Hanrahan instead of going to Fukudome. I was also a little surprised to see Garza come out for the 7th, but he was still hitting mid 90's and had just struck out the side, so I can't fault that decision too much.

Parachat Moment:

H_Vaughn: " Harry would love that backward it's atabat"

jumbo: 'gazra=azrag"

Diamondbacks come into town...Barry Enright vs. Randy Wells

Comments

Castro's gonna really start pissing me off if he keeps blowing up the infield that way. Hold on to that ball, kid. I sure like the way he hits though. Do the Cubs really have a #3 hitter? That's part of the problem. I didn't get to see much of the game but managed to see Colvin's nice throw, and then Soto practically tagging out the umpire.

Why do the Pirates beat the Cubs? Big mystery. Could it be that the Pirates are younger, faster, more aggressive? Yesterday the winning run scored from second on a squibber to the infield and a throw to first. Who on the Cubs even tries to score from second on that play? Castro, yes. Byrd, maybe. Barney, probably no. Colvin, no. Johnson, not at 34. Everyone else, don't be ridiculous. One yes and one maybe. Other teams take advantage of the Pirates' obvious weaknesses, like Doumit's arm, the pitchers' lack of command, the porous defense. But Doumit actually throws out Cub base stealers (Fukudome last year and Barney on Friday come to mind.) The Cubs are actually worse when the pitcher can't find the strike zone, because they swing anyway. After the first two hitters got on base in the fourth inning yesterday, Ramirez, Pena and Soriano each swung at two pitches well out of the strike zone. As for putting pressure on the defense, the inning ended with Soto and Soriano popping up with runners on second and third. Even the Pirates can catch those.

On Garza's start - I am not sure if "Epic" is how I'd describe it. You obviously want to pitch to the team you're facing, but if he throws those same pitches to the Reds, Brewers or Cards, he's giving up a lot more than singles. He was living high in the strike zone, and it worked out pretty well against a team with only one legitimate power hitter, and as mentioned one with their best hitter on the bench. Johnson PHing in the 9th was nothing short of bizzare with Fukudome on the bench. Holy shit, did anyone notice Hanrahan's K/9 numbers from last year? He's like a Marmol jr.

if you volunteered to help, check the email address you have associated with your TCR account or 2 thread below where I mentioned it for instructions. Thanks. crunch you're already good to go...

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

~shrug~ don't know why baseball has decided that the first games of the year shouldn't just start in warm weather and domed stadiums. But for some reason, they're not willing to do it. I understand you can't drag it out for too long since their would be uneven number of road games for those teams later in the year, but doesn't seem all that complicated to figure out. I assume teams even in warm weather stadiums get poor April attendance, so maybe that's the driving factor, that they have to switch it up every year. see if I can find 8 domed/warm weather stadiums in the NL Dodgers Padres Giants (sort of) Arizona Houston Marlins Brewers Atlanta make the Reds the 8th I guess since they start every year at home I guess if you want to start with some division NL West matchups, that makes it difficult.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I don't remember this many empty seats at Wrigley since the early 80's. I might have told this story before, but back in April or early May of '82 I went to a game and the Cubs had been promoting Rag Ball day, the first 10,000 fans get a free Cubs Rag Ball (a Rag Ball was a cloth baseball). We got in after the first pitch. The ticket takers told us they were out of Rag Balls. I was a kid and was disappointed. We go up the ramp and there's NOBODY in the park. Later in the game when they announced attendance, it was 4,500 or so. The crappy Tribune company had promised free Rag Ball's to the first 10,000 fans and then screwed everyone. I also remember Larry Bowa, in his first month or so as a Cub, taking a routine ground ball at SS and launching it into the stands over the first baseman's head. LOL.

he should have been on third on the sac fly, he can see Upton's setting up to throw home. And then would have scored on the wild pitch.

still fun to root for him nice Houdini work there to save Castro

Would you consider removing the team's best current hitter for D at the SS position, late innings? Or, does that fuck up the kid's head? Or, is that "over-analyzing"? The D is going to cost the team 8-10 games potentially, in 2011

I'll admit I've been paying a lot more attention to the Bulls this Spring than the Cubs, but does it seem to anyone else that the Ricketts clan has finally broken the cash-camel's back? I know it's not great weather, but the stands looked EMPTY today, and there's really no one on this team I'm the least bit excited about outside Castro, Colvin, and Cashner (and I'm pretty sure those guys are a couple years away from really producing). I just think people have finally given up on throwing away what little disposable income they have on a shitty baseball team with greedy owners. Then again, I'll change my mind the first sunny, 70 degree day we get around here.

GREAT GAME. Really enjoyed it. But Rickass is lucky if there were 10,000 actual people in the stands today. It looked like April 1967 out there (and here's hoping the Cubs are at least as successful as they were in that turn-around year). Laffable Official attendance: 26,292

I hope we see Colvin more regularly as the season progresses than we have so far. I have a hard time justifying giving PAs to Byrd or Fukudome over Colvin. Pena's injury maybe gets him some playing time at first base.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • 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.