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

"Geo Tagging" with Geovany Soto

 

For you and me, "geo tagging" means putting geographical information on things like a video or a photo, so when people see it online they know where it was taken.
But for Geovany Soto, "Geo Tagging" has nothing to do with a camera or a computer, and it doesn't happen in the digital world.
Because when Geo tags something, it'll feel some pain even if it's a baseball.

In Sunday's loss to the Pirates, I bet Jason Jaramillo won't ever forget getting Geo Tagged in the chin when he tried to score from third in front of Tyler Colvin's astonishing one-hop toss from right.

And yesterday when the Cubs needed a little insurance, Kam Mickolio watched one of his pitches get Geo Tagged into the left field wall at Wrigley Field for a nice little insurance run as the Cubs went on to beat the Dbacks 4-1.

That hit from Geo yesterday, plus Alfonso Soriano's homer earlier and the ones from these first 4 games - this team isn't great by a long stretch but it feels like I've already seen more clutch hitting than they managed all of last June.
Even with the pain of Sunday's loss, the games have been pretty fun to watch, and the guys are all... likable I guess is the word.

Like Geo. 
The sophomore slump and pot things are way in the past, he got his arm fixed, he looks comfortable.
I never really believed the rookie season All-Star Geo - I thought he was lucky to be the guy on that team in that year with the not so stellar competition around the NL.
But this season, I'm looking forward to lots of Geo Tags.

And today marks the first Major League start for young Andrew Cashner.
Remember, he's just a kid, he's nervous, and his mother probably thinks he needs a haircut.
So cut him some slack and try to enjoy another one of the talented Cubs kids trying to make it in The Bigs. 

Comments

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict two hits from Castro today, and one misadventure from him in the infield. Because I'm nothing if not gutsy in my predictions. I haven't had a chance to see much yet but it does seem like there's a little more spring in their steps. Must be that 24 hour batting order.

Funny bit on Cubs pre-game on Comcast... Reporters gathered around Carlos Pena in locker room, getting updates on his thumb, he said he could play in an emergency today but they are just being cautious and hoping a little rest will heal it quickly. Then a reporter asked Pena, "You're not worried about Colvin going 4 for 4 and you being Wally Pipp'ed today?" and Pena replied, "I hope that happens...(Laughter)... Not the Wally Pipp part, but Colvin going 4 for 4."

The more Samardjia implodes, the more liklihood that Hendry will dump him. A failed conversion. So, a silver lining there. I have been saying the guy is a bust for two years now. Prove me wrong, Wide-Out! This would have been a perfect spot for Wellemeyer. Sigh...

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

It's something called a Nasty Factor. For real. What is the Nasty Factor? The Nasty Factor evaluates several properties of each pitch, and rates the “nastiness” of the pitch on a scale from 0-100, based in part on the success or failure of opposing hitters against previous similar pitches. The Nasty Factor incorporates several different factors for each pitch, including: Velocity — The greater the pitch’s velocity — as compared to that pitcher’s and the league’s range of speed for that pitch type — the greater the nastiness; Sequence — The more the pitcher mixes up his pitches, the greater the nastiness… and certain pitch sequences are nastier than others, too; Location — The closer to the edges of the strike zone is, the greater the nastiness, while pitches closer to the middle of the plate, and farther away outside the strike zone, decrease in nastiness; Movement — The more movement the pitcher applies to the pitch — as compared to that pitcher’s and the league’s range of movement for that pitch type — the greater the nastiness. The Nasty Factor also adjusts for how often the pitcher has faced the current batter during the game, as well as how often he has used the same pitch type against the same batter in the current at-bat and previously in the game. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:PvQMb74x0HIJ:www.i…

chris rose and kevin millar are horrible on MLB's "Intentional Talk"...they should "Best Damn Sports Show" the whole thing and add a couple more guys to eat mic time and play banter off each other.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Neal.....he was in the battle for 5th starter in ST. HE was a starter at AAA last year...He pitched reasonably well in 5 of 8 starts last season. Carlos Silva isn't here. Coleman is the best available option to step into the rotation until Cashner returns. I'm not thrilled...or naming Coleman ROY. I'm saying, at least he's been starting pitcher in AA and AAA, with some success at each level, and with a few good starts last season in the bigs. If some mystery option is available...I'm all ears.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

My point is that Siva is, always was and probably for the next five years always wil be a better option that Coleman, and he cost less money, so he should be on the team. End of story. I'd actually prefer Diamond over Coleman, but it looks like we're going to get both. If you are trading away prospects for 3rd starters, your sixth starter should not be a guy who can't strike out 5 PCL hitters over the course of 9 innings. Going into the off-season the Cubs had Carpenter, and Silva, who both should be ahead of this loser, and now they're all options who are off the table. Why? Who knows. I realize that Coleman is the 6th starter, what I am pointing out is that is a woeful posisiton for any organziation to unecessarily be in. He deserves to be a starter a little less than Samardijza should have been the closer in '09.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

I don't know which Silva shows up, but he, unlike Coleman wasn't doing it with smoke and mirrors last year. Last March Silva gave up 3 HR's against 2 BB's in 16.1 innings. This March he gave up 4 HR's and 2 BB's in 17.1 innings. Now all of the sudden he's useless. It's just a continuation of the Cubs not understanding how not to make decisions based on small sample sizes (like Wells and his three bad innings last year). "How did Silva cost less money than Coleman?" Unless I am mistaken, Coleman doesn't get the MLB minimum unless he gets called up, whereas Silva was getting his guaranteed money regardless, so by releasing Silva the Cubs also wind up increasing their payroll by about $330K (minus whatever Silva DL time works out to).

Welington Castillo has been assigned to Daytona where he can DH on a regular basis until the physical problem that is keeping him from catching (reported during Spring Training to be a thumb injury) is resolved. The Cubs did the same thing with Tyler Colvin a couple of years ago when he was rehabing from TJS, since Daytona and Peoria are the only full-season Cubs minor league affiliates that use a DH every game. (Iowa and Tennessee only use the DH when they play a road game at an A. L. affiliate). I did see W. Castillo DH for Daytona vs Inland Empire on Sunday at Fitch Park, so apparently it wasn't just for that day.

wow...attendance is getting 1980s-level pretty early on in 2011. from some of today's games. bos@cle - 9,025 was@fla - 10,482 hou@cin - 11,821 cws@kc - 12,641 laa@tb - 13,173 arz@chc was 27,039...looked like less actually showed up, though.

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).