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

A Pitcher or a Glass of Water

The Cubs are at the point now where they can plan their starting rotation and begin to make bullpen choices and start thinking about final roster selections for the NLDS.

Here is how I think the Cubs should do it: 

10/1 - NLDS GAME 1: Pitcher "A"
10/2 - NLDS GAME 2: Pitcher "B"
10/3 - OFF DAY
10/4 - NLDS GAME 3: Pitcher "C"
10/5 - NLDS GAME 4 (if necessary): Pitcher "D"
10/6 - OFF DAY
10/7 - GAME 5 (if necessary): Pitcher "B" (on 4 days rest), with Pitcher "A" in the bullpen for Game #4 and Game #5, and (depending on how many pitches he throws in Game #1), possibly for Game #3 as well . 

Personally, I'd go with Dempster-Zambrano in Games 1-2 of the NLDS, making ex-closer Dempster available to work out of the bullpen in both Game #4 & Game #5 (and possibly in Game #3, too). Then I'd go with Lilly in Game #3 and Harden in Game #4 (if necessary). Another possibility would be to start Harden in Game #3 and Ted Lilly in Game #4, making Lilly available to work out of the bullpen (limited to one inning or less) in Game #1.

But having Dempster start Game #1 of the NLDS and then be available to work out of the bullpen in both Game #4 and Game #5  could really help the bullpen depth if the series goes four or five games, especially given the way the Cubs middle-relievers have pitched lately.     

Because the best-of-five NLDS has less margin for error than does the best-of-seven NLCS, the Cubs need to do whatever it takes to maximize their chances of getting successfully through the LDS and into the LCS, even if it means using starters out of the bullpen. It's the proverbial "all hands on deck."   

Since he threw 115+ pitches in his last start, I'd like to see the Cubs give Rich Harden an extra day of rest before his next start (I'd start him Wednesday night instead of Tuesday night, and I'd limit his pitch count to around 80), and I'd totally skip Zambrano until Game #2 of the NLDS. "Z" pitched great on 12 days rest (he threw a no-hitter), and with his recent history of rotator cuff tendinitis, more rest can't hurt. In the meantime, Lou can keep Zambrano happy and involved by using him as a PH. 

It also might be a good idea to put Sean Marshall back on an extended "starter's routine" through the rest of the regular season, with a five-inning/80-pitch (max) start next Tuesday in New York and possibly another start a week from tomorrow in Milwaukee. He would then be available to throw multiple innings in the NLDS (emergency spot-start, long relief, or extra innings) if necessary. 

And even though he hasn't worked out of the bullpen since 2003 in Atlanta, I'd also keep Jason Marquis on the NLDS roster and use him as a back-up middle-reliever, since the other bullpen options (Howry, Samardzija, Wuertz, et al) look kind of shaky right now. Marquis would also give Lou an extra bat off the bench or a PR in a pinch, and a fall-back option in case Harden or Zambrano get scratched from a start at the last minute. So to help acclimate him to relief work, I'd probably be inclined to give Marquis one more start (Monday night in New York) and then work him out of the bullpen a couple of times next weekend in Milwaukee, although I would go ahead and have him make a start next Saturday if the Brewers are still alive and in hot contention. 

If Wood, Marmol, Cotts, Marshall, and Marquis are five of the seven relievers, that leaves two slots open. Chad Gaudin (back strain) is presently working out with the Cubs AZ Instructional League team at Fitch Park (AZIL games start Monday), and while he is probably not close to returning to action at the moment, hopefully he can get himself back into shape over the next couple of weeks such that he can be a member of the Cubs bullpen in the NLDS.

If Gaudin can get back into shape, that leaves one opening in the pen. Bob Howry probably gets that spot just because of his MLB experience, but Jeff Samardzija is likely still in the mix in case Lou just can't stomach Howry or in case Gaudin isn't ready.

Of the other candidates (Angel Guzman, Kevin Hart, Randy Wells, and Michael Wuertz), Wells has pitched the best lately (albeit in limited opportunities) and has the type of ex-catcher's "rubber arm" where he can throw a lot, but Hart and Wuertz were on the Cubs NLDS roster last year and that could be a factor in their favor. How each of the candidates throws the last week of the regular season will probably be the primary determining factor in filling the final couple of slots in the Cubs bullpen for the NLDS.

The bottom line is, middle relief stands out as the Cubs one glaring weakness, and it can't be fixed (as far as the 2008 post-season is concerned) by making a trade.  

While Howry, Samardzija, Wells, Hart, Wuertz, and Guzman hopefully will get plenty of opportunities to show what they can (or cannot) do over the last week of the regular season, Wood and Marmol need to have their outings minimized, throwing just often enough to to stay shap (like don't use either of them two days in a row, instead preferably one inning every-other day or maybe even one inning every-third day).  

Since he is still not 100% back from TJS and because he has yet to throw two days in a row at any time this season, Guzman is probably not under consideration for the post-season roster. It doesn't help Gooz's chances that while he is throwing 94-96, he has pitched ineffectively when Lou has given him opportunities to throw in games. The Cubs will probably want him to pitch in the Venezuelan Winter League this off-season, and then come to ST 2009 prepared to battle for a spot in the bullpen.

With an 11-man pitching staff likely for the NLDS, that means an extra position player can be kept on the bench. Micah Hoffpauir and Felix Pie are probably the two candidates, and each offers something different. Pie can play CF, PR and PH, while Hoffpauir can provide a left-handed power-bat off the bench. I suspect Pie gets the edge in the NLDS and NLCS (if the Cubs get that far) just because Hoffpauir basically duplicates Daryle Ward, but if the Cubs do manage to get to the World Series, I would expect Hoffpauir (not Pie) to be the 14th man and serve as the DH.

Last year the Cubs kept five players (Sean Marshall, Will Ohman, Henry Blanco, Craig Monroe, and Sam Fuld) who were not on their NLDS roster around as "fellow travelers" (potential injury replacements) while they played the Diamondbacks in the NLDS. It's likely the Cubs will do the same this year, keeping two or three pitchers, a catcher (Koyie Hill), and a position player or two (Pie or Hoffpauir, plus possibly Casey McGehee) in ready-reserve throughout the post-season.

Keep in mind that MLB clubs can alter/tweak their 25-man (active) roster before each post-season series, and because Chad Fox, Rich Hill, and Jon Lieber are on the DL, the Cubs have three roster exemptions available (four if Chad Gaudin is on the DL) for each post-season series, allowing them to add up to three players (four if Gaudin is out of action) to their NLDS, NLCS, and WS rosters who were not on the Cubs 25-man roster (or 15-day or 60-day DL) on 8/31.

Also, if a player suffers a disabling injury during the LDS, LCS, or WS, the injured player can (with approval of the MLB Commissioner) be replaced during the series by a player who plays the same position (a pitcher must replace a pitcher, a catcher must replace a catcher, and an IF/OF must replace an IF/OF), although if that happens, the injured player is ineligible to return at any future point in the post-season.

Comments

Submitted by Ryno on Sat, 09/20/2008 - 11:58am.

Marquis as relief? Why does that sound like a train wreck to me?

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

RYNO: Actually middle-relief (in general) is a train wreck right now. Hopefully it won't derail the Cubs chances to advance to the NLCS and WS!

That's why having Ryan Dempster start Game #1 and then have him available to work out of the bullpen in Games 4 & 5 (and perhaps in Game #3, too), and possibly having Ted Lilly available to throw an inning in Game #1 (if Harden starts Game #3 and Lilly starts Game #4) oould help solidify the bullpen.

Otherwise, if you want to critizize Jim Hendry for something, you can point to his failing to add a decent middle-reliever via trade sometime prior to the 9/1 post-season roster deadline. (Of course that's presuming one was available to be had).

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

That's why having Ryan Dempster start Game #1 and then have him available to work out of the bullpen in Games 4 & 5 (and perhaps in Game #3, too), and possibly having Ted Lilly available to throw an inning in Game #1 (if Harden starts Game #3 and Lilly starts Game #4) oould help solidify the bullpen. You deserve a shot at the job when Lou retires.

I would have had second thoughts about including Guzman on Daytona's playoff roster much less the Cubs. If anyone needs a full year in Iowa's starting rotation before we ever mention his name again it's probably Guzman. Minor leagues-- 17.0 innings pitched this year --- 5.2 with the Cubs-- that's all.

Do you really think Samarzdija is really on the bubble for the playoff roster? I would think the locks for the bullpen would be Wood, Marmol, Samardzija, Marshall and Cotts, with Gaudin, Howry, Marquis and Wuertz on the buble depending on health and effectiveness.

"ESPN.com The Chicago Cubs' magic number is two to clinch their second consecutive NL Central title. And for now, they have a grip on the MLB Power Rankings as well. The Cubs, who went 4-1 against Milwaukee and Houston, moved back into the No. 1 spot for a season-high 10th time. One more stay in the No. 1 spot in our final Power Rankings of the regular season next Friday, and the Cubbies could be the favorites for the World Series title that has eluded them for 100 years." http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/powerranking

Great post, Phil. Thanks. You're idea of having Dempster available out of the pen after game 1 is quite clever. I agree that Hendry should have added an arm to the pen in July or August if at all possible. Would you have made a bid for David Weathers, who cleared waivers during August? And did you agree with the Scott Eyre move? Also, are seven relievers really necessary in the NLDS where you have off days after games 2 and 4? If Marshall and Marquis are in the mix, you have two guys who could come in early in an emergency or potentially go long in an extra-inning game. With Wood and Marmol owning the last 6 outs (and possibly more), two more relievers seem sufficient. And if Dempster is available in the pen in games 4 and 5, that seventh reliever becomes even less necessary.

AZ Phil, Outstanding insight as usual. I agree Lou has to manage balls out once the NLDS starts, and I believe he will using whoever he needs out of the bullpen to win the deciding 3rd victory. I also agree with you that Dempster should start Game 1 as Z or Lilly would match up better with PHL or NYM #2 starters (Moyer/O.Perez). My stab at the playoff roster: P) Zambrano, Dempster, Lilly, Harden, Marquis, Marshall, Cotts, Marmol, Wood, Samardzija, Howry C) Soto, Blanco IF) Lee, DeRosa, Theriot, Ramirez, Fontenot, Cedeno, Ward OF) Soriano, Edmonds, Fukudome, Johnson, Pie I don't see Gaudin healthy for the NLDS; Wuertz/Hart too inconsistent; Wells too raw; and Guzman not ready. Pie will probably win out over Hoffpauir due to OF defense, pinch running, and still has a LH bat.

Good post. I am VERY concerned about Lou's unwillingness to rest players. Anyone notice that Lee's recent power surge came after his first 2 days off all season? Marmol and Soto also were revived after a short period of rest. I think THERIOT is showing signs of wear.

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.