Cubs MLB Roster

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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
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Perplexing, Isn't It?

So the trade deadline came and went, not with a bang, but a whimper. The only move that Hendry sought fit to make was trade Kosuke Fukudome and about $4M for a couple of non-descript minor leaguers. Ones that must be better than what the Cubs already have per Hendry's reasoning below. It was also a move Hendry indicated had to happen so they could make room for Tyler Colvin, whom promptly sat on Sunday night versus a right-handed starter.

Hendry's reasoning behind the rest of the inaction...

“There’s not somebody waiting to take [Pena's] place for next year in-house like Tyler is hopeful to do that in the outfield in moving Fuke,” Hendry said. You have to look at it that way, too.

“The other factor, if you get a second-tier or two prospect back and you already have people better than that in your own system, then you really haven’t done anything to help the organization, and then you’re also put in the spot where if you add minor-league players today, that means somebody’s going to be sent backwards in our system or eliminated. That’s just the way I looked at it.”

It's tough to play armchair GM when you don't know what the offers were, but that hasn't stopped the blogosphere and the media before. The problem for me and I suspect many of you is Hendry's tone that essentially most of the team can be part of a winning club in 2013. It's that sort of detached reality that is infuriating. What's also infuriating is the notion that seemed prevalent in a few of the articles yesterday that one of the reasons they didn't move Pena was because they're considering bringing him back next year, presumably if they can't land Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols. I'm not necessarily against bringing Pena back if that ends up the case, but since he's a free agent regardless at the end of the year, his agent is Scott Boras and currently he would not net the Cubs any draft pick compensation even if they offer arbitration, keeping him around does little to increase the Cubs chances of resigning him. And it's certainly not outweighed by whatever marginal prospects they couldn't have gotten back.

The other guy that seemed to have some real interest from other teams was Marlon Byrd, well at least from the Braves. I understand the Cubs would still need to be looking for a center fielder next year if they did trade him, on the other hand he'll be 34 next year and on a good year, he's barely touching an .800 OPS. This doesn't seem like it's that hard to replace even if Brett Jackson isn't ready. But I would have been happy with Jordan Shafer and a minor league arm myself.

As for the Fukudome deal. you fine readers seemed upset over the haul of prospects. For a corner outfielder that doesn't hit home runs and has a .664 OPS since April 29th, they got what they could in my opinion. Abner Abreu seems to have some upside at age 21 and some love from the scouts for his bat speed and potential power (6-3" frame), some of which started to show this year. He also seems to play some decent defense with a real good arm. Unfortunately a career 25.9% K rate and not much willingness to take a walk, means he'll either have to find that power or change his approach radically to become a regular. But a 5th outfielder is a necessity as well and Abreu still has time on his side to reach that lofty goal.

As for Carlton Smith, well you can't have enough pitching. As a converted catcher, he started showing some strikeout ability this season with a K rate over 9 per inning. The walk and home run rates are a little high, but another possible bullpen arm, one that is presumably not too far from the majors isn't a terrible thing to acquire.

While blogging is generally all about over the top reactions with little information, I generally try to see both sides of the issue and understand what Hendry or Cubs management is doing and most importantly, understand we as fans are only privy to part of the process. Guys like Byrd, Baker, Grabow and so forth can just as easily be traded in August or the offseason for likely similar hauls then what can be had now. But the lack of interst and motivation in moving Carlos Pena is one that I just can't wrap my head around. I read what Hendry had to say and that makes some sense, but there's just little reason for me to believe, they're in any better position to resign him if they traded him and that he offers much to the Cubs the next 2 months, other than keeping them farther from the #1 draft pick if he sticks around and plays decently.

Comments

Unfortunately the unexpected Quade 2nd half "resurgence" is what Hendry is trying to keep his job with. That can be the only logical explanation at this point? He's going to try and push for a .500 post deadline in a feeble effort to keep his job. A job he has sucked at for many many years no less.

I wonder how many guys have been traded during a season and then re-signed with the team that traded them. It always gets talked about, but how often does it happen?

"Guys like Byrd, Baker, Grabow and so forth can just as easily be traded in August or the offseason for likely similar hauls then what can be had now." I tend to disagree there. Well, Grabow, probably can't be traded for anything without throwing in salary, but Byrd rankes 8th among center fielders in OPS and represents an upgrade for a handful of teams in the playoff hunt, including both teams in the AL Central. Just like adding a guy like Matt Garza is more valuable when you're close to the top of the division, adding Byrd will be more valuable to teams in the playoff hunt. In August, you only have the opportunity to trade him to one team. Byrd probably fetches an additional 15-20 organizational prospect on July 31st, that he can't bring on Novermber 30th. But if you're really thinking you're going to compete next year, you can also trade for ML players. I would have loved to get in on Michael Bourn by trading Byrd the Braves... and it seems like that was something that Hendry used to have the mental wherewithal to do. Baker isn't a bad guy to have around, but I am not sure he represents much of an upgrade over Marquez Smith. Just salary wise for 2012, it would probably have been smart to move on... but again, this is the GM that pays Koyie Hill $1 million to do what Castillo or Robinson or Clevenger could do for the minimum (probably less than they could do).

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In reply to by The Real Neal

well if no one wanted Grabow now, then no one wants him in August, which is a "similar haul". As for Byrd, In August, you only have the opportunity to trade him to one team. That's only true if he's claimed and that's a reasonable guess with his salary but not a sure thing. Depending on how Byrd finishes, I think teams have more payroll flexibility in the offseason to make deals. He's cheap enough to keep around, that it doesn't upset me too much. Him being the #3 hitter again next year might though :)

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In reply to by Rob G.

byrd is pretty much the team leader/jokester/attitude/doing-it-right-vet type. plays a good enough CF...ties the lockerroom together. unless the cubs want coco crisp i wouldn't want part of the CF FA market, myself...coco, 35 year old beltran, and cody ross are the only other CF's that come to mind that are gonna be FA's...oh yeah, sizemore if you wanna gamble.

#Cubs lineup for Mon 8/1: RF Johnson, SS Castro, 3B Baker, C Soto, CF Byrd, LF Soriano, 1B Pena, 2B Barney, P Zambrano vs. Maholm

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In reply to by The Real Neal

Don't they also want to give him a chance against LHPS? If they want to truly evaluate Colvin, they should be giving him opportunities against lefties, too. Otherwise, all they're doing is evaluating him as a platoon player vs. RHP. I would guess that he is more likely to be a platoon player vs RHP, than a full-time player, but I thought the idea was to give him the rest of this year to show what he can do...

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In reply to by Rob G.

... I feel like we're about to be subjected to an article about how the Cubs still feel that this road trip is crucial, and who's to say that that they couldn't come out of this trip having won 5 or 6 out of 12? and wouldn't that be something?? I feel like we're not far from another declaration that the team is one series away from being right back in it....

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In reply to by The Real Neal

"Too bad we had no way of telling that the Pirates were pitching a lefty tonight so Colvin sits for two days in a row." I wasn't surprised when the Colvin-in-the-8-hole experiment ended after two games. Colvin is effed-up in the head right now and can't really help the team. Hendry would like to see Colvin magically rehabilitated, but meanwhile Quade would like to win a few games. I don't think they are on the same page on this. Everyone knows that Jackson was slumping at Iowa when Fukudome was traded and Colvin got the call-up, but Colvin was doing just as poorly. Jackson was 10 for 49 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 2 SBs. Over the same time period, Colvin was 10 for 48 with 1 double, 2 triples and 1 HR. We didn't read about Colvin's slump. The story we're all supposed to buy is that Jackson, who since that day is 4 for 11 with 2 more HRs, isn't ready but Colvin belongs in right field every day.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Random comment. I think this is a great point now, and a microcosm of a Cubdom issue. I believe you're right in that JH and Q are not on the same page, a la Q thinks sniffing .500 will help the world (honestly, streaks and all, that's about the very very best anyone in his shoes could dream of) and JH is supposedly thinking about next year and the winter (although, that goes back to, if they suck this year...) I don't necessarily agree with the hate on not moving Pena, only because I think Hendry believes his 'intangibles' (or whatever BS term you want to call it) is worth paying for, having in the clubhouse, 'mentoring' the youngsters, more than a couple shit prospects he would have gotten back. This may or may not have anything to do with winning ballgames; some of you stat bubbas can figure out, do his HRs really offset his shitty avg? Anyway, the Cubs have long been rumored to be worse than other organizations at having consistency at all levels. For instance, teaching/reinforcing how to, I dunno, catch the fucking ball, or push a bunt. When was the last time a Cub was even in the fucking discussion for a Gold Glove? (even though that's a f'd up system, it still says a little something) Pitching (particularly starting pitching) and defense have been sorely lacking. I may be crazy, but that's an issue, right? But by golly, we've got Marmol..........

Cashner throws off mound again, feels good. Wants to get back in 3 weeks, but September is the target.

I don't know if Colvin will be a starter or not. I have an idea, but no one knows for sure. However, we have 2 months to find out something at least and in those two months he should play every day, lefty or righty on the mound. The fact that that isn't happening as of yet is not surprising, because this is the same idiot that played Hill when Soto was hurt this year and last and Nady at first last year after Lee was traded. Also, regarding trading players after 7/31, the fact that they have to clear waivers or we can only trade them to the team that claims them works in reverse also. We can only get someone on a team's 40 man roster if they clear waivers. This limits what we can get in return. Of course, we would be happy to get a top prospect that wasn't on someone's roster. A few years back I believe we made a five or six player trade in August that involved Macrae, that crappy relief pitcher that was Alou's cousin and a few others.

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In reply to by TJ

August 8, 1997: Chicago Cubs trade Brain McRae, Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell to the New York Mets for players to be named later and Lance Johnson. The New York Mets sent Mark Clark (August 11, 1997) and Manny Alexander (August 14, 1997) to the Chicago Cubs to complete the trade.

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In reply to by TJ

"same idiot that played Hill," etc., etc. Maybe you haven't heard that Hill's mojo is working again. The Cubs are 16-12 in games that Hill has started. Actually it's 16-11, but I'm including in Hill's loss column the May 10 game that Soto started but left in the first inning after pulling a muscle. I don't know what this means, except that it's not idiotic to play a guy who usually is first to the mound with a congratulatory handshake when his pitcher gets the final out.

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In reply to by Tony S.

Not sarcastic at all. 184 games is not a small sample size. Cubs are 100-84 in games started by Hill. I'm not sure how meaningful those numbers are. I was responding to the allegation that it was idiotic to put Hill in the lineup, which it obviously is not. It would be tedious to count all the times I've seen the word "idiot" applied to Quade and Hendry in these pages in the last few weeks. I think they're both pretty smart, so that shows you how dumb I am. I do think the Cubs have a couple of dumb players. Colvin and Marmol come to mind.

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In reply to by Charlie

Colvin, because he doesn't know what all hitters have to know to be in the majors (and what B. Jackson knew before he got to Boise): ahead in the count, pitchers tend to throw offspeed pitches that are not strikes. There are two reasons for this: the hitter might swing; and if pitchers make a mistake and throw a strike and the hitter drives it, they get yelled at by their coaches/managers. Colvin thinks that when he gets two strikes on him, he's supposed to swing at anything close (and he has a generous definition of close). With him, two strikes and he's out, whereas a good hitter knows that with a little patience he can get to 3-2, another hitter's count. Every little thing Colvin does at the plate indicates to me that his head is empty. The other night against Lohse, he swings at an 0-0 breaking ball in the dirt. I don't mind him swinging at bad pitch on a hitter's count, but most hitters, if they swing at the first pitch at all, are sitting on a fastball (like Ramirez does). Then Colvin will take a 2-0 fastball down the middle. What is he looking for? Answer: nothing. He figures he's ahead in the count, he doesn't have to swing. So he chooses a 2-0 fastball to demonstrate patience. Marmol, I just wish he would learn to control his fastball and also to throw it on the 95-mph side of his range rather than the 91 side. Simple rule, easy to understand: two good pitches are better than one.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

I don't see how you can confidently say that either one of those issues indicate a lack of intelligence. What I see for Colvin is him having a difficult time identifying the pitch as it comes to the plate (he surely thought that first pitch he swung at was going to be a good one to hit)--and when you're 0-2, you do have to fight off anything that is close. Marmol is wild. That is a product of his delivery as much as anything else--and I don't think it would be safe to start trying to change his delivery, as the violence of his motion is a big part of what throws off the hitters (I think) and probably helps produce the movement on both his fastball and his slider. I think your frustration with both of those players as ballplayers is totally valid right now. I am not at all convinced that you can draw the conclusion that they are any smarter or dumber than any other player based on those details you cite, though. The problems people point out with Hendry and Quade, on the other hand, don't have any physical execution issues to go along with them, so it's a little easier (if not always fair) to attack their intelligence.

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In reply to by Charlie

Kevin Brown was documented as a genius IQ and he had control problems. If there's a correlation between IQ and plate discipline or command, it's a weak one. Being smart doesn't give you bat speed and sharp eyesight, or the coordination to repeat mechanics while exerting yourself strenously. Randy Johnson must have got hit by a gamma beam to be smart enough to finally harness his control. Koyie hill and Brett Jackson both strike out a lot.

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In reply to by The Real Neal

Brett Jackson is a very smart hitter, just like Milton Bradley was. Just like Adam Dunn is. I prefer Jackson because he's better equipped to turn those walks into runs. In fact, if I ran the Cubs, the first thing I would do is install Jackson in center (or right) and at the top of the lineup and leave him there and forget about him, and then say, "Next question?" I think he would be a difference maker. I would be curious to know how many of Jackson's strikeouts (or even strikes) are swings and misses and how many are called-third strikes. To have a good plate approach you have to endure a few of those, and also have some intense interactions with the ump, as Jackson did on the 4th of July:
Fireworks were almost set off early when Brett Jackson was ejected by Home Plate Umpire Anthony Johnson in the sixth inning after being called out on strikes.
But you and Charlie ask the right question when you suggest that Colvin just doesn't pick up the speed of the ball and the spin on the ball. That's a horrible thought. There's no hope for him if that's true. I lean toward the idea that he sees that it's not a fastball, but he doesn't care because he's not looking for anything in particular. In that case, he first has to figure out what he's doing with a bat in his hand. I guess I also believe that given the physical tools, then like anything else you can learn how to hit. Why not? Colvin does not have to be in the major leagues to work on the remedial hitting concepts that he seems to lack. It's embarrassing for him right now to show up every day sporting the lowest BA in the national league. Jackson, on the other hand, doesn't have to learn anything. He's been the same hitter at every level. People have made way too much out of his first fifty at-bats at Iowa.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

I value your inputs on here a lot, like I do most of the folks I read. But if you're telling me a grown man who isn't smart enough to not act like a two-year-old and (although I don't know his BABIP and am too lazy to look it up) a guy with a huge swing who can't smell the Mendoza Line this year to the tune of .165 (and who I am SO glad the Cubs didn't sign like some fans wanted) are your examples of 'smart', then I think we're just not going to see eye to eye on this. I will caveat any Quade and/or Hendry comments I personally have made. Kind of like the arguing with the Ump, maybe I should say they're ACTING like idiots instead of ARE idiots. Either way, the reasons are simple. Quade First: One theory on basic leadership/management is that there are two components to performance: Motivation and Competence (for baseball, call 'competence' 'ability'). The assumption that a fan makes is that the players must have some level of ability, otherwise they wouldn't be in the major leagues. Furthermore, it is almost statistically impossible for the 15-20 or so MOST under-performing players to be on one team. So they must not be properly motivated, which means Quade isn't properly doing his job. (Another prevailing theory, one that I'm starting to believe in, is that the schedule and the facilities play a large role in this; one would think it is also almost statistically impossible for the Cubs to have played so long, with so many 'idiotic' managers, without real success...But I digress). Hendry: When Joe Fan sees Hendry make what is, in Joe's estimation, a move that lacks any logic, Joe deduces that Hendry is an idiot. One perfect example is The Milton Bradley Experiment. Could Bradley have replicated his previous season with Texas on the North Side? Perhaps, but the odds, both statistically and based on his past, were not in his favor. It was a gamble, perhaps a calculated one, but one that turned out to be a piss poor decision, which is what Joe Fan tried to tell Hendry to begin with, through the blogosphere and everywhere else, which is why many Joes think Hendry is an idiot. He's also made some great moves, I'm not denying it. But the Cubs during his tenure, I think, are a pretty good reflection of his work: A few playoff runs, some good times, and some really shitty ones. And if that's all the Cub fan base wanted, or would pay for, then there'd be no reason to get rid of his ass. But it's not. Since October 2003, the Cub fan base has become rabid. And most of them (us) will call for whoever's head needs to roll to make it that last step. And call them 'idiots'.

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In reply to by Tony S.

A couple of points about Hendry. 1) Hendry certainly knew that Bradley was unstable, but he thought he could hit. That was understandable given the year Bradley had just had with Texas, but the fact is Bradley didn't put the bat on the ball for the Cubs. When you're not hitting (or pitching in Zambrano's case) your antics are magnified. I recall Hendry also opining that Bradley would add some life to the clubhouse, shake things up. The Cubs had seemed spiritless, zombie-like in the playoffs the previous two years. 2) In spite of Hendry's signing of the three stooges to plug holes in the outfield--and one of those contracts still having three years to run--I think the organization is in better shape than I have ever seen it. I even think 2012 will be a good year, assuming the Cubs use Jackson to fill the glaring need at the top of the order. Firings not in order.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

One more quick note on Colvin: I'm not sure that you're estimation of his inability to make use of a favorable count is fair. If you look at his splits for his career at baseball reference, you'll see that he absolutely mashes after he gets ahead in the count. After 1-0: .288/.403/.594 After 2-0: .333/.557/.756 After 3-0: .750/.944/1.750 After 2-1: .364/.348/.500 After 3-1: .500/.800/.667 Full Count: .297/.534/.730 From those numbers I would say it looks like he's looking for a ball he can crush when he's ahead--and he's more than willing to take a hack when he thinks he gets it.

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In reply to by Charlie

Yes, I like your numbers and what they imply. So let me re-phrase my criticism of Colvin this way: He takes the same rips regardless of the count. I love the swings he gets, by the way. Colvin gets more good rips in one at-bat than Byrd gets in a week. But when you're behind, you have to stop hacking and work the count, because you probably won't see a hittable pitch again until 3 and 2.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Since Hill got called up the Cubs are 362 and 331 in all games. Hill has a slightly higher winning percentage (.543 to .522) than the team overall in that time. I wouldn't think it's statistically significant. You'd have to look at who he's been catching to really know if it means anything. We can quite easily see what he's been doing with the bat, all the errors and stolen bases he allows, and see that he's among the worst players in MLB in those parts of his job.

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In reply to by The Real Neal

I think you're probably right that Hill's W-L record is a non-issue. Back of the envelope, Soto was approximately 171-153 (wins-losses in games started) coming into this season. Now he's back around .500, but that's still pretty close to Hill. I think I used to blame Soto for Marmol's looking confused and disorganized out there--maybe Piniella did also--but that's strictly on Marmol. Soto and Marshall look great together. I have no real issues with Soto behind the plate.

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In reply to by Rob G.

it was a slider that didnt break enough...hung low/in over too much of the plate. fwiw, his good fastball seems to be hitting 91-93mph tonight. he's been working a regular 91-94mph all season. the homers and walks have sucked, but he's at least built himself back up into a passable starter as old skills have given way to new skills...now let's see if he can actually find 200ip.

wow...soriano beats out a double play by using secret ninja baseball skills such as running hard out of the box after contact. 3-1 scrubbies.

Against playoff contenders on the road! Quade is the man! We're right back in this thing!

@jimcallisBA Jim Callis #Cubs sign Garrett Schecht for $235k, highest bonus in 9th rd so far. Illinois HS OF, good lefty bat. Middle Tenn State recruit. ---------------------- ROUND 9 (279): Garrett Schlecht, OF (Waterloo HS - Waterloo, IL) L/L, 6'2, 195, 18 years old COMMENT: Two-way player in HS (LHP/1B)... Athletic defender and good hitter but with below average speed... Projects as corner OF in pro ball... Signed NLI with Middle Tennessee State...

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In reply to by QuietMan

Baseball America has added Marra to their list of signed. AZ Phil's draft day info ROUND 15 (459): Justin Marra, C (Michael Power/St. Joseph Secondary School - Etobicoke, Ontario) L/R, 5'10, 185, 18 years old COMMENT: Member of Canadian Junior National Team... Has shown strong arm and plus raw power in international competition... Has not yet signed an NLI, but plans to attend either Connors State JC in Oklahoma or Jefferson JC in Missouri if he does not sign pro contract...

Power hitting first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, was called up by Arizona the other day.... Former major leaguer Daryle Ward replaced Goldschmidt on the BayBears' roster. Ward was signed as a minor league free agent Monday. He started the year with the independent league Newark Bears and hit .312 with 12 homers and 51 RBIs. Ward played with six major league teams, the last being the Chicago Cubs in 2008.

So...Colvin sits a couple days because "It's a tentative situation for me just because I have two guys (Johnson and Jeff Baker) that do so well against left-handers, and I'm looking for at-bats for 'Bake' and Reed," says Mike Quade. Yeah...better get Baker and Johnson at bats....whooooooooooo!

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In reply to by Dusty Baylor

This is what you get with Clown 1 (Hendry) saying in the papers so Clown 2 (Quade) can read it that Fukudome was traded so Colvin could play everyday. Then Clown 1 doesn't enforce his decision over Clown 2, and the field idiot bats Colvin 8th where he has little chance to develop patience batting in front of the pitcher. Seriously, you couldn't make shit like this up on your own.

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In reply to by George Altman

"the field idiot bats Colvin 8th where he has little chance to develop patience batting in front of the pitcher." Quade did say that he wanted Colvin to make the pitcher throw strikes, and therefore he would put him in the 8 hole. I guess he meant that the #8 hitter has extra incentive to draw a walk, since the pitcher will bunt him over. Anyway, where do you put a guy who gets one hit every ten at bats? (Short answer: Tennessee.)

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In reply to by George Altman

the field idiot bats Colvin 8th where he has little chance to develop patience batting in front of the pitcher. Huh? That is the best place possible to develop patience. Teams don't want to throw the #8 hitter strikes knowing the pitcher is coming up after.

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In reply to by Old and Blue

Bruce Miles collects them. Here's one set:
Manager Mike Quade went through every nickname in the book during one short span in today's pregame. We got: Lopey (Rodrigo Lopez), Dougie, Samardz, 'Bow (John Grabow, a new one), Russ, Cassie, Campy, Colv, Sori, Fuke and Snyds. Quade even referred to Astros manager Brad Mills as "Millsie."

PWSullivan Tweet Iowa Cubs lose on walk-off grand slam off Scott Maine, falling to 47-63. Furthest under .500 since 2000. It's a way of life.

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In reply to by Ryno

It's my opinion that at least 8 of these guys on the 25-man active roster shouldn't even be playing in the major leagues... that's approximately 1/3 of the active roster that can't play at the major league level- It's a piece of shit team and a piece of shit organization. I get angry every time I think about it.

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In reply to by Ryno

I disagree about the Iowa team. LeMahieu has gone ice cold while Jackson has been heating up slowly and Flaherty is still below .200. Castillo is on the DL. But this is a nice team now (the Camps and the Fernando Perezes are gone) and will do well. The pitching staff has been rounding into shape with Coleman, Struck, Rusin, etc., although Bush was brought in recently and has been ineffective. Maine got torched last night but has been very strong with ten saves. Iowa was weak earlier, hence the poor record. They won't make the playoffs, but Jackson, Flaherty, LeMahieu and Gonzalez should be eligible to return to Tennessee for the Southern League playoffs, so that should be fun.

I always wondered if it was better to promote a player in mid-season to another level in the minors or let them stay at the same level and accumulate some stats. For instance, Lemahieu (sic) was leading his league in batting average and was promoted to the Cubs and then put at Iowa. Wouldn't it help his development if he was placed back at AA and actually won a batting title. Wouldn't that help his confidence, look good on his resume, be something he could tell his grandchildren about, etc. I'm just wondering and I realize each player is different, but I always thought letting them has some success instead of moving up for uncertain results might help development more. Vitters for instance has never really had any sustainded success, because as soon as he starting hitting even a little bit he was moved up. Too quickly in my view.

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In reply to by TJ

Traditionally the Cubs have always had horrible approaches with prospects. They also seem to care about actual "production" less than any franchise in baseball. So when they invest a high pick in a guy like Vitters. He's getting pushed thru to justify the FO picking him. Whether deserved or not. On the flip side, a guy Like Marquez Smith won't likely ever get a real shot. Simply because they hype train has never gotten behind him. My only hope is the new GM will be much less limited than the current GM.

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In reply to by Dr. aaron b

Vitters has been maintaining a .275-.280 BA with very little fluctuation for about a month now. He's in double-A, he's been there all season so he's leading the team in at-bats now, he has double-digit home runs and fifty-plus RBI--and he's 21. He's right where he should be.

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In reply to by Dr. aaron b

Don't worry, his current production is not going to get him to Chicago. Notice that the Cubs didn't trade Ramirez or Pena. But I would keep a player at the highest level he could hit .275. Jae-Hoon Ha was promoted to Tennessee for the second time this season in mid-July when Jackson and Flaherty moved up. Ha struggled, and last Friday he was hitting .231. Last night he went 3-4 with 3 RBI and is back up to .259. It's cool when you can show resilience at double-A at the age of 20. I have no problem with the Cubs throwing guys in the pool and seeing if they're able to swim.

[ ]

In reply to by TJ

It seems to me that the Cubs prefer to move a guy up midseason when they're in a good run, a la every Vitters promotion. The concept must be to increase the level of competition when the hitter is locked in, rather than have them start up from scratch. Maybe Vitters is the only good example of this, but I feel like I've seen it with a lot of other prospects, too.

winning...plushdamentals. Tony Plush xPDMTL = (Sp + SuT + 2BB + SG) * PF (Sp=Speed + SuT=Stand-up Triples + 2BB=2-base Bunts + SG=Sweet Glove) x Plush Factor 5 hours ago

sadly, a winning streak is about the worst thing this organization needs right now.

Brett Jackson leads off with a HR on his 23rd b-day, McNutt pitching on his 22nd birthday, 4 IP, 1 ER so far

re the ongoing Garza vs. the farm system discussion Chirnos is 5/29 with a 172/250/207 line in 32 PA's and has allowed 2 wild pitches and somehow 13 SB against just 1 CS in 66 innings which seems like a lot. Could be the pitchers and the teams they played too, read something like Yankees stole 11/12 off him in one series. on the other hand Archer has put together 4 of 5 decent to good starts including 7 shutouts innings against Tennessee on July 27th

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

It's interesting to me that the D-Rays, with a winning record, play their kids in July focusing on next year, and the Cubs are sticking with all their veterans. Archer's ground ball tendencies seem to be a thing of the past. I wonder if at some point we'll hear the rest of the story on that.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

have they been, other than Jennings? who I think just replaced Fuld and that was just a matter of time. Chirinos hasn't played much since the call-up which was just because of an injuries I think not that I don't believe they are way smarter than the Cubs and would be smart enough to do those things, most of their team is kids anyway. a little surprised they didn't move damon, figured Indians would want him more than Fukudome.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Your comment was based on comparing Chirino's PT to Castillo's? That's stupid. The Rays have John Jaso and Kelly Shoppach as their catchers. Jaso went down with an injury on 7/14. Rather than call up Chirinos, the Rays first called up Jose Lobaton from AAA. Then Lobaton gets injured three days later and they call up Chirinos. So yes, Chirinos has 32 PAs on the year because the team's #1 and #3 catchers are both injured and he has split time with the #2 catcher for two weeks. So that's not at all comparable to the Cubs and Castillo.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

I think he was comparing how much chirinos played once called up compared to Castillo who unnecessarily sat when he was called up. That being said, you'd have to see how long each was up and compare PA's and innings, but I suspect chirinos has a played just a tad more. Still, a tenuos example for his broader point IMO.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

That's fair enough (besides the mistake about PT), but we saw the same thing with Guyer - up for three days, started two of them, and they traded Garza rather than putting Hellickson in the bullpen for two years. Does this also put to bed the thought that the Rays viewed Chirinos as solely a backup?

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Unless you're not a fucktard, then when the #3 catcher gets called up, he would play more than the #4 catcher. In Castillo's case, he's actually the #2 catcher, because Hill is so bad. So you think that the there's no difference between the Rays giving Chrinos 32 PA's behind Shoppach and the 13 for Castillo behind Hill? It's cool that you have this little stalker relationship with me, and all. But try not to be so fucking stupid when your doctor sees that you've snuck back on the internet again.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

I don't know how it works in your circle jerk commune, but in the rest of the world, when you call someone stupid, and illustrate it by being wrong, that person is going to call you out on it. Seriously. In case anyone besides my two trolls cares, here's the game logs of the two people in question. Remember the reason that Castillo was allegedly sent down despite winning the job over Hill in ST is so he could get more starts: Castilo was up for 18 days. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/29564/welington-castillo Chirinos has been up for 16 days. http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/29564/welington-castillo The fourth string catcher on the competitive team has gotten more than twice as much PT as the "third" string catcher on Cubs. Why don't you two vocation school dropouts just make a resolution not to reply to my posts, if this is the best you can do? George Altman and I came to the same agreement, with no problems.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

TRN, years ago I had a minor argument with you, don't even remember over what now, but was no biggie. I hardly ever post but read every day, and I gotta agree with you on this one. Whatever compels people to automatically reply to your posts with "I know you are, but what am I" gets really tedious. Seriously, sometimes I wonder if a small, but highly annoying, portion of TCR contributors are getting back at the world for all the times they had their books kicked out of their hands in middle school.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

... and the more we read, the more we are all increasingly aware of the sheer genius whose presence we are graced with... such class. such dignity. such respect. Careful, TRN. One by one, you are convincing us not to engage you. Soon, you might as well start your own sight, and run it like Al Yellon...

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

Hey, I am all for conversation Jace. Intelligent, though-out conversation. If you can't do that, don't engage me. I am going to condescend to you if you repeatedly show an inability or are unwilling to apply logic to your ideas. Rob and I were having a perfectly reasonable conversation when the Troll Boys decided to jump in. Posts like yours just encourage them. I think we all can agree it's not anything anyone comes here to read.

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

I honestly don't know what you're talking about. Did you say something demonstrably untrue, or extremely unlikely, and then repeat it like some sort of mantra again and again without considering that it could, in fact, be untrue? I tend to group some posters together based on their typical lines of thought and blindspots.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

In case anyone besides my two trolls cares
This has nothing to do with facts and who is right or wrong... it's about this: A person who is a regular jerk and d-bag to other people will inevitably rub people the wrong way and make enemies. It's about learning how to disagree in respectful ways. When you do this, you don't piss everyone off and as an added benefit your arguments become more persuasive. You're a smart guy and I am confident that you will one day get the hang of it.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

It has to do with a handful of people who are always right about everything the say or think, regardless of what mathematics and logic would indicate. Find one example when I said something in a disrespectful way the first time I replied to someone (assuming it isn't something we had already debated). If you don't want me to call you a fucktard: A. Be correct, or at least have some position you can debate with some sort of merit. 2. Don't troll me, doing things like taking things out of context to try to win mini-points in your troubled mind like Wiscgrad has been doing. I don't know if you guys think these trolls, or counter-trolls (if you think of me as one) are some sort of internet police, and you like them being cockheads, but it's clear they're just being dickheads and you're encouraging them. For me, I come here to shoot some shit, to get some info, to give my opinions on stuff, and to debate things. Very rarely if ever do these two "police" trolls contribute any original ideas or jokes or anything of merit to TCR.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I think this is a good point about the Rays and the differences in the two divisions. If the Cubs played the last few years in the AL East, they'd have been out of it by, like, June 1st. This would have to drive some different front office decisions. It's the whole 'rising to the level of competition' theory. Good teams breed other good teams, and shit, apparently, breeds shit. Is this where we start talking about realignment??

BTW went to McCartney show last night. Was awesome. Bought tix from street scalper sat row behind Bartman seats. Great, great show. I hope to be rocking like Sir Paul when I'm 69.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

I also went to McCartney show. It WAS amazing. I'm grateful to live in a world where there are such wonderful things. What a great talent, what a stellar performer -- Paul playing Hendrix's "Foxey Lady", then talking about going to a Hendrix performance in London where he was still largely unknown -- Hendrix played a concert on the Sunday after the Beatles released Sgt. Pepper on the previous Friday -- and Hendrix played a cover version of the song "Sgt. Pepper" live that night, just two days after the album was released. He (Hendrix) also spotted Eric Clapton in the audience and asked him to come up on stage and tune his guitar. Wrigley is a great place to see a concert.

Speaking of catchers, there's an interesting one at Boise: Rafael Lopez, drafted in the 16th round in June out of Florida State. Has shown some (lefty) pop with 4 home runs, and is hitting third in the lineup. Has thrown out 11 of 22 base stealers. He's a bit old (23) for his level, but like I say, just drafted. They would probably like to find a spot for him at Peoria, where Gibbs and Burruel are currently residing.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

In how many at bats for the 4 long balls? I only ask because I feel like so often in the system (and maybe the draft?) we collectively grasp at straws so badly. 4HR by a guy who's admittedly "old for" Boise, does not in the least bit pique my interest.

odd. c.morton gives garza 3 inside pitches in a row...very very inside. wonder wtf is up with that... ...then he works his way to a strikeout.

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In reply to by crunch

chris resop upset enough to have the catcher console him and pitching coach talk to him...shed a tear, even. both starting pitchers have worked amazing games to a 0-0 top 8...resop comes in for morton and gives up a HR and a double to the first 2 batters. ...K's aram following for the 1st out of the top 8th

"it's known that at least the Pirates contacted the Cubs at one point about Soto." From Levine. Thoughts? I'd be fairly interested in seeing what they (or anybody) were talking about offering.

Hendry won't trade in the division anyways unless he is getting a steal in his favor. He is still under the delusion that a "healthy" year is gonna make us winners next year and you can't help the competition if you still think your team is awesome.

Minor-league tidbits: Junior Lake stole his 30th base last night. Hoilman hit his NW-league-leading 11th. Loosen promoted to Daytona. Nelson Perez back at Tenn. With two singles and a walk last night, Jackson's line at Iowa is now .268/.384/.521/.905. Kyler Burke has this nice pitching line at Boise: 27.2 innings, 23 hits, 9 walks, 25 strikeouts, 1.16 WHIP, 3.25 ERA.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Submitted by Charlie on Thu, 08/04/2011 - 9:40am. Kyler Burke will be eligible for the Rule V this year, I think. I kind of doubt the Cubs bother to protect, although it's possible they will. Seems like there might be a way outside chance someone selects him. ================================================= CHARLIE: Kyler Burke was eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time last year, and so he is eligible again this December. Despite the promise he has shown so far, I doubt very much that the Cubs will add Burke to 40-man roster post-2011 (they'll add Jeffry Antigua before they add Burke). Presuming he continues to progress and improve, the bigger question is what will they do post-2012, when Burke can be a Rule 55 Minor League Free-agent (Six-year FA)? The Cubs probably won't want him to just walk away after all they've been through with him, so they very well might add him to the 40 post-2012--even if he hasn't progressed past Daytona--just to keep him from becoming a Minor League FA. FWIW: CUBS MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENTS POST-2011: NOTE 1: A minor league player eligible to be an Article XX-D free-agent is not eligible to be a free-agent if the player is added back to an MLB 40-man roster prior to the conclusion of the MLB regular season. A player eligible to be an Article XX-D minor league free-agent can file for free-agency beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up through October 15th. The player’s former club does not receive any compensation if the player signs with a new club. NOTE 2: A minor league player eligible to be a Rule 55 free-agent is not eligible to be a FA if the player is added to his club’s 40-man roster by the 4th day following the conclusion of the World Series. ELIGIBLE TO BE ARTICLE XX-D MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT POST-2011: Brad Snyder, OF RULE 55 SIX-YEAR MINOR LEAGUE FA: James Adduci, OF Marco Carrillo, RHP Robert Coello, RHP Angel Guzman, RHP Dylan Johnston, RHP (ex-OF) Bryan Lahair, 1B Mario Mercedes, C Scott Moore, INF Jonathan Mota, INF Chris Robinson, C Carlton Smith, RHP Alvaro Sosa, RHP Jeff Stevens, RHP John Urick, 1B (player-coach) PREVIOUSLY RELEASED - MINOR LEAGUE FA UNLESS SIGNED BEYOND 2011: Adrian Aviles, LHP (previously released by LAD) Dan Berlind, RHP (previously released by MIN) Austin Bibens-Dirkx, RHP (previously released by SEA) Dave Bush, RHP (previously released by TEX) Carlos Figueroa, INF (previously released by COL) ======================================================== CUBS MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENTS POST-2012: Adrian Aviles, LHP (unless signed beyond 2012) Dan Berlind, RHP (unless signed beyond 2012) Austin Bibens-Dirkx, RHP Kyler Burke, LHP (ex-OF) Matt Camp, IF-OF Steve Clevenger, C-1B (likely to be added to 40-man roster post-2011) Carlos Figueroa, INF (unless signed beyond 2012) Marwin Gonzalez, IF-OF (likely to be added to 40-man roster post-2011) Blake Lalli, C-1B Oswaldo Martinez, RHP Blake Parker, RHP Nate Samson, INF

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).