Cubs MLB Roster

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40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Extend Fleita, Wilken Possibly Next

Submitted by Rob G. on

Over the weekend, Tom Ricketts had the audacity to spend his own money on a guy he seems to believe is good at what he does. Someone whom the Detroit Tigers and possibly a few other organizations believed in as well. Some folks reacted as you might expect...with uninformed opinions.

Why is that stupid? Because that’s one of the prime positions that general managers want to fill. That’s not a position that a Fanboy Owner should be filling, and certainly not a Fanboy Owner who doesn’t seem to understand much beyond bison dogs and urinals.


So, now the situation in the Fanboy Owner’s search for Jim Hendry’s replacement is this: The new guy will have to take Fleita if he’s going to take the job.


Which means the situation is really this: The Fanboy Owner can forget about the top-shelf candidates he blathered on about hiring. Or maybe he already has. Maybe he was wrong or lying about that. Maybe he found out that what he’s offering is a joke as long as Clown Kenney remains his team president and no one else can get that title.

Rosenbloom seems to be actually using the term "Fanboy Owner" as a derogatory term, becaue we all know how much better it was with "Non-Fanboy Corporate Owner" in charge.

Nonetheless, Fleita's position as farm director and head of international scouting is an important one as is Tim Wilken's and rumors are that he may be next in line for a deal. With a new GM to soon be in place, there is worthy concern that you'd want that new GM to have some input there, as well that one of the bigger names would be upset that he doesn't get to bring in his own guys.  But let's do some reading....

Like Fleita, Wilken will have a number of teams interested in his services. If the Cubs decide to make a further commitment to Wilken, the next general manager will have two vital positions in place when he takes over. There will, however, be some flexibility for Ricketts and his next general manager to make changes to those spots in the near future. Fleita’s deal (and a possible one for Wilkens) will be structured creatively with buyouts and options to benefit both the team and the executives.

So essentially Ricketts takes all the risk with his own money on a couple of guys he believes in and then leaves the option in there in case a new GM decides he wants his own guys in there. Oh the tragedy...

Now the actual wisdom of extending two guys, one of which has been in place since the turn of the century can certialy be questioned. Fleita may have a lot of admirers in the baseball world, but I don't think many of them are Cubs fans, although our own Arizona Phil has had mostly good things to say about him. It's not like the Cubs are well-renownned for their ability to develop young players and certain promotions have left me scratching my head. But I can firmly grasp that I have no idea the scope of what Fleita does and I presume, possibly on a faulty premise, that Ricketts did some homework and knows what he has and doesnt't have in Fleita and what other folks in baseball think of him.

As for Wilken, well I think Levine summed it up best..

Darwin Barney, Andrew Cashner, Casey Coleman, Jeff Samardzija, Tyler Colvin and farm-system jewel Brett Jackson are just a few of the Cubs’ signings since Wilken took over the amateur and pro scouting job in December of 2005.

I think Levine is trying to write that sentence as a positive? That in 5 years worth of drafting, Wilken has managed not one superstar player, well except for the "crown jewel" that is certain to be manning center field for a decade with a trophy case of awards despite striking out more than Adam Dunn did in the minors. You could have wrote that same sentence about Stockstill, couldn't you?

Ryan Theriot, Mark Prior, Sean Marshall, Rich Hill, Ryan Harvey and farm-system jewel Geovany Soto are just a few of the Cubs’ signings since Stockstill took over...

Anyway, I know I'm actually pretty disappointed in Wilken at the moment, although I do appreciate his out-of-the-box thinking. Well let's hope it was the cash flow that was truly holding him back. Time will tell...

Tags
Oneri Fleita
Cubs Commentary
Tim WIlken

Comments

Submitted by Jumbo on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 09:47 pm

For a while Rosenbloom was filling in for Mully and Hanley, and he used the "Fanboy Owner" term incessantly. He has such venom for Ricketts that it makes me wonder what Ricketts did to personally offend or hurt Rosenbloom's feelings. It also make me discredit anything he has to say about Ricketts. I can't believe he uses the terms in print, too

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 09:10 pm

I got two e-mails asking if players called up in September accrue MLB Service Time, and the answer is yes, players accrue MLB Service Time anytime they are on an MLB Active List, Disabled List (7-day concussion, 15-day, and/or 60-day), Bereavement List, Paternity List (new in 2011), and/or Military List during the course of the 182-day MLB regular season. So (for example) Bryan LaHair will accrue 27 days of MLB Service Time in 2011 (he was called-up on September 2, and the MLB regular season ends on September 28), and Brian Schlitter (who spent the entire 2011 season on the Cubs MLB 15-day and then later the 60-day DL) will accrue one full year of MLB Service Time in 2011. Also, a player accrues MLB Service Time for all days spent on the Designated List (Designated for Assignment), so therefore Robert Coello accrued six days of MLB Service Time this year despite not ever being on the Cubs 25-man roster because he was DFA'd prior to getting outrighted (the Cubs needed Coello's spot on the 40-man roster immediately, and it takes two business days to secure Outright Waivers). Coello was technically recalled from his Optional Assignment on Friday 5/27 to make room on the 40-man roster for Rodrigo Lopez, and then was immediately Designated for Assignment (placed on the Designated List). He was placed on Outright Waivers on Monday 5/30 (the first chance the Cubs would have to do that, since Saturday and Sunday are not considered "business days" during the MLB regular season), and then was outrighted to AA Tennessee on 6/2.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 09:08 pm

Jackson hit his 20th this afternoon--his 10th for Iowa--in their final game. LOL on that Stockstill list, Rob, the way you had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for that third position player behind Soto and Theriot. Harvey played eight seasons for two teams and never got out of double A. Wilken may not draft superstars--who does?--but here are thirteen Wilken non-pitchers who have advanced higher than Harvey: Colvin, Donaldson, Guyer, Flaherty, Jackson, Campana, Barney, Wright, Harrison, LeMahieu, Clevenger, Camp, Smith. More to come.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 09:17 pm

LOL on that Stockstill list, Rob, the way you had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for that third position player behind Soto and Theriot. you have to for Wilken right now too Wilken may not draft superstars--who does? Rays, Rockies, Red Sox, Dodgers to name a few... -but here are thirteen Wilken non-pitchers who have advanced higher than Harvey: is that the standard? here's from Stockstill era Dwaine Bacon, Brendan Harris, Matt Craig, Micah Hoffpauir, Adam Greenberg, Chris Walker, Jake Fox, Casey McGehee, Eric Patterson, Sam Fuld, Joe Simokaitis, Soto, Theriot anyway, everyone knows the MacPhail era marching orders were to draft pitchers over position players, from those years, at one point the Cubs had the most pitchers in the league that they originally drafted.

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 09:25 pm

Players drafted by John Stockstill during the five years he was making picks (2001-05) include future major leaguers Ryan Theriot, Mark Prior, Ricky Nolasco, Casey McGehee, Sean Marshall, Geovany Soto, Sam Fuld, Rich Hill, Randy Wells (drafted as a catcher), Micah Hoffpauir, Eric Patterson, Brendan Harris, Sergio Mitre, Sean Gallagher, Jake Fox, Jerry Blevins, Andy Sisco, Mitch Atkins, Rocky Cherry, Billy Petrick, and Adam "Moonlight Graham" Greenberg, plus Khalil Greene, Micah Owings, Matt LaPorta and Tim Lincecum (who were drafted by Stockstill but did not sign). Stockstill also drafted several highly-regarded pitchers (Prior, Petrick, Sisco, Chadd Blasko, Bobby Brownlie, Luke Hagerty, Justin Jones, Matt Clanton, Grant Johnson, and Donnie Veal) who had their careers derailed by arm problems. What really stains Stockstill's record as Cubs Scouting Director is the crappy 2005 draft, but he did pretty well over the four years prior to that. What I would say about Tim Wilken is that even if it turns out that he did a better job as Cubs Scouting Director then did John Stockstill over a similar period of time (Wilken 2006-11 vs Stockstill 2001-05), he has yet to come close to matching the work he himself did in Toronto.

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Submitted by Dr. aaron b on Mon, 09/05/2011 - 09:21 pm

List seems much less impressive since he was only in Toronto from 1996 on. Best write-up I could find. Chicago Cubs Scouting Director: Tim Wilken (Drafts run: 2006, Devil Rays 2005, Blue Jays 1996-2000) Best Player Produced: Vernon Wells (1st round, 1997) or Michael Young (5th round, 1997) Best Prospect in Minors: Jeremy Hellickson (3rd round, 2005) Notable Steals: Reed Johnson (17th round, 1999), Jay Gibbons (14th round, 1998), Orlando Hudson (43rd round, 1997), Mark Hendrickson (20th round, 1997) Five-Round Strategy: 34 total picks. 44.1% college, 44.1% high school, 5.9% Latin, 2.9% junior college. Strategy in a Nutshell: Landing Wilken as scouting director was a coup for the Cubs, as he's long been considered one of the best talent evaluators in the business. Hitter or pitcher, college or high school, Puerto Rican or American, it’s hard to spot biases in the way Wilken drafts. Whoever he has evaluated as the best player available, he will take. Wilken does evaluate differently, as he's made as many scratch their heads in the past over a pick like Alex Rios as they do now with Jeff Samardzija. But look for Wilken’s legacy to grow with the Cubs, as a bigger pocketbook should lend to more late-round steals. 2007 Draft Crystal Ball: While I have not used inside info in this section before, our own Kevin Goldstein has called Wilken's affinity for Josh Vitters the "draft's worst-kept secret." This doesn't necessarily defy his previous selections, so barring a late interest in Matt Wieters if he drops to the Cubs, we'll project Vitters here.

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 09:23 am

I would think that he was probably assisting the GM in amateur scouting, at least in part, since that's where his background was, and they had him take it over later. I'm not too worried about it. For the most part he seems to know what he is doing. The Colvin pick he just saw the guy as the best guy on the board that wouldn't be around for the 5th round, and the same with Simpson (earlier second pick last year). Fans who want the Cubs to use BA's top 200 to draft from should just quit following the draft.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 09:45 pm

Dwaine Bacon, Brendan Harris, Matt Craig, Micah Hoffpauir, Adam Greenberg, Chris Walker, Jake Fox, Casey McGehee, Eric Patterson, Sam Fuld, Joe Simokaitis, Soto, Theriot
Ryan Theriot, Mark Prior, Ricky Nolasco, Casey McGehee, Sean Marshall, Geovany Soto, Sam Fuld, Rich Hill, Randy Wells (drafted as a catcher), Micah Hoffpauir, Eric Patterson, Brendan Harris, Sergio Mitre, Sean Gallagher, Jake Fox, Jerry Blevins, Andy Sisco, Mitch Atkins, Rocky Cherry, Billy Petrick, and Adam "Moonlight Graham" Greenberg . . .
You guys are cheating, you're comparing an 11-year period for Stockstill with a 6-year period for Wilken. Stockstill's first draft was 1999, his last was 2005. Wilken's first was 2006, his most recent, 2011. That's six drafts for each. We're looking at where Wilken's picks are today, in 2011. For Stockstill, the equivalent year would be 2004. Where were Stockstill's picks at the end of the 2004 season? Not in the majors. Only one of Stockstill's non-pitchers had played a game in the majors by the end of 2004. It looks like the Cubs called Brendan Harris up in September of 2004, and he got into 23 games, hitting .169. The season is far from over, but as of Sept. 6, 2011, six Wilken draftees--Colvin, LeMahieu, Barney, Campana, Guyer and Harrison--have played a total of 521 major-league games. The comparison will get worse, much worse, not better, for Stockstill in the coming years. Try looking ahead, not backwards.

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Submitted by The E-Man on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 09:40 pm

Well, that's a little extreme Dr. Five Wilken draftees were on the opening day roster: Cash, Sammy, Russell, Barney and Colvin That is doing your job. It is cut and dried, and there is no argument. Now, if you want to argue "quality", or "impact player", that's something else. Some of that, as ROB G alluded to, is luck, or taki g some risks. This year's draft, I like the direction. We'll see how it pans out. But, the odds of getting a player from A league - to a major league roster are very slim for any player. Used correctly, Russell and Sammy have done well. Colvin still sucks. Still early. We'll see on Cash. The injury couldn't have been predicted, though. I am not as enthused as I was a couple years ago about Wilken, but not as negative as MIKE C is. I suppose the arrow is pointing in the right direction is all...

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    The issue is the Cubs are 11-7 and have been on the road for 12 of those 18.  We should be at least 13-5, maybe 14-4. Jed isn't feeling any pressure to play anyone he doesn't see fit.
    But Canario on the bench, Morel not at 3B for Madrigal and Wisdom in RF wasn't what I thought would happen in this series.
    I was hoping for Morel at 3B, Canario in RF, Wisdom at DH and Madrigal as a pinch hitter or late replacement.
    Maybe Madrigal starts 1 game against the three LHSP for Miami.
    I'm thinking Canario goes back to Iowa on Sunday night for Mastrobuoni after the Miami LHers are gone.
    Canario needs ABs in Iowa and not bench time in MLB.
    With Seiya out for a while Wisdom is safe unless his SOs are just overwhelmingly bad.

    My real issue with the lineup isn't Madrigal. I'm not a fan, but I've given up on that one.
    It's Tauchman getting a large number of ABs as the de factor DH and everyday player.
    I didn't realize that was going to be the case.
    We need a better LH DH. PCA or ONKC need to force the issue in about a month.
    But, even if they do so, Jed doesn't have to change anything if the Cubs stay a few over .500!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally depends on the team and the player involved. If your team’s philosophy is to pay huge dollars to bet on the future performance of past stars in order to win championships then, yes, all of the factors you mentioned are important.

    If on the other hand, if the team’s primary focus is to identify and develop future stars in an effort to win a championship, and you’re a young player looking to establish yourself as a star, that’s a fit too. Otherwise your buried within your own organization.

    Your comment about bringing up Canario for the purposes of sitting him illustrates perfectly the dangers of rewarding a non-performing, highly paid player over a hungry young prospect, like Canario, who is perpetually without a roster spot except as an insurance call up, but too good to trade. Totally disincentivizing the performance of the prospect and likely diminishing it.

    Sticking it to your prospects and providing lousy baseball to your fans, the consumers and source of revenue for your sport, solely so that the next free agent gamble finds your team to be a comfortable landing spot even if he sucks? I suppose  that makes sense to some teams but it’s definitely not the way I want to see my team run.

    Once again, DJL, our differences in philosophy emerge!

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    That’s just kinda how it works though, for every team. No team plays their best guys all the time. No team is comprising of their best 26 even removing injuries.

    When baseball became a business, like REALLY a business, it became important to keep some of the vets happy, which in turn keeps agents happy and keeps the team with a good reputation among players and agents. No one wants to play for a team that has a bad reputation in the same way no one wants to work for a company that has a bad rep.

    Don’t get me wrong, I hate it too. But there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

    On that topic, I find it silly the Cubs brought up Canario to sit as much as he has. He’s going to get Velazquez’d, and it’s a shame.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Of course, McKinstry runs circles around $25 million man Javier Baez on that Tigers team. Guess who gets more playing time?

    But I digress…

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Seems like Jed was trying to corner the market on mediocre infielders with last names starting with "M" in acquiring Madrigal, Mastroboney and Zach McKinstry.  

     

    At least he hasn't given any of them a Bote-esque extension.  

  • Childersb3 (view)

    AZ Phil:
    Rookie ball (ACL) starts on May 4th. Do yo think Ramon and Rosario (maybe Delgado) stay in Mesa for the month of May, then go to MB if all goes "solid"?
     

  • crunch (view)

    masterboney is a luxury on a team that has multiple, capable options for 2nd, SS, and 3rd without him around.  i don't hate the guy, but if madrigal is sticking around then masterboney is expendable.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I THINK I agree with that decision. They committed to Wicks as a starter and, while he hasn’t been stellar I don’t think he’s been bad enough to undo that commitment.

    That said, Wesneski’s performance last night dictates he be the next righty up.

    Quite the dilemma. They have many good options, particularly in relief, but not many great ones. And complicating the situation is that the pitchers being paid the most are by and large performing the worst - or in Taillon’s case, at least to this point, not at all.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Wesneski and Mastrobuoni to Iowa

    Taillon and Wisdom up

    Wesneski can't pitch for a couple of days after the 4 IP from last night. But Jed picked Wicks over Wesneski.

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