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

Cubs Pitching & Defense Frustrates A's at Fitch Park

Micah Gibbs ripped a solo home run and an RBI single, Danny Lockhart had three hits including an RBI double, and six pitchers combined to throw a five-hit shutout, as the Cubs whitewashed the Athletics 6-0 in AZ Instructional League action this afternoon at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.  

20-year old RHP Ian Dickson (Cubs 2011 35th round draft pick out of Lafayette College) made his pro debut today, getting the start and throwing one inning. Dickson pitched-around a first-pitch lead-off double, retiring the next three A’s hitters on a strikeout (swinging) and two 6-3 GO. Dickson missed the 2011 college baseball season after suffering a torn ACL in 2010, but Cubs scouts apparently had seen enough of him in previous years to offer him a contract at the 8/15 deadline once he proved he was 100%.

Besides the Gibbs HR and Lockhart’s three hits, today’s game featured two excellent defensive plays by Cubs players.

Reggie Golden showed-off his plus arm, making an outstanding pinpoint throw from CF to nail an A’s runner trying to score from 2nd base on a line-drive single to CF with two outs in the top of the 2nd inning, and 2B Rubi Silva made a terrific turn on a 6-4-3 DP in the 5th.

Although he played mostly OF this past season at Peoria and Daytona, Silva looks very comfortable at 2B, making four other nice plays on grounders to retire A’s hitters today (each play harder than the previous one), and showing off his plus-arm on two of them. Scouts in attendance were impressed (and apparently surprised) with Silva’s play-making skills at 2B.

While Cubs 2011 3rd round draft pick 2B-LF Zeke DeVoss (U. of Miami) is probably better-suited to play LF, it would appear that Silva does have the skills required to play 2B. So don’t be surprised if the Daytona Cubs 2012 Opening Day lineup features Rubi Silva at 2B.

Silva played for the Cuban Junior National Team and then later for Havana in Serie Nacional (the Cuban major league) prior to defecting, and received a reported $1M bonus when he signed with the Cubs last December.

Here is the abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Rubi Silva, 2B-DH: 0-4 (1-3, K, 3-U, 4-3)
2. Danny Lockhart, SS-2B: 3-4 (1B, K, 2B, 1B, R, RBI)
3a. Rafael Lopez, C: 1-2 (1B, 5-3)
3b. Alberto Mineo, PH: 1-1 (1B, RBI)
3c. Mark Malave, C: 0-1 (K)
4. Reggie Golden, CF: 0-3 (K, 1-3, 6-3, BB, R)
5. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 2-4 (K, 1B, 3-1, 1B, 2 R)
6. Dustin Geiger, 1B: 1-4 (1B, K, F-7, 4-3)
7. Micah Gibbs, DH #1: 2-3 (HBP, HR, 4-3, 1B, R, 2 RBI)
8a. Yaniel Cabezas, DH #2: 0-3 (6-3, 6-3, 5-3)
8b. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-1 (4-3)
9. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 0-3 (1-3, 1-3, K)
10. Garrett Schlecht, LF: 0-2 (K, BB, L-5, R)

PITCHERS:
1. Ian Dickson: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 24 pitches (16 strikes), 2/0 GO/FO
2. Frank Del Valle: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 1 BALK, 30 pitches (18 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
3. Dustin Fitzgerald: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 GIDP, 25 pitches (12 strikes), 5/0 GO/FO
4. Austin Reed: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 21 pitches (11 strikes), 3/3 GO/FO
5. Luis Liria: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 9 pitches (5 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
6. Andrew McKirahan: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 16 pitches (11 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO

ERRORS: NONE

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Rafael Lopez: 0-2 CS

OUTFIELD ASSIST
CF Reggie Golden threw out base-runner 8-2 trying to score from 2nd base on a line drive single to CF

ATTENDANCE: 18 (mostly scouts)

WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 90’s

Comments

My favorite time of the year (since the Cubs usually suck) -- AZ Phil Post Time. Seems like every time I read one of these posts so far this year there's some guy I've never heard of who has signed a huge bonus. I guess Ricketts is putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to player development. I've always kinda wondered what would happen if a team focused on pouring massive amounts of money into player development as opposed to free agency. Instead of signing the Carl Crawfords of the world for $100 mil or whatever it was, pour that money into signing these Latin kids. Things could get interesting in a few years if I'm still alive to see it. Cough cough.

Maddon names Matt Moore Game 1 starter, Shields for Game 2

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Speaking of Moore, anybody know how an 8th rounder in 2007 becomes the most promising young lefty in the league in 2011? Not only the Cubs, but every other team including the Rays found other players to draft in the first seven rounds. If you look at Moore's numbers, he's been great at every level since he was 19. It's not like they had to teach him something.

is it march yet? :( at least there's playoffs left...wish it was a WBC year...wish MLB network would telecast fall/winter local and international games...i don't even care if they don't have a pbp announcer...wood bat baseball woo.

f'n hell...we're going to have to hear about this crap being the next chicago suit for the next few weeks, too, i'd imagine... "According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosnethal, the Red Sox are expected to part ways Friday with manager Terry Francona."

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Submitted by Charlie on Fri, 09/30/2011 - 10:40am. Hey AZ Phil, How would you describe Gibbs as a hitter? Does he have a slow bat? Thanks, as always! ===================================== CHARLIE: Micah Gibbs has the proverbial "slider speed bat," but he also has an upper-cut swing & has improved his strength to where he can probably at least hit a few home runs. He already is a very good defensive catcher, so anything he can do to make himself more-valuable as a hitter would help improve his chances of making it to the big leagues. While you would want a fast runner (like Tony Campana) to try and hit the ball on the ground as much as possible to take advantage of his speed, it is preferable for slow-footed catchers like Micah Gibbs to hit the ball in the air, and (if possible) have the power to hit home runs (if not line-drives). BTW, with Luis Flores on the Restricted List (serving a PED suspension) for at least the first month of the 2012 regular season, it is very possible that Micah Gibbs could start the 2012 season at AA Tennessee (sharing the catching duties with Michael Brenly), at least until Flores is reinstated. Best comp for Micah Gibbs is Koyie Hill.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/7950802-419/cubs-will-make… A day later in Chicago, the question became the same one uttered by a player amid the din that night: ‘‘You think [Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein] would leave to come here?’’ If the answer is yes — and one report Thursday suggested he has told friends he would ‘‘embrace the challenge’’ — the next sound could be the cheering coming from the Cubs’ boardroom. Epstein has a 2012 option that has to be exercised by Oct. 8th

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-pulse/2011/2612… I think they fucked this up though, they said players originally drafted or signed, but not those that are past 6 years service time, but their Phillies blurb indicates Utley and Rollins did count. I asked the dude on twitter if I'm missing something, but here were his rankings regardless 1. Rays (duh) - 28.1 WAR 2. Phillies 3. Brewers 4. Tigers 5. Rangers 6. DBacks 7. Yankees 8. Cardinals - 10.8 WAR Cubs for 2011 (if I did this right): 5.1 from their hitters, 4.2 from pitching 9.3 WAR

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Suspect that will be higher in 2012 and probably 2013. Soto, Castro, Barney, Jackson, Colvin, Campana, LeMahieu, Flaherty, Marwin Gonzalez, Vitters, Marquez Smith, Clevenger, Castillo. 13 position players. Marmol, Marshall, Cashner, Wells, Carpenter, Russell, Mateo, Samardzija, Dolis, Cabrera, McNutt, Struck, Whitenack. 13 Pitchers. Would it be a shock to see 12-15 of these 26 names on the MLB roster and contributing positively (if not extraordinarily) by 2013? And, I believe, these are all guys originally drafted or signed out of Latin America by the Cubs. I suppose we could toss Ha, Rhee, and maybe one of the other Pacific Rim pitchers in their, too.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I see the Cubs filling several starting spots with homegrown talent--Soto, Castro, Cashner, Wells, Jackson, Whoever Plays Second--and then having a steady supply of OK-to-Good minor leaguers to fill in for injured players or occupy the majority of the bench roles--Flaherty, Gonzalez, LeMahieu, Campana, Colvin, Clevenger, Castillo, Smith, etc., etc. And then there is the neverending parade of homegrown relief pitchers, who at some points may make positive contributions. Campana managed a 1.4 contribution as a bench player this season and Samardzija a 1.1 as a middle reliever. Get a handful of solid performances from minor role players, and then you can stack that on top of whatever you get from Castro, Soto, and ?. I don't see the Cubs reaching 14 without a few homegrown stars, but they could get up to 11 or so. I'm also guessing that Castro, Soto, Cashner, and maybe Wells will improve on their 2011 contributions. On the other hand, Samardzija and a couple others will probably regress a bit.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

and then Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker play instead. Too true. And there is the turd in my HopefulO's. I've never understood the need for mid-30's free agent bench warmers when you've got a bunch of guys in the minors who could do the same thing. And I guess I am expecting a new manager to agree and replace Hill, Johnson, Baker, etc., with Clevenger, Colvin/Campana, LeMahieu/Flaherty, etc. Also, I'm not so far into fantasyland that I'm saying the Cubs will be good simply because they may get another WAR or two from homegrown players in the next couple years. I think you'd better have cheap homegrown players giving you more WARs when you've got Soriano giving you 1.3 WAR in return for $17 million, Zambrano giving you .9 in return for whatever he makes, and then you pay Carlos Silva to go home. Yes, Tony Campana and Darwin Barney provided more WARs this year than Soriano and Zambrano. That is sad. It also seems like a good reason to go all-in on player development at the cost of long contracts to free agents.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

indeed. Jackson showing more power at an earlier age though with a few more walks. Believe Stubbs was considered a really good defender coming up, Jackson merely adequate at center and Stubbs is supposed to be faster. Jackson does have the advantage of being a lefty though. I can't say for sure of course, but that should give him a bit of an advantage with the K's and batting average. Jackson has certainly shown more at a younger age than Stubbs in the minors.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

The Rangers don't strike out when they're not facing strikeout pitchers. Pineda 17K's in 19 innings Gonzales 12K's in 10 innings Hernandez 19K's in 25 innings That's the three top 10 K/inning guys in their division. Price got 13K's in 14 innings off of them. I like Moore's chances.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).