Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

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

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Boston Herald Reporting that Theo Will Join The Cubs

The headline says it all, but let me blockquote for you.

Two baseball sources have confirmed that Theo Epstein is on the cusp of leaving his job as general manager of the Red Sox [team stats] to accept a position with the Chicago Cubs that is believed to include powers greater than he has in Boston, with an announcement expected to be made “within the next 24 to 48 hours.”

Now MLB generally doesn't like major announcements right during the playoffs, so I can foresee this stretching until the break between the LCS and World Series. Also, there's still a bit of a hangup.

The hangup in the negotiations has been twofold. One of them is that Red Sox ownership was still hoping to have Epstein remain with the team. The other is compensation: If Epstein is to leave Boston, said one source with knowledge of the negotiations, the Red Sox are going to want “something real.”

That compensation is going to be the real fun part, as I imagine quite a few fans are going to be upset over a quality prospect or player being traded for a "suit". On the other hand, not many "suits" out there with the Theo Epstein's resume. I presume Castro, Cashner and Brett Jackson are the untouchables, past that it's probably pretty fair game. Red Sox fans seem to be happy with the Cubs just taking on Lackey or Crawford's contract and while hardly ideal, neither would terribly upset me. You got to pay something to get something and Epstein is worth the sticker price.

In case that "hangup" becomes a roadblock, Wittenmyer tweets that the Cubs have talked to other GM candidates.

Comments

Taking on Lackey (maybe not straight up, but with some kind of cash adjustments or similarly bad contract going the other way--maybe Z?) makes the most sense to me. The Cubs need starting pitching anyway.

It could happen, but reports are far ahead of decisions

Other than Garza or Castro, they can have any prospect as far as I am concerned. If they want us to take on Lackey's contract, that's probably fine too as long as we can send them Z. I don't know if Lackey lost anything stuff-wise this year, but going through a divorce could have just made him depressed and unfocused, and one would think that will eventually change. And we have so little starting pitching.

So the question then becomes, what did Epstein say about his plan for the next couple of years, and what kind of request did Ricketts make, if any, about trying to field a contending team in the next year or two? I think this off-season's free agent class is mostly weak, and we have so many positions to fill or upgrade. If Pujols and Fielder leave the division, even if we don't sign either, we might be able to scrap together a team to contend, but that would probably also take a few trades, especially for a pitcher or two, and would cost more prospects. I'm curious what the plan of action is going to be in the near term.

from Buster... Worth mentioning amid reports that BOS ownership wants to convince Theo to stay: Henry/Werner have had power to stop this. And they haven't. from Heyman if theo does go to cubs (boston herald reporting chicago deal could be "on the cusp''), he will not be hiring tito there

Source tells Espn chi.com that their is not a deal in place with Theo Epstein yet. Cubs checking with MLB on compensation. that sounds like there is a deal in place, doesn't it? just looking for approval and parameters...

The Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908. Who knew?

Tim Brown of Yahoo Hearing Red Sox owners are making play to keep Theo in town, but won't ask him to continue in job he doesn't want. and Kapman Okay, two impeccable sources tell me that Theo is wrestling with personal decision to leave his home in Boston. Has Red Sox in his heart.

just getting started B. Jackson leads off with a lineout to SS.

says deal is all but done, and no I don't particularly trust it. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2011/10/11/2011-10-11_theo_e… [Theo Epstein]...has been engaged for two days in "serious and comprehensive" negotiations with Cubs owner Tom Ricketts. According to one source, final contract details were in the process of being worked out Tuesday night and the only other detail, albeit an important one, was the compensation the Red Sox would receive from the Cubs.

Source: Epstein would be restricted, through agreement of parties, from taking employees to CHC with him, except in cases BOS green lights. follow-up joke... @dustinparkes BOS just painted Lackey green

Muskat Sources say #Cubs made offer & sticking point is whether Theo wants to leave #RedSox. Tough call, personal vs professional Kapman Just learned that Epstein would be among 3 highest paid GM's if he takes the gig. He makes 1.5 in Boston. Want nothing to do w/business side

Peter Abraham tweeting that compensation not the issue, but who Theo can take with him. Also stressing that Theo's mind is not made up and could still stay with Boston.

Theo would be nuts not to accept the Cubs offer. He has the chance to go down in history as the greatest GM evah if he can bring a title to the Northside after bringing two to Boston. Everyone knows there is no pinnacle in American sports that goes higher than the people that FINALLY end the Cubs misery. Theo can't pass up that chance. Hell, I know I wouldn't if I were a hotshot GM.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

New Sun-Times article up has a few remarks about Crane Kenney: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/8165042-573/now-its-in-theo-epsteins-han… "A key for the Cubs to land Epstein is a title that represents a higher rank, presumably of comparable standing to ‘‘president,’’ in part to assure he’s not making a lateral move, as baseball protocol dictates. In practice, sources said, it’s to assure that Epstein would have the authority to keep meddlesome Cubs president Crane Kenney out of baseball business. Multiple high-level executives from other organizations said they viewed Kenney as an interfering, credit-seeking suit with little baseball acumen and an impediment to landing a top general manager. Despite chairman Tom Ricketts’ vow that Kenney operates independent of baseball operations — and that Kenney wouldn’t be involved in selecting the new GM — a Cubs source said Kenney remains involved in the process. Ricketts recently lauded Kenney’s efforts in that process to members of the organization, the source said."

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

you're having a moment. go read it all again if you need to. in fact i used some of that same language. that said...what's he done? who he sign? who did he champion and campaign for? all that's missing is a list of stuff he's done from this discussion. the list of stuff he has done goes from ARZ to Chicago and none of it has to do with him signing players, putting pressure on roster decisions, telling people they can't have what they want, or otherwise playing God with the roster. being an annoying jerk isn't running a team.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

what harm? he's a loud mouth tell-all who has issues with his own role in the organization and his importance to it. he'll take information from other parts of the organization and talk about it others as if everything is "we"...that got old and he never quit doing it. being meddlesome and annoying doesn't put anyone in a position of power over the roster even if some communication is required to do some things...what shots is he supposedly calling or blocking? there's a very short list of specific harm he's done while chairman/president/etc...somewhere around 0...there's a longer list of dumbass incidents (blessing-gate), credit-stealing, questionable statements, ego exercising, etc...a bit too many to count. if anything, he's gone around for far too long putting the "we" and "us" tag on stuff he couldn't have been heavily involved with while forgetting some of the truths he stretches. he's been busted claiming to be at games he wasn't at...he can "stretch" some weird truths while trying to prove his cubs-importance and love. hell, he's a redsox fan anyway...theo will love replacing him and kenney will love getting some other token title to go do fundraising and b/s'ing politicians and city business leaders.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

FWIW, I'm with crunch on this one. I don't see any legs under this story, just the usual Sullivan-Wittenmyer-Rogers BS. These guys are getting scooped every day by the Boston Herald and the Globe. After we fix the baseball team, can we fix the newspapers?

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

I'm sure he has reigned him in and that was finalized at Hendry's dismissal when he said Kenney will no longer be a part of the baseball side of things. Him sticking to wrestling money out of people is fine, never argued otherwise. He clearly inserted himself in the baseball side of things too much though (clear that is if your name isn't crunch) and that certainly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and certainly contributed somewhat to some of the Cubs problems the last 3 years.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

and im still waiting for a list...or even a list of "one" thing he's done besides being an annoying, credit taking, blame deflecting, talk-to-everyone-under-the-sun egomaniac who likes to talk about the club as if he's running it. what has he done besides being an annoying credit-wrangling asshat in the negative department? some people must believe the guy works 20 hours a day... we got faith in elevating something to an unproven area vs. faith he's not running things as intensely as he's just being annoyingly meddlesome

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

btw...check out some of the interviews he's done with blogs. that will give a lot of insight into his own ego and attachment to the club. everything is "we're going"..."we are"...and glowing helm-riding putting himself right in the middle of everything. he's just not that damn involved. hell, when he was still a board guy with the trib he was talking to BCB about how things were being run and you could assume he was right there on every single decision the club was making...which is really really really unrealistic. he was also busted in the same BCB interview stretching the truth about his involvement in the fan base and catching games. the guy wants to be the organization...or wanted...either way, a heightened view of his own role from his own mouth.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

im not arguing about a detriment...im arguing about his role in the organization and shaping the product we see on the field. i see nothing pointing to how he's interfered with what's on the field...not even a single thing. not one...nothing...zero...zilch. he's annoying...he's a credit whore...he's an egomaniac...he's been over his head, called on it, and badly lied to get out. i'm yet to see him shaping what we see on the field aside from wrangling money from what others have asked him. him being "involved" in the next GM hunt...a guy who is probably going to take HIS job...do you really think he's shot calling or just involved? his entire role in the organization has been overblown with the assumptions of shot calling rather than just being there and talking to much about what he's seen or gleened off of others. meanwhile, he's out there doing his civic/government and fundraising stuff...his main job beyond being a cog in the money chain. this is why he's on owner 3 and still has a job...he's very good at making government bend for a private company as well as stretching revenue in every area he can...well, aside from selling wrigley naming rights which for some reason is off the table for him...for now.

Am watching CSN right now (10:05) Steve Buckley from the Bos Herald stated that barring a personal decision to just stay in Bean Town, Epstein will be coming here. Compensation was mentioned, but the "building blocks" of the top prospects apparently will not be going anywhere. All of this shit is speculation, of course, but the inside reporter was pretty convincing. In any event, I am more confident than ever finally we will get a good GM on the North Side. Maybe.

Heyman compensation from cubs to red sox may only be cash. there may be another hurdle, but deal still has decent shot.

from Cubs and start the bad press on Epstein (and others)... While Epstein has accepted blame for signing subpar performers such as Lackey and Jenks, the owners share the responsibility of unanimously approving their signings. But Carl Crawford was a different story. Ownership was divided over Epstein’s push to acquire Crawford as a free agent, sources said. At least one top executive believed Crawford’s skills as a speedy lefthanded-hitting outfielder seemed to duplicate Ellsbury’s. But the owners ultimately agreed to gamble $142 million over seven years on Crawford - a lost wager to date. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2011/10/12/red_so…

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

why would the owners take blame for approving something their GM wanted? ...besides, it goes through a president before it even gets to the owners if you want to line up some blame. owners have the ultimate say, but you got to let your GM do his thing. btw...yes, i understand that for stuff like mega-year/money contracts owners will be informed of and players discussed. unless you're a hard line "the buck stops here, and it stops at the top" or you're into shared blame then what i'm seeing probably won't make much sense.

this is gonna be quite the kick in the nuts if it falls through.

http://twitter.com/thekapman Theo deal not yet done but the contract terms were easy to reach agreement on. Epstein more focused Ricketts long term plan. Impeccable sources say Ricketts and Epstein found common ground quickly. Epstein wanted assurances of Ricketts long term vision for Cubs. Epstein was more focused on long term dollars and commitment than immediate spending. Wants to "build" organization.

http://www.csnchicago.com/baseball-chicago-cubs/news/Kaplan-Epstein-blo… Ricketts outlined his plan to build through the farm system while also spending wisely on the acquisition of veteran stars who can make an immediate impact on the Cubs. In fact, sources tell us that Ricketts is not opposed to spending big money on a star player, but for him to sign a mega contract the player must fit long-term with the organization. The acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez by the Red Sox is the type of player and commitment that Ricketts is willing to take on with the Cubs. He looks at Gonzalez as a star player, in the prime of his career and a player who is solid both offensively and defensively in addition to being a person of impeccable character. When opportunities like that come along he wants his Cubs to be in a position to make a move for a superstar. It was that willingness to spend when it makes sense in addition to the increased power and salary that will come with his contract that sold Epstein on Ricketts vision for the organization. hello Prince Fielder

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

The acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez by the Red Sox is the type of player and commitment that Ricketts is willing to take on with the Cubs. Are there any owners/GMs that are not willing to make such a commitment? Obviously some teams can't afford Gonzalez (or can't fit it into their overall budget), but seriously, what teams with money wouldn't commit to him?

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

well a lot of people are stupid, but sure. any sane fan must have realized the issue with long term contracts and them coming off the books the next 2 years and why deferred money would make sense. Hopefully that 200 figure is going to be a real figure. how would any of us know, unless you have a good understanding of the cost of everything else besides the major league payroll that goes into that. also, hopefully Epstein will have the power to save money one year and put it towards another season. The Red Sox did that the previous 2 years where their payroll went down cause they had so many of their own pre-FA players and saved it up for this year. and blew it...but the money strategy was sound. execution not so much.. random note, people were saying all the poor FA signings of recent years by Epstein, but they seemed to have missed Beltre. I guess it wasn't a multi-year deal.

A BA article giving a few more details about the deal between ASU, the Cubs, and the City of Mesa. link. The article also mentions that the University of Arizona will be moving from their old long-time campus ballpark (Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium) into venerable Hi Corbett Field (ex-Spring Training home & Minor League HQ for the Colorado Rockies 1993-2010 and before that the long-time Spring Training home of the Cleveland Indians). Hi Corbett is located about 2-3 miles east of the U of A campus, about the same distance the Cubs new facility is from the ASU campus. BTW, the San Diego Padres PCL AAA team (Tucson Padres) plays in the larger and much newer Kino Memorial Stadium (ex-Tucson Electric Park), which is the facility that was built for and used by the White Sox 1998-2008 and the Arizona Diamondbacks 1998-2010 for Spring Training & their respective Minor League HQ, up until the D'backs moved to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick east of Scottsdale this year. Kino is located more on the outskirts of Tucson, about a mile or two west of Davis-Monthan AFB just off I-10.

KeithOlbermann Keith Olbermann by BruceMiles2112 Multiple sources confirming Globe's Fenwayapocalypse article was upper #RedSox management smear of Francona, Epstein on way out #Dicks Hmm, I thought only the Cubs smeared people on the way out.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15289 also on ESPN Incumbent: Darwin Barney (2011 salary: $417,000). Barney hit .276/.313/.353 as a rookie and played excellent defense, but that's not enough production for an everyday player. Every team wants a player like this on the roster, but in a utility role. Barney was miscast on the right side of the infield; he's a better defender at shortstop than Starlin Castro. What's Coming: The Cubs are loaded with second-base prospects (also known as failed shortstops). The problem is, none of them are very good. D.J. LeMahieu got some time in the big leagues last year, and Ryan Flaherty is also close, but both are subpar defenders who have hit for power in the minors but need to cheat for it, which won't work at the highest level. More likely to help in the majors, albeit in a utility role, is Marwin Gonzalez, who could deserve a look at some point in the upcoming season. interesting stuff on Flaherty bullet point time - Castro: defensive issues are very real, as is his body, which is getting thicker and slower. It's hard to say if Castro will slide over to third base or second, but he'll likely be off of shortstop as he nears free agency. -Lake: made some notable improvements this year with the bat, but he still can't hit a breaking ball, and plenty of scouts would love to see what his plus-plus arm could accomplish on the mound. - praise for Marco Hernandez - OF: With solid tools across the board but nothing in the star-level category, [Jackson]'s a potential 20-20 center fielder... Outfield is a position of weakness in the system, and scouts are extremely mixed on speedster Matt Szczur; some see him as an everyday player, and others view him as a Reed Johnson clone. Korean import Jae-Hoon Ha profiles as a future fourth outfielder. -SP: "glaring weakness"

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

"D.J. LeMahieu got some time in the big leagues last year, and Ryan Flaherty is also close, but both are subpar defenders who have hit for power in the minors but need to cheat for it, which won't work at the highest level." Three problems with the above. 1) subpar defenders. 2) why does he say that LeMahieu hit for power in the minors? 3) cheating to hit for power: what's it mean? "His body . . . is getting thicker and slower. It's hard to say if Castro will slide over to third base or second" A shortstop has to be lean? Hanley Ramirez is listed at 230. "some see [Szczur] as an everyday player, and others view him as a Reed Johnson clone." That's too glibly dismissive of Szczur after his first full year as a pro. Just days ago (as Rob reported here), Baseball America named Szczur the #8 prospect in the Florida State League, where he struggled initially. Tim Wilken reminded an interviewer recently that Szczur was in football camp last January. For the record, Reed Johnson had three consecutive years (2004-06, age 27-29) where he averaged over 500 PAs. That's pretty good for an outfielder trying to secure a left-field gig with an average output of 10 HRs and 6 SBs over those three seasons. Szczur plays center, and the Cubs probably figure him for more power and speed than that.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

You have to start your swing early on a fastball, because it arrives at the plate early. thanks Walt Hriniak, what do you think happens when they throw you a changeup though and you've already committed your front foot and started your hands? a) swing and miss b) check swing c) maybe foul it off d) you look bad and people know you're guessing on pitches e) any of the above If you're trying to drive the ball, I don't think you can do much with an offspeed pitch when you have a hitter's count and you're looking fastball. The best you might be able to do is check your swing. If you can do that, you're not getting eaten alive, at worst you're taking an offspeed pitch for a strike, which is not a bad thing to do in a hitter's count. I mean, sure, okay...nothing to do with the previous discussion, but sure. what happens on 3-2 counts, 2-2 counts, 2-1 counts?

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I don't think cheating for power necessarily only means starting the bat early in an effort to pull a fastball, which a hitter can do when ahead in the count and be successful, as long as they lay off (or swing and miss) once it turns out they get a breaking ball or a pitch out of the zone. I think for many hitters it also means looping the swing to create bat speed, but which unfortunately also reduces bat control and slows the swing (not the bat speed). This is also news to me in regards to these two players. LeMahieu doesn't seem to do that, and he hasn't shown any power anyway. And the reports I remember hearing on Flaherty at midseason was that the one thing scouts had faith in was that his power, especially to the middle of the ballpark, was real.

there is a bit of discussion whether #cubs send cash or minor leaguers to #redsox for theo. so far boston prefers the $.

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).