Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Dos Cabezas RBI Better Than Uno

Yaniel Cabezas lined a walk-off bases-loaded RBI single into the LF corner with one out in the bottom of the 9th, as the Cubs rallied for two runs in the final frame to edge the Giants 3-2 in AZ Instructional League action this afternoon at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.  

Down 2-1, the EXTREMELY patient Garrett Schlecht led off the bottom of the 9th for the Cubs by drawing a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Rubi Silva then laid down what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt, but it turned out to be a bunt single as the Giants third-baseman could not make a play. Danny Lockhart followed by laying down another bunt, and this time the ball was fielded by the third-baseman, but the throw to 1st base ticked-off the second-baseman’s glove and into RF foul territory, allowing Schlecht to score from 2nd base with the tying run, Silva to advance to 3rd, and Lockhart to take 2nd base. The Giants opted to pitch to hot-hitting (429/551/857) Micah Gibbs, but he drew a walk anyway, loading the bases with no outs. Neftali Rosario then struck out swinging with the bases loaded, leaving it up to Yaniel Cabezas. And Cabezas came through, hammering a line-drive into the LF corner to score Silva from 3rd base and give the Cubs the victory.

Cabezas drove-in the first Cubs run as well, ripping an opposite-field RBI single over the second-baseman’s head with one out in the bottom of the 4th, driving-in Micah Gibbs from 3rd base. Gibbs had reached base on a lead-off triple (near HR) off the right-centerfield fence.

The 22-year old Cabezas was a Cuban defector who signed with the Cubs last December for a reported $500K bonus. Cabezas played on the Cuban Junior National Team and for Los Vaqueros de La Habana (Serie Nacional) with fellow Cubs minor leaguer 2B-OF Rubi Silva. Cabezas and Silva defected together, and both players signed with the Cubs on the same day (12-15-2010), with Silva getting a reported $1M bonus.

While Silva had a good first year in the U. S. (he hit 285/305/392 combined between Peoria & Daytona, and he was 4th in the MWL in triples), Cabezas struggled at the plate with the AZL Cubs and at Boise (combined 202/284/260). However, Cabezas did hit a team-leading 356/402/520 with a team-leading 17 RBI in 82 PA with the EXST Cubs in April & May prior to the start of the short-season leagues in June, and was arguably the EXST Cubs MVP. (Cabezas also threw out 27% of opposing base-stealers in 44 games behind the plate with AZL Cubs & Boise).

Cabezas is currently hitting 348/423/391 and playing solid defense behind the plate at Instructs (which is approximately equivalent to Boise), and despite his offensive struggles with the AZL Cubs and the Boise Hawks in 2011, I think it is likely that he will be the #1 catcher at Peoria on Opening Day 2012.  

RHP Dillon Maples (Cubs 2011 14th round draft pick - $2.5M bonus) made his second Instructs appearance, throwing two shutout innings (28 pitches - 15 strikes). He allowed a single and a double, and he hit a batter (and almost hit two more). He was behind on almost every hitter, and the outs he did get were mainly ground balls on low-90's two-seamers (and he did not rack up any strike outs). He also benefitted from a CS. But at least he looked better than he did in his pro debut last week, when he walked three and couldn't retire the side before reaching his pitch limit.

Ex-Cubs Shawon Dunston, Sr and Lee Smith were at the game today (both are serving as instructors with the Giants), so Shawon Sr got a chance to see his son play (although Shawon Jr is presently buried deep in a 1-25 slump). 

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

LINEUP:
1. Rubi Silva, 2B: 2-4 (4-3, 1B, 5-3, 1B, R)
2. Danny Lockhart, 3B: 0-3 (L-1, 6-3, 4-3, SH-E4)
3. Micah Gibbs, 1B: 1-2 (BB, 3B, 1-4-3, BB, R)
4. Neftali Rosario, DH-C: 0-4 (K, K, 6-3, K)
5. Yaniel Cabezas, C-DH: 2-4 (K, 1B, 4-3, 1B, 2 RBI)
6. Shawon Dunston, Jr, LF: 0-2 (4-3, 1-3 SH, 3-1)
7. Trey Martin, CF: 0-3 (6-3, K, F-7)
8. Justin Marra, DH #2: 1-3 (1B, P-4, L-1)
9. Carlos Penalver, SS: 1-3 (6-4-3 DP, 1B, F-8)
10. Garrett Schlecht, RF: 1-2 (1B, F-8, BB, R)

PITCHERS:
1. Zac Rosscup: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 21 pitches (10 strikes), 0/1 GO/FO
2. Dillon Maples: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 28 pitches (15 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
3. Matt Spencer: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 30 pitches (18 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
4. Amaury Paulino: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 22 pitches (13 strikes), 0/1 GO/FO
5. Felix Pena: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 23 pitches (18 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
6. Scott Weismann: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 13 pitches (9 strikes)

ERRORS: 2
1. SS Carlos Penalver - E-6 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely)
2. C Neftali Rosario - E-2 (dropped pop foul fly)

CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. Yaniel Cabezas: 1-3 CS
2. Neftali Rosario: 1 E (see above)

ATTENDANCE: 21

WEATHER: Sunny with a gentle breeze, and with temperatures in the 80’s

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by toonsterwu

Submitted by toonsterwu on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 1:00am. Any velocity readings on Paulino? The line looks really nice - did the stuff match up with it? ==================================== TOONSTER: I don't have any velo readings on Amaury Paulino from yesterday, but he got lots of swings & misses with his fastball and breaking ball. Yesterday was Paulino's first decent Instructs outing after three poor ones: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP After struggling at EXST, Paulino spent most of the Summer on the AZL Cubs 60-day DL, before getting reactivated on August 20th. 2011 has been pretty much a lost season for Paulino, so finishing strong should be good for his confidence going into next season.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 8:34am. Hey Phil, Any thoughts on who might be the most exciting player at instructs this year? ================================ CHARLIE: Certainly it's Dan Vogelbach. When he comes up to the plate everybody stops talking and watches him hit. You never know when he's going to drop a tape-measure bomb. The more I see of Vogelbach, the more I think of John Kruk, although Vogelbach has more pure power than Kruk did in his playing days. Vogelbach seems a really good-natured kid, nothing seems to bother him. I guess he knows that he can silence any teasing he might get by just dropping the head of his bat on a pitch.

Just wondering, what are your thoughts on Rosscup and Weismann? Any chance they could make it to Chicago, or are they just organizational guys?

[ ]

In reply to by Koyies Bansaw

Submitted by Koyies Bansaw on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 8:48am. Just wondering, what are your thoughts on Rosscup and Weismann? Any chance they could make it to Chicago, or are they just organizational guys? ================================== K-BANSAW: Zac Rosscup probably has a better chance of making it to Chicago than Scott Weismann. When healthy, Rosscup is a control guy with three solid pitches (a 90 MPH sinker, a curve, and a change-up) who throws strikes and keeps the ball down (he had not surrendered a HR in 80+ IP in pro ball prior to this season). I would compare him to Chris Rusin. Scott Weismann was a rotation starter at Clemson until mid-season 2011 (he and Cubs LHP Casey Harman were rotation starters on the Clemson Tigers CWS team in 2010) when he was moved to closer, and he really took to the job. He throws a low 90's sinker, a slider, and a cutter, and while he might be used as a closer or set-up guy at Peoria and Daytona, he probably projects as a middle-reliever at the upper levels.

What does Spencer hit on radar gun? Listened to Smokies broadcast one night when he did mopup/blowout duty and announcer said stadium gun showed 99. Likely inaccurate, but he threw in low 90's as 18 year old at high school near here. Can he help as pitcher?

[ ]

In reply to by Justin Tyme

Submitted by Justin Tyme on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:09am. What does Spencer hit on radar gun? Listened to Smokies broadcast one night when he did mopup/blowout duty and announcer said stadium gun showed 99. Likely inaccurate, but he threw in low 90's as 18 year old at high school near here. Can he help as pitcher? ==================================== JUSTIN: I don't have velo readings on Spencer, but he definitely throws hard (sort of like Wild Thing in Major League). The problem is he has a lot of difficulty controling his fastball. His curve ball is actually a much better pitch, because at least he can throw it for strikes.

I don't know if this us 3/44, but Pete Gammons says the Astros are moving to the AL. I always thought it was bullshit having 6 teams in the NL Central. This certainly can't hurt the Cubs chances of making it to the promise land, even though the Astros are turrible.

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

This certainly can't hurt the Cubs chances of making it to the promise land Couldn't it? Doesn't the extreme suckitude of one (or more *ahem Pirates) team in the division increase the chances of winning the Wild Card? If it happens, I'll miss watching games played in that park. I'll also miss Cubs domination of the shitty-ass Astros lineup. Wood's 20-k game and Zambrano's no-hitter both came against the Astros. Even Ryan O'Malley managed 8 innings of shutout ball against them in 2006 and had casual fans around the net campaigning for him to have a rotation spot in 07.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Yeah, too remember that shitty-ass Astros lineup that Wood dominated. This was a team that only won 102 games and lead the league in runs scored. They only made the playoff six times (and as noted the WS once with 6x2nd place non playoff finishes) since the NL Central started. They're definitely much worse than our beloved Cubs (4 playoffs, no WS and no additional 2nd place finishes).

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Yeah, the Wood case was different. The shitty Astro offenses I'm remembering are mostly the last 3-4 years. And the Astros are not the perennial losers that the Pirates have been. The only way the Astros not being in the division could even hurt the Cubs slightly is in the short term--as their franchise rebuilds--and that's only in the sense that having a couple teams to beat up on slightly improves a team's chances for the Wild Card. Zambrano did seem to love to face the Astros, especially in Houston. But Zambrano is probably gone, too.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

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  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.