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

Virtual Waiting Room Virtually Gone

 

So, single game tickets went on sale yesterday (yawn), a couple of weeks later than what had been the norm for many years. I used to go at it on Day One via phone and computer both, from the opening bell until whenever I finally broke down the door to the virtual waiting room. Usually that was mid-afternoon and by then the pickings were slim for whatever prime games hadn’t already sold out.

Yesterday it was mid-afternoon before I even recalled that the ticket windows were open. Then I tapped into the Cub website for the sake of both old times and curiosity.

Opening Day was still wide open. So was the White Sox series. The Saturday Boston game in June was down to nothing but $140 (!) bleacher seats (that’s not including handling/processing fees) but the Friday and Sunday games were very available. Weekend series with the Cardinals in July and September still featured full menus of sections and price tiers. I checked again before I hit the sack last night and all of the above was still true. I couldn't find a sold out game. Feeling almost sorry for the organization I plunged in and bought four in the bleachers for a game vs. the Giants on Labor Day weekend when my alma mater Iowa Hawkeyes will also be in town for their season opener at Soldier Field. I got 'em for the comparatively low price of $27 (silver tier) plus about another nine bucks per in add-on fees.

The brand appears a bit tarnished after prolonged storage in fifth place.

But the thick manual the new management regime has been rushing to assemble apparently isn't limited to on-field ways and means of doing business.

One of my spring rites is to get pocket schedules from the Cub marketing commandoes. I'm unable to find them here in Des Moines, even so closely removed from headquarters as the team's Triple A outpost. They always oblige, but never so promptly or cordially as this year. The same day I e-mailed my request I got a reply from Barb, a "Wrigley Field Ambassador" assuring me the schedules were already in the mail. Sure enough, they arrived a couple of days later, tucked inside a handwritten note from Barb. She also tossed in a Cub decal and expressed her hope that I'd be able to pay (and I do mean pay) a visit to The Vaunted Confines sometime in 2012. 

There's one born every minute. The trick this year will be luring three million of us enabling suckers through the turnstiles again. But if they can get someone who's used to driving across town to watch guys like LaHair and Barney play for free to spend lots of time and money for the privilege of watching them do less in Chicago than they did here in Des Moines, who knows? Maybe they can turn that trick. 

15 minutes until first peek at the 2012 Cubs on WGN. I can hardly wait to see what I bought into.

Comments

Well at least you WON'T see a wrestling match between Z and gatorade, you will not see Aram grounding into a rally killing double play, and you probably won't see snow on labor day. Other than that, things are looking up!

[ ]

In reply to by johann

that's the thing...i don't think he'll get the stats of old based on how he swings a bat. i'm projecting based on what i see him doing recently with a bat, not what he's done in the past. anyone who pitches him low or misses middle is playing with fire. you can lure him into ground outs and line drives (most line drives by anyone goes for a hit) pitching him up because of his swing mechanics. i honestly think he'd be better off...with his swing...letting it loose hard at the expense of a few more Ks in order to elevate the ball more. it's just a shame he's not a guy who could temper those extra Ks with walks (like j.burnitz).

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

The trade for Aramis was a good one, especially initially. I do not think anyone would argue about that. We loved his RBIs and some years even his avg. HOWEVER, in more recent years his numbers have been down, AND there is little question that he did not bring it to the park every game. the former we can overlook to some degree, the later we can not from a veteran. Based on this, do you sign him to multi-year contract given that you want to change the culture of the organization? I say, no. I'd rather have the Cubans in the system.

[ ]

In reply to by shlenny

I certainly will never begrudge his best years, but he completely was a no-show in 2010 for the first three months. It was a great trade getting him and Kenny Lofton was very valuable for the Cubs as well. But it was time for him to move on for the amount of money and years the guy wanted. I wish him well except against the Cubs. The team needed his bat to remain in the thick of things and He failed again and agan.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

I think the real question in all this is, did we want to give Aram three more years or so at third. He wanted a longer term contract, and he deserved his free agency. Part of backing up the truck means doing things like letting a guy like Aram go. He's getting slower and he is always an injury waiting to happen. But I'll still miss seeing him at the plate, and I'll cringe when he comes up against the Cubs. It was nice to have somebody FINALLY fill that Santo gap for several years. But it was time to say goodbye, as well. On a team that is trying to free itself of insidious long term contracts, hooking up another one wasn't a good idea for a team that has performed the way it has lately.

chris carpenter update (the evil one...well, not really, but he plays for STL on a voluntary basis) "Chris Carpenter was diagnosed Saturday with a bulging cervical disc in his neck. The Cardinals haven't decided when the veteran right-hander is going to be able to resume throwing, but Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says a bulging disc is "not nearly as bad as nerve damage," which the Cards originally thought Carpenter had."

bored...checking stats on one-time "maybe" cubs signing ricky jacquez (210Ks in 120ip in his last 2 years of highschool...all 5'9" of him). he's got years to turn it around, but right now he's a little wild...bit hittable...still getting the Ks. they're using him as a college 3-4 pitcher (sometimes pen, sometimes starting)...not at all uncommon for a college freshman. 4g 1gs - 11ip 13h 8bb 13k 6.55era

Lilly vs Garza and Garza lasted only 1.1 innings. Single, HBP, Single, K, BB(RBI), BB (RBI), Single (2 RBI)... Replaced be Chris Rusin 4-0 Lillies, thru 3.

(in Buffalo Bill's voice) is a great, big fat person.

Putting himself back into contention for bullpen spot with some poisonous stuff...2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K

Nick the .... Still can't get the Theo Compensation venom out of his bloodstream. Fortunately, these are the only Cub references in his Sunday Baseball Notes. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2012/03/11/checki…
1. The PA announcer at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter made this introduction Thursday: “Now pitching for the Red Sox, ‘the other’ Chris Carpenter.’’ The “other’’ Carpenter proved he was no relation when he walked three batters in the inning, including one with the bases loaded. 2. Speaking of Carpenter, Thursday’s appearance against the Cardinals was a flashback to the command issues he has had. The Red Sox are impressed with his live fastball (96 m.p.h.), but privately they are not pleased with what they wound up having to settle for as compensation for Theo Epstein.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • crunch (view)

    in other news, it took 3 PA before a.rizzo got his 1st HBP of the season.

  • Eric S (view)

    With two home runs (so far) and 5 rbi today … clearly Nick Martini is the straw that stirs the Reds drink 😳

  • 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.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • 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.