Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus one player is 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 3-28-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# 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 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 1 
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Send Aaron Kurcz to Red Sox to Still Not Complete Theo Compensation

Back when Chris Carpenter was announced as being sent over to the Boston Red Sox for Theo Epstein, I mentioned that the deal still can't properly be evaluated because there were still 2 players to be named later involved. There was some talk that it was just a logistic move, that the Red Sox had to send a player  to the Cubs besides an executive and the two players would be non-news. Well that turned out to be B.S. Today the Cubs announced they're sending RHP Aaron Kurcz to the Red Sox and we still don't know who the Cubs are getting. Temples were built in less time.

As for Kurcz, he's hardly a nobody, a matter of fact I was going to put him around #15 on my prospect list I was hoping to get out for Monday. He was a teammate of Bryce Harper at College of Southern Nevada, but beyond that coincidence, he's a 21-year old power righty reliever with a 9.9 whiff rate to go with a 3.7 BB/9 ratio. He might not be the quality of Chris Carpenter, but certainly not someone to just dismiss.

As the baseball world turns...

Comments

Cubs pitchers gave up 16 hits and walked six vs. the Diamondbacks. Jeff Beliveau walked two batters with the bases loaded to force in two runs and then served up a grand slam to Paul Goldschmidt in a seven-run seventh. didn't take the demotion too well DeWitt hit on hand, X-rays pending. Stewart out a few days with sore quad, Barney d2D with tightness in left side. Bunting Final 4 tomorrow Coleman vs. Maholm DeJesus vs. W. Castillo

So here's my question: I feel like #15 on a prospect list IS nothing but I've never sat down and studied prospects turned into decent to good in the majors. Outside of the 1 in a 1000 chance teams get, is there some sort of study looking at how far down the prospect list you can go before the chances of someone ever being worth anything to a team fizzles out (again outside of the rare event)?

[ ]

In reply to by johann

I don't know about the study and I doubt anyone will end up too upset over 2 guys whose upside is late-inning reliever. But also, probably a better chance they have some semblance of a major league career over a starting pitcher or barely top 10 position player, since they are relievers with allegedly good stuff. if that makes any sense.... the ceiling may not be as high, but the floor is probably higher too. Let's compare to Flaherty who I would probably had around the #10-#12 range. While he still could end up being a decent regular, I could also see him doing absolutely nothing of note in the majors. While Carpenter and Kurcz would surprise me a little if they dont' spend a few years in the pen and quite possibly solid late inning relievers.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Yeah the reliever thing makes sense for sure and I've always felt overpaying for relievers vs getting them from the minors is a bad idea. I've just seen a lot of prospect lists where I've felt like once you get past #10 or something what's the point in talking about them. I'd just be interested to see an actual look at what those prospect #s tend to mean relative to the majors.

T-O-R starting pitcher prospects have more value than do late-inning relief prospects, BUT, a bullpen is VERY important, and it should be possible to build the pen on the cheap from within the organization. However, after trading Andrew Cashner to SD for Anthony Rizzo and sending Chris Carpenter to Boston as the front-end of Theo Compensation, Aaron Kurcz, Kevin Rhoderick, and Tony Zych were the three young near-MLB ready power RH relievers left in the Cubs system. So losing both Chris Carpenter AND Aaron Kurcz as Theo Compensation is not good.

That makes it sound to me like the PTBNL might be a choice between the three LHRP on the Sox 40-man roster who are out of minor league options: Felix Doubront Andrew Miller Franklin Morales ======== Can you provide any insights as to these three? I know most about Andrew Miller because he was in the Cameron Maybin-Miggy Cabrera trade and was supposedly a high end prospect at that time (but has underachieved ever since). I kind of remember Morales from his days with the Rockies. Hopefully Doubront doesn't remind me of Felix Heredia.

hanging out at the SABR conference, apparently grew up a Royals fan.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    steele MRI on friday.  counsell expects an IL stint.

    no current plans for his rotation replacement.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    I would say also in the bright side column is Busch looked pretty good overall at the plate. Alzolay…man, that hurts but most of the time he’s not giving up a homer to that guy. To me the worst was almonte hanging that pitch to Garcia. He hung another one to the next hitter too and got away with it on an 0-1. 

  • crunch (view)

    amaya blocked like 6-8 of smyly's pitches in the dirt very cleanly...not even an exaggeration, smyly threw a ton of pitches bouncing in tonight.

    neris looking like his old self was a relief (no pun), too.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In looking for bright spots the defense was outstanding tonight. The “stars” are going to need to shine quite a bit brighter than they did tonight offensively though for this to be a successful season.

  • Eric S (view)

    Good baseball game. Hopefully Steele is pitching again in April (but I’m not counting on it). 

  • crunch (view)

    boo.

  • crunch (view)

    smyly to face the 2/3/4 hitters with a man on 2nd in extras.

    this doesn't seem like a 8 million dollar managerial decision.

  • crunch (view)

    i 100% agree with you, but i dunno how jed wants to run things.  the default is delay.  i would choose brown.

    like hellfrozeover says, could be smyly since he's technically fresh and stretched.

    anyway, on a pure talent basis....brown is the best option.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Use pitchers when you believe they're good. Don't plan their clock.

    I'm sorry. I'm simply anti-clock/contract management. Play guys when they show real MLB potential talent.

    If Brown hadn't been hurt with the Lat Strain he would've gotten the call, and not Wick.

    Give him a chance. 

    But Wesneski probably gets it

  • crunch (view)

    alzolay...bro...