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

Dempster Strong Outing the One Bright Spot at HoHoKam

Ryan Dempster allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in six innings of work (72 pitches - 50 strikes, 5/8 GO/FO, 3 K), but the Texas Rangers rallied for two in the 8th off Lendy Castillo and two more in the 9th off Alberto Cabrera (two-run HR by 23-year old Cuban defector Leonys Martin) to defeat a Cubs split squad 6-2 in Spring Training Cactus League action this afternoon at Dwight Paterson Field at HoHoKam Park in cool & sunny Mesa, AZ.

Dempster had a very impressive outing today, and seemed to get better as the game progressed. The only blip was a two-run HR allowed to long-time Red Sox AAA (and current Rangers NRI) catcher Dusty Brown in the 2nd, but otherwise he pitched very well. Dempster should get his next start on Sunday or Monday when he will likely get stretched-out to about 90 pitches, and he would be in line to get the Cubs Opening Day start should Manager Dale Sveum decide to go that route.

The Cubs could do nothing with starter Neftali Feliz (the former Rangers closer who is being moved to the starting rotation this season), but scored two runs off ex-Cub (and ex-Sox) LHRP Neal Cotts in the bottom of the 4th.

Jeff Baker drew a lead-off walk, and scored on a one-out Blake DeWitt triple lined into the right-centerfield alley. DeWitt then scored on a Reed Johnson F-8 sacrifice fly. And that was pretty much the extent of the Cub offense today, although Starlin Castro did rope a double and a triple (as he continues to cream line-drives all over the yard), and Anthonu Rizzo had two more hits (both singles).

Closer Carlos Marmol relieved Ryan Dempster in the top of the 7th, laboring through the inning (18 pitches - only nine strikes), before being pulled from the game with what appeared to be a right arm injury after hitting a batter (on an 0-2 pitch) with two outs.

Rule 5 RHP Lendy Castillo got the third out in the top of the 7th, but then ran into trouble of his own making in the top of the 8th. The Rangers loaded the bases with one out on a single, a walk, and an HBP, before scoring two runs on a bases loaded walk, and an RBI bloop single in short RF.

For a 22-year old converted shortstop who has only been pitching for two years and who has not pitched above "A" ball (Lakewood in the SAL, equivalent to the Cubs Peoria affiliate in the MWL), Castillo has handled himself fairly well in MLB Spring Training (so far). The one area where he has struggled is command (and that was especially true today), and I think it is pretty obvious that the youngster is just not (yet) ready for The Show. (Tennessee or even Daytona would probably be more appropiate).

Because he is a Rule 5 player, the Cubs must keep L. Castillo on their 25-man roster (or MLB DL) throughout the 2012 season (with at least 90 days spent on the Cubs MLB 25-man Active Roster, or else he remains a Rule 5 player into the next season) before the Rule 5 roster obilgations are satisfied and he can be sent to the minors by the Cubs without any restrictions.

If the Cubs decide not to keep L. Castillo on their MLB 25-man roster in 2012, there is a three-step process (under MLB Rule 6) that follows:

1. Castillo must be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers, and any of the other MLB clubs can claim him for the $25,000 Rule 5 waiver price and assume the Rule 5 roster obligations.

2. If waivers are secured (that is, if Castillo is not claimed by another club), he must be offered back to the Phillies (the organization from which he was drafted), and the Phils can reclaim him for $25,000 (half the Rule 5 draft price), and if they do, he is automatically outrighted to the reserve list of AAA Lehigh Valley (the actual minor league team from which he was drafted).

3. Or the Phillies could choose (or be induced) to decline the opportunity to reclaim Castillo, which would allow the Cubs to send him to the minors (without any restrictions). This is the point where trades sometimes happen, where the drafting club sends cash and/or a different player to the player's former club in return for the former club declining to reclaim the Rule 5 pick. With Chase Utley out indefinitely with a knee problem, the Phillies are reportedly in the market for a 2B, and so the Cubs could (for instance) possibly send somebody like hot-hitting Blake DeWitt and cash to the Phillies in exchange for the Phillies declining to reclaim L. Castillo.

A Rule 5 player cannot be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers any earlier than 25 days prior to MLB Opening Day (which was March 10th), and a Rule 5 player cannot be sent to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day (which was March 15th), so the Cubs can put Lendy Castillo on waivers now, if they choose to do so.

While one squad of Cubs was losing to the Rangers in Mesa, the other squad played to a 5-5 10-inning tie with the Oakland A's in Phoenix (thanks to a three-run Oakland rally in the bottom of the 9th off Blake Parker). Speedy OF Tony Campana had four hits (including a double) in the game versus the A's, and he also stole a base, and RHP Rodrigo Lopez got the start and apparently had another strong outing: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K.

The Cubs have a day off tomorrow (it's the team's only day off during Spring Training), and will resume Cactus League play on Thursday, in a rematch with the Texas Rangers in Surprise.

Comments

So what's the deal with Ian Stewart's wrist? I see a blurb and link on Roto that Stewart says his wrist isn't healed from last year and he'll "need to manage it" to get through the season. WTF?? It took D Lee what, 2 years to recover from his wrist injury? I'm beginning to think Vaunted Team Theo did not do their homework with these Marshall and Colvin/LeMahieu trades. Let's see here: 1. Ian Stewart: still injured from last year 2. Casey Weathers: Steve Blass Disease pitcher, no hope 3. Travis Wood: horrible, headed to the minors 4. Dave Sappelt: can't make a 25-man big league roster That's a whole lot of suck and a whole lot of misses. Ronald Torreyes better be a freaking superstar because if not, these trades are major malfunctions.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

While I was never as high on some of the deals as many, even if these trades fail, they still made sense. Marshall had one year left. Much as I think Wood was over-hyped by some Cubs fans, he was an intriguing cost-controlled lefty (and to be honest, there's a part of me that's always wondered if Wood would be ... Marshall-ish in that he might be better served in the pen). Torreyes provided a lottery ticket (and I'm definitely not as excited as most Cubs fans, it seems, on him), and Sappelt provided upper level depth. I'm not all that enthused about any of the three individually, and in my mind, I probably hoped for better when the trade was being rumored, but it was still a solid return on 1 year of a pen arm, particularly considering the changes in the CBA. As for the Rockies deal, well, Colvin wasn't going to be much here, and there was a 3rd base void. Stewart had at least proven something before (two decent years before last), and there was the hope that his ailments were the cause of his struggles and you hoped a former top prospect like Ian Stewart could develop. LeMahieu's more intriguing than Weathers to me (but if we were stacking the players up in terms of "perceived value", Stewart would probably top the list). Also, one gets, um, the sense that the new regime didn't particularly care for LeMahieu (and Flaherty), probably viewing them more as bench corner talent than guys with a chance to be a regular. It could end up that all 5 guys are colossal flops. It wouldn't surprise me if all five were, although I hope for better. In saying that, though, much as I thought some Cubs fans over-hyped the returns, the trades were understandable and made sense. I tend to think trades can't be viewed solely from the prism of hindsight, as it doesn't address the dynamics that the front office were looking at at the time of the trade.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

It is difficult to reconcile the concept of Epstein/Hoyer/McLoed as the second coming of Branch Rickey with their inability to evaluate players involved in a trade as well as posters on this board. 1. If they are making decisions that are as stupid on the face of them as those made by Hendry, perhaps we should have stuck with Hendry. 2. Or perhaps since they make a living at it, and have at their disposal 30 full time scouts and a multimillion dollar computer to furnish them with information, that they are in a position to make those decisions than those of us that can form our decisions based upon published stats and the SCR talk show hosts. I, myself, have to go with number 1.

[ ]

In reply to by DavidP

this offseason, aside from rizzo, has been a "throw at a wall, see what sticks" experiment. i hate the stewart trade...not because of what was given up, but because i believe he's 3m worth of "fool's gold." hell, i don't miss much of what was given up in any trade except i feel marshall should have gone for a different package and cashner....but cashner was what it would take to get a guy like rizzo so that's moot given the legit need. i love the volstad trade...that's the kind of trading i was looking forward to seeing and i feel they picked up a guy who's stuff and immediate upside is clouded by his historical numbers. most of the signings/trades got a 'meh' out of me...i still don't get the young cuban who got 6m, though...even if it only has the payroll sting of a middle reliever or bench player. the most important thing may end up being that no trade/gamble put the team in worse situation than when they started this offseason.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

everything i've written is still on this site and i'm not much for blanket statements i don't back up. also, "the most important thing may end up being that no trade/gamble put the team in worse situation than when they started this offseason." i mean c'mon. i've had plenty of good to say about some stuff. i'm not the only person bringing criticism, good and bad, to this offseason. i've only made 1 instance to rather having something else with a trade and that's the marshall trade. i wasn't exactly hiding that. what's so exciting that's been done, anyway? getting a slew of kids just to have them isn't anything new for the cubs...especially ones that haven't even had serious AA time, yet. there's a more-than-expected-when-looking-at-numbers amount of people unimpressed with torreyes, very unimpressed-even-excluding-the-numbers with the cubs new cuban, and other solid opinions on guys like c.weathers and d.sapplett. t.wood, volstad, and i.stewart are nice projects, but their upside is debated,...some more than others. fwiw...like volstad, sappelt as CF/OF bench, rizzo ...meh on stewart, torreyes, t.wood, r.flaherty ...bleh on the cuban + c.weathers...even stuff that i don't like such as i.stewart don't rank here for me because i don't think anything of value was given up vs. potential upside

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

The thing is while I like Theo and think he's pretty damn smart and like the vast majority all of his moves with the Red Sox, a lot of other smart GMs are out there too. Sure it'd be nice to get a bigger haul but Theo isn't choosing in a vacuum who to trade for. Perhaps a couple of dudes with upside who are still risky was the best of the possible scenarios no matter how hard he tried because other dudes out there with people we wanted are also pretty smart at the whole trade thing. I really have no idea. I do know I support the rebuilding thing, think Theo has proven himself in the past and think not one person who is convinced we can compete and rebuild at the same time has ever presented a realistic scenario at how we could do it.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2012/03/minor-league-tran… Released: RHP Yohan Gonzalez, RHP Jordan Latham, SS Rafael Valdes, OF Ben Klafczynski, OF Blair Springfield Traded: RHP Aaron Kurcz to Red Sox as player to be named in compensation package for general manager Theo Epstein Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Alberto Cabrera, LHP Jeff Beliveau, LHP John Gaub, 3B Josh Vitters Optioned to Double-A: SS Junior Lake, OF Matt Szczur The Cubs drafted Blair Springfield out of a Decatur, Ill., high school in the seventh round of the ’09 draft, but he never advanced past short-season Boise in three seasons. The Cubs signed Cuban defector Rafael Valdes last February and released him little more than a year later. He batted .263/.319/.371 in 232 at-bats last season.

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In reply to by Rob G.

I remember thinking Jordan Latham was a fascinating guy a couple years back, pre-issues. Good fastball life and good slider. I never thought back then that Blake Parker would end up being the better of the two (since both were pen arms in A ball roughly at the same time). Oh well. The other guys cut ... I don't really care. Nothing personal, but none of them really had a future worth caring about.

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.