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

Game 2 Thread - Garza vs. Gio

Word is that the wind is blowing out briskly to left, so Sveum has loaded up on the righties to battle southpaw Gio Gonzalez in his NL debut.

Nationals Cubs
Desmond, SS Johnson, RF
#Espinosa, 2B Mather, 3B
Zimmerman, 3B Castro, SS
*LaRoche, 1B Soriano, LF
Werth, RF Baker, 1B
DeRosa, LF Soto, C
*Bernadina, CF Byrd, CF
Ramos, C Barney, 2B
Gonzalez, P Garza, P
How many walks will Cubs get off Gio?
  
pollcode.com free polls 

Rodgrigo Lopez is the first call-up from the minors, so congrats to those that picked it in our prediction contest. It appears Luis Valbuena is going back through waivers in an attempt to option him to Iowa to make room for Lopez.

Comments

Interesting fact: The 2007 Draft yielded four round-one picks - that ended up eventually as Cubs, three of which are currently on the club. One of them turned into the Auto-DL Pitcher, Rich Harden: 2007 Round 1 M. Burgess, J. Donaldson, C. Weathers, J. Vitters Hopefully one or more of them will become solid Major Leaguers.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

...accidentally caught. Fixed. LaHair with a stellar season debut. Popped out on first pitch. Also, for those interested in this type of stuff: watching the game now on Kindle Fire via MLB.TV app. Works as good as whatever wireless network you are on. Streaming seamlessly now for me. Really surprised me. Allows me to work on the laptop and have the game on next to me (so I don't have to switch between windows, etc.).

Kerry gets the first 2, then an Espinosa HR, Zimmerman broken bat single and LaRoche single with DeJesus playing on the warning track. 4-3 Cubs in the 8th with runners on the corners, 2 outs. Pitching change

Wow. How hopeless is this team that all is lost and discouraging after just TWO games? Gee, Wood only pitched what, 4 innings in Arizona? I wonder if there was a reason for that, mkay? Marmol sucks eggs and has for nearly two years. Okay Theo, impress us. DL Wood to save face, demote Marmol or dump him, who cares. Yikes.

What will Theo do? He can't like to see this even this early, when this is just the kind of stuff that must be fixed!

Two things I did like today were Dollis and early aggressiveness. As I and others said Monday, get used to this bullpen scene. So, far, the starters have been quite good. A nice thing.

Gotta say, not as worried about Woody and Marmol after watching the replays on mlbtv. Woody had a cracked bat single on a nasty pitch, and Marmol had an outside pitch pulled through the right side of infield by a lefty. Both are pretty much a bad roll of the dice. I predict both will settle down with warm weather and be fine. Gonna predict 78 wins for Cubs. Lineup will be the weak spot not the pitching.

"According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the Nationals are not actively shopping John Lannan and have not talked to the Cubs about a potential deal involving Marlon Byrd." thank gawd... i don't care if byrd stays or goes, but this team has enough ass-end-rotation filler to last a few years. ...and wtf is with the crew of writers and blog people who think this guy is a good pitcher?

Bottom 5th: San Diego - O. Hudson struck out swinging - J. Bartlett singled to shallow right - K. Blanks walked, J. Bartlett to second - C. Maybin grounded into fielder's choice, J. Bartlett to third, K. Blanks out at second - C. Denorfia walked, C. Maybin to second - C. Headley walked, J. Bartlett scored, C. Maybin to third, C. Denorfia to second - J. Wright relieved C. Capuano - J. Guzman walked, C. Maybin scored, C. Denorfia to third, C. Headley to second - N. Hundley walked, C. Denorfia scored, C. Headley to third, J. Guzman to second - S. Elbert relieved J. Wright - C. Headley scored, J. Guzman to third, N. Hundley to second on wild pitch - Y. Alonso hit by pitch - O. Hudson singled to shallow left, J. Guzman scored, N. Hundley to third, Y. Alonso to second, N. Hundley out at home 3 runs scored on walks, 1 on a wild pitch, and 1 on a single that ended the inning 5 walks, 1 wild pitch, 1 hbp.

"Rodrigo Lopez..." Rob, I'm splitting hairs here, because, well, if I don't care about TCR pride then what do I care about, BUT... Did the prediction contest say who was the first called up DUE TO INJURY, or did I make that last part up? I picked R Wells, because I (naturally) assumed the first injury would be to the rotation (Hey Hey! We've made it two games so far!) and Wells is the sixth man in the rotation. Can't access the form since the 'voting' is closed. And that would have been italicized instead of all caps, if I knew how to make italics on here from my phone. There, now this whole incident has made me expose my inadequacies to the group. Thanks Rob. ........ I love it here, even if we DIDN'T have AZ Phil.

Does anybody know why Soriano has resembled an outfielder the first two games? He seems to be tracking the ball really well from what I've seen.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

Reports were, as always, that he's taken a "renewed interest" in the defensive side of the game. I don't know if that's a real explanation, but in the first games he has looked to be in much more control out there. If he can continue to merely be unbaffled, he could be an average left fielder defensively. It remains or us to see whether he's going to hit this season. I think he's going to have a good season, though. Comeback Player good. There, I said it.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

It would be fun to see him do a comeback thing. He seems like a pretty likable fella and he seems to work a lot harder than the guy who watches sometimes from the batters box would make you think. The key to any comeback is going to be hitting stuff other than fastballs, though. And some seeing eye grounders between second and first. That kind of thing happens, then it's possible.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

are there too many hitters that can hit a decent breaking ball? at best they foul it off or just lay off...of which Soriano certainly does not lay off. From what I recall, he's actually pretty good, much like Ramirez, at hitting breaking balls in the zone or down. He just drops the head of the bat and gets good power. But anything outside is just a disaster.

I expect Wood will come around, but Marmol has never had strike zone control. He's gotten lucky. I wouldn't be surprised to see him struggle all year.

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).