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 
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Rizzomania

Patience young Jedi...

Ratso Rizzo (in Midnight Cowboy, 1969)Anthony Rizzo's career starts Tuesday night 7pm CST at Wrigley Field vs the NY Mets righty Dillon Gee. Rizzo was pulled after two at bats in today's Iowa Cubs 2-1 win vs. Round Rock, including a strikeout and a flyout to CF. He ends his Iowa  career, barring a future demotion (God Forbid!), with the line: .342/23 HR/62 RBI.

The good news is I was able to sell the monday game vs the Mets but never put the tuesday game on Stubhub. Nothing more fun than to see a prodigal prospect in his first game.

Here are the confirmations:

Carrie Muskat, on twitter:

Rizzo is coming. He'll join Cubs on Tuesday

ESPN (Doug Padilla):

The Chicago Cubs will call up top prospect Anthony Rizzo, and the slugging first baseman is expected to make his 2012 debut Tuesday against the New York Mets, according to a source. Rizzo was pulled from the Iowa Cubs game in the fourth inning on Monday and left the ballpark to make his way to Chicago. He won't be activated until Tuesday.

and here is the last Cub Rizzo-less lineup for hopefully quite some time (also per a Muskat tweet):

Johnson RF, Barney 2b, Castro ss, Soriano lf, Baker 1b, Soto c, Mather cf, Valbuena 3b, T. Wood p. No Rizzo yet

...and I don't know how Sveum will ever win another game vs lefty starters without his precious Jeff Baker at 1B. Oh, wait, they don't win with this lineup. The Cubs record this season vs LHP is 3-16.

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, Baker's man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can;
Pat it and frost it and light it with  RIZZO candles...

Comments

Ex #Cubs Marlon Byrd gets 50-game suspension after testing positive for performance enhancing substance bump it up here... drug was Tamoxifen, used in breast cancer treatment

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I get the Conte connection, but what I don't get is how it is un-shocking that he only got caught when he started to REALLY suck...

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

It's not shocking that he is taking drugs to stop the spread of sucking. It is shocking that he would take something that has potentially life threatening side effects.

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

it's probably more shocking how many "regular people" use estrogen blockers like it's nothing when they're trying to bulk. i'm not sure what's more dangerous...the roids people take or the dozen other supplements they take to get that extra small edge out of it while cycling up/down. at least this guy has a minimum wage of 400K on the line and a vet's pay for $1m+ if he can remain reed-johnson-level decent...not like it makes it better...just makes more sense.

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

plenty of shitty players caught using PED's as well as the HOF'ers. lot of smoke around the Marlon Byrd fire the last few years was the gist of my comment

What a problem our manger has after tonight against lefties. Who do you sit out of Baker, Mather and Johnson? The first two have especially helped with our record against lefties. You don't suppose he would continue with those 3 and sit Rizzo? It wouldn't surprise me.

drug was Tamoxifen, used in breast cancer treatment -----
Luteinizing hormone (LH) is produced by the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. Normally, the peptide hormone regulates the level of testosterone in males and the ovulation-signaling estrogen in females. In men, excess LH or synthetic forms of LH, such as tamoxifen, boosts levels of testosterone and so produces the increased muscle mass.
Tamoxifen isn't used as a masking agent. Luteinizing Hormone is a female hormone which in women is a signal to initiate ovulation. In men...maybe that's the problem. Byrd is pregnant.

“I made an inexcusable mistake. Several years ago, I had surgery for a condition that was private and unrelated to baseball. Last winter, I suffered a recurrence of that condition and I was provided with a medication that resulted in my positive test. Although that medication is on the banned list, I absolutely did not use it for performance enhancement reasons. I am mortified by my carelessness and I apologize to everyone who loves this game as I do. I will serve my suspension, continue to work hard and hope that I am given an opportunity to help a club win later this season.”

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

yeah...okay, sure, right, whatever. hi, i'm a multi-millionaire...i got something that popped up and rather than going to see a doctor...or the team doctor...i'm going to self-medicate some years-old chemo meds. make sense.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Does the statement imply that a doctor was not invovled? He was "provided with a medication." Doctors usually do that kind of thing.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

"doctors" will also hand out medical marijuana cards to anyone claiming to have chronic back pain...even if it takes a little coaching to get the patient to say the magic words that can make that card possible. and yeah, he claimed it was new meds rather than old meds...which makes it about as suspect as all those people who get "mentally ill" permits to bring their ratdogs on airplanes. also, i think the mental health exemptions for ADD/anxiety/etc that lets MLB players take "legal speed" is about twice that of the normal population. yeah, i don't got anything but speculation, but i feel comfortable implying he's being a fucktard based on how roiders use estrogen blockers...and how i doubt he needs chemo.

Recent comments

  • 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.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

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

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.