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

Jim Hendry Signs Four Year Extension

We talked about it the other day, so nothing to really add except that it is offical, Jim Hendry has been extended through the 2012 season.

Donuts for everyone....

Comments

I said he should lose his job if the Cubs failed to win the pennant. I retract but remain skeptical that he'll be here four more years. Good luck, Jim, and no more heart attacks please.

Hendry made almost all the right moves in this nearly-magical 2008 season. It is unfortunate that the team monumentally choked when it really mattered. This is hard to assess blame on him for the failure.

Three division titles in six years, with an increased level of talent the last two (going along with a higher payroll). Yet "Teflon Jim survives." We all want a World Series title, but it clearly isn't as easy as wishing for it. Hendry's done his job quite well.

If we dont have the right assets to land Jake Peavy, then Hendry is a failure as a GM. Haren, Sabathia, Santana have all been dealt and we didnt have the right players in the farm system to barter with. If that isnt an indictment on the GM, i dont know what is? Maybe take 3 of the Felix Pie experiment will work out next year.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

was there another starting pitcher or middle infielder traded to the A's besides Gallagher, since you discounted Eric Patterson?

cause the Padres want young, controllable starting pitching and a middle infielder...at least.

Peavy's damn good and all, but there's a lot of worries about his health everyone should be having and what he'll pitch like when he leaves Petco. He has a 3.80 road ERA for his career.

trust me, i'd love to have him, but he's no slam dunk...I don't think there's any pitcher that is except maybe Johan Santana or mid to late 90's Pedro Martinez

The Rays made good use of an "asset" last night. =============== It's been done before, as recently as: Adam Wainwright in 2006...and Beckett in 2003 was a variant of that as well.

I dont understand how you guys can support Jim Hendry so much. This guy has done very little based on the assets he has to work with. Signing Free Agents with a fist full of money does not make a great GM, if you do that to fill out a roster based on the foundation that you have put together, maybe. And yes ARam and DLee were great deals in 03, and 04 for teams that had economic issues and Hendry was able to put deals together for them. I think Ted Lilly, and Derosa were good signings as well. Resigning ARAM and DLEE were also good moves and Signing Lou as well. Does getting Edmonds classify a great move? Or was it a failure that Pie couldnt play? What about Neifi, Glendon Rusch in 06. Keeping Dusty around in 06. Nomar, Juan Pierre, Jacque Jones (Who he had to pay someone to take). These are all lousy lousy moves. I could go on and on and the farm system as well. If hendry's working 14 hour days, he should start working more. Is anyone really surprised that a RH dominated lineup came back to roost? Or Soriano didn't do jack vs a pitching staff that pitched him carefully? Or Dempster choked in a big spot (we know he didnt like pitching the 9th)? I didnt want to think it would happen, but it did and i was concerned about it in April, but the regular season made me think this team would overcome those things. I guess I was wrong about that and right about Hendry. He gets a free pass in this town, because we were so bad before and the media loves him cause he's so accessible and a likeable guy. The guy didnt buy into OBP until Lou got here. Come on!!

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

The Angels-Sox series was a crapshoot. Cubs-Dodgers didn't rise to that level. The Angels won game three on the road and might have won game 4 if a good bunter hadn't missed a squeeze in the ninth. To find a close call that made a difference in the Cubs-Dodgers series, you'd have to rehash Loney's foul tip in the fifth inning of the first game. The Cubs had no pulse after that. So I'm temperamentally allied with HendryIsClueless, but I still go back and forth on Hendry. I like the organization he has built: Wilken and Fleita . . . Sandberg, Davis and Listach . . . Riggins, Llewallyn, Joshua. And of course Lou. All of this could be outweighed by disastrous free-agent signings, but I thought Soriano was better this year than last, and I have a hard time believing that Fukudome is a bum. It really is possible for a 31-year-old veteran to hit a rookie wall. I can live with this GM.

Its a crapshoot if you win a game. This year's team choked. 2007 was just not that good. Overachieved to win 85 games, thanks to Lou not Hendry.

[ ]

In reply to by HendryIsClueLess

I'm still trying to figure out how the GM doesn't deserve credit for building a team that won the most games in the league during the regular season, but gets the blame for players that "choked" by losing a 3 game series. And I guess the opposite is also true, as to why Lou would get the credit for the regular season but not the blame for choking in a short series. I just don't get that. A GM builds the team for the long haul, and clearly he did that. Other than making sure that the team has solid starting pitching (and yes, Z, Harden, Dempster, and Lilly is a solid rotation), how exactly is a GM supposed to build a team for a 5 game series?

Won 28 - 1 today over the Surprise Rafters. (No doubt they were surprised.) Spears, Clevenger and Barney were a combined 8 for 16 with 3 RBI and 11 runs scored.

[ ]

In reply to by Timmer

That's going to make a long day at the ballpark, especially for the Rafters. It would be cool if Barney became a useful hitter. Our guys pitched 8 innings of one run ball too (Estrada, Cardidad, Veal, Roquet).

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Spears has started quickly in the AFL -- .455 / .556 / .682 -- and has played a few innings at short. Maybe AZ Phil can let us know how he's looked there and how he matches up with Fontenot.

Hendry has made his fair share of mistakes (Just like any other GM now or in history), but the true test of how good a GM is whether the team wins or not. 3 division titles in the last 6 seasons. You can't argue with that. Hendry did have a big part to play in that, along with Lou, the players, the trainers, the coaches, the grounds crew, etc. It's a team, and it took a total team effort to win. Hendry is the leader so it is only natural to see him get most of the attention for what happens. The thing about leaders is this: They get too much of the credit for good things happening and too much of the criticism for bad things happening. Human nature.

More of the same from Hendry: "We feel Felix is going to be a good player," Hendry said. "You're talking about a 23-year-old kid. He'll be an out-of-options player. Without any kind of injury or significant change, he'll have a very good chance to make the ballclub out of Spring Training."

How many OFs can we carry? Fukudome, Pie, and Reed Johnson are already penciled in as non-starters...things that make you go hmmmm... This team next year will either suck it up and repeat and get past the 1st round or completely suck from day 1. I dont see any middle ground. Hopefully Soriano is batting 5th or 6th, Fukudome is the leadoff hitter or 2nd, Pie learns to hit ML pitching and Dempster stays on the same workout program he was on during his contract year. Lets hope they feel they have lots to prove.

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.