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

Braves Appear to Win the Ryan Dempster Lotto

David O'Brien started it all with a tweet saying that the Braves were close to finalizing a deal for a starting pitcher and then Jon Heyman, Jerry Crasnick and Jason Stark said it was Ryan Dempster.

Here's a top 20 Braves prospect list to start speculating upon. I'm hoping Cubs can get one of Randall Delgado or Mike Minor and another decent arm.

Details emerging...


UPDATE #1: MLB.com beat writer for the Braves does say that Delgado could be one of the parts heading to the Cubs.

UPDATE #2: No doubt this is happening now and could be completed by the afternoon. Still awaiting the specifics though.

UPDATE #3: Keith Law speaks, "Filed to ESPN - if the Dempster trade is completed, Randall Delgado is in it, as well as something to balance the money". If that is indeed the complete deal, it's going to be Dempster and $$ for Delgado, or 2 months of Dempster for 5+ years of Delgado at pre-arbitration money until about 2015. 

UPDATE #4: Kapman throws a little water on the fire, saying talks still ongoing. Also rumors now from Jim Bowden that Cubs and Dodgers are waist-deep in a Matt Garza for Zach Lee swap. 

UPDATE #5: The twitter account for Dempster's charity(from which TCR has been banned from for some reason) has this sobering tweet: "THERE IS NO TRADE dont know where this info came from!" Well la-dee-da!

UPDATE #6: Kaplan says the deai is just awaiting Dempster's approval, and judging by Dempster's tweet, that's not a sure thing.

UPDATE #7: So Dempster is refusing to talk about it to reporters, other than to say there is no trade. Delgado's agent hasn't heard anything. As the trade world turns...

UPDATE #8: As I, and I'm sure many others suspected, Heyman is saying the Cubs and Braves have agreed to a deal, but Dempster hasn't waived his 10/5 rights...and it certainly sounds like he's holding on to that bargaining chip for as long as he can.

UPDATE #9: Nightengale with the same info, deal agreed upon between Cubs and Braves, just a matter if Dempster will approve. Len already tweeted a farewell to Dempster.

FINAL UPDATE FOR TODAY: The Cubs brass have told Sveum that no deal is done and earlier reports were false, but does say that Dempster still could be traded. Translation: The Cubs brass fucked up and didn't keep Dempster in the loop and they're in damage control now.

Comments

(I think Kaplan is referring to Atlanta/Dempster) Ryan Dempster traded to Atlanta. Sources tell me Cubs made great deal to land young pitching. I am working on names. Back at u all shortly. (1:16, cst) thekapman David Kaplan (2:12, cst) Just spoke with great source. No deal has been agreed upon. Talks ongoing. Nothing done yet. --- Ken Rosenthal also pee-d on his shoe.

Zach Lee is nowhere near enough for Garza. Lee's star has fallen almost as fast this year as Trey McNutt's did last year. Hell, the Cubs minor leaguers have pounded Lee twice this season already. Just say no.

Per Muskat, Kaplan and Padilla: Dempster just walked into the clubhouse and is putting on his Cubs uniform. Padilla/ESPN-Dempster declines to talk. Won't discuss Speculation.

Dempster walked into the clubhouse (not the beginning of a joke). I suppose we'll find out soon enough. His tweet sounded like a man perturbed that he had to hear it from twitter or somewhere other than the powers-that-be. Although, if he's annoyed by that, where the fuck has he been the last 2 months?

Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal My best guess on what's happening with #Cubs' Dempster. Agreement or near-agreement on players and cash, no agreement with Dempster. MORE. Dempster 10/5 rights, can veto any deal. #Braves his No. 2 choice after #Dodgers. May simply be matter of enticing him to waive no-trade. 7 minutes ago

I wouldn't be jumping up and down to move to ATL, personally. Maybe we match up with the Angels better? Seems like he may just like the West Coast. Plus, it is much closer to BC where he's from.

Padilla/ESPN: Sveum said he talked to Cubs decision makers and no deal with Braves was in place. Carrie Muskat ‏@CarrieMuskat Cubs mgr Sveum says no deal re: Dempster to Braves. Called it "fabrication"

so to guess, somehow story leaked from Atlanta (David O'Brien and their MLB.com beat writer, Bowman had it first) and then national guys jumped on it as well. All before Cubs got a hold of Dempster. Dempster not happy (maybe with Atlanta, maybe he was told he'd be in the loop, who knows why?)...so they're in damage control now.

Feel free to correct me, and I am sure you will, but I do not recall ONE former Brave player whom we received in a trade that was any good for the Cubs. Seems like they always fleeced Hendry, Lynch, McFail, etc. Free Agents, sure. Except Jeff Blauser. DeRosa is probably the most productive ex-Brave the Cubs signed. And, was an amazing super-sub. We have only had misery from any association with the Braves. I think of guys like Marcus Giles (Prior), the aforementioned Blauser, Maddux, Jose Ascanio, Mike Remlinger...Who am I forgetting?

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Mon, 07/23/2012 - 3:25pm — The E-Man Feel free to correct me, and I am sure you will, but I do not recall ONE former Brave player whom we received in a trade that was any good for the Cubs. Seems like they always fleeced Hendry, Lynch, McFail, etc. Free Agents, sure. Except Jeff Blauser. DeRosa is probably the most productive ex-Brave the Cubs signed. And, was an amazing super-sub. We have only had misery from any association with the Braves. I think of guys like Marcus Giles (Prior), the aforementioned Blauser, Maddux, Jose Ascanio, Mike Remlinger...Who am I forgetting? =============================== E-MAN: Jack Curtis for Bob Buhl was a good trade for the Cubs. Also, Socks Seibold and four others plus $200K for Rogers Hornsby was a VERY good deal. Helped the Cubs win the pennant in '29.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

PHIL: In the Magical Cubs 1961 Season, Jack Curtis had the following line: W 10 L13 4.89ERA, with a whip of 1.50. But he did pitch 180 innings that year which would be an "innings eater" these days, and a "spot starter" in 1961. But, I am glad you mentioned him so it forced me to look him up! Anyway, if that's all we can come up with - even more pathetic. ha! And, I can only relate to the 1969 Atlanta Braves moving forward as the Mets beat them in the first ever "NLCS" and I was so bitter knowing that our boys would have swept them.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

E-MAN: I should have said the Cubs got Bob Buhl for Jack Curtis, and then Buhl went on to have four pretty good seasons for a bad Cubs team (he won 51 games 1962-65) before going to the Phillies with Larry Jackson in the deal in which the Cubs acquired Fergie Jenkins and Adolfo Phillips, while Jack Curtis worked mostly as a lefty reliever for the Braves in 1962 before getting traded to Cleveland and almost immediately going into the Witness Protection Program. Buhl was actually a very reliable starting pitcher for the Cubs the entire time he was in Chicago, but the two things I remember most about him are that he was a terrible hitter, and he sweated like a pig, even if it was 40 degrees.

You can throw the Omar Infante trade in with the others. We received the forgettable Jose Ascanio. They got a guy who made an all star team and who is still going strong. They parlayed Infante into Uggla.

Tigets get Infante and A. Sanchez from Marlins according to Morosi.

ninja has ruined his own no-hitter through 8...only hit so far is a grounder to 2nd on which mcCl beat out ninja on a footrace to 1st. that said, he's in line for his first complete game with 99 pitches through 8ip.

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.