Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Theo Epstein doesn't have control of Ryan Dempster

This waiting for the Ryan Dempster trade to happen is OUT OF CONTROL!
Or at least it's out of Theo Epstein's control since Dempster has the right to say no to a trade.
Here's what I can figure out:
Theo maybe worked out a trade with Atlanta that would have sent Dempster there for Randall Delgado, but Ryan maybe must have said something like, "I don't wanna go to the Braves, man! I have a house in Scottsdale where I like to stay with my family during Spring Training, and Atlanta trains in Florida!" so Theo probably was like "DAMMIT" if he cusses (I have no idea) and we all think Dempster wants to be in Los Angeles so he can be with old buddy Ted Lilly and do his spring training down the street in Glendale which would apparently be cool with Theo if the Dodgers would part with Zach Lee but of course the rumor is the Dodgers probably don't want to do that so Theo would maybe be happy with Allen Webster but we don't know if the Dodgers even actually offered him or if they'd part with him and probably there are all kindsa other names being tossed around and we're all in limbo.
See?
It's OUT OF CONTROL!
And we all know how much Thoe covets control. 
This must be why.


 

Comments

It's a moot point now I guess, but still have a hard time believing that he ever indicated to Cubs that a West Coast team or Dodgers were his only choice. Maybe he said he'd consider any contender and it never went past that, I suppose we'll never know. I do know it sucks for the Cubs and good luck getting anything from the Dodgers at this point.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

"Major league baseball is a business - Dempster owes nothing to the Cubs." It's a fair point. But Dempster does it to the Cubs to be fair to them. If he previously told Theo/Hoyer that he'd be fine with a trade to Atlanta, but then backtracked on that, well that certainly isn't fair or right. Moreover, the baseball is a business is a two way street. As a Cubs fan I might like certain players more than others, but ultimately I pull for the Cubs to win. Dempster's salary is paid from fan support/attendance, merchandise, etc. So it's completely within the right of a fan to be unhappy that his actions are harming the Cubs chance of success in the future. Especially when the future is all this organization has because the present is such a pile of crap. Lastly, the importance of family here is a reach. I understand his unique family issues, but there are only 2 months left in the season. And it's not like he's home 7 days a week like most people working normal jobs are anyway.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

meh, no one is too upset over him using his 10/5 rights, it's the nature that this went down. Now surely their may have been plenty of misinformation out there, but it sure seems like there was some sort of understanding that the Cubs should shop for the best deal to a contender and Atlanta was an amicable place, among some others. and why is it okay to assume this is about family and not okay to assume other stuff? For all we know he just wants to drink with Ted Lilly. I highly doubt he's going to move his family for 2 months out there anyway. Of course, only a few know what was said, but the issue is whether Dempster misled the Cubs, not any of that other stuff. And if he did mislead the Cubs, sure no one died because of it, but Cubs fans certainly don't owe him the benefit of the doubt either.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

Perhaps it's a bit of hyperbole, but I don't think it's a stretch. As numerous others have said, this didn't happen out of the blue. Trade rumors have been swirling around Dempster for most of the season. It has been widely reported that Theo and Dempster talked about trades/destinations. So it's fair to infer that Theo made a deal with Atlanta believing Dempster would be on board with it. But then when a deal is made, Dempster gets his underwear all twisted because a reporter broke the deal before the Cubs could reach him. And then he proceeds to say he's going to take his time thinking about it - when he's already had lots of time to think about - and then proceed to hamstring the Cubs by basically saying he'll only play for LA. When there's only 2 months left in the season and he can control where he plays afterward. So no, I don't think it's unreasonable to be annoyed by Dempster over this.

[ ]

In reply to by springs

Wed, 07/25/2012 - 11:20am — springs One question I have -- if we offer him a contract, do we will still get a draft choice if he signs elsewhere? For some reason I thought this was removed in the new CBA. ====================================== SPRINGS: I posted this yesterday on a previous thread: The Cubs don't HAVE to trade Dempster. They can hold onto him, and then make the "Qualifying Offer" (a one year guaranteed contract for 2013 with a salary at least equal to the average of the 125 highest MLB salaries in 2012 - expected to be somewhere around $13M) on the 5th day following the conclusion of the 2012 World Series, and if he accepts it (and he will have a week to decide), the Cubs get him for another year (2013) for around $13M, and if he rejects the Qualifying Offer (and he probably would, since post-2012 will probably be the best and possibly last opportunity he will have to get a multi-year mega-million dollar contract), the Cubs get a compensation draft pick immediately after the conclusion of the 1st round in the 2013 June Draft (at this point, it looks to be overall pick #32 or 33), once he signs with a new team. BTW, in this scenario, the signing team loses its 1st round pick, unless it's picking in the Top 10 of the 1st round, in which case the team loses its 2nd round pick. (This lost draft pick is not assigned to any other club. It just disappears). Also, if a club signs more than one Article XX-B FA who received a "Qualifying Offer" from his former team, the signing team loses picks in subsequent rounds beyond the 1st or 2nd rounds, for as many rounds as the number of Article XX-B MLB free-agents signed who received Qualifying Offers from their former club. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I will add this: If the Cubs hold onto Dempster and tender him a "Qualifying Offer" post-2012 World Series (see above) and he accepts the offer, his trade value will actually increase during the off-season and Spring Training. That's because a team cannot receive a compensatory draft pick after tendering a Qualifying Offer to an MLB Article XX-B FA unless the player spends the entire previous regular season with that club, so if Dempster is traded now, the club that acquires him will not be able to get a 2013 draft pick for him if he doesn't sign a contract extension with that club and walks away as a FA post-2012. So if Dempster is traded now and he does not sign a contract extension with his new club, he would be the proverbial "rent-a-player," and that's almost certainly why the Dodgers don't want to give up a whole lot to get him. The Dodgers probably would much prefer to just take on salary, but the Cubs apparently don't care about that. If the Cubs keep Dempster and then extend him a "Qualifying Offer" post-2012 World Series and he accepts it, and then he is traded during the off-season or Spring Training (presuming he waives his 10/5 "no trade" rights), the club that acquires him will be able to extend a Qualifying Offer of their own post-2013 WS and receive a 2014 compensatory draft pick if he declines and then subsequently signs with a different club. And as I said, if the Cubs keep Dempster and extend him a "Qualifying Offer" post-2012 WS and he declines, the Cubs would get a compensatory draft pick (probably overall pick #32 or 33) in the 2013 draft pick, presuming Dempster signs with a new team. And although there will be a few clubs that might not want to give up a 1st or 2nd round draft pick to sign Dempster as a FA, somebody will. All it takes is one GM.

Here's a question for anyone: Ichiro apparently asked to be traded and said something along the lines of wanting to help the Mariners rebuild. Do you think for one second he would've gone to the Yankees if he didn't want to, just so he could help the Mariners? Baseball is not charity. Players are going to do what's best for them when given the opportunity. Why anyone would get pissed off about that is just puzzling to me.

Rizzo will be a star in this league. Whew, talk about walking on the edge.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I believe the Cubs would still get a draft pick if they offered Dempster arbitration. However, the risk is he may actually accept it. This could be a real problem. He exercised the option this year when he most likely could have received a multi-year some place else. I don't think it would be certain the Cubs would offer him arbitration. Hopefully, this will all be irrelevant. I wouldn't let the Dodgers hold us up. If they don't offer enough, screw them.

[ ]

In reply to by johann

fun fact... between the end of 2002-2009 season, the Red Sox handed out just 1 contract of longer than 4 years to a 6-year free agent, that being 31 year old JD Drew before the 2007 season. 5/70...fangraphs' valuation had him at worth about $57M over those 5 years, not great, not terrible either. (an aside, Soriano worth $78M to date out of a little less than $100M Cubs have paid so far). They also caught a ton of flack for not resigning popular players such as Pedro and Damon. There was the Dice-K deal for 6 years, but we all know that 6 years was unique as to cover his pre-arb and arbitration years. from 2009 and beyond, they signed Lackey (5/82.5), Crawford (7/142) and in a trade and eventual sign Gonzalez (7/154).

It's not like Cubs were sending Dempster to Siberia, errr, Minnesota with three years left on a contract. Thats really the spirit of the 10/5 rule so you dont get your life thrown in the crapper. But no, they proposed sending him to one of the best franchises in the country, huge fan base, cable tv Mecca, competitive, a team that valued him. A team he may or may not have okay'd, in a pennant race, and with two or so months until free agency. It's the way he handled the whole situation, it's not his choice that is the real problem. He has the right to veto. No problem. But not the right to be an ass and not get a lash back on his reputation. Which is where he is most certainly headed now. Perhaps irrevocably - he woke up from his nap and said: man, I want somma' that mojo Dwight Howard has going on down there in Orlando! I read an article citing that a true professional might even call the club and thank them for the offer, feel honored in having a nice price paid for your services, in the way of a top prospect coming over for him. What does he do? "I might decide in the next week." It's as if he had some painful childhood trauma unleashed and was waiting to "be the hammer" and just lost his frickin' mind. Truly baffling. I wonder if his agent had any say, or just got diva'd off the phone when Dempster lost his shit. Wow.

Ryan Dempster said an odd thing yesterday. When the deal with the Braves broke in the media and Dempster was asked about it, he said he had a week to decide. Obviously that was not a deadline given to him by the Cubs or the Braves. I suspect what he was thinking was that he would much prefer to go to the Dodgers and wants the Cubs to do whatever they can to make that happen, but if it gets to July 31st (next Tuesday) and the Cubs and Dodgers have not been able to come to an agreement, THEN he would accept a trade to the Braves (or possibly some other team). Ergo, he thinks he has a week to decide, Except it appears that the Braves want him to decide right now, or they will look elsewhere. By leaking the information that they are willing to hold onto Dempster and tender him a Qualifying Offer post-2012 World Series, the Cubs are putting pressure on Dempster to accept a trade right now (even if it's not to the Dodgers). The last thing Dempster wants is to be given a Quailfying Offer post-2012, because (as was discussed above) if he accepts it's just a one-year deal (even if it's for $13M), and if he declines the offer, any club interested in signing him would know that they will lose a 1st or 2nd round pick if they sign him, thus depressing his value in the FA market at a point in his career when it might very well be the last, best opportunity for him to get a multi-year mega-million contract. But if Dempster were to accept the trade to Atlanta, he'd only have to be there for two months (or three months if the Braves get into the playoffs), and then he could blissfully walk away as a totally unrestricted free-agent post-2012, and sign with the Dodgers (or any other MLB team).

Can we please stop pretending we know anything about the Dempster situation? The only thing that seems likely at all is someone at the Braves organization leaked the info. Past that, blaming either Dempster or Theo seems pretty silly with the paucity of facts we have.

[ ]

In reply to by johann

sure, but the Cubs had the most to lose here if a trade doesn't happen or leak destroyed the trade. It makes sense they would have handled the situation with the utmost care to ensure that a deal happened to Dempster's standards. And even Dempster said they for the most part were great at keeping him abreast of the situation. There's certainly a lot of conjecture and guessing going around, but well, welcome to the Internet and baseball. I personally don't take any of this seriously, it's just fun to talk about it.

Morosi tweet that there's at least one team that inquired about Soriano. "Can we have him for free?" "No" "Sorry to bother you"

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

I'll play the contrarian/devil's advocate here and ask the question. What's the rush in trading Soriano? He's playing halfway decently and while he's in his decline phase he could certainly keep this level of production up for the next year or two. It seems by most reports that the Cubs wouldn't get a very good prospect or two and would have to eat most of his remaining salary, so it's not like they'd save much in the way of money, and hell payroll shouldn't be an issue either in light of the additional salaries coming off the books after this year. It's not like Soriano is blocking someone younger from playing. So they may as well hold onto him and hope is trade value increases and they can get something for him as his closer is closer to expiring.

I think i pretty much nailed the Atlanta GM response to Dempster saying "It will take him much of the next week to decide." In the nicest possible way the Braves told Dempster to fuck off and moved on, not wanting to pursue a player who doesn't want to be on their team. I don't care if it was leaked early or not before he made his decision. What you absolutely don't do is say its gonna take a week or 2 make up your mind. Besides Dempster gave a list to Theo of the teams he would prefer (and was kept in the loop during the whole process) and Dempster still said no when one of those teams agreed to a trade for him. Why the hell even give the list to Theo when your not gonna honor it in good faith anyways.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

I saw that yesterday. I don't think Dempster has handled the situation well at all, but I also don't think that it is worth getting bent out of shape about as a Cubs fan. But then, I don't think much of anything about sports is worth getting bent of shape about. It's just entertainment. Hell, even this is entertainment, in a soap opera kind of way. I agree he has a right to change his mind. It sounds like that's exactly what he did. We can't have any idea what goes on with his daughter, and what kind of daily toll that takes on him. What seemed like a good idea yesterday may, as it descends upon him, not seem so great today. As a 10-5 guy he feels entitled to take advantage of that hard earned right. I don't blame him. He could have handled it a little better, but God knows I go through life doing things that are a lot more questionable than this. I don't know many people who haven't.

Isn't Ron Santo, one of the most beloved Cubs of all time, the first player to invoke his 10 and 5 rights? Cubs had a deal with the Angels but Ron didn't want to play on the west coast. The Cubs lost leverage and were forced to take what they believed was a lesser deal with the White Sox. Ron cited family reasons. It's not exactly an apples to apples comparison, but no one thinks that Ron was a selfish player who didn't care about the Cubs.

[ ]

In reply to by B52RedMonkey

That is cool if true! But I personally might have been a little selfishly miffed if Dempster had just said 'no' and vetoed the trade. But ultimately I would respect that right. As has been covered in several other posts, the issue here (for some) is how Dempster has reacted and the various bizarre statements he has made and postures he has taken (not the fact that he exercised his 10/5 rights). . . . To this day he has not made a decision on anything and keeps referring to having more time etc. General sense of being miffed, pissed, irritated with the media, teams, etc. while harboring an irrational sense of entitlement regarding a pretty good and very short term situation. Hard to explain if you can't see it. And I respect the fact that it doesn't bother many people here or is not obvious. But for those who can see it, it seems he is seething with intensity and passive aggression.

[ ]

In reply to by champsummers

going back a couple threads (and paraphrasing WiscGrad), I think it is beyond unprofessional that he to this date has yet to make a decision (just left the Braves, a great organization with whom he has a relationship, hung out to dry), AND the unprofessional part is that he somehow hadn't thought through his options with his family and agent, and had a plan of attack. If I was a multi-million dollar corporation (as an example, and he brings in multi millions per year) with a team of business officers (in this case, myself wife and agent) and there were two months left on my funding AND A WEEK TO DECIDE THE PLAN, I had a massive public reputation that effected my business and two suitors, and public had been speculating about two plans of action for months . . . It might be nice to have a plan of attack, a contingency plan and a public relations plan. Especially if my business had been operating 14yrs and 9 years in the same location. Rather than waking from a nap and going into asshole mode for a week.

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

Look, I can see both sides here. The player earned their 10 and 5 rights. It was collectivelt bargained for. But from what I have read, Theo tried tomaccommodate the player's wishes. Timing is absolutely everything for a GM. The player went back on what he had agreed to. To me, that is unreasonable, and unethical when the GM worked hard to acquire a potentially valuable resource for the futire of the team, while at the same time finding a winner with a history of winning on the part of the player. I get the family shit. I have three kids. I also know, as was stated, that being a ball player is like having five months off. FIVE. In no way is it unreasonable to accept a position in a city with a major airport in it, for two fucking months to help the team that picked you off the scrap heap and stood by you in every way. This includes helping put together Ryan's Foundation, incredible medical support, etc. For my fan money, this guy failed me in every big game opportunity. Including walking the entire North Side and serving up a Grand Slam to James Loney causing my 13 year old at the time, to hate him wver since, in the biggest game of his life as was said. I would surmise that having a player do this to Theo was not something he is accustomed to. And I can surmise he is not pleased by it.

I sometimes do a Google news search for "cubs" and am accustomed to hearing all the latest about tiger cubs, bear cubs and the two 3-month-old cheetah cubs at the National Zoo. A headline this morning confused me, though: "3 Bear Cubs Rescued From Dumpster‎." I pictured him walking in the woods and, startled by some bear cubs, throwing a water cooler at them.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

Yes but we are fans, not attorneys. Wtf do we care what rosenthal thinks? Most talking heads have said whet he has a right to veto, again it's not the issue and it's old news. (Ironicall he hasn't done even that). We may have rights to burn the American flag, or stand our ground in Florida, . . . but I wouldn't do so without expecting unintended consequences. As fans (derived from fanatic of course) we have a right to boo the living fuck out of someone who is a douche. Nobody is threatening to sue him that I know of. Just highly disappointing to some like me. I honestly envy you Tito if you think he's handling it well. Not kidding, I wish I thought so! Rock on!

My point in asking Rosenthal was more to find out about "the list." I figured if an insider like him had an insight, it might be good to know. If he had said, "Yes, can confirm he said he'd go to Braves," I'd have found that worth knowing.

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).