Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus one player is on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 3-28-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# 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 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 1 
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Tribe Blasts Raley & Cabrera for eight runs in 5th & 6th

Cedric Hunter smacked a three-run home run to cap a five-run 6th, and Zach McAlister threw four shutout innings, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 9-2 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League action this afternoon at cold & dreary Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.

Javier Baez produced both of the Cub runs with a two-run HR just to the left of the CF Batter's Eye ("Green Monster") with no outs in the top of the 1st. Baez also fisted an opposite-field bloop single into right-center in his second AB.

David DeJesus collected two hits, including a lead-off bounding double down the RF line off LHP David Huff that preceded Baez's HR in the 1st. (DeJesus hit only 149/289/149 with no extra-base hits in 113 PA vs LHP in 2012, so it's big news anytime he does anything against a lefty).

box score

LHP Chris Rusin got the start for the Cubs and threw three shutout innings (48 pitches - 34 strikes, 4/3 GO/FO), allowing three harmless singles in the 3.0 IP. Rusin threw strikes and mostly stayed ahead in the count throughout his outing. He faced only ten batters (one over the minimum) in his three innings of work, nailing one baserunner at 1st base with a nifty pick-off move that froze the runner, and erasing another runner by inducing a timely 6-4-3 DP.   

LHP Brooks Raley and RHP Alberto Cabrera followed Rusin to the hill, and both had poor outings, Raley allowing three runs (all earned) on four hits (including a solo HR by LH hitting Jason Kipnis) and a walk in 1.1 IP (32 pitches - 18 strikes), and Cabrera surrendering five runs (all earned) on three hits (including Hunter's three-run dinger) and three walks (with no strikeouts) in 1.1 IP.

Cabrera's outing featured a 30-pitch 6th inning where he was relieved after retiring only two hitters, and he wouldn't have retired anybody in the inning if not for a spectacular back-handed diving catch near the LF foul line by Johermyn Chavez, and a laser-throw by Welington Castillo to 2nd that nabbed a basrunner trying to steal.  

Cubs #1 LHRP James Russell surrendered a run on two hits (a double and a single) and a walk in 1.2 IP, Shawn Camp threw a shutout 8th inning (allowing one hit), and Kyuji Fujikawa had a VERY impressive inning of work, racking up two strikeouts (both swinging) and a pop fly in the 9th. 

Fujikawa has an excellent splitter as his strikeout pitch that he sets up with a lively fastball he throws for strikes. He should be the Cubs closer, and certainly will be when & if the Cubs trade Carlos Marmol

Of the five likely Iowa Cubs starting pitchers at Big League Camp right now (Rusin, Raley, Cabrera, Nick Struck and Barret Loux), there is no question that Chris Rusin is the only one of the five anywhere near MLB-ready anytime soon. Rusin works fast and throws strikes, and although his stuff is somewhat pedestrian, he is polished, and generally makes the most of what he has.

Raley and Cabrera have been nothing short of abysmal, and I would think their futures as starting pitchers are definitely in doubt at this time. Cabrera is especially frustrating because he actually has electric stuff (including a mid-90's fastball and a wipe-out slider), but he also has virtually zero command, and so he is constantly pitching from behind in the count and hitters are able to sit on his fastball (which he will sometimes try to throw BP-style over the plate just to avoid walking the hitter).

The Cub offense has been misfiring over the past few days, although it would probably aid the cause a bit if Starlin Castro (out with a hamstring issue) and Anthony Rizzo (playing in the WBC) were in the lineup.

Comments

I tend to confuse Rusin and Raley because they were both Siamese lefties separated at birth. Rusin = He's IN Raley = He's no-OUT's. Pitcher's name is Sally? Is there a better way to fix this confusion? Soon they may be separated by route 80 from Chicago to Des Moines

Arizona Phil ten letter word of the day: Pedestrian Arizona Phil ten letter word of the week: Lugubrious

Raley and Cabrera have been nothing short of abysmal... That's too bad...I don't know that much about Cabrera other than his touted "electric" stuff, as AZ PHIL mentions, but as I said earlier in the week, Raley can have a nice Minor League career - and then coach - or work at a Target. He soils himself anywhere near MLB-caliber players.

On the DDubCub twitter thing: Why wouldn't the Cubs DL Stewart instead of trying to save the $1.5 million by cutting him? The other options are Valbuena, Lillibridge, Maysonet, and Vitters--and Vitters is going to be out longer than Stewart. As far as I can tell, 3B is the location where the Cubs have the most room for improvement from 2012-2013. Nobody other than Stewart has much shot at providing some of that improvement, though. Garsh I hope Stewart either rebounds or the Cubs manage a trade for a useful youngster.

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I think if you had ranked players by how much the team could ill afford to have them miss significant time, Steele would be right at the top of the list.

  • crunch (view)

    steele MRI on friday.  counsell expects an IL stint.

    no current plans for his rotation replacement.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    I would say also in the bright side column is Busch looked pretty good overall at the plate. Alzolay…man, that hurts but most of the time he’s not giving up a homer to that guy. To me the worst was almonte hanging that pitch to Garcia. He hung another one to the next hitter too and got away with it on an 0-1. 

  • crunch (view)

    amaya blocked like 6-8 of smyly's pitches in the dirt very cleanly...not even an exaggeration, smyly threw a ton of pitches bouncing in tonight.

    neris looking like his old self was a relief (no pun), too.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In looking for bright spots the defense was outstanding tonight. The “stars” are going to need to shine quite a bit brighter than they did tonight offensively though for this to be a successful season.

  • Eric S (view)

    Good baseball game. Hopefully Steele is pitching again in April (but I’m not counting on it). 

  • crunch (view)

    boo.

  • crunch (view)

    smyly to face the 2/3/4 hitters with a man on 2nd in extras.

    this doesn't seem like a 8 million dollar managerial decision.

  • crunch (view)

    i 100% agree with you, but i dunno how jed wants to run things.  the default is delay.  i would choose brown.

    like hellfrozeover says, could be smyly since he's technically fresh and stretched.

    anyway, on a pure talent basis....brown is the best option.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Use pitchers when you believe they're good. Don't plan their clock.

    I'm sorry. I'm simply anti-clock/contract management. Play guys when they show real MLB potential talent.

    If Brown hadn't been hurt with the Lat Strain he would've gotten the call, and not Wick.

    Give him a chance. 

    But Wesneski probably gets it