Cubs MLB Roster

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40-Man Roster Info

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

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players are on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* 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: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2 
Seiya Suzuki, OF
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 2
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Tulo Two RBI Too Much for Cubs

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Troy Tulowitzki drove-in both Colorado runs with an RBI double and a sacrifice fly, and Jorge de la Rosa and four relievers combined to toss a six-hit shutout, as the Rockies blanked the Cubs 2-0 in Cactus League action this afternoon at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.

box score

The Cubs offense sputtered all day, but they did threaten to score twice.

The Cubs loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning but did not score (Luis Valbuena drew a walk, Darwin Barney reached on an infield hit down the third-base line, and Starlin Castro grounded a single to left, but then Alfonso Soriano and Scott Hairston struck out swinging and Dioner Navarro flied out to CF), and the first two Cubs reached base in the bottom of the 9th but were left stranded (Steve Clevenger reached on an infield single that glanced off the pitcher's glove and Johermyn Chavez drew a walk, but Darnell McDonald was called out on strikes on a 3-2 pitch, Jorge Soler popped out to the first-baseman in foul territory, and PH Brad Nelson rolled out 4-3).  

After not pitching in an "A" game since a week ago Sunday, Edwin Jackson got the start for the Cubs today and became the first Cub hurler to go five innings, E-Jax allowed one run on three hits (two infield singles and the Tulo RBI double) and one walk in his 5.0 IP (59 pitches - 38 strikes, 6/5 GO/FO), while striking out two. This was definitely the best Jackson has looked so far this Spring.

Japanese import RHRP Kyuji Fujikawa labored through a 25-pitch 6th, as the Rockies loaded the bases on a single and two walks, followed by the Tulowitzki SF. Although Fujikawa was behind on most every hitter he faced, he did strike out two (one looking and one swinging). 

Both Cory Wade and Carlos Marmol breezed through seven-pitch shutout innings in the 7th & 8th, and Jensen Lewis pitched a scoreless 9th, allowing a lead-off single, but eventually leaving the runner stranded at 2nd.   

Catcher Dioner Navarro had another strong game behind the plate, picking one runner off 1st base, and nailing another runner trying to steal 2nd.

After missing two weeks with a hamstring injury, Starlin Castro returned to the lineup and looked fine. He played shortstop for three innings and handled five chances easily (Eric Young, Jr did beat-out an infield single to deep short, but there was no realistic chance to throw Young out although Castro did make the play close at 1st), and reached base in both of his AB (drawing a walk in the 1st, and grounding a single to LF in the 3rd).   

Tags
Cubs Spring Training Recap

Comments

Submitted by Cubster on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:38 pm

AZ Phil: What differences do you see from lefties Chris Rusin and Travis Wood. (A compare and contrast question). I've heard James Russell still has some starter aspirations. Of the three which would be the most likely to have success as a starter based on repertoire, control and pitching IQ? Rusin with another good outing, shutting out the Dodgers through 5 IP.

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:17 pm

CUBSTER: Chris Rusin throws a 87-89 MPH four-seamer, a 85-87 MPH sinker, a change-up, and a slider, and none of his pitches are what you would call a "strikeout pitch." But at the same time, he does mix up his pitches very well and knows how work hitters, he throws strikes, he's polished, and he can get a lot of ground balls, making him the prototypical "crafty lefty."  He has the stamina to be a starter, and he's an above-average hitter for a pitcher, too (he was the DH at the U.of Kentucky on days he wasn't pitching). I would say he projects as an MLB #4 or #5 starter, with more value on a starting staff that can use a lefty. He gives up a lot of hits so he probably wouldn't be a good late-inning reliever, and he realy doesn't profile as a LOOGY either.   

Travis Wood throws an outstanding  89-91 MPH cutter, a change-up, and a breaking ball, and is more of a fly ball pitcher than Rusin, but he also gets more strikeouts. Wood is the type of pitcher who could get rocked for multiple HR on a windy day at Wrigley, but he also is capable of a 10-strikeout performance. He would project as a #3 starter, and he also is a VERY good hitter (LHP who is a RH hitter). Wood is very effective versus LH hitters so he probably could be a LOOGY, except that would be wasting his talent, plus he's been used exclusively as a starting pitcher throughout his career. 

James Russell's best pitch is his change-up, and he also throws a 87-89 MPH fastball and your basic slider. He uses the slider (which is just average) a lot against LH hitters and the change-up (his best pitch and his "strikeout pitch") against RH hitters. He's really more of a reliever who happens to throw LH than a LH relief specialist. He was tried as a starter a couple of years ago and failed miserably, mainly because he doesn't have the repertoire to go two times through the order. He's fine where he is right now. No reason to try him as a starter again, although I can see why he would want to start, because starters make a lot more money than do relievers.      

Submitted by Cubster on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:40 pm

Vitter beats Stewart into game action, bottom of 5th, replacing Lilibridge...although Stewart played in a minor league game today.

Submitted by Cubster on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:48 pm

from the Rangers mlb.com blog...TR Sullivan (the CMuskat equivalent for Texas):
Have you heard the full story on the Barret Loux and Jacob Brigham swap? Brigham just got reassigned and has an opt-out date, so it's likely he never throws a meaningful pitch for the Rangers. It seems like we let the Cubs take advantage of this deal. -- Jeff S., Fort Worth, Texas
The Rangers made the deal with the Cubs for catcher Geovany Soto on the night of July 30. The two teams had talked about both Loux and Brigham. The Cubs agreed to the deal for Brigham but still wanted to review his medical records. While they were doing so, news of the trade leaked out from Chicago. At the same time, the Cubs started expressing reluctance to acquire Brigham because they had concerns about his physical conditioning. By then, Yorvit Torrealba had been told what the situation was and Soto was coming to Texas to replace him. The Rangers, backed into a bad spot, convinced the Cubs to do the deal with the provision that if Brigham wasn't healthy, the Cubs could take Loux instead after the season, plus a player to be named later. That proved to be the case. Brigham came down with an elbow problem, the Cubs asked to redo the deal and the Rangers still owe them one more player.
http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130313&content_id=4…

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:04 pm

fwiw...times CST... Saturday, March 16 vs. Kansas City 3:05 PM WGN Sunday, March 17 @Oakland 3:05 PM WGN Friday, March 22 @Milwaukee 3:05 PM WGN Saturday, March 23 vs. LA Angels 3:05 PM WGN Monday, March 25 vs. San Fran 3:05 PM CSN Thursday, March 28 vs. Seattle 2:05 PM CSN

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:08 pm

spring training fan weakness... 8800+ in attendance for the game...down to less than 2000 by the time the 9th rolled around. welcome to LA, evidently. yeah, it's 94F outside, but it's dry Phoenix desert heat...that's practically nothing as long as you brought a hat. ...and the cubs are leading big going into the 9th, but who goes to ST games to see who wins/loses? a win for the team you're rooting for is just a nice bonus vs seeing the talent/kids/etc. i guess rush hour being close played a part, too...but c'mon spring training tourists...the hotel pool will still be there. cubs win 8-1...it was 6-0 going into the 9th.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:10 pm

USA vs DR... little delay...RAD doesn't like the mound...rakes and dirt being brought out.

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Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:50 pm

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Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 03:57 pm

i wish they'd move...there's a lot going on aside from the "it's neat/historic/nearly-last-of-it's-kind" perspective about the park...and a lot of it is negative. that said, i kinda respect the ricketts trying to make the park "work." i sure wouldn't shed a tear seeing the cubs move to a new park, though.

Recent comments

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
    I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
    I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
    That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
    I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
    We'll find out soon enough!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Teheran minor league deal is done, per MLB.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Based on Phil’s sound analysis it sounds like a no brainer for Almonte to be placed on waivers as today’s roster move. We shall see.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I suspect Counsell/Hottovy will use the piggy-back extensively, with Taillon and Hendricks pitching as the "pig" (and with a very short leash) and some combo of Wicks, Brown, and Wesneski (whichever two do not start) as the "backers."  

    Keep in mind that Keegan Thompson has a minor league option available, and if Yency Almonte is not outrighted by 4/26 he cannot be sent to the minors without his consent after that date. Almonte is out of minor league options, so I am talking about him getting outrighted to the minors if he is not claimed off waivers, and if he is claimed off waivers, the Cubs save the pro-rated portion of his $1.9M salary, which helps lower the Cubs 2024 AAV.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Totally agree. The 26 man roster very rarely consists of the 13 best position players and 13 best pitchers.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Based on what Jed has done in the past, I’d say the plan is to

    -give Hendricks another few starts
    -give Taillon some runway ot get his season underway

    -Mix and match in the bullpen and see what sticks

    Jed usually doesn’t do a whole lot of waiver wire plays in-season, at least early in the season. He only reallly did that after he blew up the rosters in 21 and 22 because they needed bodies (guys like Schwindel, Fargas, etc).

    I think he’s a little handcuffed by a full 40 man in that he can’t really maneuver much with giving anyone showing ability at AAA (R Thompson/ Sanders/ Edwards etc). Brewer has the most tenuous grip there, and we will see what kind of chance he gets. Other than his spot, there isn’t a ton of 40 man wiggle room.

    I’m very curious to see what happens with Brown now that Taillon returns. Bullpen? Wicks to Iowa? 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Pro teams have to play their "big money" guys if they are healthy and not "locker room" issues.
    The Cubs wanted to deal JHey off well before they bought him out. They just didn't want to pay him to play for someone else for that long. Jed did give him 20+mil to play for LAD last yr.
    Jed might also let Kyle walk at some point this year. Similar scenario to JHey, except Jed thought Kyle was going to be good/solid in '24!!
    You'd think Smyly is in the same book as well. Same with Neris (he's a 1yr vet RP, so he's not really in this convo too much).
    That's ~35mil between those three and those three are going to get opportunities until at least late June) over younger guys even if their performance is "iffy".
    But, Jed is going to play Taillon a lot. They have to try and justify that contract and hope a veteran works out.
    So, Taillon, Imanaga, and Hendricks are locks for the rest of April and probably May.
    Assad, Brown and Wicks handle the last spots until Steele is ready.
    Now, you're question has real merit when Steele comes back. That will interesting if Brown is still good and Hendricks is still bad. But Taillon is entirely safe as long as he's healthy.

    And the bullpen moves were "money" based as well. Smyly has actually been okay. But he hasn't been clearly better than Little. Little had one bad outing. But Smyly makes 9mil. If they needed another RHRP and one of Little and Smyly had to go, it was going to Little. But that doesn't mean Smyly is one of the best 13 arms for the team. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: I think there was an issue with Luke Little coming into a game with men on base. He seems to need a "clean" inning to be dominant. So he is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AAA. Same goes for Michael Arias. He needs to come into a "clean" inning, and is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AA. Porter Hodge is a more versatile pitcher, a better version of Keegan Thompson (multi-inning RP). But Little, Arias, and Hodge (probably in that order) are the Cubs top three RP prospects (all three are Cubs Top 15 prospects).

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    So, let’s do a little war gaming. Taillon is back for tonight’s game. He pitched two rehab games, just a few innings each, and not especially sharp. Let’s face it, he hasn’t been lights out since the Cubs gave him the big contract. In other words, as flat out bad as Hendricks has been, the chances of Taillon being the savior don’t look exactly promising.

    If Taillon is equally ineffective or perhaps even worse, what’s the next move? Winning teams can often find a way to work around a dud fifth starter - kinda. Two dud starters make things much more difficult.

    I believe the biggest reason for the recent bullpen moves was dissatisfaction with the recent blowing of big leads and the recognition that the bullpen wasn’t all it was thought to be. In other words, they are exploring alternate options and configurations. If similar juggling becomes necessary (even more so than it already is), what kind of reasonable maneuvering do we think could be explored?

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