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

Almora & Vitters Lead Cubs to Victory over A's

Albert Almora laced an opposite-field RBI triple into the RF corner and then scored one out later on a sacrifice fly, Josh Vitters roped an RBI double, and Jose Rosario threw four innings of one-hit ball, helping the Cubs edge the Athletics 4-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #4 (formerly known as "Field #3") in Mesa, AZ. 

Almora (the Cubs 2012 1st round draft pick) saw his first game action in more than six weeks, since having hand surgery on March 16th (he broke his hamate bone at Minor League Camp on March 14th). He was a DH and hit five times in today's game, once in each of the first five innings. He lined out to CF in his first AB, then bounced out to third, reached base on an E-5 (another bouncer that the A's third-baseman tried to cut-off in front of the shortstop), ripped his RBI triple (and then he tore his pants and got a pretty good "raspberry" on his left thigh sliding home on the sac fly), and (in his last AB) grounded out to short. 

Josh Conway got the start for the Cubs and went five strong innings (80 pitches), allowing two runs on four hits (all four singles) and two walks, while striking out six (five swinging). He retired nine of the first ten men he faced and then four of the last five, but in between he gave up two runs on four hits in the top of the 4th. The way he is being stretched out makes it look like the Cubs might be thinking about moving him up to Kane County or Daytona in the near future.

Jose Rosario followed Conway to the mound and threw four innings of one-hit ball (although he did walk three). He surrendered a lead-off triple in the top of the 9th, but looked like he would get out of the inning and leave the runner stranded at 3rd after retiring the next two hitters. However, a two-out fielding error by 1st baseman Mark Malave allowed the runner at 3rd to score. Rosario looks like he might be about ready to move up to either Kane County or Daytona, too.



The game was pre-planned as a ten-inning affair, and the A's did score two runs off Ethan Elias to take a 5-4 lead in the top of the 10th. However, the game was called in the middle of the 10th because the A's ran out of available pitchers, and so the score reverted to what it was at the end of the 9th inning, and therefore the Cubs won 4-3. 

Here is today's abridged box score (Cubs players only): 

CUBS LINEUP
:
X. Albert Almora, DH #1: 1-5 (L-8, 5-3, E-5, 3B, 6-3, R, RBI)
NOTE: Almora batted five times, hitting 2nd in each of the first five innings  
1a. Shawon Dunston Jr, CF: 0-1 (K, F-8 SF, RBI)
1b. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-1 (1B, F-7 SF, RBI)
2a. David Bote, 2B: 0-2 (L-9, 1-3)   
2b. Roberto Caro, CF: 1-1 (1B, BB, CS)
3. Carlos Penalver, SS: 1-3 (E-6, 1B, F-8, R)
4. Josh Vitters, 3B-DH: 2-3 (5-3, 2B, 1B, RBI)
5. Yasiel Balaguert, RF: 1-3 (4-3, 1B, K)
6a. Jose Dore, 1B: 0-2 (L-4, 4-3)
6b. Wilfredo Petit, C: 0-1 (K)
7a. Xavier Batista, LF: 0-2 (K, K)
7b. Mark Malave, 1B: 0-1 (4-6 FC)
8a. Lance Rymel, C: 0-2 (6-4-3 DP, 4-3)
8b. Garrett Schlecht, LF: 0-0 (BB, R)
9. Kevin Encarnacion, DH #2: 0-1 (BB, K, BB, R)
10a. SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TWO TIMES THRU BATTING ORDER
10b. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 0-1 (L-4)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Josh Conway: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 6 K, 80 pitches (50 strikes), 4/4 GO/FO
2. Jose Rosario: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, 59 pitches (33 strikes), 4/6 GO/FO
3. Ethan Elias: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 19 pitches (14 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO

CUBS ERRORS: 2
1. 1B Mark Malave - E-3 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely & unearned run to score)
2. C Wilfredo Petit - E-2 (overthrow at 2nd base on SB attempt allowed baserunner to advance to 3rd)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
1. Lance Rymel: 1-3 CS
2. Wilfredo Petit: 0-1 CS , 1 E (see above)

ATTENDANCE: 14

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's 

 

Comments

Kyle Hendricks starting to pitch well for Tennessee. Very well: in his last two starts (including today) his numbers are 13 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 17 K's.

heh

Hairston and Ransom go back to back...better odds at winning lotto.

vidal nuno making his debut (out of the pen) for the yanks...that's the guy i really wanted the cubs to go after in the rule 5 and was kinda shocked no team snagged him. cubs have done okay with rondon, though...at least with early returns.

bottom 14th, NYM/MIA...NYM out of relievers so s.marcum comes in to pitch, 2 days after starting fresh off the DL. i guess if you throw 85mph fastballs it doesn't matter too much.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

speaking of doing weird things with starters... b.anderson (OAK) who has been in the dugout with a cast/boot to immobilize his ankle all game is now pitching in the top 13th. that said, his ankle has been bothering him a while and hurt since his last start (which he made)...so it's not like it's broken or something.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

crazy game...going to the middle 17th now. both crisp and c.young have left the game due to leg injuries (crisp 13th, hamstring - c.young 15th, right quad). b.anderson just finished his 5th inning and is showing signs of discomfort, though pitching effectively. longest game in oakland colosseum history...3rd longest OAK game ever.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

j.blevins up for his 1st MLB AB (they lost the DH slot due to injured player shuffling)...the A's crowd (an impressive amount still at the game considering the time/length, especially in the OF bleachers) with a huge JERRY BLEVINS chant...dugout with rally hats turned inside-out, fan style...and he Ks. ...a couple of outs later...to the 19th.

J. Baez with his 11th error of the season last night -- on April 29. I can't bear to do the math for a full-season projection. And we think he's a defensive upgrade to Castro? Yikes.

I have it from an inside source that the real reason Matt Garza missed his rehab start is because he got kicked in the arm by a billy goat. Also, the Cubs are definitely going to lose 100 games this year. #negativity

Today is the beginning of a new MLB waiver period, and it is in effect until 4 PM (EDT) on July 31st. .

For the past seven months or so the Cubs have had second waiver claim priorty (because they had the second-worst record in MLB last season), but starting today waiver claim priority changes daily, based upon the standings the morning the two-day waiver-claiming period ends for a particular player. So as of this morning, the Cubs are now 6th in waiver claim priority, behind MIA, HOU, TOR, SD and LAA. (The Padres and Angels are tied in the standings, so either could have 5th waiver claim priority, depending on whether the player is waived by an American League club or a National League club).     

Also, beginning with the new waiver period, Outright Assignment Waivers (once secured) are good for the entire waiver period, so (for example) a player who is outrighted during this waiver period can be sent back & forth to the minors without having to be placed on waivers each time. However, the player would have the right to decline the Outright Assignment and elect free-agency i9f he is outrighted a second in the waiver period, since he would have been outrighted at least twice in his career. But at the same time, a player on a minor league roster who is called up to MLB and is added to an MLB 40-man roster can sign a 45-day waiver that allows the club to outright the player without the player electing free-agency anytime during that 45-day period. This would be used (for example) in the case of a veteran player on the Iowa roster (somebody like Brad Nelson, J. C. Boscan, Alberto Gonzalez, Brian Bogusevic, et al) who is brought up to MLB to replace an injured player for a short period of time, where the club tells the player "we will bring you up for 15 days, but only if you sign the 45-day waiver." Sometimes a player will agree to sign the 45-day waiver (especialy if he understands his role in the organization), and sometimes he won't. And if two players play the same position and one agrees to sign the waiver and the other doesn't, the club will likely select the contract of the one who agrees to sign.

Here is a refresher on how waivers work:

For Optional Assignment Waivers, Outright Waivers, and Release Waivers, if a player is claimed by only one club, that club is awarded the claim. If more than one club makes a claim, the club with the lowest winning percentage (regardless of league) on the day the player clears waivers is awarded the claim. If two clubs with the same winning percentage make a claim, the club in the player's own league is awarded the claim. If two clubs from the same league make a claim and they are tied in the standings, the club with the lowest winning percentage from the previous season is awarded the claim. If the clubs are still tied, standings from two years back (or three years back, four years back, etc) are used to break the tie.

However, in the case of Trade Waivers (only), if a player is claimed by more than one club, the club in the player's own league with the lowest winning percentage is awarded the claim, even if that club has a higher winning percentage than the club or clubs making a claim from the other league. So a player placed on Trade Assignment Waivers must first be "waived out of his own league" before he can be assigned to a club in the other league. BUT THIS ONLY APPLIES TO TRADE WAIVERS, and Trade Waivers are only used beginning on August 1st up through the conclusion of the MLB regular season.  

For the purpose of determining the awarding of waivers claims, the previous season's standings are used during the off-season and up through the first 30 days of the following season. Then beginning on the 31st day of the season, the standings as of the date the player clears waivers are used to determine the awarding of waiver claims, with the previous season's standings used to break any ties.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

appel vs gray...and HOU gets to force the decision for the cubs...should be a boring, yet highly satisfying draft. outside chance of kris bryant (3rd, power + plate selection, college player). fwiw...the stats so far... M.Appel - 78.2ip 57h 14bb 93k - 1.49era (1hr) J.Gray - 74.1ip 40k 13bb 91k - 1.09era (1hr) K.Bryant - 156ab 55h 11dbl 22hr 46rbi - 53bb 31k 6/9sb - .346/.517/.865 (6e - 44g)

DeJesus CF, Castro SS, Riz 1B, Sori LF, Schierholtz RF, Castillo C, Valbuena 3B, Barney 2B, Jackson P.

Dale, How about flipping Sori and Schierholtz in line up for awhile?

mark grace update... “He is now beginning his new chapter as a uniformed coach on the field, and I am thrilled for him and us,” Derrick Hall, Diamondbacks president and CEO, said Monday. “He is full time and will be with us long after June 10 (when his sentence ends),” Hall said. “When the Arizona Summer League begins, he will be our hitting coach for that team.”

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

CRUNCH: Mark Grace was the EXST Diamondbacks 1st base coach on Jackrabbit Field in the Cubs-D'backs doubleheader at Talking Stick last week. He also is one of the hitting coaches.

He kind of gave me a double-take at one point when he saw me writing stuff down. I think he thought maybe I was working for Sheriiff Joe and was there to keep tabs on him.

But his situation (work release) is kind of like Field of Dreams, where Shoeless Joe (not to be confused with Sheriff Joe) can't walk off the field and go the house. He can go into the corn field when the game is over, but he otherwise he can't leave the field. It's sort of like that with Mark Grace,     

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

he was corny as hell, but i'm gonna miss him behind the mic (and it's weird hearing bob calling for ARZ again)... he deserves every bit of punishment he's getting for endangering lives...repeatedly... still, i hope he learned something and can stick around the game until he gets bored with it rather than the game getting bored with his antics.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

JD is a lot chattier than Bob was. Len used to have to carry the conversation quite a bit, since BB would only chime in when he really had something to say. JD tends to carry the conversation line a lot more. I think they're still working out the chemistry, but the dynamic is going to be different too.

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.