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

The Other Baez Helps Cubs Sweep Giants at Fitch Park

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Jeffey Baez belted an inside-the-park HR off the CF "Batter's Eye," drilled an RBI single, and walked, Justin Marra hammered a three-run triple, singled, walked, and scored a run, Kevin Encarnacion laced a bases-loaded three-run double, and Yasiel Balaguert blasted a solo HR, as the Cubs swept a Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader from the Giants by scores of 6-3 and 10-7 this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.   

Joey Rapp (on an EXST rehab) walloped a two-run HR for the Giants in a losing cause.

In 16 Cactus League Extended Spring Training games (43 PA), Jeffrey Baez is hitting 342/419/684 with a team-leading four HR. The 19-year old right-handed hitting Venezuelan OF signed with the Cubs for a reported $350K bonus in July 2010 as a 16-year old, at the beginning of the 2010 International Signing Period. Baez went hitless in seven PA at Extended Spring Training last season before breaking his wrist diving for a ball in right field, and then was sent back to the Cubs Dominican Academy where he hit 291/378/448 in 48 games (202 PA) for DSL Cubs #1. 

In two DSL seasons (2011-12), Baez hit a combined 286/363/424, with 8 HR & 64 RBI, 22 doubles, 60 SB (19 CS), 97 runs scored, and 17 outfield assists (playing all three OF slots, but mainly CF) in 116 games (497 PA). He had a brief six-game trial with the AZL Cubs after the conclusion of the DSL season last August, and was likely ticketed for the AZL Cubs this season. But don't be surprised if the "other" Baez skips the AZL, joining fellow Venezuelan teenaged hot-shot Carlos Penalver on what should be a very interesting Boise Hawks team.  

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only):

FITCH PARK FIELD #3:

CUBS SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
1. Jeffrey Baez, CF: 2-3 (HR, BB, 1B, 2-3, R, 2 RBI)
2a. Carlos Penalver, SS: 2-3 (1B, 5-3, 1B) 
2b. Alberto Mineo, C: 0-1 (F-9)
3. Yasiel Balaguert, DH #1: 1-4 (F-8, F-8, F-9, HR, R, RBI)
4. Reggie Golden, LF: 1-4 (P-5, F-8, 1B, K)
5. Trevor Gretzky, 1B: 0-2 (K, BB, 4-6-3 DP)
6. Garrett Schlecht, RF: 0-3 (K, K, F-7)
7. Brad Zapenas, 2B: 1-1 (1B, BB, BB, 3 R)
8. Mark Malave, 3B: 2-3 (1B, F-9, 2B, R, RBI)
9. Erick Castillo, C-DH: 2-2 (F-7 SF, 1B, 1B, 2 RBI)
10a. SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
10b. Frandy de la Rosa, DH-SS: 0-2 (F-9, 6-3)

CUBS SQUAD "B" PITCHERS:
1. Erick Leal: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 1 PO, 55 pitches (31 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
NOTE: Top of 3rd inning was stopped with one out when Leal reached his pre-planned max pitch limit for the game
2. Larry Suarez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 8 pitches (8 strikes), 0/1 GO/FO
3. Loiger Padron: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HBP, 41 pitches (19 strikes), 3/1 GO/FO
4. Ethan Elias: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 25 pitches (15 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO

CUBS SQUAD "B" ERRORS: 1
P Erick Leal - E-1 (errant pick-off attempt at 1st base allowed baserunner to advance to 2nd)

CUBS SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Erick Castillo: 0-2 CS

FITCH PARK FIELD #4:

CUBS SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1. Kevin Encarnacion, CF: 1-3 (K, 2B, F-8, 3 RBI)
2. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-2 (BB, 2B, 6-4-3 DP, R)
3. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 0-2 (HBP, 6-3, F-9, R)
4. Jacob Rogers, 1B: 1-3 (1B, 3-U, K, R, RBI)
5. Rony Rodriguez, C: 1-2 (2B, HBP, 5-3, 2 RBI)
6. Xavier Batista, LF-DH: 0-2 (K, F-9, HBP, R)
7. Jose Dore, RF: 0-1 (BB, P-5, BB, 2 R)
8. Dong-Yub Kim, DH-LF: 0-2 (E-5, P-6, BB, 2 R)
9. Francisco Sanchez, SS: 0-2 (K, P-6, BB, R, RBI)
10. Justin Marra, DH #2: 2-2 (BB, 1B, 3B, R, 3 RBI) 

CUBS SQUAD "A" PITCHERS:
1. Paul Blackburn: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP, 1 HR, 57 pitches (36 strikes), 2/2 GO/FO
2. Anthony Prieto: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 2 WP, 36 pitches (20 strikes)
3. Hunter Ackerman: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 31 pitches (20 strikes), 3/1 GO/FO
4. Tyler Bremer: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 39 pitches (26 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO

CUBS SQUAD "A" ERRORS: 2
1. CF Kevin Encarnacion, - E-8 (missed catch allowed batter to reach base safely)
2. C Rony Rodriguez - E-2 (overthrow on SB attempt at 2nd base allowed runner at 3rd base to score)

CUBS SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Rony Rodriguez: 0-2 CS, 1 E (see above)

ATTENDANCE: 18

WEATHER: Sunny & breezy with temperatures in the 90's  


Tags
EXST Cubs Extended Spring Training
Jeffrey Baez
Justin Marra
Yasiel Balaguert
Kevin Encarnacion

Comments

[ ]

Submitted by JoePepitone on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:46 pm

Thanks, AZ Phil. Stupid, stupid, stupid incompetent/cheap Brewers -- skimping on the grounds keeping crew because it's the weekend? Oh, you mean you might still need the same effort to maintain a safe playing surface on a weekend game as you do during the week? Who knew? No reason to protect the investment teams make in their players on the weekend too, y'know. ~sarcasm font~ Did I mention stupid?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 05/11/2013 - 05:31 pm

The Cubs have traded AAA Iowa RHSP Drew Carpenter to the Colorado Rockies for a PTBNL or cash.

Carpenter was an NRI with the Cubs in Spring Training, and had a 1-4 record with a 7.33 ERA & 1.78 WHIP at Iowa.  

Submitted by jacos on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:56 pm

Paging Crunch Gio perfect thru 5 vs Cubs

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:42 pm

cubs have won at least 2 of their 15 wins in this short season because of what the steal set up adding runs by my count...it might be 3 or more, but i know of at least 2. OAK is stealing a lot of bases this year, too...sending more than a few guys that have "no business" trying to steal bases. it seems more than a few teams are trying to take advantage of pitchers not paying attention to the runner. if you're good at noticing it (y.molina) then it can pay off if things go right afterwards. ...i dunno about keeping a.rizzo's pace of stealing, though...more than a few, even successful steals, have been ill advised even if they caught the pitcher/catcher/manager off guard.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:26 pm

one you can quantify, the other you can't... technically, you can't quantify either, but one has a known outcome. taking a chance to steal a base when compared to the world at large may point to one direction, a negative, but technically no one should ever play the lottery or gamble a single cent in a casino because you probably won't get a positive outcome.

[ ]

Submitted by johann on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:10 pm

Well people have quantified steals and shown that for the most part they are a waste unless you have a very good % in terms of chance to score a run in any given situation. Gambling is a pretty good comparison because if you really need money you're a moron to gamble or play the lottery. Just take out a lighter and burn the money. Stealing has a lot of variables but for the times when it both works AND actually leads to a run you can point to a ton of instances when it removes someone from scoring position and gives an out. There's really only a few people I want stealing (Rizzo isn't one of them). We have an abnormally low avg with RISP and Cardinals have an abnormally large one. That means a lot more than steals.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 05:36 am

I don't see how sabremetrics play a role in this at all. Overall, I'll take a running team any day over a station to station team. You answered your own argument with your RISP comparison. If the Cubs' RISP was even close to normal, they'd have a considerably better record than they do. Stolen bases has nothing to do with RISP. They are in completely different silos.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 05:45 pm

beyond that, the game changes for the hitter, the pitcher, and defensive alignment if the opposing team(s) know you might have steal in play. when you're opening up gaps in the infield in order to hold a runner there's a better chance good things can happen whether someone actually steals or not. this is before getting "into the pitcher's head" or other more vague variables. the threat of a steal changes how the opposing team plays the game beyond the sb/cs...even if there's no sb attempted.

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:45 pm

i.stewart gets his first hit since april 29th (though he didn't play may 2-8)...pinch hit 2rbi triple.

Submitted by bigsky33 on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:40 pm

Hi Phil, ever since I left these guys are hitting. I am sure your enjoying that. Your updates have been great!

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 05:52 pm

a.rizzo gets a 7 year $41m extension (through 2019) diz-amn. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/chicago-cubs-sign-anthony-rizzo-to-l… " The Cubs have reached agreement with Rizzo on a seven-year, $41 million contract through 2019, according to major-league sources. The deal also includes two $14.5 million club options, sources said. Thus, the total value over nine years could be $68 million; Rizzo would not receive a $2 million buyout if both options are exercised. Escalators could further increase the size of the package to $73 million, sources said." fwiw, he was easily gonna be a "super-two" guy for arb purposes.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 05:40 am

In a way, it's the new free agency. It's crazy to pay a guy with virtually no track record that kind of money, but it is going to be how it's done for awhile. Instead of risking a monster year, the Cubs are wrapping him up at a reasonable rate and hoping he pans out. Seems kind of crazy, but it's going to be the norm, if it already isn't.

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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