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

Cubs Sign Jason Hammel

In the move that anyone could have predicted once the Cubs missed out on Tanaka, they have come to terms on a deal with RHP Jason Hammel.  The 31-year old hasn't had much of a career to-date between Tampa, Colorado and Baltimore (94 ERA+), but his stuff has always been heralded and he did have a very nice 2012 for the Orioles(123 ERA+).  It'll be another hopeful reclamation project for the Cubs and they did quite well with Paul Maholm and Scott Feldman, so here's hoping the streak stays alive.

It appears they'll head into 2014 with a rotation of Jeff Samardzija, Travis Wood, Edwin Jackson, Hammel and most likey Jake Arrieta with Carlos Villanueva, Kyle Hendricks, Justin Grimm, Brett Marshall, Chris Rusin and Brooks Raley all in the mix as well, along with I'm sure a few other surprise guests.

Comments

40 man roster was full prior to this. Do they wait 2 weeks to make this official and put Fujikawa on the 60 day DL or bump someone now?

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

A club has up to 20 days to file a contract with the MLB office once a free-agent player signs, the player does not have to be added to the club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) until the contract is actually filed, and an injured or rehabbing player can be placed on the 60-day DL after the start of Spring Training, so I would think it is a virtual lock that Kyuji Fujikawa (2013 TJS rehab) will be placed on the 60-day DL when Hammel is added to the 40-man roster. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Also, as a post-2013 Article XX-B FA who signed a major league contract after 11:59 PM on the 5th day following the conclusion of the World Series, Jason Hammel gets an automatic "no trade" right through June 15th. (Same goes for Jose Veras). He can waive this right, but if he does he can be traded for cash and/or player contracts with a maximum aggregate value of $50,000.

BTW, if an Article XX-B FA signs a minor league contract he does not receive the automatic "no trade" right through June 15th, even if the player is subsequently added to an MLB 40-man roster. This variance would apply to Jonathan Sanchez if he is added to the Cubs 40-man roster, because Sanchez was an Article XX-B FA who signed a minor league contract.

"few other surprise guests" James McDonald, formerly a Bucco starter, gets a Cub minor league deal and a spring training invite (per Bruuce Springsteen Levine)...something of a McDonald upgrade over Darnell.
McDonald will see Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on Tuesday for confirmation of diagnosis of the source of his shoulder discomfort by team doctors. McDonald declined to disclose that diagnosis, characterizing it as premature. If Dr. Meister's findings differ, McDonald plans to seek a third opinion from Dr. James Andrews. Otherwise, he will turn his attention to curing the condition that has ailed him all year. from June 2013. Mystery pitching shoulder tightness...was on the Pirates DL from 4-28-13 until they DFA'd him on 9-7-13, cleared waivers and wasn't picked up until now. "I'm eager to find out just what's going on," said McDonald, who conceded that he hasn't felt right, even while he was part of the Pirates' regular rotation through April. "At the beginning, there really was no pain, it just felt different. Then when it started to hurt, I thought, 'There's something wrong. We've got to look at this.'"

EIEIO

37yo michael young retires and it's all interviews, press conferences, and coverage about the surprise after a weak ending to his career. 36yo will clark retired and not many cared after putting up .418 ob%, 21hr, 30 doubles to end his career (also the guy who destroyed the cubs in the 89 playoffs, btw). meh. increased media presence era and all that...etc...still it's kinda odd to see how much coverage m.young is getting even for a slow day in the offseason.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

looking at the roster...especially if olt breaks with the team...it doesn't seem much is left aside from minor league deals. they scored a nice coup with j.mcdonald on a minors deal even if it doesn't work out. at the very least he can take over for j.hammels when/if he's traded if grimm doesn't (or if grimm is moved to a pen role, which he excelled in at the end of season last year).

McDonald might be helpful in the bullpen. It's not like we're hoping Shaun Camp has continued success.

The Super Bowl is an important date. The minute that stupid game is over...my brain officially declares: "Baseball Up Next"

How about Nelson Cruz on a one year deal? Or would that block Sweeney, Ruggiano, Schierholtz, and Jackson?

Was looking at Jason Hammel's page and noticed that last year most of his peripherals are in line with career norms, except HR/9, and I'd guess that if he can get that back down to his career average, he could keep his ERA closer to 4.00 than to 5.00. So it seems to me the Cubs have 5 players who look for significant rebounds this year and from whom we can expect improvement over their 2013 performances, from most improvement to least: Edwin Jackson, Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo, Jason Hammel, Darwin Barney. But then I wondered who are the players we should expect to regress. I think that's these guys, again from most to least regression in 2014: Travis Wood, Donnie Murphy, Nate Schierholtz, Junior Lake, Ryan Sweeney. Who did I miss?

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

You could definitely ask the same of Sweeney and Murphy, but I guess what I mean is that you expect their rate stats to be less impressive in 2014, if they get enough PAs. I don't know if it's just my optimism, but it seems to me there is a lot more room for rebound/progression on this 2014 roster than there is room for regression barring serious injuries of course.

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In reply to by Rob Richardson

twins 28 seems extremely harsh (especially ranking worse than the cubs)...wsox at 26 seems harsh, too (i have faith in j.abreu). at worst, i'd put both closer to the middle of the pack.

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In reply to by Rob Richardson

well someone is always going to surprise in either direction, but seems like a very solid methodology in ranking them.

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In reply to by Rob G.

as long as they keep stacking up seasons of talent like this, renteria+cubs might as well put all the kids up top to get them the most ABs so they're useful when actually needed. not really...but what difference would any lineup make anyway in a year where finishing below .500 is pretty much universally expected before game 1 of the season gets played? meh. the fact it could be legitimately argued as a strategy going forward rather than a joke is kinda sad.

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In reply to by crunch

Even if that were the rationale, you'd be better off batting Sweeney or Lake near the top and keeping Barney at the bottom of the lineup. He's as on his way off the team as just about anyone on the roster, except for the vets on 1-year deals. I think you're right in that the Cubs lineup is going to be a total bore until Rizzo and Castro rebound and the Cubs find a 3B and a 2B out of Olt, Baez, Alcantara, and Villanueva.

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