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

Cubs Drown in Brewer Beer at Maryvale

Chad Thompson and three relievers combined to toss a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts and Tucker Neuhaus singled, walked twice, scored a run, and drove-in another, as the Brewers celebrated "Cinco de Mayo" with a 6-2 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Maryvale Baseball Park Field #7 (AKA "Paul Molitor Field") in Phoenix, AZ.

Jorge Soler drove-in both Cub runs with a 1st inning F-8 sacrifice fly to the warning track in CF and a 3rd inning two-out RBI ground-single through the box, and Rashad Crawford reached base three times (two BB and an HBP), stole two bases, and scored both Cub runs. 

Soler also struck out (swinging) on a 2-2 breaking ball in the 5th and grounded out 6-3 in the 8th.

In 30 Plate Appearances over six Cactus League EXST games, Soler is hitting 200/267/240 with five hits (four singles and a double), five RBI, two sacrifice flies, no walks, three HBP, six strikeouts, and one stolen base.    
Unlike the other 14 Cactus League teams, the Brewers play EXST games against teams from both the East and West Divisions. The other 14 teams play games only against teams from their side of town (for example, other than games against the Brewers, the Cubs play only the "east-side" Angels, A's, Giants, Rockies, and Diamondbacks, and other than the five games they play with the Brewers, the White Sox play only the "west-side" Dodgers, Reds, Indians, Padres, Mariners, Royals, and Rangers). But because they are located between the two divisions, the Brewers play everybody, and today was the Cubs turn to go to Maryvale.   

In EXST Cubs roster news, 1B Matt Scioscia and INF Trevor Stevens have been released.

The son of Angels manager Mike Scioscia, Matt Scioscia was acquired from the Angels in exchange for 1B-OF Trevor Gretzky in March. Because he did not make a full-season team's Opening Day roster, he was "left behind" at Riverview Park and was assigned to the Extended Spring Training squad at the conclusion of Minor League Camp. 

Scioscia was one of several older and more-experienced players assigned to the Cubs EXST squad who serve as a "replacement cadre" in case of an injury to a player at Kane County, Daytona, Tennessee, or Iowa. (Infielder Giuseppe Papaccio has already spent time at Tennessee and Daytona this season covering for injuries). By having ready-reserve replacements available at EXST, the Cubs do not have to sign a minor league free-agent every time a position players goes on the DL at KC, Daytona, Tennessee, or Iowa. They just temporarily move-up one of the replacemernt guys from Riverview Park.   

Unfortunately for Scioscia, the Cubs are well-fixed at 1st base at both KC and Daytona (with Jacob Rogers and Danny Canela at KC, and Dan Vogelbach and Rock Shoulders at Daytona), C-1B-3B Taylor Davis and IF-OF Anthony Giansanti can fill-in if anything happens to Dustin Geiger at Tennessee, and the Iowa Cubs have a number of players who can play 1B (Lars Anderson, Chris Valaika, Jonathon Mota, and Edgar Gonzalez). So Scioscia wasn't going to get moved-up even if a "full-season" 1st baseman went on the DL, plus just by being at Extended Spring Training he was (inadvertently) taking AB away from younger players, even though he himself was actually performing very well.  

In fact, Scioscia was hitting a robust 348/423/391 in 26 Plate Appearances, was one of the EXST Cubs leading hitters (second in Batting Avg only to Roney Alcala, who is hitting .400), and was in the midst of an active seven-game hitting streak at the time of his release. What hurt Scioscia was his age (he's 25), the fact that he plays a position (1st base) that requires at least a little bit of slugging (although he is a big guy, Scioscia really has no power), and that he is an extremely slow runner (he was thrown-out trying to advance from 2nd to 3rd on a single to LF in an EXST game last month). Although Scioscia played both 1B and catcher when he was in the Angels system, the Cubs played him only at 1B.  

Trevor Stevens was signed as a Non-Drafted Free-Agent out of Northwestern University last summer to provide infield depth for the AZL Cubs (he hit 257/388/329 in 26 AZL games), but he was not invited to post-season Instructs and he probably would have been released at the end of Minor League Camp this past March if he hadn't suffered a broken hand in Spring Training. Just like a sick prisoner on Death Row who can't be executed until he has recovered from the flu, Stevens wasn't released until he was healthy and ready to return to action. (He had been serving as a 1st base coach for the EXST Cubs while on the injured list).  

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only)

CUBS LINEUP:
1. Rashad Crawford, CF: 0-1 (BB, HBP, BB, K, 2 R, 2 SB)
2. Oliver Zapata, DH: 2-4 (1B, 4-3, 1B, F-9, 2 SB)
3. Jorge Soler, RF: 1-3 (F-8 SF, 1B, K, 6-3, 2 RBI)
4. Rony Rodriguez, 1B: 0-4 (K, K, K, 5-3)
5a. Tyler Alamo, C: 0-3 (L-3, K, 4-3)
5b. Alberto Mineo, C: 0-1 (P-5)
6. Gleyber Torres, SS: 1-4 (K, 1B, 4-3, F-9)
7a. Dalfis Ortiz, 2B: 0-3 (2-3, K, F-7)
7b. Bryant Flete, 2B: 0-1 (1-3)
8. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 0-2 (P-4, BB, K)
9. Charcer Burks, LF: 0-3 (K, F-8, K)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Tyler Ihrig: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 5 K, 3/1 GO/FO, 39 pitches (27 strikes)
2. Adbert Alzolay: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 0/1 GO/FO, 30 pitches (15 strikes)
3. Josh Davis: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 5/1 GO/FO, 33 pitches (21 strikes)
4. Zak Hermans: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 2 WP, 1 PO, 3/2 GO/FO, 46 pitches (30 strikes)

CUBS ERRORS: 3
1. C Tyler Alamo - E-2 (overthrow on stolen base attempt at 3rd base allowed runner to score unearned run)
2. 2B Dalfis Ortiz - E-4 (missed catch on attempted FC allowed baserunner to reach 2nd base safely)
3. SS Gleyber Torres - E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
1. Tyler Alamo: 0-3 CS, 1 E (see above)
2. Alberto Mineo: 0-1 CS

ATTENDANCE: 6

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's



Comments

Hi Phil, had a good trip back. I keep up to date reading your reports everyday. When is Soler going back? Seems like he is all healed. Enjoyed being down there and seeing you. I will be keeping an eye on Kevin Brown. Bob

BOB: Glad to hear you got back home safe & sound. The attendance at Riverview Park has really taken a hit since you left.

I thought Soler's last day here would have been Saturday since he played RF for seven innings and got six AB in six innings, but he was back out there again today at Maryvale, playing RF for nine innings and only hitting when the #3 slot in the batting order was due up.

His body language is saying "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

watched a ton of games this year and one thing that keeps popping up is replay requests are very commonly taking place at the same time a TV replay happens. i get the impression that pretty much every team has a guy watching the game in the clubhouse who's yelling back to the dugout whether to challenge or not. dunno if it's a good or bad thing since it leads to less challenges that shouldn't be made...but overall i wish the challenges would go away (at least until the playoffs).

darwin barney hates the cubs, cubs fans, america, freedom, hopes, and dreams. i called him darwin macias a few times...i think that's starting to become an insult to jose macias rather than an insult to barney.

107 pitches for Samardzija through 8, bats for himself with 1 out in bottom of 8th because pitcher wins are important or something

/facepalm

back to back walks with 122 pitches and he gets another batter to pitch to? that's interesting.

Theo clears his throat Jed grabs yellow pages looking under pages for "Managers"

this will be ninja's 13th start in a row without a win going back to last season.

t.wood pinch hitting...because every circus needs multiple sideshows.

Travis Wood ph to start 11 Race between Ventura and Ricky to see who mismanages to the loss

would someone please open up whatever magic binder of stats that will show renteria that w.wright isn't just a loogie...meh. grimm and russell the rest of the way. ...and grimm blows it. 2-1 wsox...awesome. make that 3-1 after a HBP to load the bases and walking a run home. awesome.

If you can shut down Rizzo and Castro, you can pretty easily beat this team, which is a shame because the pitching is pretty good.

Hard to score runs with half a lineup. Castro, Rizzo, Bonifacio, and Castillo are okay, especially since three of them play skill positions, but the rest have been awful. I'm just about as old and blue as Old and Blue, and I agree with him that it's time to play the guys who have some chance of playing for the Cubs in the future if they stop sucking: Olt and Lake. At-bats by Schierholtz, Barney, Valbuena, etc. are pointless. I realize those guys have to play some of the time because the rules require nine players in the lineup, but the less they play, the better I like it. Renteria (that's where you go in Guadalajara to get a rototiller for the day) wants to ease Olt and Lake in. But Olt is 25, Lake 24. They're entering their prime years, and the time is now to find out whether that prime is good enough to play. It's not as if either one is the answer--if they are starters two years from now that probably means The Plan has failed--but it would be nice to watch five or six relatively young, mostly home-grown Cubs for awhile as we wait for the more highly regarded prospects to sort themselves out.

[ ]

In reply to by fullykräusened

Exactly. And barring some injuries we don't know about (Olt's shoulder) he could just as easily be 'easing them out' of the big leagues with lack of playing time. Being on the righty batter / lefty pitcher side of a platoon is not exactly conducive to getting in a rhythm. The veterans are typically the ones that can handle the push pull emotional roller coaster of sitting and playing. I can't see how it helps Olt or Lake to think about their .163 batting average for 2-3 days between starts. Ricky, you are HELPING them adjust when you give them PT and confidence. Jesus Christos!

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

How's that working out for them? Schierholtz is doing a Darwin Barney impersonation. Valbuena could be a nice piece on a contender. Knows how to take a walk, is versatile in the field. He shouldn't be part of a lineup on a team trying to find its young core.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

I wouldn't mind Vitters getting called up once he gets his hitting and on-base numbers back to normal for him. The Cubs have one home run from an outfielder this season not named Lake. Vitters just hit four in three games. That's different. Also, Vitters is ripe, like Lake was last year. I remember Macleod going to Iowa and scouting Lake and saying, He's just about there.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    LHP Blake Weiman appears to have been the last cut from the AAA Iowa roster. He is with the Tennessee group at Minor League Camp.

     

  • crunch (view)

    bruce bochy is hobbling rather badly for a guy who's had 2 hip replacements.  his gait is extremely wonky taking the lineup card to the ump.

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • crunch (view)

    in other news, it took 3 PA before a.rizzo got his 1st HBP of the season.

  • Eric S (view)

    With two home runs (so far) and 5 rbi today … clearly Nick Martini is the straw that stirs the Reds drink 😳

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • 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.