Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
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

A's Extra Bases Too Much for Cubs to Overcome at Riverview Park

Christhian Perez tossed four innings of one-hit shutout ball in relief, Robert Martinez hammered an RBI triple and a double and scored a run, Chris Wolfe drilled two RBI singles, and Brett Vertigan smacked a solo home run, leading the Athletics to a 5-2 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Field #6 at the Under Armour Performance Center at Riverview Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Rashad Crawford belted an RBI triple and a single, stole a base, and scored a run for the Cubs in a losing cause.

RHPs Trevor Graham and Erick Leal "piggy-backed" for the Cubs and threw a combined 7.2 IP, allowing all five runs (four earned), 10 hits (including two doubles, two triples, and a home run), and two walks, with nine strikeouts. 

The way things are playing out so far at EXST, it appears very likely that Graham and Leal will form 2/5 of the Boise starting rotation when the NWL season commences next month, with LHP Tyler Ihrig and RHPs Trevor Clifton and Zak Hermans being other 3/5 (at least until one or two of the better college pitchers selected by the Cubs in next month's First-Year Player Draft get stretched-out to start). 

The Cubs have now lost six straight Cactus League EXST games, and after thirty games (halfway through the Cactus League Extended Spring Training schedule), the Cubs record stands at 11-18-1. 

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only):
CUBS LINEUP:
1. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 0-2 (L-7, BB, BB, F-7, 2 R)
2. Rashad Crawford, CF: 2-4 (1B, 3B, P-6, K, R, RBI, SB)
3. Oliver Zapata, LF: 0-3 (K, F-9 SF, 1-3, K, RBI)
4. Rony Rodriguez, 1B: 0-2 (F-9, HBP, 5-3, BB, SB)
5. Mark Malave, C: 0-3 (BB, 4-3, P-3, 4-3)
6. Dalfis Ortiz, 2B: 1-4 (K, K, 2B, K)
7. Tyler Alamo, DH: 1-4 (F-9, 4-3, 6-3, 1B)
8. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 0-4 (4-3, K, F-9, K)
9. Bryant Flete, SS: 0-4 (K, 3-U, 4-3, 4-3)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Trevor Graham: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 2/6 GO/FO, 52 pitches (30 strikes)  
2. Erick Leal: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 BALK, 3/2 GO/FO, 68 pitches (44 strikes)
3. Alberto Diaz: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 14 pitches (10 strikes)

CUBS ERRORS: 1 
SS Bryant Flete - E-6 (missed catch - dropped line drive allowed batter to reach base safely)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Mark Malave: 1-1 CS, 1 PB

ATTENDANCE: 4

WEATHER: Mostly sunny with a few scattered clouds and temperatures in the 80's  

Comments

Kalish, CF Valbuena, 2B Rizzo, 1B Castro, SS Schierholtz, RF Castillo, C Coghlan, DH Olt, 3B Lake, LF

Assuming Soler isn't limping around again from something in another week, that is a pretty vicious 1-2 punch for Tennessee.

Hey Phil! Is this team really young or are they just not very good? Kind of wondering what you think? How does the talent level compare to previous seasons? It just seems like there is almost no one to get excited about which seems different than years past but I am not sure if I am remembering this season vs the fall recaps you do. Thoughts???

[ ]

In reply to by CACUBFAN

CACUBFAN: The 2014 squad is the youngest and least-experienced Cubs EXST team I have ever seen. The two best prospects (Gleyber Torres and Eloy Jimenez) just turned 17, and 27 of the 60 players presently active at EXST played in the DSL or VSL last season (or as in the case of Jimenez and Torres, did not play anywhere).

Also the team lacks power. The 2014 EXST Cubs have hit just two HR in 30 Cactus League EXST games. Just by comparison, the 2012 EXST Cubs hit 24 HR in 55 Cactus League EXST games, and the 2013 EXST Cubs hit 19 HR in 55 Cactus League EXST games. (Cactus League EXST opponents hit 17 HR against the Cubs in 2012 and 16 HR against the Cubs last season). 

Bryant doing Bryant things...

@smokiesbaseball

Kris Bryant just hit a ball that may not land for a looooooong time! His solo shot, his 9th of 2014, gives the Smokies a 3-2 lead in the 5th

rizzo doing rizzo things. it'll be nice when the team is more than rizzo + supporting cast of bit players...and the supporting cast of starters who should be bench players are bench players again.

arrieta removed after 4 innings and 82 pitches...went 82 pitches in his last start...went 96 pitches in his last minor league tuneup before that.

olt...grand slam. dude has power...and can play D...now let's get consistency everywhere else.

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

it's part of the reason i don't think he'll ever hit for much average, though i expect him to do better than what he's doing right now. i see him as a .250/.330-ish avg/ob% type, but with the upside of playing good D at 3rd and being able to hit 25+ HR. he swings hard and it's not wild, but it's not precise. you can stick that at 3rd and deal with it until it's time to pay him over $10m a year multi-year (if he ever develops enough talent to become a guy you'd pay that kind of loot, multi-year...he's still got things to prove).

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

If he learns how to hit, he could be something special. I want this kid playing every day, and see what Mueller can do with him. Right now, he seems to always be swinging for the fences. Early in the year he did hit that rather awesome opposite field homer and in that case he seemed to just be going with the pitch. For all we know he's up there hacking because he figures it's the best he can do timing wise until he can see more pitches on an every day basis. It really is sheer idiocy to not have him in there every day. The argument that the other journeymen should be in there, at all, at third, is ludicrous. Why try to get more ABs for guys who are going to get you low level prospects at best?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

One was not just opposite field but it looked like he really went with the pitch to just try to drive it, not necessarily trying to clobber it out of the park. Lots of times he seems to be trying for a home run. That's just inexperience. I think the guy can hit, we just need to see him in there every day to find out for sure.

according to the MLB Network, ninja is not happy about the front office wanting to talk to him about his pitching (specifically his last appearance, and pitch counts) stating...more or less...that the front office needs to mind it's own business and let himself + the people wearing uniforms worry about that rather than the suits.

It appears Crawford's bat is coming alive as of late. Maybe it is all coming together for him. Bob

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

this forbes (which is nothing more than a glorified blog roll for online content at this point) article is a weird one. otsuka was in his mid-30s and the agonz trade that brought him (and a.eaton) over was awful. the teix trade was awesome...a lot more awesome than the pittance the braves traded him for later.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    booooooooooo

    also, wisdom and taillon are both in chicago.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Tonight’s game postponed. Split games on Saturday.

  • crunch (view)

    cubs getting crazy good at not having player moves leak.

    taillon we 100% know is pitching tonight.  who he's replacing and any additional moves are unknown as far as i can tell.

    p.wisdom was not in today's lineup in iowa (rained out) and he was removed from the game last night mid-game, but not for injury.  good bet he's with the team in the bigs, too.

  • Bill (view)

    A good rule of thumb is that if you trade a near-ready high ceiling prospect, you should get at least two far-away high ceiling prospects in return.  Like all rules-of-thumb, it depends upon the specific circumstances, but certainly, we weren't going to get Busch for either prospect alone.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Right on schedule, just read an article in Baseball America entitled "10 MLB Prospects Outside The Top 100 Who Have Our Attention".  Zyhir Hope was one of the prospects featured. It stated that he's "one of the biggest arrow-up sleeper prospects in the lower levels right now."

     

    Not sharing to be negative about the trade, getting a top 100 prospect who is MLB ready should carry a heavy prospect cost.  But man, Dodger sure are good at identifying and developing young talent. Andrew Friedman seems to have successfully merged Ray's development with Yankees financial might to create a juggernaut of an organization.  

  • 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.