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40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

The Ryan Dempster Era Will Continue

UPDATE: Here are the contract terms according to SI.com: $8 Million in 2008 with a $4M bonus ($12M total). $12.5M in 2010, $13.5 M in 2011 and a 2012 $14M player option which is almost a guarantee to be picked up. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm about 90% certain he's earned 10/5 no-trade rights.


It's being picked up by multiple news sources that the Ryan Dempster Experience will call Chicago home for the next four years. It sounds like it might be for a total of $52M a year or $13M on average. That's a pretty good deal if he pitches like he did last year, not so much if he pitches like 2001-2003. For what was out there though and for how much the Cubs and Dempster seem to like each other, it sounds like the right deal. He really did have a fantastic 2008 season. His 152 ERA+ was good for third best in the NL.

When you consider he pitched in the NL Central and Wrigley Field, a real hitter's paradise in 2008, his numbers compare quite favorably to that one Padre pitcher the Cubs have been pursuing, who pitches at the baseball equivelant of Yellowstone National Park.

  WHIP
K/9
BB/9
K/BB
HR/9
OPS against
ERA+
Dempster
1.21
8.14
3.31
2.46
 .61  .641 152
Peavy
1.18
8.60
3.06 2.81
 .88  .642 137

Plus Dempster had a .288 BABIP, which may rise a bit, but it's not too far off what is normally expected (around the .300 range).

That's not to say that Dempster is as good as Peavy, it's to say that he was last year. Peavy is still younger, has a longer track record of success and better "stuff", but Dempster isn't going to cost the Cubs their entire arsenal of prospects. And for all we know the Cubs could still acquire Peavy as well.

We'll see what the contract specifics end up being as I expect a good number of incentive bonuses in there. I believe with Dempster resigning, he automatically gets 10/5 rights so a no-trade clause should kick in.

Comments

I think it is obvious that if Dempster pitches like he did this year, he is every bit as good, if not better, than Peavy. Which would make a 4/50 (or so) deal well worth it. The big question is whether or not Dempster's season was fluky. His peripherals were very good, and don't appear to be a matter of great luck. Of course, as many have pointed out, someone like Peavy presents as many risks as Dempster does. Dempster has the risk of being a fluke, as well as a past with injury issues. Peavy also had injury issues and is said to require almost Harden-like babying. And of course, I would love to see Peavy join this rotation, and have, far and away, the best rotation in baseball: Z Peavy Lilly Harden Dempster I would also be pretty interested in Randy Johnson over Peavy. Lower risk, but, imo, just as high of an upside. But this is just the beginning of what could be a pretty interesting off-season.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

The old astroturf was terrible for knees/ankles, but the new stuff is actually better cushioned than grass.

[ ]

In reply to by Doug Dascenzo

hmm....Vernon Wells disagrees...

just kidding, I still thought the new turfgrass stuff wasn't that kind...could be wrong.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I play on a rec soccer team on that new turfgrass stuff here in Rome and it's really not bad. It hurts a bit to fall on, but it feels the same as grass cutting and running.

[ ]

In reply to by Andrew

Hey Andrew: If you mean Rome, Italy, does anyone follow baseball? Or is it still: "football" football football football basketball skiing bocci tennis dominos sitting for long periods espresso baseball car racing?

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

E-Man, That's pretty much it, assuming by football you mean "calcio." There's really no sport that compares to that.

Considering what Peavy would cost, my vote is that this is the right move. Cubs retain control of Marshall to spell for unavoidable downtime to one of the top five - Z, Demp, Lilly, Marquis and whoever Hendry gets, hopefully a one-year flyer for medium dollars on a Randy Johnson or a Jon Garland type.

[ ]

In reply to by Andrew

I'd like to see the Cubs do a one-year deal for a #4ish starter. I figure RanJo is the best options who might accept and the backup plan would be Garland. I don't like him lots, but one year and about 6M with incentives up to 9 or 10 seems acceptable risk v reward. I figure he's good for 200 innings and can probably shave about half a point off his ERA with a league switch. Looking for pitchers going into the final year of their contract, I can't see any better (and also obtainable) options than Duchscherer, and we'd probably have to give up a lot of the same pieces we would for Peavy. Considering the total picture, I'd take one stopgap year of Garland rather than five years of Peavy. It's too early in the tournament for Hendry to go all-in with his chips, and I have a hunch he'll want those chips later for something besides starters.

I'm certainly skeptical that Dempster will be worth keeping around for 4 years. I'd like to think that 08 wasn't a fluke, but I also have some serious doubts when a player has a career season (by a wide margin) at age 31. Oh, and if this contract is actually for $52M a year, then we're really got a problem....

Harden would have to go to Pads or Third team in trade with Peavy. I would still prefer a left handed bat if we are looking to mortgage the farm.

I'm of mixed opinion a bit on this deal. Certainly, I like Dempster as a player and as a team leader, and I was pleased to hear that Rothschild called him one of the smartest pitchers he'd been around at utilizing scout reports. I still think though he's a decent injury risk and am afraid that this is a bit of a high price to pay for one year and I wouldn't have minded the draft picks that we would have gotten. I hope that this doesn't end the Peavy negotiations -- he's still one of the top 5 pitchers in baseball and although we no longer really need him, he'd still give us a hell of a rotation, unrivaled in the NL. If I were Hendry, I'd try to trade Marquis and some prospects for a bat. Still, I'm glad that this won't leave us in the lurch with a rotation of Z, Harden, Lilly going into the year, which although good would have been less good than last year.

[ ]

In reply to by Andrew

Andrew: "...I still think though he's a decent injury risk ." I brought this up last thread. Isn't nearly every pitcher a decent injury risk? CC and Greg Maddux are the real exceptions. It is "normal", even, I'd surmise that a high percentage of starters will need some kind of surgery. Its like putting in new engine components. Demp had his replaced already and last year was the result in Hendry's mind. As CUBSTER would say, getting surgeries on elbows or shoulders gives no guarantee to future performance, on the other side of the coin either.

I agree with Andrew and Bleeding Blue as much as Dempster may be a swell guy. His stats for the six years prior to 2008 was mediocre at best. We may be getting suckered into a Pavano or Jose Guzman type deal...I would have rather spent it on Peavy and take my chances or spend it on a legit leadoff man (even 12 mil for one year of furcal..only one year). We'll see...i hope to god Dempster isn't an abberation...I would love to pedal off Marquis and put Marshall in the rotation. Interested to see what we do about this L handed bat...because all the left handed RF's have two left hands in the field!

One thing I don't understand from Rosenthal's article is this: The return of Dempster would not necessarily make the Cubs less likely to trade for Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, sign free-agent lefty Randy Johnson or pursue any other player. Their next steps likely would depend upon the wishes of the team's new ownership group, which is expected to be selected before Christmas, sources said. I thought this was going to drag on until spring at the earliest? The ownership group will be picked in the next four weeks? Even if that's true, the Cubs and Hendry are just supposed to sit on their hands until it happens?

added this to the post.. His 152 ERA+ was good for third best in the NL. and a column to the table comparing ERA+, Dempster 152, Peavy 137

WMVP also saying that Hendry is focused on M.Bradley for RF, not that high on Ibanez, and also you can expect another spike in ticket prices across the board. Stunner

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

You're talking about the guy like he's David Ortiz. I know his last significant injury happened while running the bases - sort of. Do you (we) even know if fielding makes his problems worse? He played the outfield last year, less than a year off of ACL surgery. If we can carry a gimpy Jim Edmonds for five months, I think we can carry a 31 year old Milton Bradley for six. Does anyone else see that 'don't pay for weightloss' add. I agree, if you're pregnant, just have your baby to lose 20 lbs.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Here is a list of said guys who could be had for this offseason because published reports have put them on the block: Brad Hawpe Rick Ankiel Jeremy Hermaida Kelly Johnson (you could move back to the OF or keep him at 2b and play Dero in the OF.) Guys that might be able to persuade their current teams out of: Nate Mclouth Andre Either (the Dodgers have an influx of OF's and could sell high on Either) BTW I doubt Milton Bradley would be a good defensive OF with his bum knees.

[ ]

In reply to by Chifan

Brad Hawpe - allowed 23 more runs than an average right fielder according to BP last year, in an injury shortened season. Rick Ankiel - he plays for the Cardinals, has been a pretty bad CF'r (though good in 22 games in RF) and is also an injury risk... and the HGH thing too. Jeremy Hermida - three runs below average fielding last year, but most reports would call that generous. His percieved value is mostly based on some crazy good BABIP luck in 2007. I think he'll eventually be a pretty good hitter, but he had an OPS+ of 91 last year, may as well go with Pie and Fukudome. Kelly Johnson - Not a bad player, but not much of a better hitter than the Fontenaught. He also has some reversish platoon splits, and some injuries in his history. Nate McLouth - cannot figure out why the Pirates would trade him. Ethier - Good fit for the Cubs, but who is going to push him out of a job with the Dodgers, particuarly if Manny is gone? I agree that there are 'targets' but if you say 'who are left handed, good defensive players, will stay healthy and have some pop' the only guys are Ethier and McLouth (assuming McLouth's RF defense is much better than his bad CF defense, and in limited chances it hasn't been) and neither of those guys are available.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/24422 says Cuban's bid was too low at least four other groups are still seen as serious, according to people familiar with the sales talks: a Michael Tokarz-led group; investors headed by Leo Hindery Jr. and Mark Utay; Chicago real estate magnate Hersch Klaff; and the Ricketts family, which started TD Ameritrade. I'm a bit confused though since offers were suppose to be due around Thanksgiving, so I'm wondering if they're talking about the previous round before the big stock market crash.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

$4 million bonus - nice corporate shenanigans that benefits both the player and the team with the expected upcoming tax changes. I imagine we'll see a whole lot of that with contracts that are finalized this year.

Just played on WSCR- Dempster on 2008 Cubs- "we underestimated how prepared you need to be for the playoffs." WTF?!?!?

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

that's not gonna win over any fans...

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I would guess that the 'we' here is mostly Lou resting guys too much the last 8 days of the season.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

that's a leap...

he seemed to play the starters every other day and that was enough to get DeRosa hurt. 

I can't recall exactly what he did with the rotation. 

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I remember complaining because he pulled back Dempster with two starts left in the season. I don't know if it's a leap, at all. What else is he saying? That they should have had two-a-days or drank a bunch of Red Bull (is that banned?) before the games?

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

or the players goofed off the last week and were treating the playoffs like every other game.

some of that goes on the manager certainly, a lot of it if that is the case, but there's enough vets in that clubhouse to know better.  

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

He was serious. And that indicts Lou and the players who were on the team in 2007. Bullshit.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

Ah, Demp --- were you referring to 2007 or 2008? Hopefully, this is his goofy humor coming out.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

Who cares? Whether he says it or not, they clearly were under-prepared for both '07 and '08.

Six teams in nine seasons -- speaks volumes. What would be the over/under on when he and Piniella go after each other in the dugout?

[ ]

In reply to by Timmer

Just wait until he makes a throwing error with Zambrano losing it on the mound! He seems to have mellowed a bit. There wasn't much out of San Diego or Texas about him... of course he was also knocking the crap out of the ball, so maybe that has something to do with it.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I can't find the video online, didn't he go right at him, held back by a couple of guys and tore his MCL?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

As I recall he went to get in his face and the first base coach interceded. There wasn't any sign of violence or thrown punches or anything. Might as well accuse Lou of trying to kill people. Here you go- I guess it was Bud Black. That pretty much eliminated him from Manager of the Year I guess. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfbTYyZEij8 You can see the first base coach actually goes after the umpire before Bradley. Did anyone ever hear the rest of the story on that? Obviously he should have been suspended and fined.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Bradley was not fined, because he made no contact, ump was suspended. The original comment was that he "mellowed". Except when he tried to go up to TV booth to "confront" Ryan Lefebvre about comments he made during a game last year. This on top of- Altercation with manager Eric Wedge on Cleveland Throwing a water bottle into stands in L.A. Accused Jeff Kent of being a racist(okay probably give him that) Padres incident So yeah I can see how this kind of mellow, levelheaded, injury proned vet could do nothing but help the Cubs.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

He seems to be mellowing - not perfect, but he's not punching teammates in the face either. Some of those things our very own Cubbies have done (and worse).

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Just last year he had to be restrained from climbing 4 flights of stairs to confront an announcer during a game. That's mellowing?

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I thought the figure of speech was obvious in my statement....

but I think going berserk to the point that your manager throws you down and you tear up your knee is grounds for calling him crazy. When something like that happens to Lou, let me know....

as for the real story

http://www.truveo.com/Miltons-mad/id/3398048206

pretty clear the ump was the instigator

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Wow. It's funny, but watching that video makes me want to like the guy (Bradley) or at least empathize with him. This has nothing to do with whether I think the Cubs should try to sign him up or not.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

In the video it's Black that does the stupid thing and hurts Bradley. How can you reasonably say what Bradley did there (after being called a piece of shit) is more crazy than the typical Piniela antics? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VO8MAnS4tM The only differnce is that no one is grabbing Piniela's shirt and trying to drag him down from behind.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Clearly Black thought that Bradley needed to be physically restrained, although he did that in a very awkward manner. Then again, players are often restrained and managers are almost never restrained, so it may say more about what role a guy has on the team than the likelihood of the guy to sock an umpire.

Ah yes, our old friend the "player option." Much like with ARam a couple years ago, Dempster will exercise his player option only if his market value is under $14 million, and if it's higher than $14 million he'll become a free agent (or at least be paid like one by the Cubs when he renegotiates). So if he's bad/mediocre after 2011 we'll get to overpay him in 2012, if he's great we'll lose him or -- best case -- pay him his higher market value salary. I know that all negotiations have a give and take, but this provision really sucks. It's far less favorable than a simple straight 4 year deal with the 4th year set at $14 million.

I'm more worried about Bradley going into the stands if there's a particular heckler he doesn't care for at Wrigley. At least keep the BP folding chairs away from him while he's in RF.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).