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 Minor League Camp Rosters - Updated

Following the most-recent cuts from big league camp and reassignments (demotions and outright releases) at Minor League Camp, here are (best as I can determine) the current rosters at Fitch Park:  

MINOR LEAGUE CAMP ROSTERS:

* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS

IOWA:
Jose Ascanio
Matt Avery
Cory Bailey
Justin Berg
* Edward Campusano
* Neal Cotts
* Derrick Ellison
Jesse Estrada
Sean Gallagher
Jim Henderson (limited physical activity - unknown-type injury)
Mark Holliman
* Geoff Jones 
Juan Mateo
* J. R. Mathes
* Ryan O’Malley
Billy Petrick
Rocky Roquet

TENNESSEE:
Mitch Atkins
Esmailin Caridad 
Jose Ceda
Adam Harben
Grant Johnson
* Scott Koerber
* Casey Lambert
Alessandro Maestri
Marcos Mateo
* Jeremy Papelbon
Gregory Reinhard 
* Jayson Ruhlman
Jeff Samardzija
* Chris Shaver
* Donald Veal 
Tanner Watson

DAYTONA:
Alberto Alburquerque
Todd Blackford
Marco Carrillo
Michael Cooper (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
* Darin Downs
Dumas Garcia
* Arik Hempy
Robert Hernandez
Ryan Meyers
Billy Muldowney
Leonel Perez (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Mike Phelps
Jose Pina (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
* James Russell
Joel Santo
* Chris Siegfried
Stephen Vento

PEORIA:
* Zach Ashwood
* Michael Bunton
Alberto Cabrera
Rafael Dolis (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Marcus Hatley
Chris Huseby
Jordan Latham
Matt Maradeo
Scott Meyer
Jon Mueller (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
John Muller
* Mark Pawelek
Cedric Redmond 
Dae-Eun Rhee
* Dustin Sasser

BOISE/MESA:
Francisco Acosta
Ryan Acosta
* Jeffry Antigua
* Luis Astorga
Rogelino Carmona
Eduardo Figueroa
Yohan Gonzalez
Kitt Kopach (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Kevin Kreier
Oswaldo Martinez (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Craig Muschko
Blake Parker
Julio Pena
Hernan Ramos
Carlos E. Rojas 
Audy Santana
Ryan Searle
Jose Severino
Miguel Sierra
Larry Suarez (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
Scott Taylor (serving 50-game illegal substance suspension)
Harol Tolentino

CATCHERS

IOWA:
# J. D. Closser
# Koyie Hill (C-1B)
Jake Muyco
Tony Richie

TENNESSEE:
Welington Castillo
* Steve Clevenger (C-1B)
Chris Robinson

DAYTONA:
* Blake Lalli (C-1B)
Mario Mercedes
* Mark Reed

PEORIA:
Luis Bautista (C-1B)
Josh Donaldson
Carlos Perez
Roberto Sabates 
 
BOISE/MESA:
Carlos Guevara 
* Alvaro Sosa

INFIELDERS

IOWA:
# Andres Blanco (SS)
# Matt Craig (1B-3B)
* Kyle Reynolds (3B)
* Alan Rick (1B)
# Bobby Scales (2B)
Joe Simokaitis (SS)
 
TENNESSEE:
Robinson Chirinos (2B)
Brian Dopirak (1B)
Josh Lansford (3B)
# Matt Matulia (SS)
Carlos R. Rojas (SS)
Issmael Salas (3B-1B)
* Nate Spears (2B)

DAYTONA:
Darwin Barney (SS)
Russ Canzler (1B)
* Dylan Johnston (SS-2B)
* Ryne Malone (3B-1B)
Jonathan Mota (2B-SS)
Marquez Smith (3B)
Tony Thomas (2B)
 
PEORIA:
# Marwin Gonzalez (SS)
Gian Guzman (SS)
* Jeffrey Rea (2B)
Jovan Rosa (3B)
* Drew Rundle (1B-OF)
Nathan Samson (2B)
Josh Vitters (3B)

BOISE/MESA:
Starlin Castro (SS)
John Contreras (3B)
# Dwayne Kemp (2B)
* Bryan Jost (1B) - limited physical activity - knee surgery rehab
Junior Lake (SS)
Elvis Lara (2B) 
# Jose Made (2B-SS)

OUTFIELDERS

IOWA:
* Matt Camp
Jake Fox
* Josh Kroeger
# Andres Torres

TENNESSEE  
* James Adduci
Yusuf Carter
* Corey Coles
* Tyler Colvin 
Ryan Harvey
* Jonathan Wyatt

DAYTONA:
* Kyler Burke
* Jeff Culpepper (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
* Leon Johnson 
Ty Wright

PEORIA:
* Cliff Andersen
Brandon Guyer (limited physical activity – injury rehab)
* Nelson Perez
* Luke Sommer
# Min Kyu Sung (player-coach)

BOISE/MESA:
# Andres Quezada
Kevin Soto 
Jesus Reyes

WHEREBOUTS UNKNOWN (by me):
Hung-Wen Chen, P
Rafael Cova, P 
# Luis Figueroa, INF
* Clark Hardman, OF
Yuri Higgins, P
Chris Rivera, P
* Marc Sawyer, 1B
Chi-Hsiang Wen, OF

NOTE: As far as I know, Chen, Cova, Sawyer, and Wen never reported. I suspect Sawyer MIGHT be finishing his senior year at Yale and will report late. Figueroa probably either got released or quit after he got sent down from big league camp, and I don't know what happened to Hardman, Higgins, and Rivera. They were at Fitch Park for a while, but have since disappeared, so either they are hurt to the extent that they can't perform even limited activities on the field, or they quit, or they got released.

Comments

JOE: I deleted the original post so I could replace it with one that was readable. Your comment getting deleted was simply a casualty of war, my friend. "Colateral damage" I believe it's called.

Jeff Samardzija will start the 2008 season at AA. He still needs to perfect his slider and a workable off-speed pitch.

LHP James Russell has looked VERY good. He was a 2007 14th round pick (dropped due to signability issues) out of the U. of Texas and he signed late, so he is essentially making his pro debut this year.

Word was Russell was going to return to school with fellow Longhorn (and Team USA) catcher Preston Clark (Cubs '07 33rd round pick), but the Cubs showed Russell some extra $$$ at the last minute and got him to change his mind.

Russell will probably be the #1 starter at Daytona in 2008 and could move very quickly through the system. He is the son of former MLB closer Jeff Russell.

Welington Castillo has been promoted (mid-ST!) from Daytona to Tennessee, so he must have REALLY impressed Oneri Fleita and the Cubs minor league people to do that. He is a catcher in the mold of the Flying Molina Brothers, and has developed some HR power to go along with a solid bat and plus-arm.

It looks like 3B Kyle Reynolds (son of ex-MLB SS Craig Reynolds) has made the jump to AAA. He's always been a pretty good fielder, but he developed HR power last year, and has basically morphed into Scott Moore Redux.

Dunedin HS teammates Brian Dopirak and Ryan Harvey have been reunited at AA Tennessee, and they have been mashing the ball all Spring. If they can stay healthy, Tennessee could have a very powerful middle of the order in '08, with Tyler Colvin, Brian Dopirak, Ryan Harvey, and Welington Castillo hitting 3-4-5-6.

Daytona should have a good team, too, with '07 draft picks SS Darwin Barney (Oregon State), 2B Tony Thomas (Florida State), 3B Marquez Smith (Clemson), LF Ty Wright (Oklahoma State), and either Leon Johnson (BYU) or Jonathan Wyatt (Georgia) in CF, plus Kyler Burke (acquired from SD for Michael Barrett) in RF. All are definite MLB prospects.

RHP reliever Alessandro Maestri (Team Italy) and LHP Jeremy Papelbon (who will apparently be converted into a starter) have been impressive, too, and both could well make the jump from Peoria to AA. 

2007 1st round pick Josh Vitters is locked in a battle with Jovan Rosa for the starting 3rd base job at Peoria. The loser goes to Extended Spring Training and then to Boise.in June. 

Az Phil: Matt Camp split most year a (low A) Peoria/Daytona (high A) with a brief showing at Tenn (AA). So what did he do to deserve the promotion to start the year in the Iowa OF? Do you think Carmen Pignatello has earned a mlb roster spot based on his spring? I know...some guys are blocked by veterans with big salaries on the team, but it must be tough when you don't give up a run all spring for a team with only one veteran lefty reliever who is coming off of a pretty inconsistent 2007. I'm not so sure I like the argument that the rest of the bullpen righty's can get out left handed hitters.

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 03/21/2008 - 7:34pm.

Az Phil: Matt Camp split most year a (low A) Peoria/Daytona (high A) with a brief showing at Tenn (AA). So what did he do to deserve the promotion to start the year in the Iowa OF?

Do you think Carmen Pignatello has earned a mlb roster spot based on his spring? I know...some guys are blocked by veterans with big salaries on the team, but it must be tough when you don't give up a run all spring for a team with only one veteran lefty reliever who is coming off of a pretty inconsistent 2007. I'm not so sure I like the argument that the rest of the bullpen righty's can get out left handed hitters.

==============================

CUBSTER: The Cubs like Matt Camp as a utility player (2B-LF-CF). He has plus-speed and is a good base-stealer. Although he doesn't play SS, offensively he's in the mold of a Ryan Theriot-type player. Right now he's with the Iowa squad, but once Sam Fuld and Eric Patterson get sent down, Camp should end up at Tennessee as the starting LF and lead-off hitter there.

As for Pignatiello, I believe he is the Cubs best bet for a lefty reliever in 2008. I don't know if Uncle Lou sees it that way, but I think it's pretty obvious.

Scott Eyre certainly isn't the answer, that's for sure.

Ideally, the Cubs will get George Sherrill as part of the Brian Roberts deal. Sherrill is probably the #1 lefty reliever in baseball.

AZ, I thought among your mind bogglingly detailed posts I saw that we lost Brian Dopirak. No? Or did I just lose track of him in my head because he didn't seem to be panning out?

And Lou Piniella confirms: when he said he'd have a rotation announcement by Friday, he meant it, dammit. It's now Saturday where I am. Did he say which Friday, dammit?

AZ Phil: Assuming McGehee is sent back to Iowa, what happens to the Third Base logjam there? And who do you like most as an ML-contributer-- McGehee, Reynolds, or Craig?

Submitted by Romero on Sat, 03/22/2008 - 8:26am.

AZ Phil: Assuming McGehee is sent back to Iowa, what happens to the Third Base logjam there?

And who do you like most as an ML-contributer-- McGehee, Reynolds, or Craig?

===========================

ROMERO: I think it's very likely that Reynolds will be the #1 3B at Iowa, McGehee will play some 3B, some 1B, and will catch once or twice or a week, and Matt Craig is a likely candidate to get released before Opening Day, since he will be a six-year minor league FA after the 2008 season.

I believe Reynolds could be a starting or platoon 3B in the big leagues at some point, while McGehee willl probably be a C-3B-1B-RHPH. I don't think Craig will play in the big leagues, but if he does it will be as a DH. He is a lousy defender at 3B.

Submitted by Hagsag on Sat, 03/22/2008 - 7:50am.

Az Phil, I seem to remember the Cubs signing a young OF named Haesung Kook. I see he is not around Fitch either.Do you know where he is at?

===============================

HAGSAG: He got released. 

Submitted by Old and Blue on Fri, 03/21/2008 - 9:00pm.

AZ, I thought among your mind bogglingly detailed posts I saw that we lost Brian Dopirak. No?

Or did I just lose track of him in my head because he didn't seem to be panning out?

====================================

OLD & BLUE: Brian Dopirak will be the starting 1B at AA Tennessee in 2008.

He will be a six-year minor league FA after the 2008 season if he's not put back on the Cubs 40-man roster by the end of the World Series. But he'll have to have a MUCHO big-time "break-out" season at AA for that to happen.

My prediction for the most-likely Dopirak Destination this time next year? 

Baltimore Orioles sign him to a minor league contract and he gets an NRI to ST.

Submitted by Romero on Sat, 03/22/2008 - 11:09am.

Thanks, Phil.

Didn't the organization experiment with converting Craig into a catcher a couple of years ago? I'm assuming that experiment didn't take. And why would the Cubs release Craig? Couldn't we just trade him to Baltimore for something of use? Perhaps throw him into the Roberts booty?

 ==================================

ROMERO: The experiment lasted about a week.

There are a lot of guys who get released the last week of Minor League Camp where you would think they would have some value in a trade, but they just don't. A lot of times a club will release a player at the end of ST when the player gets caught in a "numbers game" (Iowa and Tennessee have only 24-man rosters, so there's room for only four players on the bench), even though it,means the club gets nothing back. And that's especially true if the player will be a six-year minor league free-agent after the season anyway, as is the case with Matt Craig.

So unless something bad happens to Reynolds, Hoffpauir, Lansford, or Dopirak before the start of the season, Craig has zero future in the Cubs organization in 2008 and will likely get released next week. Then he can sign someplace else and get a fresh start, preferably as a DH.

AZ Phil, What do you make of Brian Dopirak's 2004 statistics? Aberration, or did someone simply steal his mojo after the season ended? Has anyone else followed the Brian Dopirak career path, and if so, how did their careers end up--MLB regulars or unknown minor leaguers?

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Not AZ Phil, but I saw Dopirak play in a few games that year, and he appeared to be a man among boys in that league. You could tell, though, that he had trouble with off-speed stuff. It looks like, at this point, if a pitcher gets behind and comes in with a fastball Dopirak's got a chance. Otherwise he gets a steady diet of garbage and K's.

Any idea where these guys are (if in fact they are still in the organization) RP Tim Lahey (not Layden) RP John Webb RP Mike Nannini 2B Gary Cates SS John Nelson

Did the Cubs finnally decide to get rid of Alfred Joseph? i can't seem to find what happend to him. I've knew he always had a little bit of an attitude problem.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.