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

Beras & Guzman Tag-Team Power Lifts Rangers over Angels/Cubs

6'6 slugging RF Jairo Beras (2012 IFA free-agent - $4.5M bonus) hammered two home runs (a solo shot over the LF scoreboard in the 3rd and a three-run blast just to the right of the CF Batter's Eye in the 7th), 6'6 slugging first-baseman Ronald Guzman (2011 IFA - $3.45M bonus) crushed a solo HR over the RF fence and onto Bullard Avenue in the 2nd, walked in the 3rd, and drilled an RBI double off the RF fence in the 5th, and DH Jurickson Profar (on TEX MLB 60-day DL - right shoulder surgery rehab) singled, walked, and scored a run, leading the Rangers to a 7-1 victory over the Angels/Cubs co-op squad in AZ Advanced Instructional League action this afternoon on Nolan Ryan Field at the Surprise Recreation Campus in Surprise, AZ. 

Michael Strentz (Angels) belted a solo HR in the top of the 9th to account for the lone Angels/Cubs run.    

Here is the box scotre from today's game (Cubs players are highlighted in bold & underlined

ANGELS/CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 0-2 (P-2, F-8)
1b. Charcer Burks, PH-CF: 0-2 (K, 5-4 FC)
2a. Bo Way, CF: 0-1 (BB, 5-3, SB)
2b. Rashad Crawford, PH-RF: 0-2 (K, P-5)
3. Wade Wass, C-DH: 0-2 (K, K, BB, SB)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
4a. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 0-1 (6-3, BB) 
4b. Victor Caratini, PH-1B: 0-2 (K, 3-U)
5. Michael Strentz, DH-C: 2-2 (1B, HR, R, RBI)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TWO TIMES THRU BATTING ORDER
6. Shawon Dunston Jr, LF: 2-4 (1B, 1-3, 4-3 DP, 1B, CS)
7. Natanael Delgado, DH #2: 1-4 (3-U, 5-3, 3-1, 1B)
8. Chesny Young, SS: 2-4 (K, 1B, 1B, F-9)
9. Andrew Daniel, 3B: 1-4 (K, L-8, 1B, K)
10. Kody Eaves, 2B: 0-3 (3-U, L-9, F-8)

RANGERS LINEUP:
1a. Christopher Garia, CF: 1-3 (1B, L-9, 1-3)
1b. Darius Day, CF: 1-1 (2B, R)
2. Jurickson Profar, DH: 1-3 (F-8, BB, 1B, K, R)
3a. Evan Van Hoosier, 2B: 0-3 (F-8, 5-U FC, F-8)
3b. Josh Morgan, 2B: 0-0 (BB, R)
4. Jairo Beras, RF: 2-4 (K, HR, 4-3, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI)
5. Ronald Guzman, 1B: 2-3 (HR, BB, 2B, P-6, R, 2 RBI)
6. Dylan Moore, 3B: 1-4 (1B, F-8, K, 6-3, R)
7. Jose Almonte, LF: 0-4 (E-5, 6-4-3 DP, P-4, 6-3)
8a. David Lyon, C: 0-2 (F-9, 4-3)
8b. Jose Trevino, C: 1-2 (1B, K)
9. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS: 1-4 (1B, K, 1-6-3 DP, 4-3, RBI)

ANGELS/CUBS PITCHERS
1. Garrett Nuss: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 1 GIDP, 2/5 GO/AO, 49 pitches (30 strikes) 
2. Jaime Barria: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 4/2 GO/AO, 35 pitches (25 strikes) 
3. Ronnie Glenn: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1/1 GO/AO, 24 pitches (13 strikes) 
4. Victor Alcantara: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2/0 GO/AO, 12 pitches (9 strikes) 

RANGERS PITCHERS
1. Connor Sadzek: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 2/1 GO/AO, 39 pitches (21 strikes) 
2. Joseph Palumbo: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 3/1 GO/AO, 24 pitches (15 strikes)
3. Sam Stafford: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1/2 GO/AO,  29 pitches (19 strikes) 
4. Sterling Wynn: 1.0 IP,, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP, 2/0 GO/AO, 9 pitches (7 strikes) 
5. Adam Dian: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1/2 GO/AO, 15 pitches (12 strikes) 
6. Blake Bass: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1/1 GO/AO, 22 pitches (14 strikes) 

ANGELS/CUBS ERRORS: 1
3B Andrew Daniel - E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely) 

RANGERS ERRORS: NONE 

RANGERS CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. David Lyon: 1-2 CS
2. Jose Trevino: 0-1 CS 

WEATHER: Mostly cloudy with gusting winds & occasional drizzle and temperatures in the 80's

ATTENDANCE: 28 (mostly scouts)

Comments

AZ Phil, what is the reason the Cubs are co-oping this team? They seem to have plenty of talent that would fill a roster.

[ ]

In reply to by Hagsag

HAGSAG: There are only five advanced instructs squads left, and presently the only "co-op" team operating is the Angels/Cubs.

The league was originally established as a "parallel" league to the AFL (a sort of "junior AFL"), for players too advanced for traditional ("basic") instructs but who were unable to get placed on AFL rosters due to AFL player-limits.

When it started about five or six years ago, AZ advanced instructs was designed to operate with ONLY "co-op" teams, with the eight MLB organizations that share a Phoenix-area campus providing about 15 or 20 players each to their respective advanced instructs co-op squad (SD/SEA co-op, LAD/CHW co-op, CIN/CLE co-op, and KC/TEX co-op).  

I wrote an article here at TCR back then about the Cubs wanting to participate in advanced instructs, but only if they could find a willing partner nearby (I suggested either OAK or LAA).  

link 

When the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies moved to Talking Stick in 2011, the two clubs were supposed to field an advanced instructs co-op team, but then the Rockies decided not to participate because they would have to travel to the west-side (Peoria, Goodyear, Surprise, and Camelback Ranch) for all of their road games. So the D'backs eventually decided to operate an "advanced" instructs team by themselves, as did the Milwaukee Brewers (who are centrally-located about halfway between the east-side teams and the west-side teams).  

However, the Dodgers, White Sox, Indians, Brewers, Padres, and Mariners pulled out of advanced instructs after last season, leaving just six MLB clubs (CUBS, AZ, CIN, KC, LAA, and TEX) and five teams (Diamondbacks, Rangers, Reds, and Royals, and only one co-op team, the newly-formed Angels/Cubs).  

It's difficuilt for one organization to field an advanced instructs team by itself because there just aren't enough pitchers who need innings. The Cubs pitchers assigned to the Angels/Cubs advanced instructs co-op contingent are pitchers who needed to make-up innings lost during the season due to injury, but the Cubs don't believe that they have enough pitchers to field a team by themselves. (The D'backs have a different organizational philosophy that advocates pitchers throwing in games against other organizations, which is why they field an advanced team by themselves... same goes for the Texas Rangers, KC Royals, and Cincinnati Reds).

Besides providing an environment for players too advanced for basic instructs, advanced instructs also provides a place for injured MLB players to rehab in games after the minor league regular season has concluded (like Jurickson Profar with the Rangers right now, Johnny Giavotella with the Angels/Cubs co-op squad a couple of weeks ago, and Jason Motte with the Angels/Cubs in the near-future), since "basic" instructs has a lot of players and pitchers with very little pro experience (not ideal for a rehabbing MLB player or pitcher), and the AFL does not allow MLB rehabbing players to participate. 

BTW, the Cubs are the only MLB organization based in Arizona that operates a "basic" instructs squad but does not have its basic squad play games against other organizations. The Cubs believe that younger players can learn more by instruction and intrasquad & "sim" games than by spending time playing games against teams from other organizations. That's why the Cubs were interested in fielding an "advanced" instructs team, to provide a place for players who don't need as much instruction as the younger players and who would actually benefit from playing games against teams from other organizations.

I don't know what the future is for AZ advanced instructs. As long as four teams can be operated it will probably continue, and I suppose it is possible that the Cubs could field an advanced team by themselves next season, but only if they believe that they have enough available pitchers.  

Another possibility would be to expand the AFL from six teams to ten teams, utilizing all ten of the Phoenix-area SpringTraining facilities (Mesa HoHoKam, Mesa Riverview, Salt River, Scottsdale, Tempe, Maryvale, Camelback Ranch, Goodyear, Peoria, and Surprise), with only three organizations instead of five providing players to each AFL team, and with each of the three organizations proving twelve players instead of seven, including seven pitchers and five position players, instead of four pitchers and three position players (as is the case now).  

I'm glad this is a one game playoff coming up, because McCutchen is one of my favorite MLB players. And as a baseball fan, I rather like the Pirates. I hope we beat them bad, of course. No mixed feelings here. And, I don't want a nail biter. Too old for that shit. The team of moran fans is easy to hate, though, and more suitable for a longer series.

Dallas Beeler, Corey Black, David Garner, Pierce Johnson, Steve Perakslis, James Pugliese, Duane Underwood Jr, and Rob Zastryzny threw early-morning bullpen side-sessions at Riverview yesterday.  

Underwood threw last, and received specific one-on-one instruction from pitching coach Mike Mason. 


Madden won't announce lineups but Stella is practicing at 3rd and Bryant in LF today. I'd rather see Bryant at 3rd but I guess Stella has been hotter than Coghlan. /edit. Though I guess they could be practicing this with the idea Stella would come in as a PH then double switch him to 3rd base and Bryant to LF. Hope that's the plan instead

[ ]

In reply to by johann

I know it's my own personal dead horse to beat --but Bryant has been a lousy hitter when playing the OF this year. Given that it's his first playoff game, I really hope they keep him in his natural position and don't mess with his routine. Lousy as in 8-for-45 with one XBH and no HR. Small sample and all that -- but why take the chance?

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

I will call your dead horse, "Trigger". In one game, when anything is possble, I am glad that Joe Maddon is our Manager. He knows the stats better than all of us. It would seem, IF La Stella gets the start at 3B, it will be only up to the point that they were to get the lead (crosses fingers). From everything I have read, the game will be managed like a hoops game: offense/defense. So expect La Stella to be out of the game by the 5th. This team is incredibly deep which is so surprising. We never woulda thunk it. In my mind it comes down to Jake pitching nearly flawlessly and the Cubs jumping on one or two Garrett Cole mistakes. They are not a "small ball" team. I am going out on a limb that Schwarber will play a key role as will Castro. Like O&B, I have been a Pirates fan when the Cubs have sucked. My all-time favorite player is Clemente. But I am ready for some kick-ass Cubs ya'll.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Yup. Have to agree. Baseball, like golf, certainly has that psych component for the player. There is no real reason why a fielding position should affect a batting average. The Cubs are 106 years over due for a little luck. Don't you guys think so? Maybe the rookies can bring some dumb luck on.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

i dont know what order they'll be in, but i pretty much expect fowler/schwarb/rizzo/bryant/montero/castro/lastella/arrieta. any change at all (aside from the first 4 guys) wouldn't shock me, though. coghlan is still a wildcard in the lineup equation...plus joe could always march d.ross out there with very slow arrieta pitching. the main reason i don't think bryant stresses over the OF thing is that he goes full on out there, brick wall and all, and he's chalked up a decent number of games in the OF (including this spring). plus, he did drills and played a few games (though not many) in the OF in college.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

I know what you are saying, but I feel compelled to point out that there's no such thing as luck, curses, etc. The Cubs this year have as good as a chance as the Pirates to move on to the next round. If the Cubs proceed to the next round or not tomorrow, it will not be because of luck, but because one team outlasted the other. When/if the Cubs are lucky enough to make it to the league series, that's where they may find their biggest challenge. The Dodgers have a good, deep pitching staff. This Cubs team is still insanely young and until they have some big league experience under their belts, will have trouble with a pitcher who is hitting his spots. If the opposing pitcher is making mistakes, the Cubs will feast. This is the truly cool thing about the team that's been put together- this is the floor. They will only improve from here on.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

Fully agree -- can't prove it. But, the numbers are what they are, and a lot of his OF games have come in Aug & Sept, when he has been killing the ball otherwise. And, knowing how baseball players love routine, it seems logical that it could at least be a a factor. Really, really, really hope I'm wrong on this.

i don't know what their roster plans are, but j.herrera is out there practicing with the team. i can't imagine him making any roster, though. dude had 4 PA the entire month of sept. him being a good dude to be around while keeping the clubhouse loose seems to be his main role at this point.

i'd like to know why the mlb.tv internet radio feed of the game (which is always delayed by a few seconds at best) is almost a minute faster than the ESPN cable TV coverage. wtf?

debuting the new format 1 game "sudden death" WC matchup at yankee stadium does a perfect job of showing the intense emotion and drama this game can be. that said, i'm ready to not see yankee stadium or hear fans at yankee stadium for another 5 and 1/2 months. at least i don't have to sit through the braves with their "tommy hawk chawp" this postseason.

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.