Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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

Vogelbach Walk-Off Sac-Fly Lifts Angels/Cubs over Rangers at Riverview

Dan Vogelbach (Cubs) lifted a fly ball to the warning track in LF with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 9th to score Shawon Dunston Jr (Cubs) from 3rd base with the game-winning run, as the Angels/Cubs co-op squad edged the Rangers 2-1 in AZ Advanced Instructional League action this afternoon on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. Dunston drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch leading off the bottom of the 9th, stole 2nd base, and advanced to 3rd on a single, before scoring the game-winning run on the Vogelbach SF. 

The Angels/Cubs scored their first run in the bottom of the 1st on a Jeffrey Baez (Cubs) lead-off single, a balk, and an E-3, and threatened to score more runs, but Shawon Dunston Jr was picked-off 1st base, and then Charcer Burks (Cubs) was picked-off 3rd base by the Rangers catcher after leading off the bottom of the 2nd inning with a triple (breaking an 0-15 slump).

RHP James Pugliese (Cubs) got the start for the Angels/Cubs and hurled four innings of one-hit shutout ball, with no walks and five strikeouts, and a 6/1 GO/AO, while throwing 74% strikes, and then four relievers combined to toss five innings of one-run two-hit ball.    

Here is the box score frrom today's game (Cubs players highlighted in bold and underlined

RANGERS LINEUP:
1a. Pedro Ogando, LF: 0-2 (K, 4-6 FC)
1b. LeDarious Clark, PH-LF: 0-1 (HBP, P-3, SB) 
2a. Eric Jenkins, CF: 0-2 (K, K)
2b. London Lindley, PH-CF: 0-2 (K, K)
3a. Jose Trevino, 1B: 0-2 (6-3, 5-3)
3b. Charles Moorman, PH-1B: 1-2 (4-3, 1B, CS)
4a. David Lyon, C: 0-2 (L-4, K)
4b. Tyler Sanchez, PH-C: 0-2 (P-6, K)
5a. Josh Morgan, 2B: 0-2 (6-3, K)
5b. Dylan Moore, 2B: 1-2 (3B, 5-3, R)
6a. Sherman Lacrus, DH: 0-2 (5-3, L-4)
6b. Curtis Terry, PH: 0-1 (P-2)
7a. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 3B: 0-1 (K, BB, SB)
7b. Juremi Profar, 3B: 0-0 (F-8 SF, RBI)
8a. Jose Almonte, RF: 0-1 (4-3, BB)
8b. Darius Day, RF: 0-1 (K)
9. Yeyson Yrizarra, SS: 1-3 (1B, K, 5-3)

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

RANGERS PITCHERS
1. Sam Stafford: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1 BALK, 1 PO, 2/1 GO/AO, 31 pitches (19 strikes) 
2. Omartin Lopez: 2.0 IP, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1/3 GO/AO, 28 pitches (16 strikes) 
3. Ashton Perritt: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 3/2 GO/AO, 41 pitches (25 strikes)
4. Clyde Kendrick: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 1/3 GO/AO, 16 pitches (11 strikes) 
5. Tyler Ferguson: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 16 pitches (5 strikes) 

ANGELS/CUBS PITCHERS:
1. James Pugliese: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R,. 0 BB, 5 K, 6/1 GO/AO, 47 pitches (35 strikes) 
2. Michael Jensen: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 1/2 GO/AO, 32 pitches (15 strikes) 
3. Jordan Minch: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 0/2 GO/AO, 17 pitches (8 strikes) 
4. Steve Perakslis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 18 pitches (11 strikes) 
5. Matt Brazis: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 10 pitches (8 strikes) 

RANGERS ERRORS: 1 
1B Jose Trevino: E-3 (errant throw on attempted 3-1 put-out allowed batter to reach base safely & runner to score from 3rd)

ANGELS/CUBS ERRORS: NONE 

RANGERS CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. David Lyon: 1 PO 
2. Tyler Sanchez: 0-1 CS 

ANGELS/CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. Victor Caratini: 0-1 CS
2. Michael Strentz: 1-2 CS 

WEATHER: Partly cloudy with temperatures 95+ 

ATTENDANCE: 14 

Comments

14 in attendance. What's the record for attendance in the fall? I guess I should ask what the record attendance listed is in one of your recaps.

AZ Phil: I've heard that the AFL will be testing out a new force out rule that would affect break-up plays (like the Utley play). Have you heard anything about this new rule and any details about it? Are they testing it out at the advanced instructs as well?

[ ]

In reply to by bradsbeard

BRADSBEARD: I haven't noticed any new rule or a change in the interpretation of an existing rule happening in Advanced Instructs, I don't know what rules will be tested in the AFL, although almost all recent rule changes and new interpretations of existing rules (the home plate collision rule, replay, time clock between innings, et al) do get their start in the AFL.  

I will say that it's not all that unusual for young umpires working Extended Spring Trainining or Instructs games to call interference on a runner attempting to break-up a double play at 2nd base or a batter getting in the way of a catcher making a throw to a base, so the young umpires are already calling interference more strictly. It's the MLB umpires (the "old school" ones in particular) who don't call interference as readily, even when it's obvious (like the Utley slide). 

If a player did what Utley did in an Extended Spring Training or Instructs game, I would venture to say he and the batter would have been called out for interference. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

I'm curious. In your experience watching prospects at the lowest and more instructional level, what do teams teach their young players regarding takeout slides (for instance, would they teach guys to do the Coghlan/Kang type slide, discourage late slides like Utley's and Holliday's, etc.), and has what they teach changed at all in recent years?

Phil, now that instructs are over, did you see any players worthy of the title of breakout?

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    That’s a fantastic deal for SF

  • 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?