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

Cubs Sign Two Minor League Free-Agents

Baseball America reports that the Cubs have signed Rule 55 second-contract minor league free-agent RHSP Drew Rucinski(ex-LAA) and Rule 55 minor league 6YFA LHP Jeffry Antigua to 2016 minor league contracts. 

Both will be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft, although it's not likely that Rucinski would get picked because he was not claimed off waivers when he was outrighted in September, and the only way Antigua gets claimed is if the Cubs placed him on the AA Tennessee reserve list, which would make him eligible for selection in the AAA Phase of the draft ($12,000 draft price with no roster restrictions and no chance to be re-claimed).  

The 6'2 190 27-year old Rucinski started two games for the Angels/Cubs co-op team in the AZ Advanced Instructional League last month, so Cubs Assistant Minor League Pitching Coordinator Mike Mason (who was Pitching Coach for the Angels/Cubs AZAIL co-op team) had a chance to see Rucinski up close & personal. I saw Rucinski pitch in both of the AZAIL games, and I would describe him as a polished pitcher who throws a 91-93 MPH fastball, a slider, and a change-up. Nothing special. 

Rucinski pitched collegiately at Ohio State, and after finishing his college career and going undrafted, he signed with the independent Rockford Riverhawks (Frontier League) in 2011. His contract was purchased by the Cleveland Indians in mid-June of that year, and he pitched for three different Tribe affiliates (AZL, NYP, and MWL) in 2011, but was releaeed at the end of minor league camp in 2012. 

After being released by the Indians, Rucinski returned to indy ball (Rockford) where he emerged as one of the top starting pitchers in the Frontier League (he led the FL in strikeouts). before having his contract purchased by the Los Angeles Angels in August 2013. 

Rucinski started five games at Hi-A Inland Empire (Califormia League) after being acquired by the Angels, and then was moved up to AA Arkansas in 2014, where he was the ace of the Travelers staff. In fact he was so impressive at AA that he was called up to MLB by the Angels in July 2014. (Baseball America ranked Rucinski as the Angels #18 prospect post-2014). Rucinski was optioned to AAA Salt Lake City in 2015, riding the "SLC-LA shuttle" (he was the Angels version of Dallas Beeler).

Over the course of 1-1/2 seasons, Rucinski saw action in seven MLB games, and he was not effective (6.28 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, .322 OppBA, and 8/12 BB/K in 14.1 IP). He also
struggled with walks and the gopher ball in the PCL (allowing 44 walks and 21 HR in just 112.1 IP), and was outrighted to AAA after the 2015 season. He was eligible to be a Rule 55 second-contract minor league free-agent post-2015 because he had been released previously in his career, making him available to sign with the Cubs even though he has not spent seven seasons in the minors.  

Rucinski will likely get an NRI to Spring Training with the Cubs next Spring, and then be a SP at AAA Iowa. 

The 25-year old 6'1 205 Antigua was originally signed by the Cubs as a 16-year old out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, and he has spent nine seasons in the Cubs organization. He was a Rule 55 minor league 6YFA after the 2013 season and after last season, too, and opted to re-sign with the Cubs post-2013, post-2014 and now again post-2015.  

Antigua was a decent prospect at one time (he was rated the Cubs #19 prospect by BA six years ago), but he has subsequently morphed into sort of a minor league version of Travis Wood, in that he is a "swingman" who can start or relieve, pitch just about every day, and can be moved (without any hassle) to any level in the system where he might be needed. He also is a positive mentor for the younger Cubs pitchers, especially the young Latin pitchers.

So although he's kind of a player-coach, Antigua's  stuff is good enough to get outs in the minors, and he is not negatively impacted by getting moved back & forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen or between affiliates. And since left-handers never really die (they just fade away). Antigua could be pitching in the minors for the next ten or 15 years, and maybe somewhere along the line he'll get a taste of The Show. You just never know. 

Comments

"they just fade away" (Except in the cases of no-fade lefties like Moyer, Orosco and Rich Hill.)

Maybe Theo will sign Shark just so he can call Billy Beane and say: "Let's see...Russell? Check. McKinney? Check. Hammel? Check. Ninja? Check. Any other deals?"

AZ PHIL- Is Clayton Richard a free agent or not? One site I see he is, on another no. MLB has him listed as a free agent, Cot's contracts says he is a FA, baseball-reference says he's not, but Cubs have him on active roster. I know that he is just short of MLB 6 years service by just like 15 days, but that doesn't always matter.

[ ]

In reply to by cubbies.4ever

Not AZ PHIL but after being DFA'd by the Cubs (after they got him from the Pirates in the "I get a chance in the Majors clause"), the Cubs re-signed him for the remainder of the season. I do not believe service time is an issue for him, so he is eligible to opt for Major League Free Agency - which he is doing and the Cubs or someone else will sign him to an MLB deal. AZ PHIL please correct this if you see fit - but that is the most current info that I'm aware of.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Clayton Richard is absolutely, positively NOT a free-agent. He is under club control through the 2016 season. 

Richard came into the 2015 season with 5+070 days of MLB Service Time, so he only needed to accrue 102 days of MLB Service Time during the 2015 MLB regular season to qualify as an Article XX-B MLB free-agent post-2015.  However,  he spent the first three months of the season at AAA Indianapolis (the Pirates AAA affiliate) and so he did not accrue any MLB Service Time during that period of time. 

The Cubs acquired Richard from the Pirates on July 4th, and he accrued 93 days of MLB Service Time from 7/4 through the conclusion of the MLB regular season on 10/4, bringing him to 5+163 days of MLB Service Time, which is nine days short of what he needed to be a FA post-2015.

But Richard is eligible for salary arbitration post-2015, and the Cubs will need to decide by next Wednesday (12/2) whether to tender him a 2016 contract. If the Cubs do tender Richard a contract and Richard is not agreeable to the salary he is offered, he has the right to file for salary arbitration in January. 

Remember, clubs do NOT offer salary arbitration to players, they only tender or don't tender a contract. It's the player who decides whether or not to file for salary arbitration. 

But fact is, clubs HATE salary arbitration, because it's too unpredrictable, and clubs like certainty. So many clubs like to sign arbitration-eligible players as soon as possible (before the player can file for salary arbiteration), often when contracts are tendered on 12/2.   

Clubs will sometimes non-tender a player on 12./2 in order to get the player off their MLB 40-man roster without having to place the player on waivers, and then re-sign the player to a pre-arranged minor league contract (usually for "big league money" and an NRI to Spring Training), or in order to cut a player more than the allowable 20%, or in order to offer the player a contract with a low base salary plus performance bonuses (which are not part of a standard contract tender), or in order to avoid the possibility of an arbitration-eligible player filing for salary arbitraion.   

So Richard could be tendered on 12/2, but even if he's non-tendered, the Cubs still might try and re-sign him to a minor league contract (for "big league money") plus an NRI to Spring Training, or to a major league contract with a low base salary plus performance bonuses (thus avoiding the possibility of arbitration), and Richard might very well be agreeable to that latter option (a major league contract with a low base salary, plus performance bonuses tied to GAMES, GS, and/or IP), 

Geo Soto leaves the WSux and signs with the Angels who lost Chris Ianetta to the Mariners. Freed... The Angels also promoted Bobby Scales from director of player development to special assistant

MLB.com says he is, cubs.com site says he's a Cub, great cooperation between the 2 sites, weird

Did they ever say or who the PTBNL or cash decision on Rodney was or who was the PTBNL in the Austin Jackson deal was yet? Neither was worth whatever they gave up. Cahill and Richard were the only two good "deadline" deals they made. Hunter (given Lake was the odd man out by far and taking up a roster spot) and Haren weren't worth it.

[ ]

In reply to by cubbies.4ever

CUBBIES-4-EVER: It's not unusual for a PTBNL to be chosen after the Rule 5 Draft from the list of Rule 5 eligible players who were not selected. That way, a club gets a player they like (perhaps somebody like OF Jeffrey Baez) without the cumbersome Rule 5 roster restrictions that go with a Rule 5 Draft pick.

The Boston Red Sox did that last year, acquiring Rule 5 Draft eligible SS Marco Hernandez from the Cubs after the conclusion of thd Rule 5 Draft as the PTBNL in the Felix Doubront trade. BTW, Hernandez had a fine year in 2015 (hitting 305/330/454 with 30 2B, 5 3B, and 9 HR combined between AA and AAA) and was added to the Red Sox MLB 40-man roster on 11/20. 

So the Mariners may be waiting until after the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft to choose their PTBNL. Otherwise, the typical cash subsititute in a PTBNL deal involving a player on an MLB 40-man roster is $50,000, and sometimes $50,000 (which can be used to make a couple of waiver claims or a Rule 5 Draft pick) might actually be more attractive than any of the players available to be selected as the PTBNL.  

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

there's nothing like crapping out of the playoffs with a strong/young cheap team after pinching pennies for years then having theo talk about having to be creative with money to make things work for 2016...but hey, baseball isn't baseball without a farmer's market and beer garden plaza with ice rinks. they can do both...then again, if you want to look at it from a business point of view, they don't have to do both because the team is expected to be competitive and the merch+tickets+eyes-on-team are going to be at a peak unless they fail badly. yeah, i think they know what they're doing, too. that said, i doubt they'll cheap out...also just saying we had a theo tempering fan's expectations while the neighborhood takeover keeps happening around the product on the field.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

let's not get caught up on phrasing for a setup and lose the gist of the post. i don't care what one wants to call the playoff exit. -crapping out +they lost their playoff attempt there. now we can focus on something other than not liking the tone of a line that's setting up a point. we got fed "we'll spend when we got the youth ready" and now we got a front office telling us one week that they don't have the loot to invest heavily in the field product while the following week rolling out the multi-10s-millions plan to build a place to hold music outdoor concerts, ice skate, and sell beer (100 million+ if you count the hotel they're also trying to build at the same time). that said, i think everyone expects them to splash big somewhere and it probably will happen even if this isn't gonna be the dodgers...i don't think anyone expects the dodgers, though...just some support for these kids after saving 10s of millions for many seasons and finally getting a hold of playoff-caliber, cost controlled youth built on a foundation of being cheap and tanking for years. this is the opportunity we were told to wait for.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

of course not. maybe go ice skating and think about it a while. make advanced reservations at the hotel they're starting construction on. check new releases for possible entertainment from the movie screens they want installed. think about renting an office in the new office spaces. write a letter to the cubs requesting your favorite beer be added to the beer garden. lobby your favorite band to play the outdoor venue. ...and in between that maybe they can find $40-50m to invest in the product that all of this revolves around.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

well, that's the past. we're left with the present. even though that past you're seeing is some weird black/white either/or where hybridization of ideas isn't allowed...nonetheless... the present is ice skating, movies, concerts, beer gardens, hotels, office space and other wonderful baseball activities based around a young, successful baseball team. the present is a team that tanked both payroll and competitiveness for many years to get to a point where there's young and CHEAP talent around so that it becomes both sane and opportunistic to invest in the product on the field for a better shot at push to the playoffs the cubs can aggressively market office space and off-season community for-pay activities. i guess all that really matters is the cubs get that ice skating rink up by next winter. priorities. it's a shame they can't build $100s million projects and spend a few 10s of millions on the centerpiece of it's actual meaning for existence. ...at this point it's worth mentioning again that this whole rant is based off a half-hearted joke based on a poverty check one week followed the next week by a gazillion dollar investment project centered around the team that just got a poverty check.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Yeah, it's the past but you keep complaining based on the past. First they tanked and shouldn't have. Now they make some comments about needing to have a budget and you say they're crying poverty -- all before any trades/signings have been made. (They signed a $155 million pitcher last year, I recall.) FYI, the Cubs have had a skating rink the last couple of years. It's not a permanent structure (obviously) and probably doesn't cost all that much. But who knows, maybe it'll be the reason they don't win a World Series.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I was reminded today about the crappy deal Rickets had to sign with the Tribune that involved taking on a lot of debt and because of that they only have a certain amount they can spend on payroll above their revenue streams. Now I don't know actual #s but ultimately the more things they do to create revenue the more they can spend on payroll. Maybe they can spend lots right now but It's note quite so cut and dry as "they are spending money on building projects they could be spending on payroll."

Cubs acquired Rex Brothers. Awesome fit for this team. Wander Cabrera going to COL.

When I first saw the Tweet, I thought there were two guys. Happy Thanksgiving gang! And TheoJed!

With the Cubs adding Pierce Johnson to their roster and not exposing/losing him to the Rule 5 Draft keeps the trade ancestry tree alive that started in 1999 with Tom Gordon and undrafted Adam Morrissey and includes 17 players, the trade tree progressed to involve the Hee Sop Choi for Derrek Lee deal and the famous Aramis Ramirez/Kenny Lofton deal..Pierce Johnson is the compensation pick for Aramis Ramirez in 2012 Which trumps the Garza trade tree which started in 2006 with Mark DeRosa ending with Zac Rosscup, Neil Ramirez, Justin Grimm, and C.J. Edwards remaining on the team and involves only 15 players

A special after day after Thanksgiving thanks to AZ for his insanely detailed posts on all things roster. I don't know how you keep track of all that stuff - I suspect a chip implant, but whatever it is, it's cool. On the poppa Cubs front, I'm becoming a Cutler believer again. Yesterday he was a game manager, something that has come with seasoning I guess. The grizzled old veteran now, he managed yesterday's game nicely, to the point where even that stall in the red zone really wasn't all that painful because he kept his pal Rodgers off the field for so long. Nice. Meanwhile, I wish the Bears would quietly guarantee the head coaching job to Gase for when Fox retires, and tear up his current contract and pay him a boatload of money to wait for his HC opportunity with the Bears. It's nice to see an OC actually adapt to, in this case, game conditions. That pass to Miller was nice, and overall Gase was obviously focusing on the team not turning over the football.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

Wait...you're flip-flopping again?! Is this legal? What is the rule here on opining definitively and then changing your mind? I am not only surprised at your declaration, but Cutler's better 2015 showing. I don't get it - he went through Martz, Turner, Trestman, Kromer, and now Gase...and he is still here! And. he'll be here mext year too.

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe in the financial impact to the Red Sox for not signing Jon Lester early in the free agent process:
It will be interesting to ultimately add up the cost of letting Jon Lester go. The Red Sox botched up their negotiations with Lester in during spring training of 2014, making an initial offer of $70 million that was roughly $40 million short of what it should have been. Talks broke down and Lester was traded in July. The Sox went downhill, Lester was traded for Yoenis Cespedes and that ultimately became Rick Porcello. Ben Cherington was ousted as GM and Dombrowski was hired. Think about it. If the Sox had simply signed Lester for, say, $125 million, they would have saved Porcello’s contract ($82.5 million), whatever they’re paying Dombrowski (which, at a minimum, is probably $20 million) and whatever they pay for an ace in free agency, which could be $200 million. In the end, not signing Lester could cost three times what signing him would have.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/11/27/david-price-would-right-mo…

The Tigers are going after Zimmermann and the Red Sox will be throwing money at Price. Bringing Cueto back to the NL with the Cubs is looking like a serious possibility. Thoughts?

[ ]

In reply to by CTSteve

The media has linked Cueto and the Cubs approximately zero times this winter. I'm thinking there's just not a lot of interest there on the Cubs' part. It seems unlikely. If the Cubs miss on Price, Grienke, and Zimmerman, they will aim for a mid-rotation starter via free agency or trade. However, I think this scenario also significantly boosts the odds that they extend Arrieta.

Cubs 3B Christian Villanueva (who is out of minor league options) is hitting 358/464/500 for Obregon in the Mexican Pacific League (LMP), and is leading the LMP in OBP, is second in BAvg and walks, is seventh in SLG, and is tied for 8th in HR. He also has struck out only 16 times in 175 PA. 

Villanueva was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Ryan Dempster deal at the trade deadline in 2012, and was rated a Top 100 Prospect by Baseball America going into the 2012 season. But he has been mostly blocked at 3B by Mike Olt (first in TEX and then with the Cubs) and then later by Kris Bryant, so he has dropped-off most prospect radar screens over the past couple of years. But Villanueva is a legitimate MLB 3B prospect.  

[ ]

In reply to by CTSteve

in this market that seems like a decent deal relative to the market. given that d.price will probably get 30m-ish a year, 22m for 29yo zimm doesn't seem bad. i wouldn't complain about him suiting up for the cubs. one less option gone...

Yeah, this market. Remember when Ted Lilly signed a 4/$40m with the Cubs? It was like "Well, I guess if you can throw a ball, that's what the 3 and 4 starters are all getting." I'm glad I'm not a GM. Of course, they're spending our money...

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).