Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Nationals @ Cubs: Ross vs Hendricks (Game 27)

The Toothpick returns.
<--break->WAS (19-8): RHP Joe Ross (3-0, 0.79)
CHC (20-6): RHP Kyle Hendricks (1-2, 3.91)
First pitch: 7:05pmCST

Hendricks went 5 innings and allowed 1 run against Milwaukee last Tuesday but the offense came a little late, and he ended up with a no-decision. The Nationals are 4-32 (.125) against him. OF/supermodel Harper is 1-6 with a HR.

Ross has an excellent start to his sophomore campaign, winning in St. Louis (6 IP, 1 ER, 4 Ks, 2 BBs) his last time out. He has yet to give up a home run. He was 5-5 with a 3.64 in the 76.2 innings he pitched in his rookie year, mostly as a starter. His debut was a June 6 loss to the Cubs, when he allowed 3 runs in 5 innings, with 4 Ks and 0 BBs. The Cubs are 5-14 against him. Fowler and Rizzo are both 2-3.

Scherzer (3-1, 3.55) vs Lackey (3-1, 4.32) tomorrow at 7:05pmCST. We’ll miss Strasburg, by the way, which I don’t think anyone will complain about.

Go Cubs!

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Arietta I'm the man with the beard, names Arietta Pitches hitting harder than a Beretta I'm the modern day Bob Gibson, make hitters see crimson So all you listen, I'm on a mission to get us in the position To bring to Chicago something rarer than a black truffle When me and my crew do the World Series Shuffle Lester I'm the country boy with the pitches to win Lester's the name and my cutters the hitter killer with the nasty spin Gonna hunt the title like I hunt my deer Riding the wave of greatness like I ride my steer I might turn a bunt to the mound into a double But my pitches will still dominate on the way to doing the World Series Shuffle

[ ]

In reply to by johann

Addison Russell is the youngster with the hustle-- you couldn't make his game tighter if you cinched it in a bustle. For the pinch you got La Stella and little Matty Szczur, two real "gritty" fellas. And then there's the geezer, grandpa Rossy, for when you need a team leader or just a catch and throw guy, to keep the runners at first, or to nab them on a pick off; he's got 'em mic'd in the shitter, yeah, caught with their pants down [MIKE D and MCA]: Like my boy ROBERT DURST! And Rizzo would have to do his verse in the style of Snoop Dogg for reasons that should be obvious.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Awesome! Also, dammit! I just finished a Russell verse! I’m Addison Russell, flashin’ leather and muscle Hit a grounder up the middle, damn right ya better hustle I don’t miss, you know this, my D is the dopest, I’m lovin’ it and glovin’ it and shovelin’ it to Zobrist Another twin killing, score it six-four-three If I keep this up they’ll name another street for me There ain’t no SS better than Russell And I’m just here to do the World Series Shuffle EDIT: Credit where it's due: Desipio tweeted something about naming a street after Addison Russell after Russell made that play (see photo above) against the Cards last year. So, I swiped it from there. Just drawing attention to my theft of intellectual property.

[ ]

In reply to by Brick

Awww shit, it's Tony Rizzle, my nizzle, so hot at the plate that, you can damn near hear me sizzle. Len and JD been calling me the main ingredient and opposing pitchers know the IBB is just expedient. And if the ump is a chump and I find myself down 0-2 I'll choke up, still make the pitcher look a clown; got this lightning in my wrists, the pitch inside just can't 'cuff me, hitting longballs up until we do the World Series Shuffle.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

They call me Schwarberino because I'm basically Ruth, and as long as we're rapping I'm gonna tell you the truth: This team would be even better if I wasn't laid up; we'd win the World Series, the Superbowl, and the Stanley Cup. As long as we're at it, I'm putting the Premier League on notice. Hell, if I were healthy, Epstein could run for POTUS. My busted knee's even sadder than this presidential kerfuffle, but my first rehab assignment will be the World Series Shuffle. I am avoiding grading papers.

Save this post for late September please. Let us not taunt the Gods of "Cubbery" please. They are waiting for us, and are apt to pounce at the slightest hint of positive projection.

E-man, you should stay away from the NY Times sports page today, based on your last comment

With Heyward's injury/slow start, Soler's struggles, and injuries to Schwarber and Szczur -- it's a really good thing Fowler fell into the Cubs' lap. Like, a really, really good thing. I just really, really, really hope his name isn't one of the upcoming PED announcements.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

speed leads...nothing ever changes. that's been a dusty thing since...forever.

holy shit, really? I made the comment because I had just discovered this novel trait that Dusty possesses.

btw, check out the leadoff hitter of the WS champion KC last year.

waaaat????? again with the knowledge dropping, I literally had no idea.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

so, what you're saying is you keep bringing up something over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over like you did with this issue for years back in the day...and obviously still into today... ...but that's fine if you do it. brb, forming my next dozen replies for why you should shut up and never say anything about it again...oh wait, no i'm not because i'm not hanging around looking to tell you to shut up about repeating the same thing over and over and over and over... btw, this doesn't matter...none of this matters. most people are capable of taking a comment like the one above and not treating it like i just took the lid off your sippy cup and dumped your juice in the sandbox.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I definitely hang around here looking to reply to your comments as noticed by my nearly year long absence.

there's a fine line between posting something relevant, useful or at least humorous versus posting something irrelevant, useless or unfunny...actually it's rather quite a thick line and easy to see for most people not named crunch.

But with that I shall go back in the shadows, didn't mean to interrupt your strangehold of the comments....this started yesterday with a mere joke reply on my part on Lester's awesome performance so far this year and your unfortunate serious take on it.

I'll go back to keeping my jokes on twitter (@robgcubfan for those interested).

Peace. Love. Mahalo.

Cubs are taking advantage of bad D by their opponents -- did it a few times in PIT and the Nats botched 2-out rundown leads to 3 Cub runs in the 8th. Which were nice to have. I hope Kyle had fun at the dance party -- he was terrific.

My favorite moment of Hendricks' performance last night was the last strikeout he rung up- the cajones it took to throw a high, 86MPH fastball to Zimmerman on a 0-2 count. And he swung the bat like it was a 96MPH heater. I literally laughed out loud.

Hendricks after 50 MLB starts: 17-11, 3.45 ERA, 1.12 WHIP. Not bad for a #5 starter. He may be a 6-inning max guy, but, if he can keep those stats up, I will gladly take it. Speaking of WHIP -- last year, he was tied for 11th in the NL. Tied with Hammel. Last year's NL rank in WHIP: Arrietta 2nd, Lester 9th, Haren 10th, Hammel T11th, Hendricks T11th. Wow.

[ ]

In reply to by johann

I agree, but just wanted to point out that Hendricks didn't really have a significant difference between his first and second half like Hammel did. Instead he had alternating good and below average months last year, without much fluctuation in his peripherals except a BB-heavy August and some up-and-down in opp avg. Mostly the team just couldn't win games for him in the months he pitched well. His 16 starts in May, July, and Sep/Oct (in which he limited opponents to OPS+ of 88, 75, and 44) resulted in a 4-2 record. There's a lot of no-decisions in there, which I guess will happen when you get knocked around hard the third time through the lineup and your manager knows it.

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).