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

Nationals @ Cubs: Scherzer vs Lackey (Game 28)

I love it when a plan comes together.
Maddon said that he liked how Hendricks matched up against the Nationals—and the man knows his stuff. It would have been nice to see Hendricks go a little deeper, but Maddon is in playoff mode against these good teams, especially with a big and rested bullpen.

After taking the opener and having Arrieta waiting in the wings, this game becomes pivotal, if we hope to do more than split the series.

WAS (19-9): RHP Max Scherzer (3-1, 3.55)
CHC (21-6): RHP John Lackey (3-1, 4.32)
First pitch: 1:20pmCST

Lackey gave up 2 ER in 8 innings to Atlanta on Sunday but had a no-decision in a game the Cubs lost 4-3. The Nationals are 16-64 (.250) against him. Werth is 7-14 with a HR. Harper is 0-4.

Scherzer went 7 scoreless in St. Louis his last time out for the win. He went 9-5 with a 2.20 in his starts on the road last year, including a win at Wrigley (7 IP, 0 ER, 13 Ks, 0 BB). He is good. The Cubs are 17-88 (.234) against him. Heyward is 3-6, and Fowler is 4-16.

Gonzalez (2-1, 1.15) vs Hammel (4-0, 1.24) tomorrow at 3:05pmCT.

Go, Cubs!

Comments

A-Team

In listening to Maddon's post-game, he is interested in how these other teams "look" to him. He is assessing for today...and tomorrow. I love this guy. One observation from last night: Joe Ross is incredibly slow. 20-30 seconds between pitches at times. Hendrix had a nice, peppy rhythm which is great to see. I know there are plenty of purists here which I applaud, but the game just will not sustain itself unless change of pace rules come into play. Pitch clock, improve the shit-ass reviews, mound visits (there is a clock for this), batter time outs, etc.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Speaking of how teams "look", my take on the Nats- It's really weird, but the pace of the entire team seems slow. Slow walking to the plate, slow on the mound, even on some routine groundouts, it looked as if there wasn't a ton of hustle. Don't get me wrong, when the ball is hit to their outfielders, they get after the ball, I'm really referring to non-critical action- they mosey around. It's kind of odd. Maybe that "calm power" is part of the Nats ethos, idk.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

I went to a Nats game in DC two years ago while looking at colleges with my son -- it's a fun park, worth a visit if you are in the area. I also saw the "slowness" thing -- particularly Werth, who would mosey out of RF about 5 seconds before the inning started. Weird.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

"fun park, worth a visit" Things I don't like about Nationals Park: 1) the audio-out from the scoreboard. Most of the sound in the stadium is artificial, either from the amped-up scoreboard itself or induced by the scoreboard as it urges the crowd to be "LOUDER, LOUDER." 2) the paid cheerleaders in the stands 3) the chronic empty seats, no matter how well the team is doing. Is this really a baseball town, after all?

Zobrist!

[ ]

In reply to by johann

I love seeing the approach rub off on other players - some of it is Mallee maybe but when you see someone at the plate actually do it I think it means more. Javy still looks like Javy once in awhile, but he's taking stuff and going with the pitch sometimes. And he looks nothing like the Wild Thing he looked like when he came up.

+102

From now on maybe there's no point keeping score of the game, just track the run differential.

c.richard with another outing making him look expendable... hey may be a righty, but f.pena put in another strong night last night...2ip 0h 1bb 3k last thing the club seems to need is another reliever, though. the cubs starters keep putting lack-of-work pressure on the pen more than anything so far.

Somebody needs to explain to Richard the concept of run differential. Dammit, this was a tough one to absorb.

FWIW -- Lackey was the only RH batter to get a hit off of Scherzer. KB and Baez were 0-for-6 with 6Ks. Gotta love lefty/righty balance, and switch-hitters.

The awesome quote was something like "Just gotta play a little country hardball..." It was awesome. I envisioned him in snake-skin boots, Stetson, and a lump of dip in his lip with his Texas gun strapped to his hip.

.500 Check this: If the Cubs just play .500 until the end of the season, from today on May 6th, they are at 89 wins. How we would have drooled for that in 2010.

Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez removed from the game against the Pirates in the top of the fourth due to some undisclosed (arm?) injury

Carlos Martinez removed...injury/arm fatigue:
Martinez, who pitched through a respiratory illness in his last start, was knocked from this one in the fourth due to fatigue. Martinez estimated that the sickness, which has now lingered for about 10 days, has caused him to lose 10-15 pounds. "I felt like I tried my best today, and then in the fourth inning, I started feeling a little weak," Martinez said, with Brayan Pena translating. "I started coughing a lot, and I felt like it was starting to catch up to me. When the game was going on and on and on, I felt weaker."
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/176605454/jung-ho-kangs-2-homers-back-lir…

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

"regular" fatigue makes a hell of a lot more sense than the early/premature reports of it being arm fatigue given that he was throwing mid-90s up until he was removed from the game. that said, he can feel free to have TJ surgery at any time...that's cool with me. he can bring wacha with him...and garcia...group discount.

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).