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 

 



 

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Cubs Convention Open Thread

The powers that be here at TCR are unable to attend the Cubs Convention unfortunately. But, I'm guessing a few of you will be fighting the crowds this weekend. So please, drop us your notes in the comment and let us know the buzz filling the event. Who showed up, what's being said, which players have the hottest wives, and if anyone can get a question into Baker or Hendry, please, please ask them why they've soured on Todd Walker and what would possibly possess them into thinking of starting one of the historically worst offensive players of all-time over one of the best offensive 2B in the game today? I demand answers...

Comments

I have attended most of the conventions over the years. I once asked Hendry about OBP. & how it might be taught in the minors. He glared at me & said, "we want to teach them how to hit first, they can always learn patience when they get up here." I was disappointed to say the least.

KedzieKid, Did you ever see Bruce Sutter at the Convention??

Went last night to Kitty O'Sheas for the annual kick off bar time and saw Glendon Rusch, Michael Wuertz, Todd Wellmeyer, one of the new guys out there, and a long haired blonde guy who looked a lot like Ryan Dempster having a good time. I'll report on other things on Saturday after my time there.

BTW, that's a great Hendry anecdote of yours. It sure explains (1)why Hendry and Dustbag get along so well, and (2)why the Cubs led the NL in batting average most of the year while being last in walks, and (3) were tops in Slugging yet only middle of the pack in runs scored.

You think if we storm the Tribune Tower we could have holiday like Bastille Day?

Never saw Sutter. Might be the only "Star" player never to be at the convention. Although I don't recall seeing Greg Maddux either. Without a doubt, the most "entertaining" player was always Mark Grace. Very fortunate one year to see Brickhouse, Harry, Vince, Lou, & Stoney telling all kinds of anecdotes. It was a magical hour.

My favorite was Santo, Beckert, Williams, Jenkins and Banks recalling the glory days of the late 60's and early 70's. It was hugely funny and very informative.

Good coverage of the Convention tonight on WGN radio -- you can listen over the net.

If there are any questions you guys have, let them shoot as I attended all the managements meetings and there was a ton of info given out, but instead of giving it all out, just let me know what you want to know and I will tell you what I remember.

did management have anything more to say about all our second basemen?

Edgar: To answer your question, the second base situation is as follows: Todd Walker is more or less history. No one came out and said that, and they are kind of dancing around the issue, but you can't miss the tone in their voice. "They" includes Hendry, Dusty, and all the broadcasters. All of them say essentially the same thing: good hitter, defensive liability. He is also listed third (behind Hairston and Perez) at second base on the Cubs web site's depth chart. What does that tell you? Personally, I don't want to see Walker traded, unless it is for a quality (I repeat...QUALITY) starting pitcher. During one session I attended, Ron Santo kind of let it slip out that they are trying very hard to trade Walker to Oakland for Barry Zito, give or take a few other players on each side.

Edgar: "did management have anything more to say about all our second basemen?" Hendry wasn't as definitive, just saying we have 3 2nd baseman and we will have to see what happens. Dusty did say flat out that Walker is his 2B right now. I think this clearly shows a divide between Hendry and Dusty on Walker. It appears to me that Hendry is willing to get rid of him, while Dusty appears more apt to want him at 2B.

did someone get booed at the cubs convention? I heard an allusion to this on WSCR but they didn't go into detail...

Chris, Several people were booed, including Hendry, Baker, and one or two of the guys from the audience asking questions. It was a bit tense at times.

Chris: "did someone get booed at the cubs convention? I heard an allusion to this on WSCR but they didn't go into detail..." When Hendry got introduced at the Opening Ceremonies, he got mostly boos and some cheers. Baker got mostly cheers and some boos.

It was a soft crowd. The biggest boo's occurred anytime the "White Sox" were mentioned. The two guys who got up and displayed any sort of anger were not well received. The four announcers, to a man, ripped Walker a new one for his lack of defense. Pat Hughes reminded us that he knocked in over 80 ribbies for 2003 Boston, and he was here in 2004. Why would Boston give up on him? Why, indeed?

Baker absolutely did not say Walker is his 2B. During the "The Skipper and his Crew" segment on Saturday, the crowd lobbed softballs like, "Why are the Cubs going to be so awesome in 2006" to Dusty, and I got sick of it. Finally, the ever-sexy PR girl, Liz, handed me the mike, and I asked him, "Why has management seemingly soured on Todd Walker?" To which, Dusty responded: "No one's soured on him, I don't know where you got that idea. Is it better to just hand the job to one guy or make 3 people compete for it?" (Booing commenced) "Hey, I'm answering the question, don't boo." I then proceeded to ask Porky Lopez what I could do to earn a job as a bullpen catcher, and his answer was mostly unintelligible, except for the part about "waking the pitchers up on game day." I think I can manage that.

Oh, and one other thing - Dusty mentioned again how they went and got guys who wouldn't "clog up the bases." If I hadn't been so preoccupied with the guy talking loudly on his cell phone behind me, I might have started laughing out loud. The best question of the session went to a 6 year old who asked Dick Pole, "what do you do?" His only response was that he often asks Dusty "what the hell were you doing there?"

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.