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 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Murton For Certain

GAME 24 REVIEW
CUBS 2, PIRATES 1 W: Bob Howry (2-0) L: John Grabow (0-1) S: Ryan Dempster (7) Wrapup | Box Score
Sounds like it was a nail-biter last night, as the stoppable force (the Cubs' offense) came up against the moveable object (the Pirates). Our boys in blue (well, actually, white with blue stripes) prevailed, with some timely hitting from Matt Murton overcoming some bad baserunning by Jacque "It's A Dumb Decision" Jones. Sean Marshall was very efficient -- it looks like's he's learning how to pitch at the big league level and it's a good thing, considering he's currently the Cubs' #2 starter. Of course, I didn't get to see it, because of the arcane MLB blackout rules. In case you're wondering, yes, I am going to mention this every time it comes up, which means every time the Cubs and Pirates play each other. In case you didn't read my post the lat time I wrote about this (and I don't blame you), I live in an area where Pirates games are blacked out under MLB rules, as are Phillies, Orioles, and Nationals games. That means none of those teams' games are available to me on DirecTV Extra Innings. The Phillies, Orioles, and Nationals have a number of games broadcast either over the air or on the local Fox or Comcast sports channel, and I get those games. But, because I am outside of the Pittsburgh area as far as DirecTV is concerned, I cannot get Fox Sports Pennsylvania (or whatever it's called), which broadcasts Pirates games. So, there is no way for me to watch a Pirates games. Now obviously that's not that big of a deal, except for the 15 TIMES A YEAR the Pirates play the Cubs. It's a stupid, arcane set of rules that MLB and DirecTV need to work together to change.

Comments

arcane or archaic? =P No matter what you call it, its rather stupid in my opinion. I was really impressed with Marshall last night, sure he was facing the Pirates, but he was mixing stuff up, striking guys out with his change and fastball, along with the nasty hook he has. Brenley made a good point about that, noting it was a good thing that he was trying to get guys out with different pitches rather than falling into an (easily recognizable) pattern of going to the hook as an out-pitch. We've really gotta work on this baserunning though. Cedeno getting picked off twice in the same AB on Sunday, Jacque completely mis-reading a simple pop-up, etc. Its getting pretty bad honestly. We really need A-Ram and Matty to pick things up offensively...

How did Howry get the win if we lost 7-0 to the Brewers. Seriously, I hear a Bachelor of the Arts is cool too. :) duh huh huh

I suppose I should probably check to make sure the score is right before I post these reviews, huh? It's fixed now.

Retro, it's actually arcane *and* archaic -- arcane because the way they're set up is unknown (and probably unknowable), and archaic because times have changed to the point where they need to be re-written.

Ok. I'm letting it go... into my pants because you're so smart. OK ok ok. For real, truce, I'll drop it. Any TCR posters going to today's game by chance? Hit me at the email above if you want to meet up for a brew.

Christian -- can you solve that by getting the DirecTv Sports Pack for the $10/month? I have it and it gets me access to all the local Fox Sports channels. Maybe they would still black the Pirates games out, but I doubt it if you already have the Extra Innings package.

The FOX blackouts are the worst though. All i want is to watch a nice Saturday Cubs day game, and as far as i can tell there is no way to do that from Cali. Even with Extra Innings Fox Saturday games are still blacked out as i understand it. THAT blows.

433, that wouldn't work -- the Sports Pack would give me all of the regional sports channels but I wouldn't be able to get any out-of-market baseball games on those channels.

What is worse is that 2 summers ago I drove from Baltimore to Pittsburgh to see a Pirates-Cardinals game on a Saturday evening. Unbeknownst to me, living in Baltimore, the local FOX people changed the start time from 7:30 or so back to 3pm so it could be a FOX game of the week, and I arrived after the game had already ended. No update on the MLB website previous to the game starting, no update on ESPN, no notice anywhere that I could find. And I missed the game. ANd no refunds either. Bastards!!! But Im not bitter. Not at all. bastards.

sadly I believe your only hope is to sign up for MLB.tv using a credit card with a zipcode outside of the blackout area. That used to be the work around although they may have fixed it now and go by IP addresses or something... You probably don't want to be paying for that though if you already bought the DirecTV package.

I hope I don't get in trouble for posting something not-quite legal, but for those of you with MLB.tv, when they black out the Saturday Fox games, you can use a proxy server to trick the MLB.tv to think in you're in, say, Brazil or something. Then there are no blackouts for ESPN, Fox, etc.

OMG, check out the starting lineup for the Cardinals at this very second. Tell me what is missing........

That's one helluva bench they've got today.

OMG is right....that is possibly the WORST lineup that a team with legitimate playoff aspirations has ever posted. rolen=bronchitis....edmonds=arm numbness?...pujols=day off? maybe it's more... eckstein gall (?!) luna (?!?!) encarnacion spezio taguchi molina miles ponson that's atrocious. they're trying to give this one to the reds....

Rob, they fixed the credit card loophole, as I found out this spring. They now go by IP address, so a proxy server would be the only way to get around that. I just went with the radio-only package instead. At work, I can't actually watch the game, so listening to it is good enough (and a lot cheaper).

Wow...and I thought the Cubs have had some bad lineups at different points this year. The Cubs have definitely not had a starting lineup like that!

btw, the cards are up 2-0 in the 3rd, which only goes to show that the reds pitching (dave williams) sucks. rolen btw has a viral infection and has lost 10 lbs...pujols is being given a day off bc his back is bothering him (probably bc of spiezio's wild throws)...edmonds i'm not sure of why. has he been playing recently, or more days off after that cubs series?

Edmonds has been dealing with shoulder and the strange no feeling in his forearm issues.

that's atrocious. they're trying to give this one to the reds.... That is absolutely horrible. They'll still probably win 8-4.

comment to ruz: You better get used to Monday nights type of baserunning by Jacque "It's a dumb decision" Jones. I watched him play many games for the Twinkies. Monday's goof is par for Jones's base running ability and at 31, I don't think it will get any better. The reason you have not seen much of it earlier is he did not get on base enough to be a base runner

MLBTV had some weird black out rules when I got it free for a year with MSN. I live in Sioux City Iowa which is about 500 miles from Chicago and yet games were blacked out in my area. Now that is some stupid crap. I also couldn't watch Cubs games when they visited St. Louis, or Denver. I was basically in MLBtv hell. But if I moved 2 miles across the river into Nebraska I could get all those cities. Thank god Dish Network picked up Comcast sports and didn't charge extra for it.

"Rob, they fixed the credit card loophole, as I found out this spring. They now go by IP address, so a proxy server would be the only way to get around that." They must be doing both. I get blocked from watching Pitt games even though my IP address would show up outside their viewing area. I'm pretty sure this is because I use a MLB.TV username and password that has a credit card address within the Fox Sports Pittsburgh viewing area.

Eric Gagne (elbow) made 50 throws from 75 feet on Monday. Gagne said he felt great after the session. He could return to the Dodgers in as little as three weeks if his rehab continues to go smoothly. Gagne is already ahead of Prior in rehab. Thats kind of sad.

I am curious do any of the TCR staff live in Chicago and if not how do you get watch the Cubs games unless you have the DTV package?

I catch whatever is on WGN and ESPN. The rest I listen to on XM radio since I seem to be in my car most of the time when they're playing. I just got a new job so I may spring for the DirecTV package and a Slingbox or something soon.

Ruz, have you tried to petition DirecTV? Some times you can get special permission to get certain things done for you if you call them and explain what' going on. They have the ability to un-black out the game for you if they want.

MikeC, does Dish Network have Comcast Sports Net in HD?

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.