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

Game 20 Thread / Mets @ Cubs (2 of 2)

Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP Nelson Figueroa SP
*Ted Lilly
  1-0, 3.60, 14 K, 5 BB
0-3, 9.16, 14 K, 7 BB
       
SS
#Jose Reyes
LF
Reed Johnson
RF
#Angel Pagan CF
*Felix Pie
3B
David Wright 1B
Derrek Lee
CF
#Carlos Beltran
3B
Aramis Ramirez
1B
*Carlos Delgado
RF
*Kosuke Fukudome
2B
Damion Easley 2B
Mark DeRosa
LF
Brady Clark
SS Ronny Cedeno
C
#Raul Casanova C
Henry Blanco
P
Nelson Figueroa P *Ted Lilly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Normally you'd feel confident about a Ted Lilly vs Nelson Figueuroa match-up, but Lilly's fastball never made the flight from Arizona. And the Mets offense usually isn't too forgiving for someone trying to "figure it out".

I was shut-off from the Internet yesterday and had to rely on desperate measure to follow the game...my cellphone. By the 8th inning I figured out how to follow the game through MLB's gameday for your phone. I literally tuned in during Cedeno's at-bat and the screen kept refreshing with foul ball after foul ball, I figured it would eventually end with a breaking ball in the dirt and Ronny swinging. Imagine my surprise when I saw "Ball in Play, run(s) scored". And then Felix Pie with the cherry on top home run. Let's get the sweep!


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Comments

I heard the Ted Lilly Super Computer got a reboot. Hopefully that fixes the problem today. That and if Chad could wear a dress for good luck, we'll be in great shape.

[ ]

In reply to by Mister Whipple

We rebooted it, oiled it up, and fed it two pounds of TCBY Frogurt as a reward for acting so good at the doctors office. The prediction, 5 IP, 3 K's, 5 H, 2ER (0-1, RBI (Sac Fly, Deep Center)) . . . and Ted's first Win.

[ ]

In reply to by Mister Whipple

I"m only gay late in games when we are tied or behind.

[ ]

In reply to by Chad

So you're only "Rally Gay?" Does that mean you might still want a date with Johan's mom some other time?

Could it be that the winter ball and AAA Ronnie Cedeno has finally made it to Chicago!

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

Great to see Cedeno lining it up the middle and going opposite field the last couple of days.

He looks great. Good control. Moving the ball in-and-out, up-and-down. Changing speeds. His velocity is not as good as it has been, and he got flustered a few times, especially with runners on base. But vintage Lilly, a few K's mixed in with lots of flyouts.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

So who sits on the bench until Cedeno gives the Cubs a reason not to play him? Everyone is swinging a hot bat except Fontenot! Even the bench is producing. Even BLANCO is hitting! I'd be tempted to leave Cedeno in at SS until he starts having bad plate appearances again, if that happens. Let DeRo play LF some days when you play Theriot at 2B. Hey, Soriano, no rush coming back. I like the lineup better without your .175 batting average anyway. When you come back, learn to hit 6th, behind Fukie.

[ ]

In reply to by Rich.P

But it's not too much to hope he's far away from the 1 and 2 spots in the lineup? I'll take that. I love Soriano's power, but he was stinking it up to the tune of a .528 OPS and looked lost at the plate before he got hurt. I'd like to see him play some rehab games and not be activated until he's shown he's got his timing and his swing. Getting back a Soriano that's going to hit will help the team, regardless of how hot the Cedeno, Theriot, DeRosa, or Reed Johnson is that has to take the bench for him. However, getting back a Soriano that is going to hit .175 is not going to help the team.

[ ]

In reply to by Wes

I'm not saying I don't want him back at all. I'm saying don't rush him back without getting him some ABs. We need back a Soriano that is hitting. Soriano's slumps don't usually just come from hitting into bad luck, they usually come from having terrible ABs. Meanwhile, I'm not on the ledge at all. I'm loving how great the team looks even without their most expensive player. Also, my not wanting Soriano at the top of the order has nothing to do with the slump. I truly believe Soriano would overcome his psychological block on hitting with runners in scoring position if he spent the whole season in the 5th or 6th spot. I'd like to see his usual .280+ average and 30+ homers somewhere that they could do more good, especially since his OBP is typically not that great.

Len and Bob were talking about Theriot. Apparently has some sort of condition since birth where one of his vertabrae moves on him. He's always going to deal with it and when it happens he has to take a day or two off. So nothing to worry about, but then again it will probably always happen occasionally.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Len and Bob were talking about Theriot. Apparently has some sort of condition since birth where one of his vertabrae moves on him. He's always going to deal with it and when it happens he has to take a day or two off. So nothing to worry about, but then again it will probably always happen occasionally. =============== Theriot has a condition called Spondylolysis. The docs usually call this a "spondy". Basically, there is a weak spot in some of the bone that makes up the posterior bony connections in the lower lumbar spine (between the facet joints known as the pars interarticularis). It usually develops as a teenager. It's most common at the two lower lumbar levels, either L4-5 or L5-S1. If the area where there is fibrous tissue that creates a weak spot gets stretched, the vertebrae in front can slip and lead to a more problematic condition called spondlolisthesis. Apparently The-Riot has the former and not the latter. Spondylolysis usually responds to rest which is why Theriot has missed a few games. Expect this to act up from time to time since apparently he's had this flare up in that pattern from his teen years. Often the treatment includes NSAID's (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory med, like Motrin or Naprosyn). It has to be pretty unresponsive to conservative measures to be treated with surgery, but if that is done it's usually a fusion at the level of involvement, if it's unilateral (only on one side) it can sometimes be treated with an attempt to repair the weak spot. Surgery for this sounds pretty unlikely. Here's a link with some diagrams of the anatomy. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00053

Rob G - meant to say thanks for making TCR mobile (cell-phone) friendly. Helps me not miss a beat. Just one thing though, is it possible to make the comments appear in the same format? I simply get an "View Comments if enabled" prompt and when I click on this, can't see anything. Do you know how to enable or can we shift the comments to the new format?

[ ]

In reply to by Rich.P

sure...I actually had to get rid of the automatic redirect, so be sure to bookmark http://thecubreporter.mofuse.mobi/
As for the comments, I've been able to click on View Comments and it loads a stripped down version of the site and the comments. A little harder to navigate than the stories, but you should be able to read them
But for the time being, I don't know of anyway to improve on that. When I have some time (and some funds built up), I'll try and look into a more full-featured mobile site.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I looked around a bit and I can output an RSS feed for just the comments and then have that on the mobile site. It wouldn't be ideal, but you could read them.
I'll try and test it out sometime in the next week.

had to play there after Izturis got injured. 9 more times and my fantasy team sure would be happy. :)

Sean Gallagher struck out 12 in 7 and 2/3 this afternoon. MacPhail is thinking, I knew those guys (Gallagher, Cedeno) were good. Why didn't I pull the trigger?

[ ]

In reply to by 10man

Hopefully Hendry has realized by now that the Cubs don't need another second baseman, they need a solid shortstop and they need improve their starting pitching if they can. Ronny and Gallagher (and Marshall) could fit the bill for those roles, Roberts can't. I personally think Hendry should save all the trade bait until around the deadline and see if there are any top of the rotation starters available. Most times there aren't, occasionally there are. I don't see any position players available that are so good that we just have to get them. Roberts is a good player, but we've got DeRosa and Theriot who can both fill his position, and maybe Patterson takes a step forward this year. No point in trading off a guy who could be a very solid SS (and might not be, but we don't know which yet) and a 22-year-old starting pitcher who has done everything the organization could ask for him, unless you are getting something you absolutely can't turn down.

Hey Mets, let's do this again sometime.... maybe in October. this team is freaking sweet right now. if they stay this patient as a team they will win 100 games. they have the power/speed to compliment it, and the patience seems to be contagious. it is in many ways a mindset. pumped to see them all three this weekend in DC!

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

Really the offense has been amazing. I hope it's a sign that D Lee is back to '05 form. Can you imagine '05 D Lee in the middle of a good lineup? Insane. Fukudome has had an affect on the lineup top-to-bottom, too. And I've busted Pie's balls a lot the past few years, but I really liked what I saw the last couple days. He's shortened his swing (he still has the goofy flair at the end, but I can live with that). By compacting it he can wait just moments longer before he decides to commit to a pitch. That slight moment could be the difference in correctly reading a big league slider. The surprising thing is even with the shortened swing, he still has power. I would have bet money he'd become a singles batter with a shorter swing.

Did anyone catch Z in the dugout? After Fukudome scored the first run, Z high fives him in the dugout then gives him a funny Japanese bow ala Mr. Miyagi.

Theriot's current OPS is .893 and his career OPS is .720 which I don't find the debacle many posters on this board rag on. Especially given Theriot is a middle infielder without power. If DeRosa, Theriot, and Cedeno continue to perform close to their April numbers, I can't see the upside of giving up Gallagher, Cedeno and 1-2 other prospects for Roberts.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Dueling bloggers: "Don't worry, Ryan Theriot has no chance in hell of an OPS over .800 if he plays most of the year." - Rob G. "Theriot had four hits and a walk today. I know, I know. He's not this good. Yes, I know. He's not going to hit .340. But would any of you -- even those of you who have devoted a ton of time to statistical "proof" that Theriot can never, ever improve and that he's a terrible hitter, etc. etc. admit that maybe, possibly, he might have a career year this year? That maybe he can push his game to a higher level? I heard today that Theriot spent quite a bit of time in the weight room in the offseason. We are seeing the results already -- he's now hit five doubles in eighteen games, and the ball seems to come off his bat with much more authority than it did a year ago. When I say there are things that cannot be measured on a stat sheet, that's one of them. Stats can only tell you what has occurred, and project what might occur in the future -- not tell you with 100% certainty what will occur in the future. At least admit that it's possible. Deal?" - Bleed Cubbie Blue

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

I don't believe that I have ever said that Theriot had no talent, and if I did say that, I was wrong. You can't get to the big leagues without talent. But Theriot does not have A LOT of talent. And he is less talented than most of his colleagues at the big league level. Once again, for the millionth time, I don't hate Ryan Theriot. At all. I actually kinda' like him. I just don't think he is that good, and I think that he was, overall, pretty awful offensively last year. And I also think that Cedeno has MORE talent, and will end up having a better career.

Everyone just take a breath, enjoy the ride, and don't get too far ahead of yourselves. It's about the 1/6 point of the season, there are 5 months and a week left before October begins. I love what I'm seeing out of this team, but really, let's not go nuts here. I don't like Soriano either overall, but when the team begins to come down to Earth (hopefully it'll be June/July by then), he'll fit in nicely, right ahead of DeRo and Soto. Just enjoy the ride and don't waste space thinking about things post-All-Star break just yet. I cannot believe no one is talking about our pitching. We held a solid and healthy lineup to 2 runs, but I guess that shows you how good our offense has been since Pie and Cedeno are surprising all of us.

[ ]

In reply to by SJS_Kenosha

Going nuts is part of the fun of winning 14 games out of 20. You're right that the pitching was great this series. I think, though, we'd be talking about the pitching more if we weren't all so pleasantly surprised by the offense from Cedeno and Pie. We expect Z to pitch well, and before the his first 3 starts, we mostly expected Lilly to pitch well. Still, they actually deserve most of the credit for these wins. Those late innings would've probably looked a lot different if the Cubs hadn't already had narrow leads.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • crunch (view)

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  • 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.