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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NL Central Smackdown: 2nd Basemen

1st Basemen | Poll

I started off with the first basemen yesterday and I'll leave the poll up until I get through all the positions. If you need a primer on all this, be sure to check out that first post as well on the first basemen.

Today though we move to the second basemen. While Hendry tries to win by sheer numbers, it's about quality, not quantity. Your contestants after the jump....

Player 3-Year Warp-3 Average
3 Year Warp-3 Projection
Rob's Ranking
Mark DeRosa
3.7 2.4
4
Rickie Weeks
3.2 4.27
2
Adam Kennedy
2.97 1.1
6
Kaz Matsui
3.03 2
5
Brandon Phillips
6.1 (2 years)
4.7
1
Freddy Sanchez
5.73
3.73
3


 

 

 

 

 


The Justification: Another no-brainer at the top spot, as Brandon Phillips 30/30 numbers last year and 27 years of age make him the clear leader of the pack. It gets a little dicey after that. Freddy Sanchez has had two straight big seasons with Pittsburgh and can play a few positions, but at age 30 and now with a bum shoulder I knocked him down to the three spot. Weeks is off to another slow start and making me seriously reconsider my rankings. But he came on strong at the end of last year and at age 25, still seems like a good bet going forward. And as I mentioned, I did these before the year started. That leaves DeRosa at the fourth spot, although his versatility and good start to season are making me believe that 2005 was the turnaround of his career, not the apex. Once again, I think you could almost flip a coin for the 2-4 spots. Matsui is back from his homoerotic adventures, sorry, anal fissures, but let's say that's one signing I'm glad the Cubs got outbid on. Adam Kennedy's claim to fame was his 3-homer game in the ALCS - in 2002. It's gone all downhill since.

There's another poll for you guys to fill out below this and I'll leave the old polls open until we finish this.

Please note, you do have to register to vote. This isn't some scheme to solicit registrations, it's just an anomaly of the site and the poll software that's built in. Trust me, I'd love to fix it, but I haven't found another piece of integrated software that does these ranking polls which I really like. Plus if you register, you get a better user experience as I tend to test everything as a registered user and you get an uncached version of the site. You can also view the results of the poll after you vote, instead of having to wait until I close it. It takes all of two minutes to register and unlikes some sites, I'll be more than happy to cancel your account if you wish. You'll never receive any spam from us either...promise.


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Comments

I tried to pick someone else for '1st' so I wouldn't look like a homer, but I just couldn't put Phillips on top. Also, I had to do this one in reverse order for some reason. Mark DeRosa Brandon Phillips Rickie Weeks Freddy Sanchez Adam Kennedy Kaz Matsui Adam Kennedy's claim to fame was his 3-homer game in the ALCS - in 2002. It's gone all downhil since. There was also the time he broke up a Freddie Garcia no-hitter in the 8th or 9th, I forget which. *giggles* Matsui is back from his homoerotic adventures, sorry, anal fissures lol Not that there's anything wrong with that.™

pitcher James Russell already up to AA. I know AZ Phil did a write-up on him, but 14th round pick last year is already in AA. 6-4", 205, 22 years old lefty was 1-1 with a 2.05 ERA at Hi-A Daytona, 27.1 IP, 25 H, 14 K, 7 BB, 2 HR as a starter.

I have to go Brandon Phillips on top, he is faster with more power than DeRosa. Phillips DeRosa Sanchez Weeks Matsui Kennedy I could see Sanchez over DeRosa, and Weeks could pass them both if he gets it together. DeRosa is the steadier vet of the two. Looking ahead to the other positions, I think the Cubs have only 1 winner in the whole division (A-Ram), maybe 2 with Soto if we think his early promise will carry the day over a pretty weak group of catchers.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

i can see the age thing but Rickie Weeks has been a full time player (close to) for three full years as has Sanchez. In that time Sanchez's number bury Weeks. Sanchez's doubles weeks in RBIs and scores the same amount of runs. So even if Sanchez doesn't steal bases there is no advantage for Weeks. It doesn't lead to more runs. And yes, I know, team dependency. But we are talking about the Pirates versus the Brewers here.

[ ]

In reply to by Chad

well lineup and team dependency...Sanchez has been batting third for the Pirates, a prime RBI spot and ahead of some decent hitters. As I said, it's a toss-up, but I sort of think Sanchez is a bit of a fluke and on his way down. I think Weeks is on his way up.

And the shoulder surgery seems to really have affected Sanchez...I don't think at this point he could play 3b like he use to which knocks him down a bit as well.

 

By the way, you could argue Ryan Freel should rank ahead of Kennedy. Though Freel is in Dusty's doghouse, probably because he gets on base too much and doesn't suck from both sides of the plate like a Macias or Neifi-caliber player can.

Both offensive and defensive numbers make Phillips the obvious top dog (though he should be playing SS anyway). Between DeRo, Sanchez, and Weeks, I'd say it's a tossup. I think Sanchez is a fluke, but his numbers in recent years have been nice. Weeks is a risk as he hasn't yet proven he can hit or field as a major leaguer, but I suspect the bat will come around even if the glove doesn't. DeRo pretty much is what he is, and that's a solid 2B guy who can move all around the field if you need him to. Actually I'd say he's a light-hitting, great fielding 3B guy who can move all around the field if you need him to. I'd rank Mike Fontenot, Ronny Cedeno, and Albert Pujols above Adam Kennedy at this point. What? Pujols played some innings at second.

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.