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

Quick Notes

-John Mcdonough grew up a White Sox fan and his interim tag sounds like it's temporary. He said it's safe to assume the payroll will stay in the vicinity of the $100 million range and don't expect a Yankees or Red Sox payroll splurge next year. - All the coaches are gone including Larry Rothschild and Chris Speier. They will be welcome back if the new manager wants them though. - "Joe Girardi will be a candidate, said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry of his search for Bakerís replacement."

Comments

Looks like Showalter was a victim of the new 29 year old GM in Texas who is in his first season. He wants to hire his guys, and go in his direction. Showalter was the previous GM's hire.

honestly Dusty wouldn't be a bad fit in Texas other than they have some big young arms about to breakthrough that he probably wouldn't have the patience for in Diamond and Volquez (sp?). But otherwise he can just sit back and relax with the lineup, although I'd love to see him sac bunt with that lineup, that would rule.

Good to see John McD say the payroll will be in the $100 million area. I have been saying for awhile that that number is the most logical to expect for teh Opening Day payroll. And that gives Hendry roughly $24 million to spend. At least we can put to rest teh theories of the Cubs cutting payroll by $20 million to make the team more appealing to buyers.

Fredi Gonzalez might be in for a rude awakening with the Marlins just like Girardi was when he was hired... New manager Fredi Gonzalez said he believes the Marlins intend to keep Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera. GM Larry Beinfest called them "very important" but stopped short of saying they'll definitely return. Winning with a 15 million dollar payroll doesn't help the Marlins move the franchise. Which they want to do desperatly. I wouldn't be shocked if 1 or both was dealt so they can actually play the we suck and can't compete unless we move the team card.

Good call MikeC... Do you think Girardi was informed when he took the job that they were going to have such a low payroll? I don't recall him complaing about it. But yeah Fredi will have tough shoes to fill considering last years team was almost .500.

from what I read Girardi was pretty shocked by the complete payroll splurge that happened. Although he knew they were cutting costs, he didn't think it would be that extreme. And the reason Girardi was fired, at least what I've read and heard in a few interviews, had more to do with his relationship with Beinfest. Girardi questioned just about every player personal move he made from the day he was hired. from what I heard so far I'd take Girardi, Piniella and then Brenly, but I'm sure hoping some others come into the fold. I imagine the minority interview is a must, either Manny Acta or Ron Washinton.

If Hendry is going to turn this team around quickly he needs to pick up a couple of pitchers with higher than average G/F ratios. This type of pitcher tends to be able to pitch over 200 innings and stay healthy. They minimize the effect of a weak armed outfield such as the Cubs have now by keeping the ball in front of the fielders and their ability to pitch into the seventh inning and beyond helps keep the bullpen fresh. Of the top 25 G/F pitchers in the NL the Cubs have one at present, #25 Carlos Zambrano. While many of these pitchers have had great years and careers and are untouchable here's a list of some in the top 25 in 2006 that may become available down the road. Because these pitchers pitch deep into games their ERA's are often inflated --- they leave games because they've tired, given up some runs late, or leave with runners on base who later score when the bullpen can't close out the inning. These types of pitchers should benefit greatly from the Cubs 2007 bullpen featuring Howry, Eyre and Wood. Aaron Cook - $1 mm Dontrelle Willis - $4 mm Miguel Batista - $5 mm Paul Maholm - minimum Zach Duke - minimum Dave Bush - minimum Matt Morris - $5 mm Greg Maddux - way too much

The rumor I've heard from some Marlins fans is that the Girardi-Beinfest feud started after the firesale. Supposedly, Beinfest had told Girardi there was only a "slight chance of a small payroll cut" or something to that effect when he was trying to hire Girardi, and that Girardi felt he'd been misled when Beinfest dismantled the team. I have no idea if it's true, but it would certainly explain why Girardi tried to muscle his way into the front office dealings thereafter.

RobG, I believe that was a payroll purge that the Marlins perpetrated. A payroll splurge would be what we are hoping the Cubs have in mind. Will the Cubs be allowed to interview Piniella before his broadcasting duties are finished for the season?

oh yeah, purge, my bad. Yeah, I don't think Fox has any tampering rules. :)

Mike, Showalter is a manager for a young team. Those young boys in Texas are all growns (sic) up now. Time to get a manager that can actually win. As evidence please refer to the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondback. I expect Texas to skyrocket next year. BTW, I look forward to seeing Girardi in Cub pinstripes again.

Inside the park 2 run HR for Mark Kotsay. A's up 4-2 in 7th. Huntere dives for ball in CF, misses it and it rolls to the wall. WOO!!!

Chad: "BTW, I look forward to seeing Girardi in Cub pinstripes again." I'm pretty much indiffernt on Girardi. A lot depends on if Hendry is going to try and win now, as to how much I think Girardi is best for the job or not. But it will be interesting to see how some fans react if he continues to bunts as often, plays JJ everyday vs. LHP, etc. I think since Girardi is so well liked in Cubdom, he will get a lot of slack.

What will the Beane haters do if the A's win a playoff series or (gasp) the entire thing?

Those damn A's clogging up the bases....winning the World Series...

Insurance run for OAK, Mauer couldn't block a tough curve in the dirt and runner scores from 3rd on WP. OAK 5-2 in 9th.

Badguy: "Those damn A's clogging up the bases....winning the World Series..." Actually in the first 2 games, OAK has only walked 2 times.

Manny, it was a hlaf-assed response to Rob G.'s Beane hater question.

Who are you talking about Rob? I suppose you, among many others. It was too broad a stroke to just direct at one guy.

OAK wins 5-2!! OAK up 2-0 in series and heading to OAK to close it out. Go OAK!!

anyone care to explain this play to me? "Martin singled to deep right, Kent out at home, Drew out at home, Martin to second" tell me that's a yahoo typo...

Drew was like 10 feet behind Kent running around the bases and as soon as Kent slide in and got tagged out, Drew was right behind him sliding and getting tagged out. I think in the movie Major League they had an example of that play, but both were safe in the movie.

Sorry Rob, the ball was a shot off teh wall and I think Kent was waiting to see if it was going to be caught, but Drew knew it wasn't. Green in RF made a perfect throw in and the 2B made a perfect realy throw to the plate. Does Green get 2 assists for that play?

speaking of escape clauses, J.D. Drew has one after this year. Guess Ramirez isn't the only one to get that for himself. I doubt he'd exercise it, but something to think about if you've forgotten.

vintage Carlton Fisk or Major League, how awesome. Looks like Marlon "uber-hot" Anderson picked them up though.

yes, he's an owner, although I believe a very small piece of it

the Dodgers could've put a crooked number on the board if Kent and Drew didn't display their hideous Cub-like baserunning skills.

Mets 2-1 over Dodgers on homers by Delgado and Floyd. There's a couple 10-8 games looming in this series.

If A's win it all, think Beane may want to try a large market team?

well since he's an owner, no, plus I think he has a kid who lives on the west coast from a past marriage that he wants to stay near.

go mets... 4-1 in the 6th and threatening why oh why did I pick the padres? Never mess with the ex-Cub factor.

cause I picked them to win this series and I hate the dodgers more. Why would anyone root for the Dodgers? Randolph let Guillermo Mota hit with the bases loaded/ 2 out in the bottom of the 6th. So far Mota has given up a bunt hit and a Valentin error gives the Dodgers 2 runners and none out... Intersting move....better work out for him.

NOOOMMMMAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! 2 RBI single. All tied up 4-4.

and the dodgers tie it up off Mota in the 7th... Nomar doubles in 2 runs Duck and cover Willie!!!

Interesting stat about Furcal they gave on ESPN: He is 8th in NL in hitting w/ RISP (.346/.425/.485) Not too shabby for a premier leadoff guy. And after starting out really bad, he rebounded to have a pretty damn good season (not trying to start argument if he was worth contract): .300/.369/.445 w/ 15 HR 63 RBI and 37 SB.

now Brad Penny is in... well can't say the managers aren't taking chances. Anyone think Grady is suffering Vietnam-like flashbacks on his trip back to NY? um, yeah, me neither

I would pay a lot of money to be in the same room as Chad if Billy Beane ever wins a World Series

you cannot stop Carlos Delgado and all those base-clogging walks. oh wait, it's okay here cause Reyes and Beltran are fast.

JACOS: "If A's win it all, think Beane may want to try a large market team?" Whoa, man! Don't get ahead of yourself yet!! They failed in every single attempt at getting to the series since the "earthquake" series. Show me the money, THIS year.

yeah Furcal had an amazing year... wouldn't have helped us one damn bit this season, assuming he woud have done it in the same manner, but it was good. I wonder who will get the Silver Slugger, him or Reyes. I'm assume Reyes cause of the NY bias.

A's did lose Mark Ellis who broke a finger in the 9th on a HBP. They're hoping to get Bobby Crosby back for the LCS, in the meantime it'll be D'Angelo Jimenez. man I bet they really wish they had Freddie Bynum back right about now.

Rob G.: "wouldn't have helped us one damn bit this season, assuming he woud have done it in the same manner, but it was good." Yeah, even having Berkman or Puljos or Howard wouldn't of made a difference. No one player was going to help this mess that was known as the 2006 Cubs. But hey, at least the new President has tons of confidence in our GM. What did the headline in the Trib say? "In Hendry He Trusts"? Go Cubs!!

What a FUCKING great throw by Beltran from Deep Right Center to 3rd base. Almost got Benemit. DAMN!!! So that is what an actual good OF arm looks like.

Rob G.: "A's did lose Mark Ellis who broke a finger in the 9th on a HBP." It was on a swing, not HBP. It was his right index finger. OAK says they will update his condition Thursday, but it doesn't look good for him to come back. Not a huge loss, but still a loss.

but a pitch hit him right? otherwise how do you break a finger on a swing? but yeah I worded that weird... Nomar goes down, Willie shall escape some wrath.

im kinda suprised no one's bitching about the yanks scheduling. they get all the night games so far. yes, they get ratings..yes, tv bid on this whole mess expecting ratings..but this is a game that 30 teams play 162 times in order to get a fair shake in the offseason to play the short series. while the team playing the yanks might like the regular night games, its kind of an unfair b/s move to have "non-ratings-driven" teams regulated to back to back to back day games so the yanks can play at a media-friendly timeslot.

Crunch: "im kinda suprised no one's bitching about the yanks scheduling." I think people come to expect it since FOX (or whoever had MLB playoffs) has done it for years. They are the most popular team, especially in this years playoffs, so it does make ratings/financial sense too. Also, as long as teams are playing games the same time period apart, it is all fair. Now if OAk had to play a night game, then a day game the next day while teh NYY get to play all night games, then I can see complaints. Oh well, another reason to root against the evil empire...:)

Rob G.: "but a pitch hit him right? otherwise how do you break a finger on a swing? but yeah I worded that weird..." I was watching the game and he was not HBP. I think he hurt it on an awkward swing. To be honest, I did not even notice anything weird at the time. He did play SS in the bottom half of the inning.

#45- They failed in every single attempt at getting to the series since the "earthquake" series. in actuality, the a's made it to the '90 series but were smoked by the redlegs of (you guessed it) lou piniella. who sported a wicked bullpen. could lou + howry + eyre + wuertz + wood as closer in 2007 = cubs series victory?

this has been going on for how many years crunch? Everyone knows the NY teams will get the prime-time slots, it's nothing new. Fox didn't pay for the rights just so they could get less money from their advertisers by showing games that would get less ratings. it's not fair but as long as they're not scheduling a daygame after a night game, it's a non-issue. The bigger travesty is that apparently Tim McCarver said this last night on the air according to Bill Simmons: Robertson induces a one-out forceout by Bobby Abreu, followed by Tim McCarver telling us, "Normally a left-handed pitcher Ö has a lot of success Ö against left-handed hitters." great drop-in Tim, broadcasting school really paid off. more mccarver humor from the family guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euERw9D5qm8

more on mccarver... apparently i didn't have enough coffee this morning and let colin cowherd on the radio for a bit as he was telling a caller that we should listen to Mccarver cause he played the game and caught Steve Carlton.

"who sported a wicked bullpen" Correct me if I'm wrong here but it featured Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randall Kirk Meyers. That was as lights out as it gets.

DC60124: Well...the only real stretch in your #56 is Wood as a closer. It ain't happening. 1. Walks too many for the gig. 2. From what I heard today, it is becoming more likely that he will be bought out and look for a better deal than JH is going to be willing to pay. We'll soon see.

Wood may very well know that this is his last chance and if he can't get healthy his career would literally be over. So he might want to go get as much guarenteed money as he can, knowing this might be his last contract.

Wood may very well know that this is his last chance and if he can't get healthy his career would literally be over. So he might want to go get as much guarenteed money as he can, knowing this might be his last contract. LIAR!! (I mean Wood, not you Manny). Man that would be a crappy thing to do after what he said last week. And what did you hear today E-man?

http://tinyurl.com/z5l6d Before we kiss Rothschild good-bye, it says Hendry still respects him and he's buddies with Piniella. Speier or Quade could be 3b coach if the new manager doesn't have anyone they prefer. Says new manager will get to pick his staff, which is what Baker was allowed to do and Baker was "willing to keep" Rothschild.

roths getting canned would be a PR shithole for administrative hiring. hendry and co. have always been good about letting his crew interview elsewhere and seek advancement if they so desire. its something that's worked well for all involved and the level of respect offered hasnt gone unnoticed. this isnt unique to the cubs, either...lot of clubs are into it. after roths turned down a 3yr deal with DET for more money and years he was on contract for with the cubs...punishing him now by cutting him loose without compensation or roths wanting to walk would be cold as hell.

I love TCR rumor spreading. I listened to the "end" authority on all things Cubs, Paul Sullivan, who stated during his thirty minute interview on Mike Murphy's show his "sources" maintain that KW is not as thrilled about trying to re-Cub we may be led to believe. It was his belief that Hendry wants KW, but other than the buyout, he's not going to be willing to spend much cash to see what Mr. Wood might be able to do for us. http://www.670thescore.com/includes/news_items/44/1376/paulsullivaninte…

and mike quade being 3rd base coach next year is almost automatic, imo. he's been a good soldier...he left the oakland system because of lack of advancement with the current regime. its time to bring him up and give him a bit of comfort. he's through riding the busses and babysitting guys who are barely old enough to drink. not like he's given indication he'd walk if he wasnt brought up or asked to manage AAA again, but i can't imagine him sticking down there forever...he didn't leave oakland to come rot in someone else's minor leagues.

roths getting canned would be a PR shithole for administrative hiring. I don't see it, canning everyone associated with a last place team is good PR. Roth didn't have to come back, Hendry wasn't begging him to stay. He let him interview and Roth came back by his own choice. Anyway it sounds like Hendry is trying to woo the best manager he can find by letting them pick his own staff (although I'm sure with some recommendations).

"Anyway it sounds like Hendry is trying to woo the best manager he can find by letting them pick his own staff" yup. kinda looks like the cubs are looking at "name brand" management, too. rarely gut a system to let a "kid" run it and pick his peers. brenley's gonna start interviewing soon for management jobs...booth might be changing in 07, too.

Looks like Mother Nature might be agreeing with Crunch as she is having a rain delay right now that they think will last at least an hour. If it doesn't get started within a couple hours of planned start time, they will make up game tomorrow afternoon at 1 PM EST and then lose the travel off day.

im kinda suprised no one's bitching about the yanks scheduling. I know reading the Oakland Blogs that A's fans are pissed about it. I imagine that if I had to watch my team play at 10 am on a weekday, I wouldn't be all that happy either. Personally, the Noon CDT start was a little annoying to me. I had to start driving before the sun came up in order to make it the the Metrodome by gametime today.

HA HA... NYY/DET game postponed. Crunch spoke and Mother Nature listened. Sucks to be those NYY fans who sat there for 2 hours and then get the game called on them. Not that I feel too bad for those NYY fans. A $250 million payroll eases a lot of woes.

some blurbs courtesy Fish Stripes http://www.fishstripes.com/ Sun-Sentinel --- But problems arose between Girardi and just about everyone in the organization who didn't wear a uniform. Even some of the Marlins' most docile and long-time employees found Girardi difficult. He is a heavy favorite to win National League Manager of the Year. His players adored him. on Fredi Gonzalez "Fredi's ready -- he's been ready," Cox said. "He's going to make a great manager. He's got everything. He knows the game inside out. Good communication. Handles people. Bright. Articulate. Just a high quality person." Cox smiled. "And he's got the tough streak, too, like most managers," he added. "Fredi's a very skilled teacher. It [will] be a huge loss for us." Marlins owe the remaining 2 years of Girardi's salary about $1.5 mil, if he's hires they'd likely have to only pay the difference.

"Correct me if I'm wrong here but it featured Norm Charlton, Rob Dibble and Randall Kirk Meyers." The "Nasty Boys" They were definately badass.

the E-man: It was his belief that Hendry wants KW, but other than the buyout, he's not going to be willing to spend much cash to see what Mr. Wood might be able to do for us. Why the F would Hendry spend more than the minimum salary plus incentives on Wood for '07? I wouldn't. In fact, if it weren't against union rules I'd pay him per inning pitched only with a base salary of $0. If he doesn't like that, F off with your, what, 100 IP the last two years? What a joke.

Have you heard of the airplane? Sure, but the 300ish mile drive took me 5 hours, and cost me probably $60 in gas round trip, which I split with a friend I picked up along the way. A plane ticket would have cost at least $300-400, plus money for parking, and by the time I factored in the 45 minute drive to the airport, and the hour I would have spent waiting to get through security, I still would have had to be up before the sun! BTW - Minneapolis's Bus/Light rail system rocks. Its just like the EL, if you replaced the El's molded plastic seats with comfortable thick padded one, and got rid of the El's stale urine smell.

BLEED: "A plane ticket would have cost at least $300-400..." So, you fly First Class? Nice! Fly Northwest. They're going bankrupt and have RT fares half of this.

I'm no McCarver fan, but I have a hunch that he "dumbs it down" (insert McCarver is already dumb) for a national audience, especially during the playoffs when you might get more casual baseball fans. If anyone has heard him on local broadcasts, feel free to dispute this, I have no idea. But to say he's dumb/doesn't know the game, etc....well, I don't think that's really accurate.

#38 I'm not rooting for the Dodgers. Just didn't see how a Cubs fan would ever root for the Mets, unless they were playing the Cardinals, and even that's a stretch.

Fly Northwest. They're going bankrupt and have RT fares half of this. Maybe from Chicago, but OHare is a 2 hour trip in itself for me. If you can find a roundtrip ticket from Madison to MSP, returning the same day, and purchase that ticket on 2 days notice for under $400, I'd be amazed.

Imagine this scenerio for Fox- AL Playoffs- NY Bos Chi Angels NL Playoffs- Mets Cubs Dodgers Houston

I am a lifelong Cubs fan and can actually root for the Mets because I live in southern california and have to put up with what Los Angeles calls "fans" all summer long. These are the same people who were in the parking lot when the Dodgers hit 4 homers in the bottom of the 9th.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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.