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

One Angel throws "live" BP, others drop "live" game

Kyler Burke lined a game-tying RBI single to CF with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, and Roberto Sabates followed with a line-drive game-winning RBI single to LF, as the EXST Cubs rallied to edge the EXST Angels 9-8 this morning in a "Rush Hour Special" (9 AM start) at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.

The Cubs won despite committing five errors, including two by pitcher Israel Camacaro on consecutive sacrifice bunt attempts in the top of the 9th inning (Camacaro also hit two Angels batters with pitches, including one on the neck just below the lower jaw), and one each by 3B Junior Lake (overthrow), SS Jose Made (bobble), and 3B Josh Vitters (overthrow). 

Vitters actually entered the game as a "defensive replacement" (he still has some pain when swinging the bat), and had a total of two chances at 3B, both ground balls.

He air-mailed the throw over the first-baseman's head for an error on the first one, and the second one almost turned out to be an error, too, except for an outstanding play by 1st baseman Drew Rundle, who caught the Vittersation while crossing the bag such that he had to drag his right foot over the base as he fell into foul territory. 

Vitters reminds me of another top Cubs 3rd base prospect from the recent past by the name of David Kelton. Like Vitters, Kelton also had a scatter-gun arm, the only difference being Vitters still might improve, while Kelton (I believe) is out of baseball.

That said, the Cubs really might want to start to think a little bit about moving Vitters to 1B or maybe RF (unless his arm becomes a hindrance in the outfield, too). The Cubs probably waited too long to move Kelton to another position, because by the time they did, his defensive problems had affected his hitting, too. Hopefully they won't make the same mistake with Vitters.  

On the offensive side of the ball, Kyler Burke, Junior Lake, and Jose Made had three hits a piece, and Lake also had three RBI. Additionally, Roberto Sabates had two RBI hits, and mighty mite Dwayne Kemp slammed two doubles off the LF fence (and both were near-home runs).     

While the EXST Cubs were playing the EXST Angels on Field #3, RHP Angel Guzman and ex-OF (now LHP) Luke Sommer were throwing "live" BP on Field #2 to some of the hitters who weren't in the EXST Cubs starting lineup (Nelson Perez, John Contreras, and Bryan Jost).

Guzman threw 20 pitches, once again hitting 94 MPH with his fastball. The main difference between this outing and the last one was that this time Guzman threw about 2/3 strikes (13 strikes and 7 balls), while last Monday he threw only 50% strikes.  

Although Luke Sommer was converted to pitcher just a couple of weeks ago, it's not like he hasn't done it before. Sommer was a two-way player (P-OF) in high school in Canby, Oregon, and so he already had a feel for pitching. He just hadn't done it in a while. (He played OF at the University of San Francisco and last year at AZL Cubs).

I guess Sommer would probably be best-described as a "soft-tossing lefty," but you can see he has a really nice curve ball (his slider sucks, though), he knows how to throw a change-up, and his fast ball has some sink to it. But it's still way too early to tell if he has what it takes to be a pitcher in pro ball.  

While Alvaro Sosa caught Guzman's "live" BP session, newly-minted catcher Robinson Chirinos (who was a utility infielder at AA Tennessee just a week ago) had the honor to catch Luke Sommer's first "live" BP. I'm sure it was a thrill for both of them, something they will not soon forget.
 
Here is today's abridged box score (Cubs players only):
 
LINEUP:
1. George Matheus, DH #1: 1-3 (R, BB, HBP)
2. Kevin Soto, RF: 1-5 (R, SB, CS)
3. Dwayne Kemp, 2B: 2-4 (R, 2 2B, HBP, CS)
4a. Kyler Burke, 1B-LF: 3-5 (RBI, 2 R, 3B, K)
4b. Nelson Perez, PR: 0-0 (R)
5. Roberto Sabates, DH #2: 2-5 (2 RBI, 2B, R, K)
6. Drew Rundle, LF-1B: 0-2: (R, BB, HBP, 2 K)
7a. Junior Lake, 3B: 3-4 (3 RBI, 2B)
7b. Josh Vitters, 3B: 0-0
8. Carlos Perez, C: 0-3 (RBI-SF, K)
9. Jose Made, SS: 3-4 (R)
10. Cesar Salazar, CF: 1-3 (BB)

PITCHERS:
1. Julio Pena - 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (1/7 GO/FO)
2. Dionis Nunez - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP (1/2 GO/FO)
3. Jake Muyco - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP (3/2 GO/FO)
4. Israel Camacaro - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 2 HBP, 1 WP (3/2 GO/FO)

ERRORS (5):
1. Junior Lake (E5 overthrow to 1st base) 
2. Jose Made (E6 bobble at SS)
3. Josh Vitters (E5 overthrow to 1st base)
4. Israel Camacaro (E1 overthrow to 3rd base on sac bunt attempt)
5. Israel Camacaro (E1 overthrow to 1st base on sac bunt attempt)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Carlos Perez: 1-1 CS, and picked runner off third base 2-5. 

OUTFIELD ASSIST: Kevin Soto, threw out runner 9-5 trying to advance from 1st to 3rd on a single to RF.

WEATHER: Overcast with temperature around 70, breezy, and with rain imminent. (In fact the rain started about an hour after the game ended, and it's supposed to rain for about 36 hours, with snow expected on the Mogollon Rim between Flagstaff and Show Low).

ATTENDANCE: 4 (the crowd was probably kept down due to the threatening weather conditions).
 

Comments

Thanks as usual for the cool updates, Phil. What do you think the club's expectations are at this point for Guzman, realistically? Are they hoping he progresses quickly through the system this year, with a possible call - up by Sept.?

Submitted by Dmac on Thu, 05/22/2008 - 4:32pm.

Thanks as usual for the cool updates, Phil.

What do you think the club's expectations are at this point for Guzman, realistically? Are they hoping he progresses quickly through the system this year, with a possible call - up by Sept.?

=========================

DMAC: I doubt that the Cubs have any preconceived expectations for Angel Guzman in 2008. However, he is six weks ahead of schedule in his rehab, he is throwing "pain free," and he's poppin' his fastball at 94 MPH, so don't blame the Cubs too much if they start to dream just a little bit about still another healthy, nasty, hard-throwing right-hander in their bullpen in 2008, if not sooner, then maybe later. (BTW, I think Guzman is more likely to work out of the bullpen if he comes back this season, but he could maybe be moved back to the starting rotation in ST 2009), 

At this point, as long as there are no medical setbacks, I believe Guzman will go on his 30-day minor league rehab at the end of EXST (June 4th is the last day), probably initially to Daytona. Then after the 30-days are up (around July 4th), and again, presuming there re no medical setbacks, the Cubs will probably activate Guzman from the 60-day DL and option him to Iowa. (As long as Gooz spends less than 90 days on an active regular season minor league or major league roster in 2008, his 4th minor league option year is preserved for 2009).

Then depending on how he is throwing at Iowa, the Cubs could wait to recall him until after rosters expand on September 1st, or they could recall him any time before that, too. But if they wait to recall Guzman until after September 1st and then they decide they want him to be available for the NLDS (if the Cubs make it that far), they would have to make sure somebody else is on the DL so that Guzman can replace the injured player (who does NOT have to be a pitcher, BTW) on the post-season roster.

Again, this is all a "best case scenario," but AS OF RIGHT NOW, things are going VERY well for Guzman at Fitch Park.

One other thing about Angel Guzman yoiu may or may not know...

Some MLB players who come to Fitch Park on rehab assignments are stuck-up and act like they are above it all. But Gooz hangs out with the young players (not just the Venezuelan or Latin players, either), and treats them with respect. He even sometimes cooks meals for them!

The young players assigned to EXST have to stay for the games, but MLB guys on rehab don't. They can go into the clubhouse and watch TV or take a nap or whatever.

But Guzman sometimes will stay and watch the game anyway, hanging out with the other pitchers, telling jokes, doing a virtual one-man show stand-up routine. He's like a Venezuelan Seinfeld.

Angel Guzman is one very nice man, a really, really good guy.

Submitted by Jace on Thu, 05/22/2008 - 4:54pm.

Thanks Phil, as always.

Why is Kyler Burke back at EXST? Last thing I knew, he was in Peoria...

========================

JACE: Kyler Burke was in the midst of a 2-30 slump (.067) with 11 K when he was sent back to EXST.

Another factor involved with this move was that Peoria had four left-handed hitting outfielders (Burke, Dylan Johnston, Cliff Andersen, and Leon Johnson), and one of them had to be exchanged for the right-handed hitting LF Brandon Guyer (who got promoted to Peoria from EXST when Burke got demoted).

The Cubs maybe could have sent Leon Johnson down to EXST instead of Burke (because Johnson wasn't hitting either), but Johnson and Andersen are the only two guys at Peoria who can play CF.

I'm just waiting for the Cubs to make Kyler Burke a pitcher (he was a very highly-regarded LHP in HS, and some MLB scouts even liked him better as a pitcher).

Thanks again for the extended update, Phil - Guzman sounds a little like Fergie Jenkins regarding his general attitude and comportment. "Some MLB players who come to Fitch Park on rehab assignments are stuck-up and act like they are above it all." You wouldn't be referring to a specific former Cub who specialized in towel drills, would you?

AZ Phil, I was just wondering if Ryan Searle was still in Mesa. I was perusing the MLB Australia Academy Program web site and I noticed that Searle was listed on the Academy roster (along with guys we knew would be there - Cody Hams, Adam Spencer and Hak-ju Lee).

From KnoxNews
"The Smokies ran themselves out of a run in the eighth. Camp and SAM FULD singled with one out and Colvin drew a walk from reliever Luis Valdez to fill the bases. Right fielder Perry snared Craig's sinking liner while sliding on his belly. Camp prepared to tag but FULD inexplicably sped by him and was automatically out. Instead of tying the game, the Smokies (16-31) lost for the 11th time in their last 12 games."
Mind you, that was the only time Sam (.038 BA) has been on base this year in 26 PA's.

Submitted by Raisin101 on Thu, 05/22/2008 - 7:54pm.

AZ Phil, I was just wondering if Ryan Searle was still in Mesa. I was perusing the MLB Australia Academy Program web site and I noticed that Searle was listed on the Academy roster (along with guys we knew would be there - Cody Hams, Adam Spencer and Hak-ju Lee).

==================================

RAISIN: Yes, Ryan Searle returned to Australia on Wednesday with Cody Hams and both will be attending the MLB Australian Baseball Academy (along with RHP Adam Spencer and Korean SS Hak-ju Lee). Both Searle and Hams were at the ABA last year, too. Searle, Hams, and Spencer will be working with Cubs Scout and ABA Pitching Coach Larry Home.

The original plan was for Searle to spend the 2008 season in the U. S. (AZL Cubs), but the plan was changed at the last minute. What I'm not sure about is if Searle might be returning to the U. S. later in the season (perhaps Instructs), because he does have a visa that would allow him to do that.

As for Hak-ju Lee, he will be attending the ABA for only the first two weeks. His father will be traveling to Australia with him from South Korea and will remain in Australia while his son is there. The Cubs Korean trainer-intern (Jay) at EXST who was orginally hired to work with Dae-Eun Rhee at Fitch Park will be going to Australia for the two weeks that Hak-ju is there. Lee wil then return to South Korea, and will report to Minor League Camp at Fitch Park next March. There is no plan for Lee to attend Instructs in October.

Jay (the Korean trainer-intern) was not needed at Peoria because the Cubs signed 25-year old Korean OF Min Kyu Sung in December, and Sung was assigned to Peoria during Minor League Camp to be Rhee's mentor-translator and also to serve as an assistant coach to Ryne Sandberg. (Besides Sung at Peoria, others who are serving as coaches while signed to 2008 minor league player contracts include Issmael Salas at Tennessee, Leonel Perez at Daytona, and Danny Fatheree at Fitch Park).

The Cubs Taiwanese trainer-intern who has been at Fitch Park for the last three months left for Peoria earlier this week, where he will be working with RHP Hung-Wen Chen. He was hired to work with Chen in Spring Training, but Chen was only there for a couple of days after arriving in the U. S. from the Chinese Taipei Olympic Camp, before moving to Peoria. (Chen was supposed to stay at EXST for a while and then move up to Peoria, but he was in such great shape when he arrived at Fitch Park in March that the Cubs decided he could report to Peoria immediately).  

Submitted by Hagsag on Fri, 05/23/2008 - 7:10am.

Az Phil,

Who do you think are the top prospects still left at Fitch? Thanks.

=============================

HAGSAG: I would say the Top 10 Prospects presently at Cubs EXST are:

POSITION PLAYERS:

1. Josh Vitters, 3B(?)
2. Carlos Perez, C
3. Junior Lake, SS-3B
4. Nelson Perez, RF
5. Dwayne Kemp, 2B-LF

PITCHERS:

1. Robert Hernandez, RHSP
2. Mark Pawelek, LHSP
3. Marcus Hatley, RHSP
4. Miguel Sierra, RHSP
5. Rogelio Carmona, RHRP

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

1- this news is a few days old about marshall/gallagher replacement 2- is there anything cubs related you actually like...or just the bad news...or just blowing up non-news into bad news? read almost every post above by you for sample of what everyone else here sees out of you. all we see is bitching, "i told you so", and "everything sucks and here's why and if you counter me you're a moron". have fun, dude.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

No, it is not. I was a day earlier than the SunTimes....
Marshall set back by hamstring pull Injury at Iowa derails Piniella's plan to add left-hander to staff May 24, 2008 BY GORDON WITTENMYER [email protected] PITTSBURGH -- The Cubs' left-handed pitching problems took another hit with the news that Sean Marshall pulled a hamstring during a rough outing for Class AAA Iowa on Thursday night. Club officials say they expect Marshall to miss at least one start. This comes less than a week after demoted starter Rich Hill went on the seven-day disabled list at Iowa with back spasms.
You are an unbelievable fuck crunch.

"For the third time, I don't understand why the record of our AA affiliate matters at all." I'd say it's more like the umpteenth time that we've been dragged into discussing this nonsensical ranting about minor league team records. If you're so hell - bent on jawing ad nauseum forever more about this subject that's apparently fascinating only to you, how about some relevant facts to prove your point? Facts such as: - stats displaying each minor league team's W/L records (this would include each MLB franchise) each year, and how many players from each team that were summarily promoted to the next level of ability; - percentages of those players that were ultimately promoted to the big league club; - length of service in the major leagues for each of those players, coupled with their lifetime stats. I'm not a stat guy by any means, but a layman could at least make an attempt at proving your contention with something approaching these numbers, so I'd suggest you get right to it - or else put a sock in it.

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)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • 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.