Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Confucius Say: "Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!"

Josh Vitters went 3-4 with a single, a double, and a triple, a walk, one RBI, and two runs scored, Kyler Burke went 3-4 with two RBI and a run scored, and Carlos Perez had four singles, as the EXST Cubs banged-out 19 hits en route to an 8-6 victory over Team China at Fitch Park Field #3 this morning in Mesa.

Team China, which is based at the Peoria Sports Complex while preparing for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, was making its second appearance at Fitch Park during Extended Spring Training 2008. The EXST Cubs also have played two road games versus Team China in Peoria.

Team China is managed by ex-Cubs manager Jim Lefebvre, and he has his hands full trying to teach the most basic of fundamentals to a team full of "blank slates."

I first saw Team China out here a year ago, and although the team still needs a lot of work (especially the pitching staff, which mainly consists of soft-tossing right-handed breaking ball pitchers), there is no question that the Chinese are doing a better job of hitting, running the bases, and catching the ball than they did last year.

20-year old RHP Chris Huseby got the start for the Cubs today, and went one inning (20 pitches, only eight strikes). Because he has been having major control issues and has been struggling to throw strikes since Minor League Camp in March (in his last simulated game, he threw 30 pitches - 24 balls and only six strikes), Huseby rarely pitches in EXST games. So in an effort to help rebuild some confidence in the young right-hander, Boise pitching coach Tom Pratt had Huseby throw mostly change-ups and curve balls (Huseby fastballs tend to end up in the batter's ear). But even then he still threw more balls than strikes.  

Here is today's abridged box score (Cubs players only)...

LINEUP:
1. Cesar Salazar, CF: 1-5 (2 RBI)
2a. Marwin Gonzalez, 2B: 0-3
2b. Jose Made, 2B: 1-2 (3B, R)
3. Josh Vitters, 3B: 3-4 (2B, 3B, RBI, 2 R, BB, K)
4. Kyler Burke, RF: 3-4 (2B, 2 RBI, R, BB, K)
5. Robinson Chirinos, DH-C: 2-5 (RBI, K)
6. Junior Lake, DH #2: 0-4 (GIDP)
7a. Carlos Perez, C: 4-4 (R)
7b. Dwayne Kemp, PR-DH 1-1 (R)
8. Drew Rundle, 1B: 2-3 (R, SH)
9. Starlin Castro, SS: 0-4 (SB, PO, GIDP)
10. Kevin Soto, LF: 2-3 (3B, R, 2 RBI, SF, K)

PITCHERS:
1. Chris Huseby - 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP (20 pitches - 8 strikes, 12 balls)
2. Miguel Sierra - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K (2/5 GO/FO)
3. Jose Pina - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (4/1 GO/FO)
4. Julio Pena - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K (2/2 GO/FO)     
5. Michael Bunton - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 GIDP

ERRORS (1):
Josh Vitters, E-5, bounced throw past 1st baseman allowing batter to reach base with two outs, then runner scored on two-out double.

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Carlos Perez, 0-1 CS, and one PB

WEATHER: Clear skies, game-time temperature in the 80's, with a S/W breeze. 

ATTENDANCE: 4, plus Cubs VP of Player Personnel Oneri Fleita was watching the game from the tower.  
 

Comments

Thanks, AZ Phil. Do you think there's any chance Huseby regains his control and mechanics this season? What happened between last season when he posted respectable numbers at Boise and this season? Also, Vitters has only been swinging the bat a few games now and this was a lesser opponent, but it appears he's getting back in shape after the tendonitis. About how much longer do you think he'll need to rehab before the rust is gone and he can head back to the MWL?

Submitted by Raisin101 on Mon, 06/02/2008 - 4:58pm.

Thanks, AZ Phil.

Do you think there's any chance Huseby regains his control and mechanics this season? What happened between last season when he posted respectable numbers at Boise and this season?

Also, Vitters has only been swinging the bat a few games now and this was a lesser opponent, but it appears he's getting back in shape after the tendonitis. About how much longer do you think he'll need to rehab before the rust is gone and he can head back to the MWL?

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

RAISIN: I don't think anybody knows what happened to Chris Huseby during the off-season that might have caused the extreme loss of control in 2008. He can't even play catch without throwing the ball away. It's just weird. But apparently it's all in his head. He doesn't have any arm problems (at least he says he doesn't).

I don't know what the Cubs plan to do with Josh Vitters, but I think it's fairly certain that he will either go back to Peoria or he will be assigned to Boise. He won't remain at Fitch Park past next week. If I had to guess, I would think Vitters will probably go to Boise initially, and then maybe back to Peoria later in the season (TBD).

He appears to be swinging the bat much better the last couple or three days. He also is wearing batting gloves, which I don't remember him wearing earlier this season.

But far more troubling than the bout with a finger blister at Minor League Camp and tendinitis in his hand at Peoria is the fact that Vitters has a MAJOR problem with making accurate throws to 1st base. If it persists, it will require a position change, probably to 1B, or perhaps to a corner OF spot.

AZ Phil, it's difficult to really get a feel for how the guys are doing out in AZ since there's no official stats or game summaries published on MILB.com. Thanks for your hard work keeping everyone informed! With that said, do you think Burke will remain in AZ, report to Boise, or head back to Peoria in the next few weeks?

"I don't think anybody knows what happened to Chris Huseby during the off-season that might have caused the extreme loss of control in 2008." Damn the Cubs for sending Huseby to the Steve Blass Pitching Adventure Camp last fall.

Submitted by chattbaseball on Mon, 06/02/2008 - 6:56pm.

AZ Phil, it's difficult to really get a feel for how the guys are doing out in AZ since there's no official stats or game summaries published on MILB.com. Thanks for your hard work keeping everyone informed!

With that said, do you think Burke will remain in AZ, report to Boise, or head back to Peoria in the next few weeks?

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

CHATT B: I believe Kyler Burke will be assigned to Boise on 6/12 (that's when the Boise Hawks leave Arizona), but he could get back up to Peoria before too long, depending on how he is hitting and whether there is a spot open for him there. 

At the time Burke was demoted from Peoria to EXST, he was in the midst of a hitting slump, but he also got sent down because the Peoria Chiefs had four left-handed hitting outfielders and they needed to drop one to make room on the roster for right-handed hitting LF Brandon Guyer (who had just completed his rehab at Fitch Park).

Leon Johnson was also slumping at the time, but Johnson and Cliff Andersen were the only players on the Peoria roster who could play CF, so given a choice between sending Burke or Johnson to EXST, the Cubs chose Burke.

I think another possible reason the Cubs chose to demote Burke when they did was because they want him to start thinking about a possible move to the mound at some point in the near future (he was highly rated LHP in HS). The Cubs would not make such a move unless Burke agreed to do 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.