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

Jost Another Saturday in the Park

Angel Guzman (on the 60-day DL while rehabbing from 2007 TJS) threw two innings (28 pitches) in an intrasquad game, and Daryle Ward (on the 15-day DL while rehabbing from a back injury) took an extended BP session, as the AZL Cubs spent their first day home alone at Fitch Park. 

Also, three more players signed out of the recent Rule 4 Draft have reported to Fitch Park, bringing the count up to 22 drafted players signed (with 29 still unsigned), plus three non-drafted free-agents (NDFA) signed.

The Cubs have signed 22 of their first 37 2008 Rule 4 draft picks, but included among the unsigned are 1st round pick RHP Andrew Cashner (TCU), 2nd round pick RHP Aaron Shafer (Wichita State), 3rd round pick RHP Chris Carpenter (Kent State), and 5th round pick RHP Justin Bristow (East Carolina).  

Angel Guzman displayed good control in his outing today, throwing 20 strikes and only eight balls in his two innings of work (15 pitches in the 1st inning, and 13 pitches in the 2nd). He allowed one run on four hits (all singles), no walks, and two strikeouts (both swinging), and a 2/1 GO/FO (another runner was thrown out after over-running 2nd base).  

Daryle Ward hit in a "standard" BP session (coach throwing "BP fastballs" from in front of the mound) on Field #4 at 9 AM (although once again he did not take an AB in the intrasquad game), and he launched bomb after bomb onto 6th Place (that's when he wasn't hitting ropes off the LF and RF fence).  

The new players reporting to Fitch Park today included RHPs Dan McDaniel (14th round pick out of Chabot JC) and Jon Nagel (17th round pick out of Independence CC), and OF Ryan Sontag (23rd round pick out of Arizona State). Nagel is wearing a plastic splint on his right arm (he recently had TJ surgery). The only player reported to have signed who has yet to arrive is 4th round pick IF-C Matt Cerda.

In AZL Cubs roster news, besides the addition of McDaniel and Sontag to the roster (Nagel goes directly into the Fitch Park Rehab & Witness Protection Program), RHPs Israel Camacaro (signed earlier this year out of Venezuela) and Mike Perconte (recently signed NDFA out of Murray State) were added to the Boise roster after yesterday's intrasquad game, and both left for Idaho with the other Hawks this morning. This brings the Hawks roster up to 29, with one open slot.

The AZL Cubs roster currently stands at 38, but two of the players (Jeffrey Rea and Robinson Chirinos) are expected to leave Fitch Park by the start of the AZL season next weekend. (Rea appears to be 100% recovered from his strained quad and will probably end up back at Peoria and play 2B, and Chirinos--who was sent to EXST from Tennessee to learn to be a catcher--will very likely be assigned to a full season team and serve as a "super sub" C-IF-OF utility guy). 

1B Bryan Jost (2007 44th round draft pick out of the U. of Minnesota, and one of the EXST Cubs who was left behind when the Boise Hawks broke camp today) was late to Fitch Park this morning (think he might have been out partying with the Hawks last night?), so he was ordered to stay on the field in the hot sun and play 1B for both squads in the intrasquad game.

Then after the game, Jost had to take 45 ground balls at 1st base in 100 degree heat, while the rest of the team had to sit on the bench (albeit in the shade) and watch.

After each round of 15, Jost had to run over to the bench (from across the field), and shake hands with and apologize to each player. Then he had to run back to his position and take more ground balls (and coach Rick Tronerud made sure to make Jost go hard to his left and then range far to his right on every-other one!).

After finally completing his drill, Jost had to pick-up all the balls and put them in a grocery cart. What happened to Jost after that, I cannot say, but I did see somebody washing the coaches cars in the parking lot as I was leaving.

Fitch Park will be mostly quiet over the next few days, as many members of the AZL Cubs will be going to Cooperstown for the Cubs-Padres "Hall of Fame Game" at Abner Doubleday Field on Monday, followed by a VIP Tour of the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum on Tuesday.  

Here is the abridged box score from today's AZL Cubs intrasquad game:

NOTE: Jeffrey Rea and Jose Made switched squads after the 1st inning, Kevin Soto was a DH for both squads, and Bryan Jost played 1B for both squads (see above). Also, Jose Guevara played defense but did not take an AB (he is rehabbing from a broken hand and still has problems swinging a bat), and RHP Oswaldo Martinez (rehabbing from TJ surgery) pitched from behind a BP screen (this was Martinez's first game action since the surgery).   

SQUAD "A":
1a. Jeffrey Rea, 2B: 0-1
1b. SLOT SKIPPED 2nd TIME THRU ORDER
2. Kevin Soto, DH #1: 1-2 
3. Sean Hoorelbeke, DH #2: 1-2 (K)
4. Nelson Perez, CF: 1-2 (3B, R)
5a. SLOT SKIPPED 1st TIME THRU ORDER
5b. Jose Made, 2B 1-1 (3B, RBI, R)
6. Junior Lake, 3B: 1-2 (RBI, R, SB)
7. Ryan Sontag, RF: 1-2 (3B, R, K)
8. Alvaro Sosa, C-DH: 2-2 (RBI)
9. Roberto Sabates, DH-C: 0-1 (SF-RBI)
10. Cesar Salazar, LF: 0-2 (K)
11. George Matheus, SS: 0-1
12. Bryan Jost, 1B (PLAYED 1B FOR BOTH SQUADS)

SQUAD "B":
1. Starlin Castro, SS: 2-3 (2B, HR, RBI, 2 R)
2. Dwayne Kemp, 2B: 1-1 (3B, R, SH)
3a. Jose Made, DH #1: 1-1 (RBI, R)
3b. SLOT SKIPPED 2nd TIME THRU ORDER
4. John Contreras, 3B: 2-2 (2B, 3B, 2 RBI)
5. TeWayne Willis, LF: 0-2 (CS)
6. David Macias, RF: 0-2
7. Kurt Calvert, CF: 0-2
8. Kevin Soto, DH #2: 0-1
9. Jeffrey Rea, DH #3: 0-1
10. Jose Guevara, C (NO AB - rehabbing from broken hand)
11. Bryan Jost, 1B (PLAYED 1B FOR BOTH SQUADS) 

PITCHERS

SQUAD "A":
1. Dionis Nunez - 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, (4 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR

SQUAD "B"
1. Angel Guzman - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K
2. Oswaldo Martinez - 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 1 K

ERRORS: NONE (Josh Vitters has left for Boise)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Alvaro Sosa: 1-1 CS
Jose Guevara: 0-1 CS

WEATHER: Very hot, sunny, and no breeze (but it's a dry heat)

ATTENDANCE: 5 (including Oswaldo Martinez's parents)

Comments

AZP... ... thanks, as always for your in-depth work. How good do you think Jost feels right now? Also, where did Keedy go? The kid from UAB who is as graceful as a stopsign? Is it possible that Jost was covering 1B in order to prevent the rest of the team from watching Keedy in the field?

Submitted by Hawkeye on Sat, 06/14/2008 - 4:19pm.

Also, where did Keedy go? The kid from UAB who is as graceful as a stopsign? Is it possible that Jost was covering 1B in order to prevent the rest of the team from watching Keedy in the field?

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

HAWKEYE: The left-handed hitting (and bottom-heavy) 1B Ryan Keedy (16th round pick out of UAB) was assigned to Boise, where he will platoon with the right-handed hitting big-as-a-house (made Daryle Ward look like a midget when they stood side-by-side) 1B Rebel Ridling (Oklahoma State).

With Rebel Ridling and Michael Brenly at the tackles, and Sean Hoorelbeke and Ryan Keedy at the guards, all the Cubs need is a center to form what could be one outstanding NFL offensive line. I hope the host families at Boise know what they're getting into, because their grocery bills could triple starting this week.

And if they need a good running back, TeWayne "T Train" Willis (28th round pick out of Lincoln Memorial U. and one-time cover-corner at the University of Kentucky) could probably outrun half the defensive backs in the NFL. He might not hit much, but he is one fast scatback.

BTW, CF Tony Campana (13th round pick out of U. of Cincinnati) arrived at Fitch Park yesterday, and I swear, he looks like he's 12 years old. He could probably work for the Boise Police as a narc at the local junior highs on his days off.

After finally completing his drill, Jost had to pick-up all the balls and put them in a grocery cart. What happened to Jost after that, I cannot say, but I did see somebody washing the coaches cars in the parking lot as I was leaving.
Doesn't make the A-Ball Boise team, and still willing to do this. No wonder I didn't make the freshman team in HS. Great reporting, as always, Phil.

The Boise team has only 3 outfielders (and they're all lefties). Do you think that they are going to add a couple more outfielders to their roster? Are there any new draft signees reported to Fitch Park?

Submitted by falcon on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 4:32pm.

The Boise team has only 3 outfielders (and they're all lefties). Do you think that they are going to add a couple more outfielders to their roster? Are there any new draft signees reported to Fitch Park?

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

FALCON: With Jake Opitz an above-average defensive second-baseman and Josh Harrison below-average at 2B, I suspect the Cubs will want Opitz to play 2B most every day, with Harrison getting a lot of PT in LF.

The Cubs have already tried some of the organization's other below-average defensive second-basemen in the outfield (Eric Patterson, Matt Camp, Jeffrey Rea, Elvis Lara, and Dwayne Kemp), so playing Harrison a lot in LF wouldn't be unprecendented.

Also, switch-hitting Marwin Gonzalez has the athleticism & versatility to play all four INF positions and all three OF positions. 

4th rounder C-INF Matt Cerda (Oceanside HS) supposedly reported to Fitch Park yesterday, and recently-signed 3rd round pick RHP Chris Carpenter (Kent State) is expected to arrive later this week, but he is nowhere close to being ready for game action. 

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • 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...