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 

 



 

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Rule 5 Draft 
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Game 71 Thread / Cubs @ Rays (1 of 3)


Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP Ryan Dempster
SP
*Scott Kazmir
  8-2, 2.81, 75 K, 35 BB, 89.2 IP
6-2, 1.74, 54 K, 16 BB, 51.2 IP
       
CF
Reed Johnson 2B
*Akinori Iwamura
SS
Ryan Theriot
1B
#Willy Aybar
1B
Derrek Lee CF
BJ Upton
3B
Aramis Ramirez
RF
*Eric Hinske
DH
Geovany Soto 3B
Evan Longoria
RF
Mark DeRosa DH
*Cliff Floyd
LF
Matt Murton
C
#Dionar Navarro
C
Henry Blanco RF
*Gabe Gross
2B
Ronny Cedeno
SS
Jason Bartlett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Murton has been called up and Eric Patterson has been sent down. Welcome back to the Show Orange Guy, and good luck with Scott Kazmir, who has given up all of one run in four home starts this year (thanks nohit). The entire Rays team has been enjoying the comforts of Tampa, Florida with a shiny 26-11 mark at Tropicana Field. That's good for second best in the home record in the American League and has helped catapult them from the worst overall record in the league last year to the current AL Wild Card leaders. Most of that turnaround can be attributed to their pitching and defense and not that sketchy lineup that I'm looking at. But I guess you don't need good hitters if you can "Execute to the Max".

Game notes fun after the jump...

  • This is the Cubs first trip to Tropicana Field and marks the 112th stadium they've played in.
  • The Cubs enter the game 80-80 in interleague games since its inception in 1997.
  • Cubs starters have allowed three or fewer runs in seven straight games.
  • Carlos Marmol is five short of the team holds record with 20. Bob Scanlan('93) and Jeff Fassero('01) currently hold the team record with 25.

Comments

Off the top of my head, I think the AL has been generally better than the NL since '97 so an even 80-80 record is probably better than most. This lineup sucks!

I thought his nickname was Ginger. Orange guy was something Maddux said because he didn't know who Murton was. Who's the orange guy? Wish it would go away. Reminds me too much of the Dusty Eff Baker years.

Hi guys, I'm new here so I have some questions: Does the Ray's strikeout bonus (free Papa John's Pizza) apply to a Cubs fan watching in Texas? No offense (pun intended) to Murton, but shouldn't EPat been given more of a chance? Lastly, I'm voting for a choice of Home or Away TV coverage on MLB.TV - These guys are screamers. Speaking of screamers, does anybody else hear all the women screaming inside this dome? Do they just leave the beach and go to the ballpark? Thanks for listening...

[ ]

In reply to by tem99

Too hard or not far enough down the line. I think if that is down the line and Longoria has to come in at a weird angle and throw across his body it would have been a hit. Oh well, we were in it until the end, can't ask for more than a chance to win and we've been in every game for a long time.

The squeeze was 'ok' I guess..takes a great play from both Longoria and Aybar to get him. I think the at bat by Hoffpaur was the really poor at bat all we needed was a fly ball. Then the wild pitch richochets right back to the catcher. Ah well luck wasn't on our side tonight. Get 'em tomorrow :)

That was a great play and great call at the end, imo. To get the out and save the game they were going to have to make that play perfectly. 3B Was going to have to get to the ball clean, make a clean throw, and 1B was going to have to hold on to it. Unfortunately, they did.

didn't come to it, but with Lou pinch-hitting for Blanco, he would have burned his DH had it gone extras.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

if your DH plays in the field, you lose the DH spot and the pitcher has to hit. Since he pinch-hit for Blanco in the 9th, Soto would have moved to catcher and all he had left was Fontenot on the bench.

Not that big a deal...

Ouch -- shame to lose this one, after doing such a nice job of getting Kazmir out of the game. Tying run at third, one out, lefty/righty match-up....ouch. At least the Cards lost.

a squeeze would imply that Fukudome was running, which I believe he was not... ========= Rob, I think it's called a safety squeeze if the man on 3rd isn't running on the pitch, but on contact. When he is running on the pitch, it's a suicide squeeze, where the runner is usually out if the bunt isn't placed.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

Also, generally speaking, you typically don't call a squeeze with two outs. Not to say that there aren't exceptions, but that's a general no-no for managers. You'd need somebody with Ellsbury, Reyes, or Pierre type speed to call a squeeze with two outs. Not only does the batter have to get the bunt down to get the runner home, he also has to beat it out at 1st base. That had to be a bunt for a hit for Johnson. No way Lou would call that with him at the plate.

One can see why the Rays gave Longorria the Franklin mint this spring. He is fantastic. Great try by Reed. It was the right play. I agree the big AB was Hoff-power. Right now, Hoffpower & Cedeno have both turned back into pumpkins. I think we'll win one of the next two and come home w/a .500 road trip.

To finish the night on an up note -- Veal tosses 7 innings of 2-hit shutout ball at Tenn., and Ceda (newly promoted?) follows with K's 4 in 2 shutout innings.

I was following on ESPN.com. Thanks for filling in the cracks. IMO, like that Lou was being aggresive and rolling the dice even if it didn't work out.

cotts didnt look good lou was not pleased cedeno wouldbe outta here if defensively there was a better option. murton did not do muh to improve trade value rays looking for outfield help.

Why did Hoffpauir pinch hit ahead of Edmonds? Maybe Lou figured they'd give Edmonds an IBB, but I still would have picked the veteran in that spot over the rookie.

Yep..1 game back and Murton sure sucks. He can't even hit Scott Kazmir...that just sucks!!!! I mean Kazmir is 6-2, with a 1.76 ERA, and 61 K's in 56 innings, he sucks? I mean...huh?

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Cmon Wiscgrad you know why. Lou ALWAYS wants somebody else than what he's got. This team has remained extremely heathy for the most part since Lou got here. Yet you always hear gripe from Lou about needing a left handed bat for the infield,lefthanded outfield bat,righthanded of'er who can play all 3 positions,another RHed starter, another lefty for the pen,etc.etc.etc. That is Lou's MO since he got here. He is like the wife that can't figure out where she wants the new sofa. It's Jim Hendry's job to move that heavy ass sofa around until she is happy.

No kidding Dusty Baylor. Murton has always had the expectation that he has to hit every single day and hit for power or else he sucks. 1 game back and the majority of the posters are signing his death sentence. Shit give the guy all the starts between now and when Soriano gets back and lets see what happens. He has proven over 2 seperate seasons he can hit in the majors, just let him play. Food for thought.... Fukudome is on pace for 560 AB's, 12 HR's and 67 RBI while hitting .300 with a .400 OBP. Matt Murton hit 13 HR in his rookie season drove in 62 in 455 AB's while hitting .297 with a .365 OBP. Many considered that not good enough for a corner OFer. Last year Murton hit 8 HRs in 235 AB's. Gee I wonder if Fuku will need to be replaced because he doesnt hit enough for a corner OFer either.

[ ]

In reply to by MikeC

That's a strawman argument. It's not just that Murton doesn't hit for power. He hits for average. But he realy can't do much else well. He is not magically going to get faster or figure out how to field. So people would like him to elevate the ball and hit for some more power. This makes him a more valuable player. If he can't improve the power numbers, then he really is a one trick pony: he will hit a lot of singles and a few doubles for a .300 average. Not that that is a bad thing, it's just that a lot of people want more. I mean Murton's defense sucks. Fukodome's is awesome. Murton has 8 career SB and Fukodome already has 6. Also, over a full season, that difference in OBP is around 30-40 more times on base, not insignificant. If Murton was a gold glove caliber outfielder who could run a bit, had great bat control, and got on base a .400 clip, we wouldn't care about his power.

Anyone know of the condition of Ward and when he is expected back? After the recent struggles with our DHs (Lee, Rammy, Soto), it seems like their offensive production is affected when they aren't out there playing defense. Additionally, after seeing Hoff trying to be a hero yesterday while swinging for the fences when all we needed was a sac fly, it makes me wonder what a veteran bench guy like Ward would of done in that situation. IMO, Ward will be a welcome addition as our DH in the Cubs/Sox series at the cell.

[ ]

In reply to by vorare

This is what I'm talking about>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Blogs :: Chicago Cubs Daily EntriesCollapse moduleDelete ModuleEdit Module PreferencesRefresh Module Ted Lilly Fan Club :: Game Recap: Why Isn't Ted Lilly Playing Left Field? - 8 hours ago Now, we're absolutely fans of Thunder Matt's Saloon and its undying support of alcoholism but, after watching last night's game against the Satan Rays, the TLFC has one simple question for... The Cub Reporter :: Boise Hawks Win Opener 6-5 - 8 hours ago Jake Opitz hit a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Boise Hawks to a 6-5 victory over the Eugene Emeralds before 3,519 fans on opening night at Memorial Stadium. The 12th... The Cub Reporter :: Smokies pound BayBears 13-0 - 8 hours ago Sevierville, TN - Tonight was the official beginning of the 2nd half of the season for the Tennessee Smokies, and the home team got out to a great start in a 13-0 drubbing of the visiting Mobile BayBe... Cubby-Blue :: How Come I'm Not The Manager Of The Cubs? - 10 hours ago How exciting was that game? The best 9th I've seen in awhile - what drama. Ray starting pitcher Kazmir is a leftie, Lou puts in an all-rightie lineup. I'm not surprised by that or thinking any... The Cubs Brickyard :: Boston Celtics Win NBA Title - NBA Declares Playoffs Aren’t Over - 11 hours ago (Boston, MA) - The Boston Celtics and their dynamic trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen had the NBA’s best record this season. It showed in the postseason, as they marched through ... The Cub Reporter :: The Game That Slowly Lulled Me To Sleep - 11 hours ago First Star - Grant Balfour (.174) Second Star - Ryan Dempster (.161) Third Star - Kosuke Fukudome (.150) Turd of the Game - Reed Johnson (-.204) I went to bed last night after the Cubs hit in ... MLB News Blog Network :: Passan?s all-overpaid and all-underpaid teams (Yahoo! Sports) - 11 hours ago It’s no secret which list Barry Zito and Andruw Jones are on, but all the Angels in the outfield too? Bleed Cubbie Blue :: Almost Famous: Cubs 2, Rays 3 - 11 hours ago CLEVELAND -- I missed about half of last night's 3-2 Cubs loss to the Rays, still on the road back to Chicago from Toronto and Cooperstown, but arrived at my hotel room in Cleveland (a convenient ... Goat Riders of the Apocalypse :: Alfonso Soriano may return early - 11 hours ago When Alfonso Soriano retires from baseball, he could probably get a job in the horror movie industry. Just when you think his body's been riddled with enough bullets that the threat of doom is ov... Hire Jim Essian! :: Three More Years! Three More Years! - 13 hours ago That’s right, nerds and perverts. It’s your old pal Jay Mariotti here. I’m back, baby! Three more years of Jay! It’s a lucky day for Chicago! I don’t like to use hyp...

FUKUDOME will be the #1 hitter in Lou's lineups until Soriano returns. Cory Provis was just told by Lou... You heard it on TCR first!

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • crunch (view)

    in other news, it took 3 PA before a.rizzo got his 1st HBP of the season.

  • Eric S (view)

    With two home runs (so far) and 5 rbi today … clearly Nick Martini is the straw that stirs the Reds drink 😳

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • 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.