Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

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The Cub Reporter was established in July 2001 by Christian Ruzich, whose first post reflected on whether or not Jason Bere and Julian Tavarez could "keep this up all year." (They couldn't.) TCR has grown into one of the largest, independent Cubs sites on the net. Our unique team of writers doesn't let their 188+ combined seasons of heartache get in the way of offering fresh takes on all things Cub.

If you have any questions about the site or our writers, please send them a note through the contact form. Please direct any general inquiries to CT Steve.
 

Arizona Phil
Arizona Phil

Arizona Phil has been a Cubs fan since 1960...and a Cubs expert almost as long. TCR's resident minor league/roster/history/just-about-everything guru has been gracing the TCR front pages with his expertise since 2005. His one-of-a-kind eyewitness spring training reports almost make the offseason months bearable.

CT Steve
CT Steve

Long-time reader, heavy parachatter, and sometimes commenter, CT Steve became the TCR showrunner in May 2015, when Rob G finally came to his senses and stepped down after over a decade at the helm. Born in the southern 'burbs of Detroit--full disclosure: the Tigers are his secondary/AL team--he moved around the country for school, including a four-year stint in Chicago (1998-2002), when he got hooked on the Cubs. Excepting a 3-year stint/mid-life crisis in NYC, he has lived in CT since 2002, where he teaches and writes and schemes about how he can make it back to the Windy City for good.

Cubby Blue
Cubby Blue

Tim Souers is a Chicago art guy and a Cub Fan. Obviously, that's a great subject to angst over. Or weep over. Or even experience joy over. He tries to make art that conveys what it feels like to be a Cubs Fan. Digital, watercolor, acrylics, whatever. One time it was his own pulled-out hair and some scotch tape. Bad loss that day. He thanks you for looking.

Cubnut
Cubnut

A lifelong Chicagoan, the author fell in love with the Cubs in the days of Santo, Kessinger, Beckert, and Banks and has never completely forgiven himself for it. Now in his mid 40s and on his 22nd manager, he continues to hope for the best, even though deep down, he knows better.

Dr. Hecht
Dr. Joseph Hecht

Dr. Hecht grew up in walking distance of Wrigley Field and went to high school at Lane Tech just down Addison Street. An orthopedic surgeon who trained at University of Chicago and specializes in joint replacement but still has a large general ortho practice. When not thinking baseball, Dr. Hecht is the senior partner of Orthopedic Specialists of NW Indiana. He lives close enough to watch the boys in blue about 30 games a season...and can talk Cubs baseball for hours and hours.

Hero: Ernie (of course) and Homer (Double entendre? now all he needs is a single and triple for the cycle)...and he made sure his son (Ken) is a Cubs fan, proving it's a transmissible disease.

Michael Wellman
Michael Wellman

Mike is the author of Far From the Trees, a finalist in the 2009 Indie Book Awards, and STUBS: A Father’s Tickets to the Greatest Shows on Earth. His latest release, Versus the Demons, is historical fiction that begins with the first night game in the history of pro ball which happened in Des Moines, Mike's hometown, in 1930. As a TCR correspondent he provides first-hand accounts on the I-Cubs. Born in Banks’ rookie year, he’s snared three BP balls ‘ballhawking’ on Waveland and Sheffield, and was once carried from Wrigley on a stretcher, something he expects will happen again when the World Series finally returns. His favorite ‘I was there’ Wrigley moment was the weekend in ’03 when the Cubs clinched on Saturday & Santo’s number 10 was retired on Sunday.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).