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

Restricted List

The Restricted List is essentially an excused but unpaid absence, although in certain circumstances a club might choose to pay the player while he is on the Restricted List.

If a club requests that a player be placed on the Restricted List, the request must be approved by the MLB Commissioner. 

A player who is suspended for violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (player tested positive for a prohibited substance) or is suspended or granted a leave of absence related to a violation or possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy is automatically placed on the Restricted List by the MLB Commissioner.

A player placed on Administrative Leave pending investigation of a possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy is automatically placed on the Restricted List while he is on Administrative Leave. The player is paid and accrues MLB Service Time while on Administrative Leave. The MLB Commissioner has up to seven days to complete its investigation and determine if there was a violation, but with consent of the MLBPA, the investigation can be extended seven additional days (14 days total). After the completion of the investigation, the MLB Commissioner can find there was no violation, or find there was a violation and impose discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension (length TBD), or find there was a violation but defer disciplinary action to a later date.  

Besides a suspension related to a violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program or a suspension or leave of absence related to a violation or possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy, other reasons why a player might be placed on the Restricted List would include an absence due to an illness or death in the family where the absence exceeds the Major League Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List seven-day maximum limit, failing to report to Spring Training, or if a player is dealing with a personal legal matter, or is serving a prison sentence, attending college, or pursuing a career in another sport or profession, or if a player from a foreign country is unable to secure a work visa.
CoViD-19 EXCEPTION: An MLB or minor league player not in a CoViD-19 "high risk group" who opts-out of playing because of the threat of possibly contracting CoViD-19 or any player who is denied entry into a state or a foreign country because he is not vaccinated will be placed on the Restricted List and will not be paid and will not accrue MLB Service Time.  

A player on the Restricted List does not count against his club's Active List or Reserve List, and a player who is on the Restricted List for any reason other than a suspension related to a violation or possible violation of the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy does not accrue MLB Service Time while on the Restricted List. A player who is placed on Administrative Leave pending investigation of a possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy continues to be paid and will accrue MLB Service Time while on the Restricted List.     
NOTE: Beginning in December 2016, an MLB player suspended as the result of a violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program will receive credit for MLB Service Time while on the Restricted List if the player was on an MLB Active List or MLB DL at the time of the suspension, it's the player's first or second positive test, and the length of the suspension is subsequently reduced by at least 20 games by an arbitrator as the result of mitigating circumstances.

A player who is on the Restricted List as the result of a suspension related to a violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (ban on the use of a prohibited substance) or for a suspension or leave of absence related to a violation or possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy may consent to participate in Spring Training (MLB and/or Minor League Camp) and/or Extended Spring Training and/or in a post-season Instructional League (without pay), but a suspended player is not eligible to participate in the Arizona Fall League (AFL).

Prior to being reinstated, an MLB player who is on the Restricted List for any reason other than a suspension related to a violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (ban on the use of a prohibited substance) or a suspension or leave of absence related to a violation or possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy may consent to a "conditioning" assignment (with or without pay - TBD) with a minor league affiliate of his club for up to 30 days, and an MLB player who is on the Restricted List as the result of a suspension related to a violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (ban on the use of a prohibited substance) or a suspension or leave of absence related to a violation or possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy may consent to a "conditioning" assignment (without pay) with a minor league affiliate of his club for no more than six days for a suspension of 10-20 games, no more than ten days if suspended 21-30 games, no more than twelve days if suspended 31-50 games, and no more than 15 days for suspensions of more than 50 games.
NOTE: A player receives MLB meal money and other benefits associated with being an MLB player while on a  minor league "conditioning" assignment.  

An MLB player who is on the Restricted List for any reason other than extended Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency Leave or a suspension for violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (ban on the use of a prohibited substance) or a suspension or leave of absence related to a violation or possible violation of the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy cannot be reinstated from the Restricted List during the period of time extending from August 1st through October 31st without the approval of the MLB Commissioner, and a minor league player on the Restricted List for any reason other than a suspension for a violation of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (ban on the use of a prohibited substance) cannot be reinstated from the Restricted List during the period of time extending from August 1st through the conclusion of his club's season (including post-season) without the approval of the MLB Commissioner. 

A player on the Restricted List must be added back to his club's Reserve List within 30 days after being reinstated or when he is placed on the club's Active List (whichever comes first) if the player is reinstated during the period of time beginning on the mandatory Spring Training reporting date and extending through the last day of the regular season, or within 14 days after reinstatement if the player is reinstated during the off-season, but if the player is assigned to another club while on the Restricted List he must be placed on that club's Reserve List immediately after reinstatement.

PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESTRICTED LIST (updated 10-20-2022):
NONE 

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).