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

Sat Funnies: Darwin Barney angers "The Cubs Way" Forefathers

I read the Cubs/Astros recap on ESPN and found this quote from Darwin Barney and couldn't help but think... what BLASPHEMY!
The Forefathers must be furious!
And then "Forefathers" led to George Washington so...
Anyway, not to be taken too seriously, just hopefully making a laugh out of molehill.
Happy to see the homers (nice one, Anthony!) and of course, Go Cubs.

Comments

h.takahashi to the rockies for PTBN/cash...omfg, promote rosscup to AAA already (also a lefty...a recently-turned 25 year old one). 28.2ip 18h 12bb 44k (2.20era/1.05whip) awesome numbers, but it's hard to get excited about them because he's not been challenged much vs all those 21-23 year olds he's been feasting on. it's time to challenge his stuff.

tie game...man on 1st...0 outs...bring in s.camp... this could get interesting. success! to the bottom 7th.

Jim Callis‏@jimcallisBA #Cubs sign Scott Frazier for $267,600. Talent value in 6th rd. Pepperdine RHP, 6-7/230, 91-93 to 96, flashes plus curve. That's slot for the pick.

"Tommy Birch ‏@TommyBirch More #IowaCubs news: OF Brett Jackson placed on the DL with a right calf strain. INF Ian Stewart reinstated from the suspended list." ...des moines register writer, btw

Shawon Dunston Jr. and Kevin Encarnacion had HR's for Boise; Albert Almora hit his 2nd HR for KC; Javier Baez hit his 16th HR for Daytona; Matt Szczur had 4 hits and upped his avg. to .298

More Minor Cubbery...Clevenger setback. Jae-Hoon Ha started in Iowa (1-3, single) as BJax replacement (DL with calf strain). Stewart un-suspendered.
The Cubs also announced that catcher Steve Clevenger, whose Minor League rehab assignment was to end Saturday, was experiencing some tightness in his oblique area. Clevenger will rest, and then be re-evaluated by the Cubs’ medical staff. In 15 games, he batted .327 with five doubles, three home runs, and 11 RBIs.
http://muskat.mlblogs.com/2013/06/22/622-stewarts-back-clevenger-jackso…

TCR is dead today. I expected a bunch of posts about the Cubs putting up 14 runs, and even more about Castro going 0-for-4 with 2 errors. It's nice to win another series, even at home against a bad team.

There's talk of a roster move with a pitcher prior to tomorrow's game with the Brewers. Instead of playing musical roster DFA with Henry Rodriguez or coming down with a phantom injury for Hector Rondon, how abou just letting Shawn Camp go? Camp has no future here. Why not see if Rodriguez is fixable at the major league level. And sticking Rondon on the DL does nothing for his development. Maybe the Cubs get lucky and some team takes on the rest of Camp's salary. Or at least prorated MLB minimum.

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

I would think the Cubs would option Blake Parker to AAA and have him be the closer for the I-Cubs until Kevin Gregg gets traded.

Parker and James Russell are the only two pitchers on the 25-man roster who can be optioned to the minors without having to give their permission, although Optional Assignment Waivers would have to be secured before Russell can be optioned to the minors (Optional Waivers are revocable and thus can be withdrawn if the player is claimed, so they are more-or-less a formality).

Or the Cubs could just DFA Hector Rondon and see if they can get him through Outright Waivers. He hasn't been that impressive, and so there probably wouldn't be much interest in him on the waiver wire, especially since the claiming club assumes the Rule 5 roster restrictions. If Outright Waivers could be secured, Rondon would have to be offered back to the AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians (the AAA club from which he was drafted), and if the Indians were to re-claim him, he MUST be outrighted to that AAA club. (A Rule 5 player who is reclaimed by his former organization MUST be outrighted to the AAA club from which he was drafted). But Rondon can elect free-agency if he is outrighted because he has been outrighted previously in his career, so the Indians would get stuck paying $25,000 to get a player back who can walk away immediately, and I'm not sure they would risk that. (And Rondon would be able to elect free-agency immediately after the conclusion of the MLB regular season even if he were to decline to elect free-agency immediately upon being outrighted).

If Outright Waivers could be secured and the Indians decline to reclaim Rondon (because he can elect to be a free-agent if outrighted), the Cubs could option Rondon to Iowa (even though Cleveland would not be able to option Rondon to the minors, the Cubs could if the Indians decline to reclaim him). Rondon is eligible for a 4th minor league option, so the Cubs could send him to the minors without Rondon being able to elect free-agency. (BTW, just because Outright Waivers are secured does not mean the player must be outrighted to the minors, but because he is a Rule 5 player, the Cubs would have to secure Outright Waivers on Rondon before he can be offered back to his original organization, and he has to be offered back to Cleveland--and the Indians must decline to take him back--before the Cubs can option Rondon to Iowa). 

Also note that even though the Cubs would probably DFA Rondon before starting the Rule 5 return process (the process takes about five days to complete), he can be optioned to the minors as long as it happens within the ten day DFA period. A player must be traded, released, or sent to the minors (by outright OR optional asignment) within ten days afrer being Designated for Assignment. (NOTE: The Optional Assignment choice does not to apply if the club's 40-man roster was full and the designated player was replaced on the 40-man roster by another player, or during the off-season prior to the start of Spring Training).

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

This DFA scenario for Rondon has some appeal. If they feel he could have a future as a starter, they could stretch him out some at Iowa. But with his past of multiple arm issues, is he better suited for the pen? If they feel the pen is the way to go, then why not just keep him in Chicago and get him more consistant use. Wins aren't overly important this season.

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).