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

Cubs vs. Braves: Darvish vs. Keuchel (Game 80)

CHC (43-36): RHP Yu Darvish (2-3, 4.75 ERA)
ATL (47-33): LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
First pitch 7:05pmCDT

Darvish heads to the hill in order to untie the series. Yu's last start was a no-decision marred by a pair of Mets homeruns, accounting for three of the four runs he allowed. Darvish has yet to put together a consistent good stretch, but going back about a month to May 25th he seems to have gotten a handle on the walk problem that hurt him in the first two months of the season. His ERA during that time has been 4.34 anyway largely because he's allowed almost two homeruns per nine innings. A little good luck going his way would probably do wonders for fans' confidence in him. Darvish did not pitch in the Atlanta series during the first week. Former AL MVP Josh Donaldson is 4-20 off of him with nine strikeouts. Albies and Enciarte are each 3-7, and Enciarte has the lone dinger.Dallas Keuchel has made one start since signing with Atlanta. He allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits in five innings to the Nationals.  The 2015 Cy Young award winner saw a decline in his strikeouts last year but as always boasted a very high groundball rate and achieved the now rare feat of pitching over 200 innings. Anthony Rizzo is 2-5 with a homerun off of him. Descalso is the only other current Cub to have faced him, and he's 0-2. The Cubs have posted a 93 wRC+ against lefties this year. Contreras, Bryant, and Baez have mashed southpaws. Albert Almora has somehow been horrendous in what should be his offensive niche, posting a .558 OPS with a 21% strikeout rate and a 59.3% groundball rate. Rizzo uncharacteristically poor performance against lefites is probably due mostly to a high groundball rate and a low BABIP. Bote's not having the batted ball luck or hitting for the power he did against lefties in 2018.

Comments

I suspect Adbert Alzolay gets optioned back to AAA when Kimbrel is recalled, and then the Cubs go with a nine-man bullpen (and 14 pitchers) when Edwards is reinstated from the IL, with Cargo or Descalso getting the DFA. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

AZ Phil - Do you think it more likely than not one of either Montgomery or Chatwood is traded by the end of the July deadline?

Also, Robel Garcia is the current hot name for a potential callup to help out at second base. Do you think Vimael Machin would also be considered?  Machin has only 3 homers (compared to Garcia’s 20) but has 18 doubles and appears to not have a significant swing and miss aspect to his game that Garcia has — could be the Cubs could use Machin’s on-base skill moreso than Garcia’s power. 

ERIC S: While I think the Cubs would probably like to trade both Mike Montgomery and Tyler Chatwood, the most-likely of the two to get traded this year is Montgomery, just because Chatwood's contract makes him virtually untradeable right now, and Montgomery could be a SP on a team that needs one (like OAK, LAA, or AZ). 

Vimael Machin is having a fine season at AA but I don't think he would be a call-up candidate in 2019 until he gets moved-up to AAA and then stays there for a while.  

The problem with Robel Garcia is that while he clearly has plus-HR power he also strikes out a lot, and although he is an infielder by trade he is below-average defensively no matter where he plays. I have talked to scouts about Robel Garcia and they see him strictly as a DH (or a PH in the N. L.). 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Thanks, Phil!  Also think calling Garcia up could cause Happ to go nuts - they seem to have similar profiles (power hitting switch hitters who K frequently), though Happ can at least be adequate in the outfield defensively.  Read an article in the Athletic this week about Cubs efforts to instill both A (launch angle) and B (flatter) swings in Happ depending on situation — still a long way to go apparently. 

(CNN) The 2-year-old girl struck by a foul ball last month during a Chicago Cubs' game against the Astros in Houston sustained a fracture skull, subdural bleeding, brain contusions and a brain edema, the family's attorney said Wednesday.

Attorney Steve Polotko said Wednesday that the girl had a seizure at the hospital and has to take medicine to prevent more seizures. She is still recovering at home from her injuries, he said.

----------

...we are gonna have so much net over so many parks next season.

it's going to be weird seeing stuff bouncing off nets into deep foul ground.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I've been waiting for closure on this story. Was hoping the family just didn't want to be in the news, but that she suffered serious injuries seemed the more likely scenario. I hope the Cubs organization is at least helping with any medical costs not fully covered by insurance.

kimbrel is on-route to chicago.  he'll most likely be activated tomorrow.

Didn’t take long for Cubbery to show up early in this matchup

I wouldn’t have minded starting Willson in left field and let Caratini catch Yu - they seem to be more on the same page. 

contreras with a HR and a triple (he had 5 last year, 1st this year)

he is really gonna cost some $$ the next couple seasons if he keeps up this bat+glove high end combo.

cubs lose, brews lose, cards lose (again)

if it wasn't for PIT winning this would be 2 days in a row of no NL Central win.

At least there’s Chatwood for the Ace/Stopper role tomorrow!!!

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. 

Per internets, Tony Barnette will be optioned to make room for Kimbrel, so Alzolay may get some more run before Hendricks/Edwards return. 

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).