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

White Sox @ Cubs: Sale vs. Lester (Game 86 Thread)

CHW (40-44): LHP Chris Sale (7-4, 2.80)

CHC (46-39): LHP Jon Lester (4-7, 3.48)

First pitch: 3:05pmCT

Eaton* cf

Saladino 3b

Abreu 1b

Cabrera# lf

Garcia rf

Ramirez ss

Flowers c

Sanchez# 2b

Sale* p

 

Fowler# cf

Rizzo* 1b

Bryant 3b

Soler rf

Denorfia lf

Castro ss

Montero* c

Lester* p

Russell 2b

Lester went 7 and gave up 2 unearned runs against the Cards on Monday. He is approaching the two-month mark since his last win (May 16). The Sox are 39-169 (.231) against him from his time with Boston. The former Yankee Cabrera (12-42 with a HR) has faced him the most and has the most success against him.

Sale won against Toronto his last time out (9 IP, 2 ER). He had a bit of a late and slow start but has settled in nicely, including going 2-2 with a 1.83 ERA in June. A couple of the Cubs have had an AB or three against him, but no one has a hit.

This is not going to be pretty, especially if you’re listening to the TV broadcast.

Go Cubs!

Comments

Carrie Muskat ‏@CarrieMuskat "Cubs rotation post break will be Hendricks Lester Arrieta Richard and Hammel" also, she tweeted about seeing hammel playing catch in the OF today.

Did Montero leave the game because Lester kicked him in the nards between innings? edit - Jammed left thumb for Montero. No word if it was from defending his nards.

lester gives up 3 hits in a row (and 2 runs) to start the game...follows it up with 6ip 1h 0bb 7k.

Big game tomorrow -- it would be a shame to go from being one pitch from 10 over on Wednesday to being 5 over at the break 3 games later and having to deal with White Sox fans. Baseball....it will drive you nuts.

I am SOOO GLAD I sold my tickets to todays game for a very modest profit. Whoot. I think we are a bit delusional that this team will make the post-season this year. .500 will be an achievement. Incredibly disappointed in the offensively regressed Starlin Castro, who has no trade value (for a premium return) now. And, Fowler is pretty foul for a top of the order guy who can't score runs if he is not on the bases ever. Silver lining is they have been fun to watch for the most part this first half. A lot better than the last 6 years.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

It has been a frustrating few days....but I think they are as good as any other team going for the 2nd wild card spot. The kids are struggling right now, Fowler is way below his career norms, Castro has shown zero (actually negate) growth, Lester has pitched like a decent #3, etc. But, with a win tomorrow, they would be +7 vs. .500. I really wish Bryant weren't doing the AS game or the HR derby -- his bat looks slow, he has made a few painful errors this week and he could probably use a few days off. Hopefully, Bryant-Rizzo-Soler can have a strong 2nd half of July against weak teams (starting tomorrow!). And, unlike Castro, Addison seems to be capable of learning and growth.

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

After the depressing 5 game losing streak (last 2 vs. LA and the sweep in STL), the Cubs were 4 over and had 4 series before the break. To keep my spirits up, I thought if we could take 2 of 3 from the Marlins, Mets and Sox, and split with the Cards, we would be +7 going into the break and that would be a good spot to be in. Almost to form (swept the Mets, but hope to win only 1 of 3 vs. Sox) -- a win tomorrow gets them to my hoped-for +7 at the break (despite the fact I am still recovering from being at "The Strop Game"). At times it's hard to remember that they are starting 3 rookies and have a makeshift platoon in LF this year. Bryant and Soler have looked good on occasion and seem to have big upside, but are still rookies. Addison understands how to play baseball and seems to be a good learner at 21. CF and SS have been the big disappointments that have hurt the team -- the pitching has been much better than I expected. So -- strap in. It should be a fun and wild ride for the next 2.5 months. As i said a few days ago -- this team feels like the young Jordan Bulls teams when Scottie and Horace were learning what it takes to win -- they may not win it this year, but they have a lot of talent that is ready to jell and the next several years should be a blast.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

I totally agree with you on pretty much all of these accounts. And yeah they really are winning on pitching (no thanks to Lester, haha). I just hope we can win tomorrow - but they are in such a tailspin I don't think they can/will. These Cubs love to suck ass against teams that suck ass. Also it was DEFINITELY "The Strop Game" but a very big assist from Castro that game. When he couldn't get the run in in the 8th I had a bad feeling. That K Followed his K with bases loaded and 1 out in the 6th. I despise him right now.

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

Castro just seems to refuse to change -- I had hope when he hit that Sac Fly to right-center field in the second game of the Cards DH ("Hey, maybe he's learning how to play baseball!"), but it seems like that was an anomaly rather than a sign of change. Every team pitches him low and away, and he tries to pull everything -- his whole body bails out towards LF on every pitch. By contrast, Russell was/is struggling, but in the Strop Game he hammered 3 balls to RF (one for a double), then drew 3 walks the next game. He adjusts and learns. I will always call it The Strop Game -- there a plusses and minuses in every game, but when you are one strike away from a win a serve up a meatball HR....it's on the pitcher. Also, having been there, it is a game I will never forget...

Also...sorry...I don't know if they are in a "tailspin". They got unlucky in the first Sox game -- drew a lot of walks, got guys on base, hit some balls hard but right at people (and when did the Sox start playing defense??) -- and then got shut down by Sale today, but so do a lot of teams. Every season is a roller coaster -- I think we are feeling it more now because it has been so long since games really mattered after April. A lot like playing blackjack -- when you're winning, you expect it will continue, and when you are losing, it feels like you're incredibly unlucky and you'll never win again.

Break coming at a good time, kids need a break. Fowler should get traded but this team will continue to impress.

Problem with trading Fowler...who plays CF? With the infield defense shaky -- Bryant and Russell have the most errors in the NL at their positions, Castro is 2nd among NL SS -- I don't think we want a shaky CF as well, given that the offense will likely continue to be inconsistent.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

This is what I said. No one will take those pieces unless they really do either a "change of scenery" trade - or they are a part of a larger deal. Right now there are three plays that cannot be made as far as I can tell: Foul-er, Castro, and EJax. In spite of O&B's hard-on for Olt - he's not gonna help much. The team needs a bat - Zobrist or someone (Schwarber) that can make contact with RISP. There is no-one that can pick up guys on base, and it is incredibly frustrating. I just hope that the team is as fun as its been in the 2nd half.

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).