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

Carlos Silva: Identity Theft Victim?

Five Cubs pitchers combined to throw a three-hitter, Jeff Baker smashed a solo home run, and Xavier Nady doubled twice and knocked-in two runs, leading the Cubs to a 4-1 victory over the Texas Rangers in Cactus League action before a capacity crowd of 13,157 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in sunny & warm Mesa this afternoon.

 

box score

Carlos Silva got the start for the Cubs and looked very good, throwing four shutout innings (52 pitches - 37 strikes, 4/5 GO/FO), allowing two hits and one HBP, while striking out three (Julio Borbon once and Chris Davis twice, with all three punchouts featuring a called third strike).

Silva threw effortlessly and just plain cruised through his four innings of work, retiring the last seven men he faced. He looked like he probably could have gone another inning or two if Manager Lou Piniella had let him do it. This was probably the best outing by a Cubs starting pitcher this Spring.

SILVA:
1st inning: Kc, L-4 (outstanding diving catch by Fontenot), 1B, HBP, and Kc (20 pitches - 14 strikes)
2nd inning: P-3, 6-3, 1B, FC (10 pitches - seven strikes)
3rd inning: 3-U, 5-3, P-5 (11 pitches - eight strikes)
4th inning: F-8, Kc, L-5 (11 pitches - eight strikes)

Esmailin Caridad followed Silva and further solidified his spot in the 2010 Cubs bullpen, facing just six men in his two innings (31 pitches - 19 strikes), striking out three (Taylor Teagarden, Elvis Andrus, and David Murphy, all swinging). Caridad did walk Joaquin Arias with two outs in the 5th, but Arias was gunned down by Geovany Soto trying to steal 2nd base. Caridad appeared to be throwing VERY hard today, and overmatched all three of his strikeout victims.

RHP Marcos Mateo entered the game in the 6th, and although he did allow a solo HR to DH Justin Smoak leading off the 8th, he probably threw the ball as well this afternoon as he has all Spring. Mateo threw strikes (22 pitches - 16 strikes), and struck out three of the five men he faced. Like Caridad, Mateo was really rushin' it up there today.

Mateo was relieved by Jeff Stevens with one out and the bases empty in the 8th (it looked like it took Stevens longer than normal to get loose, which may be why Mateo started the 8th inning), and Stevens retired both men he faced, although he did go 3-2 on both hitters.

LHP James Russell continued his fine Spring, working a 1-2-3 9th (13 pitches - seven strikes), striking out the last two men he faced.

The Cubs didn't do much offensively, but they did manage to bunch their hits.

Ryan Theriot singled leading off the bottom of the 1st (chopper bobbled by 1st baseman Chris Davis, but Rangers starter Neftali Feliz forgot to cover 1st), but Kosuke Fukudome and Xavier Nady struck out swinging (and Theriot was caught stealing on a "strike 'em, out, throw 'em out" when Nady fanned). Alfonso Soriano singled with two outs in the 2nd, but was left stranded.

But then the Cubs rallied with two outs and nobody on base in the 3rd against Feliz, as The Riot lined a single to CF, and advanced to 3rd when Kosuke Fukudome grounded an opposite-field double down the LF line. Xavier Nady then ripped a double into the left-field corner, scoring Theriot and Fukudome, and Marlon Byrd lined a single to center, scoring Nady from 2nd with the third run of the inning.

Jeff Baker might be breaking out of his Spring Training slump, as he crushed a towering solo home run over the left-center fence of LHP C. J. Wilson (who had retired all eight men he faced--including FIVE strikeouts--prior to the Baker HR).

The Cubs threatened against Wilson (who worked four innings today) in the 8th, as Tyler Colvin hung in there against a tough lefty and roped a line-single to CF on a 3-2 pitch to lead off the inning. Nady then doubled (his second two-bagger of the day) to advance Colvin to 3rd, but Wilson made some good pitches and retired the next three hitters (James Adduci, Micah Hoffpauir, and Sam Fuld) on weak ground balls (the first two with the infield pulled-in). Hoffpauir and Fuld have really struggled at the plate so far.

The Cubs optioned hard-throwing (but very raw) 22-year old RHP Rafael Dolis to AA Tennessee today, so the Cubs MLB Spring Traning roster now stands at 50 (including 24 pitchers, five catchers, 13 infielders, and eight outfielders). The Cubs must get their MLB Active List roster down to 25 players by Sunday April 3rd.  

The Cubs have their annual mid-Spring Training day off tomorrow.

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

yeah, when he throws that 3rd pitch dujour i'll believe it. what year are we in for silva's 3rd pitch? he shows up every spring working on one and he goes into the year throwing the same 2 almost every time. fastball...slider (rarely thrown to lefties)...and a crappy change lefties aren't fooled by, he doesn't use much on them, and he rarely throws it to righties. cutter...been there done that...sinker...been there done that...splitter...been there done that...hell, he should try the knuckler. his slider isn't even very good...meh. he vows to work on or get a 3rd pitch for years...he ends up throwing the same crap. if it feels good to count the change as a 3rd pitch, fine...you can have that. he's practically a 1-pitch pitcher, honestly. the fact he sees more righties lends to that slider he throw. even vs. the lefties he doesn't break out the change much and if you see one vs. a righty he's being f'n cute.

"Our apologies for the inconvenience, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority will be here soon to fix the problem. In the meantime, please return to our home page and consider donating a few bucks so that it doesn't happen again." WTH?

ESPN 1000 just reported that Rangers' manager Ron Washington tested positive last July (2009) for cocaine. Did that have anything to do with Washington's ability to get along with Milton? Should Lou have just gotten a little tooted up last year to deal with Milton better? And is anyone else amused by the mental images that come to mind from imagining a Lou Pinella high on cocaine? Truly strange. (edit) Evidently, this was reported by SI, according to this link: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/03/si-texa…

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).