Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

2022 Cubs AZ Instructional League Roster

10/8 UPDATE

The Cubs have added RHP Juan Bello to their AZIL roster. Bello was signed as a 17-year old out of Colombia this past February, and spent the 2022 season pitching for DSL Cubs Red. He finished the season hurling a combined eight innings of no run / no hit ball over his last two starts. He is considered one of the Cubs top pitching prospects in the DSL.

++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

9/22 UPDATE
:

INF-OF Ezequiel Alvarez, OF Wilmer Bolivar, and OF Leonel Espinoza have been added to the Cubs instructs roster. All three spent the 2022 season on the DSL Cubs Blue 60-day IL, and they are presently rehabbing at the Cubs Nike Performance Center in Mesa.

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9/21 UPDATE
:

RHP Joel Sierra, C David Avitia, and OF Cristian More have been added to the Cubs instructs roster. 

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2022 CUBS ARIZONA INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE ROSTER
(last updated 10-8-2022) 
63 players 

* bats or throws left 
# bats both 

PITCHERS
: 31 
Michael Arias 
Max Bain 
Juan Bello
Brandon Birdsell 
* Jackson Ferris
* Carlos Garcia 
Angel Gonzalez 
Yoendris Gonzalez
* Bailey Horn (until start of AFL season)  
Cade Horton 
Nick Hull 
Grant Kipp 
Zac Leigh (until start of AFL season)
* Luke Little 
Michael McAvene 
Brody McCullough 
Mason McGwire 
Koen Moreno 
Nazier Mule 
* Branden Noriega 
Eligio Paredes 
Kenyi Perez 
Mathew Peters 
Jake Reindl 
Wilber Rodriguez
Luis Rujano 
* Marino Santy 
Frankie Scalzo Jr
Joel Sierra
Freilyn Silverio 
Kevin Valdez 

CATCHERS: 9 
Yoanis Aleksandrov 
David Avitia
* Moises Ballesteros 
* Ethan Hearn 
Haydn McGeary 
Miguel Pabon 
# Malcom Quintero 
Carlos Ramos 
Adan Sanchez 

INFIELDERS: 11
# Ezequiel Alvarez  
Alexis Hernandez 
Cristian Hernandez
Rafael Morel 
Christian Olivo 
Christopher Paciolla 
# Reggie Preciado 
# Pedro Ramirez 
Jefferson Rojas 
* Anderson Suriel 
James Triantos 

OUTFIELDERS: 13 
* Josefrailin Alcantara 
Kevin Alcantara 
Brayan Altuve 
* Parker Chavers 
* KeShun Collier 
Raino Coran 
Leonel Espinoza 
Andy Garriola
Frank Hernandez 
Erbin Jaque 
* Ismael Mena 
* Cristian More
* Yohendrick Pinango 

FIELD COORDINATOR
Ed Blankmeyer 

PITCHING DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Casey Jacobson 

PITCHING PERFORMANCE COORDINATOR
James Ogden 

ASSISTANT PITCHING DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Carlos Chantres 

ASSISTANT PITCHING PERFORMANCE COORDINATOR
Mike Mason 

HITTING COORDINATOR
Dustin Kelly 

ASSISTANT HITTING COORDINATOR
Tom Beyers 

CATCHING COORDINATOR
Mark Johnson 

INFIELD COORDINATOR
Ryan Serena 

OUTFIELD & BASERUNNING COORDINATOR:
Doug Dascenzo 

MENTAL SKILLS COORDINATOR
David DaSilva 

COACHES
Collin Andrews 
Jhonny Bethencourt 
Yovanny Cuevas 
Rachel Folden 
Armando Gabino 
Luis Hernandez 
Eric Patterson 
Raymond Pena 
Chris Pieters 
Steven Pollakov 
Doug Willey
Jose Zapata 

Comments

Obviously several of the players on the AZIL roster are participating in Cubs minor league playoffs as we speak, so they will report after playoffs are over (and they will probably get a couple of extra days off in between). 

The twelve DSL guys who got called up for AZ Instructs are: LHSP Carlos Garcia (spent 2022 season on Restricted List but he is one of the Cubs top DSL pitching prospects), RHSP Yoendris Gonzalez, RHSP Eligio Paredes, RHRP Wilber Rodriguez (polished closer prospect), RHSP Freilyn Silverio, C Yoanis Aleksandrov (signed out of Rumania last March), C-1B Carlos Ramos, C-3B Adan Sanchez, SS Alexis Hernandez (Cristian's little brother), 2B Jefferson Rojas, RF Josefrailin Alcantara, and OF Erbin Jaque (Jaque is supposedly the best defensive OF and the fastest player at DSL Cubs, and J. Alcantara has a plus-arm, plus speed, and plus-power). 

With the exception of Aleksandrov, the DSL players invited to Instructs (plus RHP Kevin Valdez, who was called up to the ACL in late July) are considered to be the Cubs top dozen 2022 DSL prospects, and they will almost certainly be in the U. S. (EXST and ACL) next season.     

[ ]

In reply to by bradsbeard

BRADSBEARD: I don't know why Jose Escobar isn't at Instructs. If I find out I will let you know. 

As to adding Escobar (or anyone else) to the instructs roster later, the players who get added later are usually injury rehab guys who are ready to play or pitch in games after the conclusion of the minor league season, and sometimes guys prepping to play in the AFL will get some reps in instructs games prior to the start of the AFL.

Cubs 2022 draft picks RHP Cade Horton (1st round), LHP Jackson Ferris (2nd round), RHP Nazier Mule (4th round), RHP Brandon Birdsell (5th round), RHP Mason McGwire (8th round), LHP Branden Noriega (11th round), and RHP Luis Rujano (13th round) will be making their pro debuts at instructs.    

Not attending instructs are RHP Connor Noland (9th round) and RHP Garrett Brown (18th round), who will report to Minor League Camp next March and will make their pro debuts in 2023, RHP (ex-C) Shane Marshall (14th round) will be converted to a full-time pitcher at EXST next sping, and RHP Will Frisch (6th round - March 2022 TJS)) and RHP JP Wheat (16th round) were placed on the ACL Cubs 60-day IL immediately after signing and will (hopefully) make their pro debuts sometime in 2023

The 17 year olds at instructs are OF Josefrailin Alcantara, SS Alexis Hernandez, RHP Nazier Mule (draft pick), 2B Jefferson Rojas, and C-3B Adan Sanchez, and J. Rojas (turned 17 in April) and A. Sanchez (turned 17 in May) are THE youngest (not to mention the two best DSL Cubs position player prospects at instructs).    

AZ Phil:

Doesn't each team for the AFL get 6 players plus a taxi squad player and one of the 7 total can be from below AA? 
If this is accurate, any chance PCA gets an invite to AFL as the below AA guy?

They've announced 4 bullpen arms, BDavis, Mash and M. Amaya so this is already a mute point but I thought I'd ask. Cubs are going to rush PCA. But it would have been fun to see him hit against some AA/AAA arms!

[ ]

In reply to by Childersb3

Childersb3: Each of the five MLB clubs that provide players to a given AFL team must assign four pitchers (one of whom is expected to be able to be a starting pitcher) and three position players (one outfielder, one 2B, 3B, or SS, and one 1B or catcher), such that a total of five SP, 15 RP, five outfielders, five 2B, SS, or 3B, three catchers, and two first basemen are assigned to each AFL team.

However, clubs can "horse trade" when the assignments are made, so (for exampls) the Cubs could send both a catcher and a first baseman to the Mesa Solar Sox in exchange for the Marlins not sending a catcher or a first-baseman but instead the Marlins send two infielders (2B, SS, or 3B) and the Cubs don't send any.

Same goes for the pitchers. The pitchers sent to the Solar Sox by the Cubs can all be relievers if one of the other four clubs sends two pitchers capable of being used as a starter,

Each of the five MLB clubs can send one additional position player to the AFL team's taxi squad. This usually is because more than three of the clubs want to send a catcher and there are only three catcher slots on the regular roster. The taxi squad could also be used for an extra infielder, outfielder, or first baseman when the roster is full. 

Players assigned to the AFL team's taxi squad can only play twice a week (it used to be Wednesday and Saturday, but now it can be any two days). Also, a player assigned to the AFL team's taxi squad can be elevated to the regular roster to replace an injured player, and the replacement player doesn't have to be a player from the same organization. However, usually an MLB organization will replace an injured player with a different player (but same position) from that organization.

There also used to be a restriction on the number of players from below AA that can be assigned (one per each MLB club) and how many players from a country that has a winter ball league like Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Australia, etc, can be assigned (one player per each MLB club), but those restrictions were eliminated three or four years ago. So an MLB club could assign seven guys from the DSL if that's what they want to do (although of course nobody does that). 

Same goes for the prohibition on assigning players with more than a year of MLB Service Time. Now there is no restriction at all. A club could even send five major leaguers if it so desires, although nobody does that because it would defeat the purpose of the AFL. 

The only restrictions still in place are that a player must be under the control of an MLB organization (no free agents allowed, so a player who is eligible to be an MLB Rule 9 minor league 6YFA after the World Series can't be assigned unless and until the player signs a minor league successor contract), and a player on an MLB IL cannot be assigned until he is reinstated from the IL. You may remember that Kyle Schwarber played a couple of games in the AFL in 2016 before he joined the Cubs for the World Series. In order to do that, Schwarber had to be reinstated from the Cubs MLB 60-day IL before he was assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox. 

So to answer your question, even if the Cubs assign 1B Matt Mervis, C Miguel Amaya, and OF Brennon Davis to the Mesa Solar Sox, Pete Crow-Armstrong (or any other Cubs major league or minor league position player) could be assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox taxi squad and play in two games per week. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

I remember talking to someone who managed in the AFL a few years ago and he said he was driven crazy by the player development directors from each of the five MLB organizations constantly bugging him about how to use his players. He said it was like having five George Steinbrenners calling every day. 

[ ]

In reply to by Childersb3

Childers-- Begging your pardon in advance, but I'm gonna say it anyway-- moot point, not mute point. Stupid pet peeve of mine. Again, sorry!

 Matt Mervis homered yesterday, making it 33 for the year over three levels.  The last left-handed hitting proppect with over 30 homers, .300 avg. and 100+ RBIs that I can recall was Karl Pagel.  Their stats are very similar.  Looking over Karl's stats and Cubs history, he was a 1st round pick of the Cubs in 1976 and I remember his monster season in 1979 and waiting for him to be the next big thing come spring training in 1980.  Alas, he was given one AB in 1979 and was shipped to Cleveland for a non-discrpt career.  His minor league stats look like he could have fit in with today's emphasis of three outcome baseball:  power, Ks and walks.  I guess he was in the wrong era to be successful in the majors.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I remember Mike Pagel as a backup NFL QB. Never made the connection with the Cubs minor league prospect that suddenly wasn't any more. 
 

Back in the 70's and early 80's, it seems like we would hear about some position player coming up through the minors who was going to be a real contributor -- Gene Hiser, Pat Bourque, Pete LaCock, Karl Pagel. They all just seemed to evaporate and disappear. Very few position players came up through the Cubs minor league system and stuck for any period of time. The best we ever could do was someone like Carmen Fanzone, who was best known for having one 2 homer game early on AND being able to play a pro quality trumpet. 

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.