Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

37 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (three slots are open)

Last updated 11-17-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 20
Adbert Alzolay 
Michael Arias
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Porter Hodge
* Bailey Horn
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Luis Vazquez
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 7
Kevin Alcantara
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

2022 MLB Trade Assignment Rules

Technically, a baseball trade is called a Trade Assignment (similar in kind to an Optional Assignment or Outright Assignment). 

Generally, an MLB club can trade a player on its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) and minor league reserve lists at any time. However, there are a few restrictions:1. A trade involving a player signed to an MLB contract (including any player on an MLB Reserve List, MLB 60-day Injured List, or MLB Restricted List, and/or any player who was outrighted to the minors after signing an MLB contract for that season) is prohibited beginning at 4 PM (Eastern) on July 31st (or 4 PM Eastern on Friday July 30th if July 31st falls on a Saturday, or 4 PM Eastern on Monday August 1st if July 31st falls on a Sunday) and extending until the day after the final game of the World Series.  
NOTE-1: Beginning with the 2022 season, the MLB Commissioner has the authority to establish the MLB Trade Deadline on any day over the seven-day period July 28 - August 3. The 2022 MLB Trade Deadline is 6 PM (Eastern) on Tuesday August 2nd.
NOTE-2: Trade Assignment Waivers (which permitted the trading of players on MLB reserve lists after the July 31st deadline up until 12 PM Eastern on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season) were eliminated starting with the 2019 season. 

PLAYERS OUTRIGHTED TO MINORS AFTER SIGNING 2022 MLB CONTRACT: (updated 7-21-2022)
Greg Deichmann, OF 
Clint Jackson Frazier, OF 
Sean Newcomb, LHP 
Matt Swarmer, RHP 
 
2. A trade involving a player on a minor league reserve list who is not an outrighted player is prohibited beginning at 12 PM (Eastern) on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season through the last day of the MLB regular season (including a day on which a regular season game is played after the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season).   

3. A player who signs after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft (First-Year Player Draft) cannot be traded until after the conclusion of the World Series (no earlier than 9 AM on the day after the final game of the World Series), or for 90 days if the player signs after the World Series. 
NOTE: Previously, a player signed after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft could not be traded until the first anniversary of the player signing his first contract.  

4. A minor league player eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft cannot be added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster), traded to another organization, or transferred from one minor league reserve list to another within the same organization, beginning with the filing of MLB & minor league reserve lists on November 20th (or November 19th if November 20th falls on a Saturday or November 18th if November 20th falls on a Sunday) and extending through the completion of the Rule 5 Draft.

5. A player cannot be traded while he is on waivers.

6. A player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) who has a contractual "no trade" right can waive this right if he so chooses.

PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST WITH CONTRACTUAL "NO-TRADE" RIGHT: (updated 3-18-2021)
Seiya Suzuki, OF  

7. A player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) who has accrued at least ten years of MLB Service Time with at least the last five years of MLB Service Time accrued with the same club (a so-called "10/5" player) has an automatic "no trade" right for as long as he remains with that club. The player can waive this right if he so chooses.

"10/5" PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST: (updated 10-31-2020)
Jason Heyward, OF 

8. An Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a Major League contract after 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series has an automatic "no trade" right through June 15th. The player can waive this right, but if he does he can be traded only for cash and/or player contracts with a maximum aggregate value of $50,000. N
NOTE: An Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a minor league contract after 11:59 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series does NOT receive an automatic "no trade" right, even if the player is later added to the club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster).  

POST-2022 ARTICLE XX-B MLB PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST: (updated 6-16-2022)
TBD  

9. If a "Player to Be Named Later" (PTBNL) is part of a trade, the PTBNL cannot be on an MLB Active List at any time beginning when the trade is executed (filed with the MLB office) up until when the trade is completed. A PTBNL can be either a specific player or the PTBNL can be selected from a list of players or a class of players as determined by the clubs (in writing) when the trade is executed. 
NOTE: Beginning in 2015, a player signed after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft (First-Year Player Draft) cannot be a PTBNL in any trade made prior to the conclusion of the World Series. Clubs have six months to agree on a PTBNL, but the clubs can agree (when the trade is executed) on a deadline that is less than six months. A cash payment (typically $50,000 for trades involving players on the 40-man roster) can be substituted for a PTBNL if no agreement can be reached within six months, but the alternative cash payment must be agreeable to both clubs and stated in writing when the trade is executed. 

10. A player on an MLB or minor league injured list can be traded, even if the player is not eligible to be reinstated and/or healthy enough to play.
NOTE: As far as a player having to spend a certain number of days on an IL before he is eligible to be reinstated is concerned, in the case of a trade, time already spent on an injured list is carried-over to the player's new club. 

11. If a player is acquired in a trade and is optioned to the minors by his new club within 24 hours, the player can be recalled from the Optional Assignment at any time without restriction (so that the "ten-day rule" for position players and the "15-day rule" for pitchers & two-way players as it pertains to the minimum number of days a player must spend on optional assignment before he can be recalled would not apply).

Comments

Just because the Trade Deadline has passed does not mean a player on a club's MLB Reserve List cannot be moved to another club.  

For example, a player can be claimed off Outright Assignment Waivers for $50,000 (or off Outright Release Waivers for $1) at any time, so let's say Wade Miley returns to the Cubs starting rotation after the trade deadline has passed and looks really good, the Cubs could place him on Outright Assignment Waivers (lets's say the last week of August so that he would be eligible to pitch in the post-season) and then he could get claimed by another MLB club. The claiming club would pay the Cubs the $50,000 waiver price AND assume what remains of Miley's 2022 $10M salary (which would be about $2M as of the last week of August).  

Keep in mind that a player does NOT have to be sent outright to the minors if Outright Assignment Waivers are requested and secured. However, the Outright Assignment Waivers are irrevocable (meaning a club cannot pull the player back if he gets claimed or work out a trade with the claiming club, as was the case with Trade Assignment Waivers back in the day).

Also Outright Assignment Waivers can be requested only once in a given waiver period, so a club needs to be careful about the timing of the waiver request. Not too soon in August, but also not so late that the player won't be eligible to play in the post-season. That's why I said the last week of August.   

Obviously a waiver claim is not a trade where the Cubs would get a prospect back, but the $50,000 waiver fee plus saving $2M in payroll isn't nothing. It might even be a better return than some second-tier prospect the Cubs would have gotten back in an actual pre-deadline trade (as long as the waiver claiming fee and the payroll savings is applied to another player at a later point in time...).

So the point is, all is not necessarily lost if the Cubs can't move some of their post-2022 free-agents by the 8/2 Trade Deadline. 

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Congrats to Vogelbach on being desirable as a trade piece to be a 'kind of' regular as a DH on a contender. It's nice to be wanted, even if his WAR says he's not much more than a replacement level player. I always have a soft spot for former Cubs minor league prospects. At least he'll always have that one 30 HR season in Seattle to look back on and tell his grandkids about. And, hey - he made it to The Show. A place that many talented athletes never make it to. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

I was there with you the next year (2013) for Eloy Jimenez's first fall session when he was still 16 years old (just before his 17th birthday).  He participated in the Instructs HR derby that year.  Had great power for a 16 year old kid.  Not big and strong enough to win the derby that year, but you could clearly see what a few years of growth and maturing would do for him.

Soler played in the Arizona Fall League that year (2013), while still recovering from one of the leg injuries he was having periodically back in those days (and still today, it looks like).  The first few games I saw him, he had a lot of swings and misses, which made me wonder about him.  Then he would go off on a streak where he just MURDERED the ball and made it look easy.  You saw that and said, "Ah!  Now I know what they see in him."

[ ]

In reply to by JoePepitone

I mentioned that Vogelbach's WAR was barely above replacement player level (0.6 so far this year) but I failed to mention his.903 OPS split against right handed pitchers. That works for the left handed portion of a DH platoon, for sure. Puzzling to me that the White Sox didn't make more of a play for him, given their struggles against right handed pitching all year.

If the Cubs have an opportunity to trade Ian Happ to Milwaukee and (as they usually do) they ask me what they should get back in the deal, take LH-hitting MLB-ready INF Brice Turang, LHP Antoine Kelly (Maine East HS), and 1B-2B-LF Keston Hiura (needs a change-of-scenery) back in the deal.

Hiura is under club control through 2025, Kelly is a big dude with a high velo FB who pitched in the Futures Game, and Turang is a high-contact SS-2B who is everything the Cubs hoped Nick Madrigal would be, but isn't.  

since we're spitballing in this thread...

i still think HOU/contreras makes too much sense and i wouldn't be shocked to see jose urquidy in the cubs rotation in 2023.  it gives me pause because one area HOU doesn't need anything is relief, and d.robertson would be useful, but not strategic for their needs.

contreras+happ for uriquidy+siri+??? is a likely combo...i'm not a big of fan of siri as some people seem to be, though he's not trash.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    i know it's still very early, but i'd like to go into the xmas-to-newyears part of the off-season with something more than...*checks list*...patrick wisdom avoids arbitration with a 1-year deal

    also, steven brault retired and was spotted at the winter meetings with a demo reel and making contacts trying to break into broadcasting (not a joke).  unless he's more optimistic than talented (we already know he can sing) he should make it one day because he seems to be very serious about it.

  • Cubster (view)

    I blame Jason Schmidt’s 3/44

  • Craig A. (view)

    Was all that stuff with the Blue Jays just to squeeze an extra $10 million/yr out of the Dodgers?  It's more than enough to cover his California income taxes!

  • crunch (view)

    unless he pitches into his late-30 that is gonna sting.  a 70m DH...ow.

    it's great to take care of 2 roster spots in 1 player, and i'm sure the team will cut into the pay with the amount of merch/etc he can sell just by being attached to the team....but yeah, i'm not mad the cubs didn't go that extreme.

  • WebAdmin (view)

    Shohei Ohtani to join Dodgers according to ESPN. 10 years for $700 m
  • Cubster (view)

    I'm getting the feeling that Todd Walker might be a Shaw comp. A valuable hit first player but limited albeit not awful on defense. Hopefully, he has more upside. Not a bad floor if Steve Garvey is his ceiling.

  • Wrigley Rat (view)

    AZ Phil - If that's the level of return, I would want NO part of that trade to Cleveland for Clase and Bieber. I have some faith that the Cubs have a strong plan for which prospects they will keep (even if they dangle them in trade talks) and which they will move, because they have plenty of solid prospects they can trade but they shouldn't be trading any of the ones they hope will be future core players. Some guys are redundant, so I hope they choose the right players to keep and the right players to move. It's always important for a team to know its own minor league players better than scouts from other teams (obviously), but I don't think that's always been the case for the Cubs and many other clubs. 

    Cubster - I watched an interview with Carter Hawkins a couple days ago where he said that although Morel hasn't gotten into any Dominican games at 1B, the Cubs did send coaches down with Morel to work on first base skills during practice. So he is developing those skills, whether the Cubs end up using him there or not will probably be dependent on a lot of factors including how those coaches think he looks at the position while training. 

  • tim815 (view)

    He could still play SS at Double-A, but Vazquez, Hoerner, and Swanson are much better defensively, arm strength or not. I'd be good leaving Shaw at SS with McGeary and Ballesteros around, but by the first of June (?), 1B might make sense in DM.

  • crunch (view)

    i have no reason to see a problem, it just seems like it's his most obvious reason to give pause on him at 1st.

    the cubs situation dictates 2nd/SS isn't an option.  his arm dictates 3rd isn't an option.  1st or CF seems to be his best path and he's only played CF in summer ball back in highschool/college...and of course PCA is a better + closer to the bigs CF.

    it's a lot safer to say he's made for 1st than it is he's made for 3rd.  even as a SS his arm is weak, and it's not like his glove is so great he needs to stay in the middle-IF.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    CRUNCH: Steve Garvey (one of Shaw's comps as a hitter) was a 5'10 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Jeff Bagwell (another Shaw comp) was a 6'0 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Carlos Santana (who played 1B for Counsell in Milwaukee last season and is an above-average defensive first-baseman) is 5'11. It's not like Shaw is 5'7 or 5'8. I don't really see the problem.