Cubs Offseason In Progress

The Chicago Cubs' front office finds itself charting the middle ground again in the aftermath of a 74-88 season. With the most-valued prospects not yet ready for prime time, Hoyer and company has continued to add in places via free agency but appears not to have been given a green light to spend like a real competitor. The Cubs biggest move so far has clearly been the addition of shortstop Dansby Swanson on a 7-year contract that will see him through his age 35 season.

2022 MLB Rule 5 Draft Preview

12/7 UPDATE:

PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE:
NONE

CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE:
Chris Clarke, RHP (selected by Seattle Mariners from AAA Iowa roster)
 
PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN AAA PHASE:
1. Jose Aquino, LHP (selected from Seattle Mariners ACL roster) 
2. Nick Burdi, RHP (selected from San Diego Padres AA San Antonio roster) 
3. Jefferson Encarnacion, OF (selected from Philadelphia Phillies Lo-A Clearwater roster)  

CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN AAA PHASE:
1. Bryan King, LHP (selected by Houston Astros from AA Tennessee roster)
2. Luis Angel Rodriguez, LHP (selected by Houston Astros from Lo-A Myrtle Beach roster)



Cubs 2022 Rule 5 Draft & Minor League Free-Agency Watch List

11/10 UPDATE #2

The Cubs have released RHP Wilfri Figuereo, RHP Gabriel Jaramillo, RHP Jensi Ramirez, and 1B-OF Jerry Torres. Only Jaramillo was eligible for selection in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. 


11/10 UPDATE #1

The Cubs have sent LHP Steven Brault, RHP Anderson Espinoza, RHP Alec Mills, LHP Brad Wieck, INF David Bote, OF Narcisco Crook, and OF Franmil Reyes outright to AAA Iowa.  

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Ballesteros Provides the Offense for Red Squad at Instructs

Moises Ballesteros ripped an RBI triple, walked twice, and scored a run, and five pitchers combined to hurl a two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts, as the Cubs "Red Squad" blanked the Cubs "Blue Squad" 2-0 in AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Friday morning at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Ismael Mena collected the two Blue Squad hits (both singles), but he was thrown out attempting to steal both times he reached base.  

The game was pre-planned as an eight-inning contest. 

This was the final AZIL Cubs game. 
 
Here is the box score from the game: 

Triantos Goes Full Beast Mode at Instructs

James Triantos belted an RBI triple in the bottom of the first and crushed a tape-measure three-run HR in the 5th, Cristian Hernandez tripled and scored in the first, collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the 2nd, and drilled an RBI double and scored in the 5th, Haydn McGeary blasted a two-run HR, and four pitchers combined to hurl a three-hitter, as the Cubs "Red Squad" battered the Cubs "Blue Squad" 9-2 in AZ Instructional League intasquad game action Tuesday afternoon at Sloan Park In Mesa, AZ. 

Pedro Ramirez singled twice, stole a base, scored a run, and drove-in another, and Ismael Mena tripled and scored to account for the Blue Squad's three hits and two runs.  

The game was pre-planned as a six-inning contest. 

Prior to the game, Nazier Mule and Koen Moreno threw one inning each (twenty pitches) of "live" BP, with Kevin Alcantara, Parker Chavers, and Raino Coran serving as the hitters.   

The AZIL Cubs have played only three games in the last ten days, instead spending most of their time working on ocular training, situational hitting, baserunning drills, fielding practice, cut-off drills, bullpen side sessions, and "live" BP, in addition to matriculating in the Pitch Lab and the Hitting Lab.  

Here is the box score from the game: 

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.

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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) 

Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info


40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus three are on the 60-DAY IL

26 players are on the MLB ACTIVE LIST, plus two are on the 15-DAY IL, one is on the 10-DAY IL, and eleven are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors  

Last updated 5-25-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Adbert Alzolay
Javier Assad
Jeremiah Estrada
Michael Fulmer
Kyle Hendricks
* Brandon Hughes
Mark Leiter Jr 
Julian Merryweather
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele 
Marcus Stroman
Jameson Taillon 

CATCHERS: 2
* Tucker Barnhart 
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
Nico Hoerner
* Miles Mastrobuoni 
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
* Edwin Rios 
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4 
# Ian Happ
Trey Mancini 
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

OPTIONED: 11
Keven Alcantara, OF 
Miguel Amaya, C
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Ryan Jensen, P 
Caleb Kilian, P  
Nick Madrigal, INF 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Nelson Velazquez, OF
Hayden Wesneski, P

10-DAY IL: 1 
* Cody Bellinger, OF 

15-DAY IL: 2 
Brad Boxberger, P 
Nick Burdi, P  

60-DAY IL: 3 
Codi Heuer, P 
Ethan Roberts, P
Adrian Sampson, P 

 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

 

Recent comments

  • Finwe Noldaran 05/31/2023 - 05:18 pm (view)

    So, after riding great pitching and defense in taking the first 2 games, the only way we could lose against the best team in the MLB would be through mismanagement by David Ross? Oh, right; that actually totally tracks............

  • crunch 05/31/2023 - 05:14 pm (view)

    no hero...

  • crunch 05/31/2023 - 05:05 pm (view)

    need a hero with a bat right now...what's left at wrigley is trying to get into it.  2 on, 1 out...

  • crunch 05/31/2023 - 05:04 pm (view)

    they removed him with 59 pitches, 2 outs, and a man on 1st.   unless he was on a 60-ish pitch limit i'm not a fan of the move.  wesn wasn't missing by much when he was missing and looked pretty good.

  • crunch 05/31/2023 - 05:57 pm (view)

    4 pitch K!  nice.

  • crunch 05/31/2023 - 05:55 pm (view)

    bases loaded, it's fulmer time!

  • Childersb3 05/31/2023 - 05:51 pm (view)

    I'm with you Crunch

    I thought Wesneski deserved a chance to get out of the 7th. 

    But the real mistake Ross made was keeping Leiter in after giving up the 1st 2run bomb. He walks the next guy to start the 8th, and still gets to stay in. He could've come out since he finished the 7th (I believe). He didn't have it. It happens. But Ross let him stay. That's on David.

    And then Dansby and Happ strikeout with men RISP. Happ going down looking was rough. 

    He just wasn't aggressive.

  • crunch 05/31/2023 - 05:57 pm (view)

    FUUUUUUUUU....1 pitch, 1 homer, tie game.

  • crunch 05/31/2023 - 05:56 pm (view)

    why the hell is wesn being removed after 3.2ip?  they got him on a pitch count limit?

  • Eric S 05/31/2023 - 05:45 pm (view)

    Steele removed from game after 3 innings due to “left forearm tightness”.  Hopefully the elbow is structurally okay.