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

A-Rod Finds Peace And Happiness Through Warren Buffett

Saturday’s Wall Street Journal reports that Alex Rodriguez turned to billionaire friend Warren Buffett and two execs from Goldman Sachs with ties to the Steinbrenner family to help assist his apparent return to Yankee pinstripes. It was Buffett, a rabid baseball fan whom Rodiguez first met socially a few years ago, who suggested that Rodriguez meet the Yankees without Boras. The Goldman Sachs executives then contacted Hank and Hal Steinbrenner and said Rodriguez was heartsick over the break-up with the Yanks and wanted to talk. The Steinbrenners agreed, on the condition that Boras stay away. The Goldman Sachs money men then withdrew from the process, owing to terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which specify that the only person besides a player himself who can negotiate on his behalf is the player's agent of record. Now Rodriguez looks to be headed toward a ten-year, $275 million deal, incentives included, and Warren Buffett would seem assured of getting really good seats for New York Yankees games. In retrospect, it was the waste of a perfectly good fantasy to even imagine that Alex Rodriguez would ever wear Cubbie blue, but I’m still surprised that A-Rod’s new team turned out to be his old one.

Comments

*In retrospect, it was the waste of a perfectly good fantasy to even imagine that Alex Rodriguez would ever wear Cubbie blue* Over half the posters on this site didn't share that fantasy. They're too busy creaming the Cubs underoos over Kaz Matsui.

Obviously that should read "their Cubs underoos". Between Matsui and Fukudome, Cubs fans are starting to resemble on old Vapours' song.

blargh...you have problems with reality vs. your own fantasies. people talked about arod, but that doesnt mean he's on the table. people talked about kaz cuz...well...he's on the table, he's linked to the cubs... this is reaaaaaaaaally simple to follow if you'd quit throwing a tantrum pretending talking about arod/miggy somehow makes them options that are linked to the cubs. we might as well be talking about adding tom glavine and getting pissed when people arent talking about adding glavine to the club...its the same territory as arod/miggy... you can talk about it all you want, but others are trying to deal with immediate probable realities. no amount of us talking about arod makes the cubs closer to adding him.

*people talked about arod, but that doesnt mean he’s on the table.* He was on the table, supposedly, right? That's what the disbelief is over, isn't it? About how he opted out of his contract and WAS A FREE AGENT. Talk about living in your own reality. And it wasn't me who wrote this post and used the term fantasy, imbecile. *we might as well be talking about adding tom glavine and getting pissed when people arent talking about adding glavine to the club…its the same territory as arod/miggy…* Glavine is a free agent, too. Cabrera is not. You're the one who started going on and on about Cabrera, badmouthing him like you were Andy McFail and he was one of your players. *you can talk about it all you want, but others are trying to deal with immediate probable realities. * A-Rod was a probability. Now he isn't. Now we can all go back to talking about how Kaz Matsui is going to put the Cubs over the top. Yee-ha!

blargh: A-Rod was a probability. Now he isn’t. Now we can all go back to talking about how Kaz Matsui is going to put the Cubs over the top. Yee-ha! Oh boy. Kaz. Not exactly an "impact player". The Cub's need 2 left-handed impact players this winter. Anything less will leave them with a disadvantage come April '08.

blargh...you totally missed the entire point of what i wrote. and arod being a FA doesnt mean the cubs are seriously linked to him...which, btw...is kinda the point. if you cant figure out why people are talking about kaz then you havent picked up a paper or turned on a TV in 2-3 weeks. if you cant figure out that wanting a player isnt enough to make it happen. no amount of talking by you about arod will get him closer to the cubs. none. it is counterproductive to attack others for talking about a player who is actually linked to the team while wondering why not many are talking about guys that arent. "You’re the one who started going on and on about Cabrera, badmouthing him like you were Andy McFail and he was one of your players." are you retarded? didnt we just go through...well, 3 times actually...about what caberra does and did is what cabrerra has to deal with and how it has nothing to do with me? you cant get your head around that for some reason.

WTF is blargh talking about? I can't recall a single person here being excited about Kaz. I don't get the Silent Towels, the blarghs, and (to a lesser extent) the mannytrillos of the world who join a community only to criticize it at every possible juncture, with repeated comments such as "GO TCR!!", "Over half the posters on this site [were] too busy creaming the Cubs underoos", et al. Piss off.

I told ya. Ya'll were wasting time with the A-Rod to the Cubs fantasies. NO WAY in hell would that have happened. I'd like the Cubs to drop Season Ticket prices 50%. It was the same odds, or maybe worse! Carl Crawford will not be a Cub either.

talking about arod is one thing...being amazed someone is talking about a guy who's actually linked to the team is another. this isnt a sears catalogue xmas wish wish board... like it or not, arod was never seriously linked to the cubs...hell, he was barely linked at all. like it or not, kaz is. what we think has little to nothing to do with that. we dont make these realities, we're people on a msg board.

"A-Rod was a probability." To whom? The Yankees, perhaps. The Cubs, never. If you had understood that the team is getting sold and the seller would absolutely never want to saddle the new owners with the type of a contract that A-Rod would require, the probability was Slim and None, and None was the higher of the two.

"badmouthing him like you were Andy McFail and he was one of your players." Other than Grace and Sosa (both had it coming to them) I dont think McPhail ever said a harsh word about any Cub player unprovocated.

"this isnt a sears catalogue xmas wish wish board…" Yes it is, crunch. Duh! "Other than Grace and Sosa (both had it coming to them) I dont think McPhail ever said a harsh word about any Cub player unprovocated." Other when the times he did, he never did? Good point. Badmouthing your players is never, ever, ever a good idea.

#14 As it was suggested that Kaz Matsui's deal with the Cubs might parallel Torrealba's deal with the Mets, does this mean Matsui is going to be available to us now at a cheaper price?

Real Neal, My point was it wasnt a habitual thing with Mcphail, unlike the management on the other side of town to do it. 2 incidences in 12 years point to that. Sheffield, I doubt it because the newsday piece suggets it was a failed physical that was the reason for the fallout. However if he ends up back in COL it could be that it puts more pressure on Kaz to re-up as the band will be back together sort to speak. http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spmets1117aa,0,6599370.story

Sheffield, I doubt it because my source (A newsday article i found on MLBTR, which everytime I have tried to post the article link, wordpress eats it) indicates a failed physical as the culprit. If anything if he ends up back with COL, it might put pressure on Kaz as the band will be back together sort to speak.

Real Neal, My point was it was not a habitual thing with McPhail as the sort of activity has been on the South Side. and 18 is suppose to have resign in between Kaz and as.

Say, did the Cubs offer Kaz Matsui a contract yet? ...because the Astros and I don't know who else already have.

think matsui's only leaked offer is colorado's 2yr/6-7m contract. that one is a week+ old, though. the important thing about that offer is supposedly colorado wants to know by this monday whether he's in or not.

Wow- Ditech and Profit Strategies - looks like MVN must be doing pretty well running these ads. I hope you guys at TCR are getting a slice.

Let me type this very slowly for those of you who have comprehension problems. SOME frequent posters to this site present reasons why they thought the Cubs SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN MADE AN EFFORT to sing A-Rod. I took issue with that. To not have even considered acquiring the greatest player in the game is asinine. Some posters here agreed with me on that. And trust me, if the Cubs had offered A-Rod a billion dollar contract, that greedy MOFO would have taken it. SOME posters here advocated acquiring Miguel Cabrera via trade. OTHER posters here presented reasons why the Cubs should not do that, mainly because Cabrera is "fat" and will "end up like David Ortiz". These are stupid reasons. SOME posters here speak of Kaz Matsui in terms that are not HIGHLY NEGATIVE. This is stupid. The Cubs have won exactly ZERO World Series in the last century. Signing losers like Kaz Matsui will not help. What exactly is Kaz Matsui going to contribute to this ball club? Is he the missing link? No. Is this guy going to quadruple the output of Theriot? No. The Cubs got lucky so far with their stupid contract viz Derosa--no reason to double down on a bad bet. SOME posters accept this potential signing like a fait accompli simply because "Hey, the newspapers are talking about it!"...So what? But I am the man who once said "What do you care how much the Cubs pay a free agent? It's not your money?" Indeed, it's not my money. You know what, maybe I'll just become a Yankees or a Red Sox fan. At least they're spending more of the money that isn't mine in an intelligent fashion. They actually seem to want to win. They don't just sign spare parts and hope the fans think that any sort of action is evidence of intelligent life in the front office.

*I don’t get the Silent Towels, the blarghs, and (to a lesser extent) the mannytrillos of the world who join a community only to criticize it at every possible juncture, with repeated comments such as “GO TCR!!”,* And I don't get the pathetic sheep who continually swallow the same pabulum the Cubs pump out year after year. Should everyone who haunts this site be a mindless cheer droid? I'll start practicing to be a better sheep right now by taking down my Jason Kendall poster and replacing it with a Kaz Matsui fathead.

*Wild Thing says: November 17th, 2007 at 3:34 pm WTF is blargh talking about? I can’t recall a single person here being excited about Kaz.* *crunch says: November 17th, 2007 at 12:12 pm who’s to say kaz is junk? well, those that are have just as valid of a point as those of us who dont think he’s junk. there was a similar discussion and disdain for derosa vs. theriot last year. i, personally, like how kaz swings a bat and his ability to hit breaking stuff. i like his D…i like his speed.* Maybe not tumescent, but definitely a chubby.

blargh...you took that as excitement? do you only know 2 modes...full on excited and full on hated? for those of us that arent bi-polar we can discuss things rationally without profound emotion invested in it. the things ive said about cabrerra and kaz are not just my own observations. you've called me out on stuff that's plain-view fact if you'd bother to look then ignored it once pointed out (ozzie). simply put, there's more than 2 ways to approach something...side 1 and side 2...opposites only... besides, there's PLENTY of me saying i think the kaz issue is pretty damn boring even if i like it...low impact...etc etc...that's rational...not fanboy excitement. you seem to think that just because you're angry and you wanna talk about top-shelf $$ guys who happen to play a position the cubs already have filled that it matter. ...that somehow your rage and insisting on what you want is justified and the only other options in the world is a singular opposite...if you're not with blargh, youre against him...there is not middle ground... THIS.... IS.... TCR.... RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!!!!!

btw blarg...i can use your logic to justify talking about the cubs getting any player in MLB, period. i can dream up a trade scenerio or find a FA and make him fit on the club. anyone who's owned a good baseball video game with has done this a million times. problem is this is a cubs forum, not a video game forum. not to say daydreaming, pondering scenarios, making predictions, or tossing out possibilities for the community to think about is junk...its part of what the board is for. so....if i choose to talk about what's going on in the cubs reality...their real world...the real issues that will really impact the team... your #1 qualification seems to be available. the real world #1 qualification is "are the cubs after him?" surprises happen, but you really can't be seriously pissed anyone is actually discussing a move that has a high probability of happening vs. a move that is pretty much called as "most likely not gonna happen" from the second he became a FA. ...and the cubs arent even linked in the miggy thing...

blargh, so far the things you have been accusing the other posters of here are more fantasy than the cubs signing arod. stop blabbering and read what people are actually saying before you call them out arbitrarily.

"The Cubs, continuing their search for a left-handed hitting infielder with speed, are considering free-agent second basemen Luis Castillo and Kaz Matsui." http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7460518 The thing that bothers me most about crunch's defense of a potential K Matsui signing is that he wasn't a good shorstop when he played the position three years ago, but Arod who was a good shorstop when he played the position four years agao, can no longer play it. Maybe they want Castillo to play short as well? As a Cub fan you should be afraid of mediocre veterans on the staff, because as Pinhead showed last year, if a veteran complains about playing time, he gets playing time.

my defense of matsui's D is based on his footwork, speed, and ease of how he handles the middle IF...matsui's a little dude...arod's a big ol 6'4" SS (yes, cal ripken, but arod's a bit bulkier and obviously slower). matsui's not perfect...he's not exactly a vacuum with his glove, but he'll get to the ball and his after-catch footwork is pretty solid. i did state that i personally think arod could play a better SS than a chunk of guys who will play SS for teams regularly next year...without even considering the bat. Still, he's slowed in the past couple years and i, personally, dont think that would be solved by moving to SS. you need quick burst speed to play the hot corner, but after that its steady and throw...SS/2nd involves making it work for plays involving stuff other than catch/pivot/throw...lot more steps to get your outs where how quick you can turn those moves count. but the main thing really is i didnt see any team linked to picking arod up to play SS on a serious level...was pretty much all 3rd base talk.

and on castilllo...ugg...i mean, hell...he's pretty much a 2nd exclusively. no arm for 3rd...had knee surgery recently and is slowed a bit (though still fast) no matter how well he's hitting singles. if you're gonna sign some weak hitting middle IF'r with speed at least get one that'll give you more than just 2nd. hell...i'd still like to know why derosa wasnt used at SS more often last year when they wanted to shuffle lineups and rest guys. still, no biggie i guess.

well damn, he had knee surgery this offseason, too...in october for a "cleaning".

Blargh: stop yourself. You are not the lone voice of wisdom on Cubs matters. The more you argue that anyone who disagrees with you is somehow a contributor to the Cubs' futility, the more you discredit your arguments. You also do not have to go far at all to find negative sentiments expressed about a potential Kaz Matsui signing on TCR. See, for example, the first three sentences of Rob G.'s 11/16 Friday Notes post, pre-emptively labeling Matsui a "waste." I suggest that your characterization of TCR as a happy-talk haven is a reach, to say the least. If you and Crunch would like to have a private e-mail feud, please have at it. Also, as Rob G. suggested above, if you'd like to carry out your threat to abandon whatever allegiance you have toward the Cubs, be my guest.

per Fox, Mo Rivera apparently taking the 3/45 deal...pretty Schmitty to me that he softened on the 4th yr demands.

Carol Slezak in the Sun-Times says Fuku... with this quote from Orestes Destrade: ''Fukudome is very comparable to a (Jacques) Jones, who was an All-Star for a while and had good pop and speed, and was good in the outfield.'' of course Orestes must have whiffed on the differences between them regarding OBP

USA beat Cuba to win the IBAF World Cup for the first time in 33 years, if anyone elase cares.

No, Colvin didn't. I was thumbing through the box scores of Team USA last night. They went mostly with Rasmus, Ruggiano and Young in the outfield.

Yeah - I guess AZ PHIL mentioned the guy has been battling shoulder pain.

according to Slezak article, Fuku's "dream" is to play for the Tokyo Giants and they've made a decent offer. Supposedly he'll make a decision soon after Thanksgiving...

That same article Cubster linked to has us as targeting Colon, Bartolo not Calvin Klein.

Colon is unlikely to return to the Angels, but teams looking for a fifth starter (Giants, Cubs, White Sox, Phillies) might take a flier on him. ====== Great, that's all we need. Another source for fat jokes. I suppose Hendry will look at him just to deflect that spotlight he's under. Also, I might have to do medical writeups for TCR on Colonoscopy. Yeech.

As a frequent reader and very *occasional* poster, my question after reading this thread is, who is blargh, and why is he so angry? And my impressions from reading the last couple weeks is that most people here are horrified about the possibility of the Matt Suhey signing. blargh writes like an angry drunk who should go back to kicking his cat for entertainment.

http://www.armchairgm.com/Kosuke_Fukudome 2 projections in there, the first based off what previous Japanese hitters have done in the majors and Fuku's projection if he had signed last year.. 300/375/500 Another guy named "Dugout Scout" goes with this projection.. .265 AVG, .380 OBP, 20–30 HR, 80–100 RBI and 10 SB.”

The odds of a rookie putting up a .115 isolated OBP? I'd put that right around .00001. For reference Mark McGwire had a .081 iso OBP as a rookie. Tricky Rickey, .064. Ted, Williams .109. Barry Bonds, .107. Matsui, .086. Ichiro, .031. You need respect walks and/or lots of IBB's to get walked that many times. Fukudome with the very rosiest projections is going to hit 30 HR's. That's not going to equal 105 BB's. Ballpark effects aside, Kaz Matsui had about the same power in Japan as Fukudome, and last year he put up his first .400 slugging year. Hideki averaged 42.5 HR's a .445 OBP and .649 SLG in the four years before joining the Yankees. In his first year in MLB he hit 16 HRS's and had a .353 OBP with .435 SLG. Maybe there are some big park factors that effect those numbers, but I expect .270 .335 .400 from Fukudome. Left-handed hitting Matt Murton with a better arm. Same as Ethier.

my impressions from the videos on Armchair GM of Fuku... - definitely bigger and bit a more of a power stroke than Kaz, he'll definitely hit more homers than him. - The parks are small there though, so 15-20 seems reasonable. - Seems to be a JD Drew type who just refuses to swing a bad ball, even if he'll K looking. I would guess in the 280/360/450 range for Fuku, something similar to Dero with a bit more power.

From Phil Rogers (Chicago Tribune) The Cubs are making a strong run at signing second baseman Kaz Matsui, who batted leadoff for Colorado last season. Houston is among the other teams with an interest in Matsui. … If the Cubs do sign Matsui, that apparently would mean Mark DeRosa becomes part of the right-field picture.

"but teams looking for a fifth starter (Giants, Cubs, White Sox, Phillies) might take a flier on him." dumpster already fills that role...sportswriters should read other sportswriter's material more often...or at least have an intern do it. while its stilll a posibility i can think of about 15 other teams than the ones mentioned above looking a 5th starter.

wonder what Freddy Garcia will cost? Not due back until June... 1 yr deal with a team option might be a nice gamble..

Mark DeRosa is not a good right fielder. Some people think he is because he recovers well occasionally after misjudging a fly ball. That can't be the improvement in right that the Cubs are selling us, can it?

mark derosa isnt a good RF'r for this team. he's a great "play 20-30/injury-replacement" type...not a guy i'd want out there for 150+. might as well march murton out even if derosa has a superior advantage with his arm (which is pretty much why he's played RF for people to begin with). i wouldnt buy it...just makes so little sense to add matsui, move derosa to RF, and the money "saved" just going to k.wood or similar. it'd still leave double-digit (allegedly) millions left untouched. guess we'll find out by march =p

Well if the Yankees are determined to move Damon to left, then the good Matsui or Abreu could well be available.

It appears, on raw "standard" stats, Luis Castillo is a better all-around player than Matsui. Is this the consensus? He's been an AS three times and lifetime BA of .297 - A nice OBP and decent speed, too. The more I learn about Matsui, the more I am scratching my head.

"It appears, on raw “standard” stats, Luis Castillo is a better all-around player than Matsui." yeah, as a hitter. outside of that you got a sole-2nd with chronic legs/knee/back issues who rarely puts in a full season's work.

I was reading a Jeff Passan article about Torii Hunters FA status talking about how it was basically a sure thing that he would be getting $15 million for at least 5 or 6 years. If the 32 year old Hunter ends up getting that kind of money, then I almost think you'd have to say that Soriano's contract is down right reasonable by comparison.

Agree, crunch. Castillo is about as good as it gets as a top of the order kind of guy at 2B. Career 368 OBP. But, he's getting old and falling apart. He can't stay healthy and his defense is becoming a liability. And he's not the same threat to steal that he used to be. But he can only play 2B when he's healthy. And I don't think he plays it particularly well.

injuries can be a bitch. i still wonder what could have become of rondell white if he could have ever managed to stay healthy. it was ALWAYS something with him...and like erstad, a good chunk of his injuries came from playing hard.

From the article at Cubster's Boston.com link: "(Regarding Miguel Cabrera) No worries about whether this kid loves to play," said Dodgers special adviser Bill Lajoie, who watched a lot of Marlins games. "He loves to play. He loves to hit. He definitely loves the game." Interestingly, "Lajoie" means "the joy", as in "La joie du vive" (the joy of life), a french phrase that roughly translates as "spirited" & "verve". E.g., "He plays with an enthusiasm that shows a genuine la joie du vive." I guess if anyone would know enthusiasm, it would be Bill Lajoie. (Note: I'm not a French student by any stretch -- feel free to set me straight if I'm off track on this.)

Rob G.: wonder what Freddy Garcia will cost? Not due back until June… 1 yr deal with a team option might be a nice gamble.. That would be fantastic. And reasonable.

if the cubs think derosa should play in right wow i like him to play alot of other positions but the outfield no way.saw to many games where he turned singles into doubles and triples.

He's still a better option in RF than Ward, Floyd, or Murton ever were, but that's not saying a whole lot.

Ward plays a pretty competent right field. A little deep, but speed aside he got to everything you would expect him to, and made a few nice plays.

With Hou trying to aggressively add a 2b, if we sign Kaz is a Dero for Scott and Burke trade within the realm of possibility?

"but speed aside he got to everything you would expect him to..." Not as an everyday RF. He cannot run, and due to his girth can be prone to injuries when he tries to overdo it. For him, that is. If the ball is hit right at him, fine. Otherwise, forget it.

In yesterdays Sun Times they talked to Estrada from ESPN he said Fukudome in the USA would be comaparble to .......Jacques Jones. Ugh.

"...In yesterdays Sun Times they talked to Estrada..." As I recall, it referred to JJ in his BEST years . Not his worst. And, he did not include JJ's arm in his comments. Mostly power stroke, etc.

I dont think Fukudome will throw the ball 20 feet in front of him forming a divot in the ground on a throw to home plate (or second) much, or lose the ball in the dark night sky like Jacque seemed to do every other week. Nor will we get to see Jacque flail away and either A) pop up or B) ground to 2nd for a double play to kill a run scoring chance.

"...lose the ball in the dark night sky" I honestly do not remember ever seeing this happen before at Wrigley, since 8/8/88. Didn't it happen twice to him? I was there for one of them. Also, I'd think that leaving divots with his throws would be particularly frowned upon due to the new lush sod. Good thing he's gone. But I still wish him well.

Any update on the negotiations with Wood?

By the way, Rivera just signed with the Yanks. I think the deal was somewhere in the neighborhood of... 3/45

[...] A-Rod Finds Peace And Happiness Through Warren BuffettBaseball - I d like the Cubs to drop Season Ticket prices 50%. It was the same odds, or maybe worse! Carl Crawford will not be a Cub You know what, maybe I ll just become a Yankees or a Red Sox fan. At least they re spending more of the money that isn [...]

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.