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

DeRosa Not Too Right-Handed Today

Mark DeRosa drove in four runs with two long home runs and a sacrifice fly and scored another run after reaching base on a double, as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Cubs 7-5 before 13,097 fans at sunny and breezy Dwight Patterson Field at Ho Ho Kam Park in Mesa this afternoon.

box score

DeRosa's two home runs were both monster shots, one crashing into the scoreboard in LF, and the other one missing the scoreboard only because it went over the fence too far toward CF. But the double was even more incredible, as it hit the upper part of the 30-foot high "Green Monster" (Batter's Eye) in dead CF.  

All of the DeRo blasts were hit off Cubs starter Ted Lilly, who would have had a nice final line if it wasn't for his ex-teammate (both with the Cubs & Team USA) crushing his pitches every time he came up to the plate againt him. If I didn't know better, I would say there must have been some kind of pre-arranged deal for Lilly to throw "BP fastballs" to DeRosa to allow the ex-Cub to put on a long-ball dsplay in front of the assembled Mesa multitude. 

Ex-Cub Kerry Wood also returned to Ho Ho Kam Park today for the first time since signing as a Free-Agent with the Tribe during the off-season, and pitched the 7th inning against his former club. . 

Both DeRosa and Wood received loud ovations from Cub fans when they were announced.

The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning off Lilly, when lead-off man Grady Sizemore lined a single to the outfield and DeRosa hit his first HR (the one to the CF side of the scoreboard). But Lilly then retired eight in a row quite impressively (6-3, Ks, Ks, F-8, Ks, F-8, Kc, Ks).

But DeRosa broke Lilly's magic spell, hitting a solo HR (the one off the scoreboard) with two outs in the top of the 3rd, giving Cleveland a 3-0 lead.

The Cubs loaded the bases in the bottom of the 2nd against Indians starter RHP Fausto Carmona on two singles and an error, but Lilly and Alfonso Soriano struck out, leaving the bases full. 

The Cubs did score in the next inning, however, Ryan Theriot grounded a single to lead-off the 3rd, and then with one-out, Milton Bradley (hitting LH) smashed a home run over both bullpens in RF, making it 3-2 Indians.

Lilly gave up a couple of harmless singles in the 4th and had retired the first two men in the 5th, when DeRosa unloaded his moon-shot off the CF Batter's Eye for a two-out double. Victor Martinez followed with a line shot RBI single to score DeRosa from 2nd, and the Indians took a 5-2 lead.

The Cubs came back to score a run in the bottom of the 5th, as Theriot bounced a double down the LF line and Derrek Lee hammered a single between 2nd & 3rd into LF to put runners on 1st & 3rd with no outs. Milton Bradley grounded out to the 1st baseman (unassisted) as Theriot scored and D-Lee took second, but Aramis Ramirez and Mike Fontenot grounded out to end the threat.  

Lilly had thrown 73 pitches through five innings, and I really thought that was probably going to be his limit. But he did return to the mound to start the 6th, although there was activity in the bullpen. And Lilly was indeed clearly tiring as he began the 6th, walking Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco (his first two walks of the day), before getting relieved. 

For the day, Lilly pitched five innings (plus two batters in the sixth), allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits (two HR) and two walks. while striking out eight. He threw 92 pitches (66 strikes), with a 2/5 GO/FO. Other than when he faced DeRosa, I thought he looked pretty good.  

Chad Gaudin relieved Lilly, coming into the game in a tough situation, with no outs and runners on 1st & 2nd. But he retired Jamey Carroll on an infield pop up, Tony Graffanino on an F-8 fly out, and pitcher Carmona on a 5-3 bunt out to get out of the jam. 

The 7th was another story, however, as Gaudin first got pounded, and then could not find the strike zone.

Grady Sizemore roped Gaudin's very first pitch of the 7th into the RF corner for a lead-off triple. DeRosa then hit a F-8 SF to deep CF to score Sizemore, before Victor Matinez lined a single to CF. Gaudin struck out Jhonny Peralta, but AAA OF George Lombard turned a Gaudin offering around, launching it over the two bullpens beyond the RF fence, just about exactly where Bradley hit his dinger earlier in the game. Gaudin walked Ben Francisco before striking out Wilson Valdez for the final out of the inning. . 

In his two innings of work, Gaudin allowed three runs (earned) on three hits (including a triple and a HR), and one walk, with two strikeouts. He threw 39 pitches (23 strikes) over the two innings, but he needed 29 pitches to get out of the 7th, while throwing only 15 strikes that inning. He certainly did not do anything to ensure a spot in the Cubs bullpen with today's outing.

On the other hand Rule 5 RHP David Patton continued to make a favorable impression, working an easy ten-pitch 1-2-3 8th, getting two strikeouts (both swinging) around an F-7 fly out.

Kerry Wood faced only four Cubs batters in the bottom of the 7th, getting Alfonso Soriano on a fly out (F-7) to lead off the inning, before walking Ryan Theriot on four pitches. But Micah Hoffpauir flied out harmlessly F-9, and Milton Bradley was called out on strikes (and he knew it, too, as Woody must have fooled him with a 3-2 slider).

The Cubs did narrow the score to 7-5 in the bottom of the 8th against Japanese RHP Masahide Kobayashi. Aramis Ramirez doubled to the deepest reaches of CF to lead-off the inning, before Reed Johnson unloaded a two-run HR off the scoreboard beyond the LF fence. Koyie Hill then followed with an opposite-field near HR sliced down the LF line (it was caught by the left-fielder, however), and Joey Gathright lined a shot into left-center, using his speed to reach second-base on a "hustle double." But Aaron Miles and Alfonso Soriano grounded out to end the threat, and the score remained 7-5 in favor of the visitors. ,

LHP Neal Cotts worked an 11-pitch 9th (nine strikes), striking out DeRosa before allowing one single to the outfield and an infield single (Aaron Miles threw the ball away for an error attempting to get the runner at 1st base, allowing the runner arriving at 2nd base--Victor Martinez--to advance to 3rd), but Cotts then got the tyhe left-handed hitting Lombard to tap into a "room service" 4-6-3 DP to end the inning on the very next pitch. 

The Cubs attempted to mount a rally in the bottom of the 9th off Cleveland's hard-throwing LHRP Rafael Perez, but it fizzled pretty quickly. Andres Blanco popped out to open the frame, and then Micah Hoffpauir struck out (swinging). But "strike three" got away from catcher Victor Martinez, and Hoffpauir was able to reach first base when Martinez's throw hit Hoffpauir in the back while he was running to 1st (and he was running in the lane, so it wasn't interference). But So Taguchi struck out swinging (and looked terrible in the process, as he swing late on every pitch), before Esteban German grounded out sharply 6-3 on a 3-2 pitch to end the game and seal the Cactus League victory for the Indians.

BTW, Andres Blanco, So Taguchi, and Esteban German were all sent to Minor League Camp after the game (and they were probably the last to know, too), but FWIW, LHP Mike Stanton was warming up in the Cubs bullpen during the bottom of the 9th in case the game had gone to extra innings, so he is definitely still around. I don't know why, but he is...  

Besides Bradley's HR and three RBI and Reed Johnson's two-run dinger, several other Cubs had good days at the plate today. Ryan Theriot reached base all four times he batted on a double, a single, and two walks, Joey Gathright had three hits (two singles and the "hustle double") and also made a nice running catch at the fence in left-center, and Aramis Ramirez had a single and a double. 

The Cubs travel out to Surprise (which is halfway to California as far as I'm concerned) tomorrow to face the Kansas City Royals, before returning to Mesa on Tuesday.   

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

I'm 99% sure I remember reading somewhere that Pawelek is like Andy Sisco, in that he has a real attitude problem and refuses to take direction well. Maybe Phil can elaborate. If true, then they cut him because he is a bad influence on other young pitchers, at least that's the reason they gave for giving up on Sisco via the Rule V. I tend to giving the Cubs the benefit of the doubt on these things, they've usually made the right call. And I'm near-certain Pawelek's money was as a signing bonus, so that's a sunk cost, making it even easier to let him go. He certainly has no trade value.

Who needs DeRosa's bat when we lefty Gabor? sigh.......... We're going to miss DeRo. I don't have the link but, surprise, Rich Hill is on the 15-day DL for Baltimore.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

My bad, I went back and looked, it appears you were bitching about Rob posting the Gregg over Marmol announcement after you had posted it in the comments. But I agree with your point: "Who gives a shit who posted it first?" Your first post under Rob's thread yesterday was a whiny Scott Eyre comment; and now this comment about Hill over Bako. Is Rob not supposed to post anything if it shows up in the comments first? I don't get it.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Navigator is five cards short of a full deck, there's no point in trying to figure it out. But I'll happily relay the way I do things.

MOST (not some, not a few, MOST) of our readers don't read the comments, so if something is worth posting that may have been covered in the comments, I will post it in a story. If it's something I was legitimately tipped on by someone in the comments or on another blog, I'm usually pretty good about giving them credit, particularly radio reports which I don't listen much of. If it's something I read in my Google Reader or on another website and it happened to be covered in the comments as well, I don't really see the point in crediting them for the find. Sometimes I do (usually if it's not a source in my Google Reader), sometimes I don't....but it's really no big deal to me.

And if you're legitimately upset about it, I don't care. I really don't.

Sullivan is strongly of the opinion that Lilly was throwing BP to DeRosa. Also, Donnie Veal seems to be ending the spring with a bout of wildness--twelve walks in his last eight innings.
"It is a stretch anytime you take a player out of Double-A and put him in the big leagues," [GM Neal] Huntington said.
Sure, but Veal's wildness held him in AA for two years.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Sure, over the course of the past 10 years it seemed like he was injured more often than he was healthy, but the times when he did perform were often so spectacular that they made me forget about the lost seasons. I also think this is Cubs management sending a message that guys who put the team first and lead by example will be treated accordingly, even after they leave. Try to think of another player who felt guilty about taking a big paycheck while injured so he signed a below-market deal just to try to repay the team? That's the Kerry Wood I remember, and that's the guy the Cubs are honoring this season. I've said this before, but it's worth repeating - it's really nice for a change to have a star player leave before he overstays his welcome and the fans turn on him.

1. Best headline of the year. I love it. 2. "If I didn't know better, I would say there must have been some kind of pre-arranged deal for Lilly to throw "BP fastballs" to DeRosa" DO you know better? Sounds plausible, at least, to me... Then again, I also believe that my office neighbor is reading my mind.

Submitted by Rob G. on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 12:30pm. that first link says they're going to leave Kerry's corner locker vacant for the season out of respect to Kerry.

==================================

ROB G: The Yankees did the same thing with Lou Gehrig's locker 1939-40 while The Iron Horse was dying of ALS. Hopefully KW isn't terminal.

BTW, the reason the Yankees "retired" Lou Gehrig's number wasn't because he was a great player, but rather because they didn't have the heart to reassign it during the two seasons he was on the DL at the end of his life, and then they couldn't bring themselves to reissue the number after he died, either.

By comparison, Babe Ruth's #3 wasn't retired until many years after he retired, and then only because he was dying of throat cancer. Several Yankees wore Ruth's #3 during the years after Ruth left the Yankees, mostly George Selkirk, but also the likes of Bud Matheny, Eddie Bockman, Roy Weatherly, Frank Colman, and Cliff Mapes.

Back when AZ Phil was a youngster (1964), Cubs 2B Ken Hubbs died in a private plane crash in Utah while en route to Spring Training in Mesa, and Cubs Clubhouse Man Yosh Kawano took it upon himself to unofficialy retire Hubbs #16 for a few years (1964-69), but it eventually was reissued (to Roger Metzger) in 1970.

When Yosh finally did take the number out of retirement, he said he would only issue it to players with the talent & character of Ken Hubbs.

Personally, I think that's the best way to honor a player. Don't retire his number. Just issue it to those who deserve to wear the number.

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.