Cubs MLB Roster

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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 

 



 

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Rule 5 Draft 
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Game 3 Recap: Cubs 11, Astros 6

W - Ted Lilly (1-0)
L - Brian Moehler (0-1)

Box Score

In the spirit of Passover, we begin tonight's recap by asking, why is this night different from all other nights?

The answer:

Tonight the Cubs sent nine men to the plate in each of the first two innings, building a lead so large, it allowed Ted Lilly to throw his own personal game of Home Run Derby and still win his first game of the season.

Details after the jump.

The Good:

  • The hits just kept on coming—Fukudome had four safeties (including a 2B and HR); Ramirez had four (including a 2B); and Soriano, Fontenot, and Theriot had two each
  • Did I mention that Kosuke "First Pitch" Fukudome had four hits? The first three all resulted from first-pitch swings, an interesting shift in approach from a guy who ranked second in the NL last season in pitches seen per plate appearance (4.29)
  • Anthony Michael Hall lookalike David Patton made his Major League debut and after serving up a home run ball to Hunter Pence, the 23-year-old Patton mowed down six Astros in a row, including Lance Berkman on a three-pitch strikeout that featured a 95 mph fastball, an 82-mph breaking ball, and an 85-mph curveball for the kill
  • Still looking for his first Cub hit, Milton Bradley nonetheless managed to reach base four times, via 3 walks and an HBP
  • Carlos Marmol and Angel Guzman each delivered another strong inning in relief

The Bad:

  • Lilly gave up 4 HR in just 5 IP; this spring he gave up 5 HR in just 11 IP. Yes, the wind was howling to centerfield tonight and Arizona has thin air, but that's a damn lot of home runs
  • Derrek Lee went 1-for-6 with three strikeouts
  • Alfonso Soriano got thrown out at first on a play in which Miguel Tejada double-clutched not once, but twice (four clutches total); somebody's wheels just aren't what they used to be
  • The Cubs will not get to hit against Brian Moehler and Russ Ortiz every night for the rest of the season

Comments

Any chance anyone has decent tickets for the April 19th Sunday night game against the Cardinals? I am profoundly sorry if I am violating protocol, but I have come up with bupkus in all my other attempts to get tix. It will be part of my Honeymoon, and I am hoping to secure some tickets before I get to Chicago. Thanks for tolerating this post.

Milton Bradley is going for the Guiness Book of World Records for most runs scored by a guy with a .000 batting average.

"Lilly gave up 4 HR in just 5 IP; this spring he gave up 5 HR in just 11 IP. Yes, the wind was howling to centerfield tonight and Arizona has thin air, but that's a damn lot of home runs" Did Houston move to Arizona and I missed it? :D

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

It is early and the division is weak and the Cubs have good offensive support around him, but hope we don't have to live with Hill for very long. I think by the end of the year, we will be hoping for the days of having a backup catcher as "good" as Paul Bako. I hope the Cubs are cautious with Soto and maybe sit him out the 3 games in MIL this weekend, but just don't make this a thing where he is out for a month due to pushing him.

I wish mlb.tv would get the kinks out. I only caught the last half of the game last night and wanted to catch the highlights from the first part, but the links to the archived game and the video highlights bring you to nothing. I opened gameday and tried to watch the video highlights in that and the only one they have is, get this, Pence's home run. Just dumb.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

3 seasons in a row it has been that way. First 2 weeks or so they work the new stuff in, with all the new subscribers jamming the servers as well. I had a 85% good view last night. I figured the requirements would be higher so I bought a new computer to watch the games, and the picture quality is already 100% better/bigger than last year. But the jumping at times and freezing, just have to be patient while the nerd herd works on it since this is the first year almost everything is available high def. Len and Bob were good! Normally I'm blacked out from all Astros games (doesn't bother me unless they play the Cubs) but for some reason they let me watch. Also surprised they didn't raise the price of MLB TV. All in all, a good deal since I get to watch our division opponents as well and "scout."

Loved the pop off Aramis' bat. Loved seeing Fukudome being aggressive in his zone, patient outside it. Loved Bradley contributing despite not getting a hit.

Boy - lots of new faces coming here. Wondering if the rainbows and roses at Al's site is just too much to take? Oh, and the constant chatter of non-baseball-related crap.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Not sure if I'm among the perceived new faces, but I've been lurking these parts since before MVP, John Hill, Alec and the all-baseball days. Back when Ruz got excited about baseball again. Anyway, I like to only chime in when I can improve on the current conversation. Though I'm not usually successful at that. : ) I think I'm just a little excited as I've started paying for my television service for the first time in many years. So I can actually see all the games now. Crazy. I'll miss the radio guys, but I can't deny my enthusiasm.

On pace for... Theriot - .615 BA Bradley - 0 hits, 216 BB Ramirez - 270 RBI Soriano - 108 HR, 108 RBI Lilly - 32 - 0, 9.00 ERA, 130 HR

It seemed to me that Moehler actually had decent stuff, at least in the first inning. Silverlight is a hideous technology.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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...