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

Trade Deadline Updates

I'll try and post anything I come across with the most recent news on the top. Feel free to add anything in the comments. The deadline is 3 PM CST, although finalized deals often come in as much as hour or two later.

3:15 PM CST: Sullivan says it doesn't look like the Cubs made a move at the deadline, although he's not 100% certain yet.

3:07 PM CST: The deadline has passed and not much out there. But, a lot of last minute deals take a good hour or two to get reported. 

2:18 PM CST: ESPN reporting that Cubs are out of the Ibanez derby.  

1:50 PM CST: Filed under WTF? - Jonah Keri hearing whispers that the Cubs may be in on Will Ohman. 

1:23 PM CST: Bruce Levine supposedly reported that the Cubs turned down an offer from the Padres for Brian Giles. No idea what the offer was though. 

1:09 PM CST: Our token Mexican reader Carlos tells me that ESPN Latin America reported that the Royals want a starter for David Dejesus, preferably an MLB-ready one like Sean Marshall.

12:47 PM CST: ESPN.com reporting that Yanks and Red Sox are interested in Steve Eyre.

12:45 PM CST: Someone watching the ESPN special has Gammons reporting that the Cubs still think a deal for Ibanez can get done even if the original asking price was too high.

12:30 PM CST:  Cubs asking about David Dejesus, Brian Giles and Raul Ibanez.

12:30 PM CST: Hendry asking about Milton Bradley. 

Comments

No on Milton "Meltdown". Giles would be interesting (hits well in Wrigley), but I still think Ibanez would be the best fit. Why, why are the Cubs still so sold on Pie? He is proving that he can hit AAA pitching, but he can't get it done on the next level. So package him along with Donnie Veal (again, he is not progressing either) and Randy Wells to Seattle for Ibanez.

I have to say I like the Bradley idea more than Ibanez, but am not sold that he would be worth it, either. The headaches he would bring might offset the production...

Oh sure, Bradley will work out just fine. Wait until the first catcalls come down from the stands at Wrigley, then watch Bradley jump in after them - hilarity ensues. Here comes the folding chair - DUCK!

On second look - other than four players in their lineup, sequentially, who do the Brewers have that scares you. I'll admit, their starting rotation is good (well, until this series), but do they do all of their damage offensively with FOUR GUYS?!

Offical: Jason Bay to Rays for two minor leaguers (one who'll probably go right into Pirates' rotation) Buccos are in full selling mode. Think they'd trade within the division? Nate McLouth is a left-handed outfielder...

I don't think we need another outfielder. Edmonds and Johnson are a solid L-R tandem. Any trade probably ruins team defense and team chemistry for very little, if any offensive upgrade. If they find a better bat for the bench than Ward, go for it, but I like the OF. A bullpen arm could help though. Just my opinion.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

First, I highly doubt either of those are going to happen. And if either do happen we'd be giving up a lot for them. Also, Bradley fits my team chemistry note to a T. He has problems with pretty much everyone. And, you probably know this, but he has only had over 500 at-bats in a season ONCE in his entire career. I don't think we need him.

I'd rather have another good arm in the pen. Make the Rockies an offer they can't refuse. So what if Fuentes is a FA to be; it's been 100 freaking years.

Cubs express interest in trading for left-hand hitting outfielder at trade deadline, including Ibanez and Milton Bradley. Jim Edmonds starts that afternoon and goes deep twice. End of rumors. Coincidence or conspiracy theory?

[ ]

In reply to by DC Tom

That's not a conspiracy. Hollywood just doesn't want to lose his fucking job. Might I add, it was pretty cool to hear the loud ovation for Edmonds' step up to the plate after his grand slam.

I was hoping a little bit for Ibanez. Don't know where he'd play, but he's a huge fan favorite here in Seattle. Seems like a real stand up sort of guy. It's great to hear the crowd howling "Raauuuuulllllll", Warren Zevon-like.

It's after the wave, but before the beach balls are set loose. I could be mistaken, because I'm usually distracted by the clowns. Actually...it's when he steps up to the plate. To be fair, they really don't have much to cheer for.

Ok if I were a Brewers fan I would be really demoralized right about now...but I am not! teeheehee. I love Wrigley Field North!

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Bob Nightengale has the Bucs getting Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss from the Red Sox and Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris from the Dodgers, correcting what looks like a typo in the Rosenthal report.

Manny to Dodgers, Bay to Red Sox, Pirates get those 4 prospects... 

[ ]

In reply to by The Joe

final tally (supposedly):

Rsox give up $7MM, Manny Ramirez, Hansen and Moss for Jason Bay

Dodgers give up LaRoche and Bryan Morris for Manny Ramirez

Pirates give up Jason Bay for Hansen, Moss, LaRoche and Morris 

Winner: Dodgers 

"I'm beyond antsy," [Wood] said. "I mean, this is the damnedest thing I've ever seen as far as skin. I can't explain it. Nobody here can explain it and we've been to several doctors and it just hasn't gotten any better." [ ] "It's not a blister anymore. It's an open wound, it's an open sore on my finger. The skin's missing," Wood said http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3513012

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

when you have a blister and keep pitching on it that happens. at least this isnt 100 posts about how a manager pushed him to his limit and killed him or something similar. that open wound didn't pop up overnight. he's had it. it is odd that it's not doing much healing, though. kinda sucks.

Cards got to play a "we gave up" Braves team -- Cubs get to play the Nady-less and Bay-less Pirates this weekend. It all evens out. Love the late inning pile-ons the last two games.

Good to see the Cubs get the best kind of revenge - add on more runs. Cubs fans chanting "Sweep, Sweep, Sweep" now in the stadium

Holy Cow! a Scott Eyre sighting! Lou must have finally put his glasses on. Or maybe Hendry tricked him into thinking he traded for a new guy.

I guess we now see what it takes for Lou to put Eyre in a game: a 10-run lead. Clearly he wasn't traded either, or he wouldn't be pitching....

Eyre demonstrating why he was so hard to trade, and why Lou only uses him with a ten-run lead. He's what the Brewers have been waiting for for four days.

What the hell has happened to Eyre? He's had cold and hot streaks before, but he's looked terrible all year - and still he bitches about not getting a chance to play? Feh.

[ ]

In reply to by Dmac

He has looked terrible all year? Really? First... he pitched very well early in the season, and then got hurt (or at least got sent to the DL). In his first 14 appearances he didn't give up a run. He then gave up runs in 2 of his next 3 appearances before going to the DL. And how he looks terrible after not throwing in a big league game in over a month. Is that a surprise? No one can expect a guy to be effective when he hasn't throw in a big league game in weeks, and hasn't seen live action since coming off the DL over a week ago.

[ ]

In reply to by Dmac

On this site a few weeks ago, I wrote up the results of about two hours spent sifting through all of Eyre's appearances this season--what the game situation was when he came in. He was used almost exclusively in games that were already won or lost. Piniella used him very carefully to pad his stats so he could be traded by today. It didn't work--although it might have fooled certain blog posters--but it was a good try. It's hard to know what to do next. No GM wants to be seen paying a guy millions to go home and play golf. Meanwhile, Piniella hates him and Eyre knows it. He's the unhappiest Cub. Piniella must look him over every day to see if he has a new pimple that could put him on the DL.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

It's not a stretch at all to say that Lou has used Eyre in such a way as to never jeopardize the outcome of a game. Here is what I wrote on 7/6:
My point about Eyre is that Piniella doesn't like to use him when the game is on the line, so the Cubs are always short one lefty. Of Eyre's 18 appearances this year, the Cubs were behind in 10 of those games at the time he appeared. Of the 8 remaining, in 4 of them they were ahead by 2, 3, 7 and 9 runs when Eyre was brought in. Of the four still remaining, in one of them he came in in the 13th inning of a tie game (5/24). In another (6/10 vs. Atlanta), he came into a close game in the 8th inning (Cubs up 6-5), after Howry had just given up 2 runs, Marmol had pitched the inning before, and Wood was unavailable. Eyre pitched to one batter, then Lieber took over in the 9th. On 5/25, he faced 1 batter in the 8th against Pittsburgh, Cubs up 5-4, and earned a hold. Finally, 6/18 was the game against Tampa where Eyre came in and let 3 of Marmol's runners and 3 of his own score. So these are the contortions a manager has to go through to use a guy like Eyre, who is on the roster because Hendry was feeling flush in late 2005. If Piniella could pick his own players, the Cubs might have had a lefty to face Ankiel in the 9th inning Saturday.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

It is a stretch to say that. Newsflash, teams come back from games in which they are behind. You need relief pitchers to keep games close. You can't just throw away any game that he enters that the Cubs are behind. Obviously Lou likes Wood, Marmol, and to a certain extent Howry the best out of this pen. And these are the Cubs' best relievers, especially the first two. So why would you pitch Marmol in a game in which you are behind say 3-2? You wouldn't. You pitch other guys, like Eyre, to try to hold the lead and then put Marmol and Wood in if you pull ahead. This isn't rocket science. Is Eyre one of the 3-4 best relievers on the team? - No. Is he having a bad year? - Yes. Has he been injured off an on this year too? - Yes. Is he Lou's favorite right now? - No. But to rip Hendry for putting him on the roster is dumb. I remember you saying the same stuff last year when Eyre struggled early on. Your complaints disappeared when he had a 0.74 ERA from July 4th on, with a .202 BA against. From July 1st on he gave up runs in exactly ONE of the THIRTY games in which he pitched. If he gets healthy and figures it out he could be effective again for us and Lou will start going to him in more important situations.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Lou doesn't think Eyre can protect a one-run lead in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings. You can't cite any stats that prove that Lou is wrong, because there are none. Eyre doesn't come in in those situations, and he didn't last year either, if I remember correctly. It didn't take Lou very long to figure out that he didn't want to rely on Eyre. Over the weekend, commentators were saying that Lou wanted to see Samardzija in a pressure situation. That's the point. How a guy pitches when the pressure is off is fairly meaningless, except to stat-gazers. Having said all that, I watched the replay of Eyre's ninth inning this morning and he threw pretty well. Good zip on his fastball, several swinging strikes. The hits were of the excuse-me variety. Eyre just lacks a good offspeed pitch, so he has trouble putting people away. The Cubs do have an interesting lefty reliever at double-A, Casey Lambert, who is only 22 and a year out of college but has pitched well at four pro levels in a little more than a season.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

If you read what I wrote above you'd see that I agree that Lou doesn't go to Eyre in big situations. Lou basically goes to Marmol, Wood, and Howry. There is no bullpen in all of major league baseball where the manager feels comfortable going to all 6 or 7 guys with 1 run leads in the 8th and 9th. It's like you are pissed at Eyre, Hendry, and Lou because Eyre isn't as good as Marmol and Lou won't go to Eyre instead of Marmol. I wouldn't either. If Samardzija pitches poorly, partiuclarly in high pressure situations, he won't go to him either. And Lambert is not even going to get that opportunity. I'm not even sure what your point is. You basically have a fact: Eyre is having a bad year and not being used in the most important situations. NO ONE disputes this. But you then extrapolate from that fact that Lou HATES Eyre, that Eyre knows it, and that Lou purposefully tried to pad his stats so Hendry could trade him. Did it ever occur to you that it is just as likely that Eyre and Lou get along just fine and that Lou a) uses him in the appropriate situations given how poorly he is pitching, and b) is trying to build him back up in those situations to help the Cubs rather than to trade him.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

I like the ideas that 2 and 3 runs leads aren't close games, and that the opposing hitters don't worry about getting on base when their team is ahead. The only difference between a team that is behind and one that is leading is that the team that is leading may use fewer PH'rs.

If you watched Lou go out to mound to get him today, his look was exactly the same look he gave to Dempster last year - to say he was monumentally pissed off does not begin to describe it.

I know we were looking for a left handed bat.. but Brian Giles and Milton Bradley!!!! Brian Giles would have played at second.. we have 4 guys who can play second already... and Bradley is only a corner outfielder. I strongly believe the reason nothing ever got done is because the Cubs were looking for a left-handed hitting right or center fielder... in the name of Raul Ibanez.. thinking they could move Fukudome to center if they were able to get him. I also think they would have carried five outfielders if they were able to get Ibanez since Edmonds knee does not appear to be such an issue any more.

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...