Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

The Blind Cub Squirrel Finds a Nut and Friday Notes

Submitted by Rob G. on

I watched not one second of Friday's affair. I managed about 10 minutes of Internet access and caught the 2-1 score, posted this premature comment and then later flipped on my XM radio to catch the final 5-2 win. The good news is the Cubs got a win and Milton Bradley and Alfonso Soriano went a combined 6/6 with 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 Runs Scored and 2 BB's. The bad news was the comedy of errors from the offensive heroes and the Cubs needing a dramatic come-from-behind win against a team missing their five best players.

Some links and notes after the jump...

- Bruce Levine is sticking with the Minnesota Twins as the team awarded the claim on Rich Harden. How he got past the entire NL is a little confusing with the way he's pitching and the rather minimal committment left on his contract.  I don't hold high hopes that the Twins would take the rest of his contract and give up top prospects for Harden. And it looks like the San Francisco Giants were awarded the claim on Aaron Heilman. The Sun-Times says a few more Cubs were claimed, but doesn't offer up any names.

- In minor league news, 2009 first round pick Brett Jackson has been placed on the disabled list with inflammation in his right wrist. He should be back for Peoria's playoff run as they have already clinched a playoff spot in the Midwest League. As of this writing, Iowa is a 1.5 back of Memphis and tied with Nashville with just over a week left in the PCL season. In Double A, Tennessee is tied with West Tennessee and the two teams finish the season with a five-game set.

- The Daytona Cubs aren't going to be repeating as FSL champs, but they've thrown their second combined no-hitter in the last two weeks. Both times  20-year old pitcher Oswaldo Martinez was involved and he has not given up an earned run in 10.1 IP since joining Daytona.This time he combined with Mike Perconte on the no-hitter, last time it was a four pitcher effort with Martinez, Craig Muschko, Chris Siegfried and David Cales.

- Alfonso Soriano is set to have his MRI on Monday.

- I've got some Internet troubles at home, so dont' expect much from me this weekend, hence this hastily done post.

 

Tags
Friday Notes
Cubs Recap

Comments

Submitted by Dusty Baylor on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:53 am

Completely off-topic, but it's good to see former Cub Felix Pie getting some PT in Baltimore with Adam Jones on the DL. .271/.332/.442, 6HR and 21 RBI in 201 PA's. If he'd done even this with the Cubs, he'd still be here.

Submitted by artskoe on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:21 pm

Also off topic. How does ANY pitcher in a big league organization get a second look if he only has 2 pitches? A fastball and slider won't do, yet you hear all the time about some guy with a blazing fastball (Marmol) and he's "working on his" slider (Marmol), or slurve, or whatever? How does a 'Marmol' survive if any batter has a 50-50 chance of guessing right? I think I know the answer but somebody help me to know why a guy is the closer when he can't find a location with his fastball and his slider moves only 10-12 inches down from up (and ironically, a 40 year old guy named Sheffield was completely fooled by it yesterday). So is that why Samardzija was sent down? To work on a 3rd pitch? Finally, wouldn't it be cool if we had a guy like Angel Pagan leading off and batting .295 with his speed? "WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR!"

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Submitted by The Real Neal on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:27 pm

"How does ANY pitcher in a big league organization get a second look if he only has 2 pitches?" The vast majority of effective big league relievers feature... two pitches - a fastball and something else. Mariano Rivera throws a fastball and a cut fastball, that's his two pitches. Trevor Hoffman, fastball and changeup. Bruce Sutter, fastball and split finger. Dave Steib was a good to great STARTER for years throwing just two pitches, fastball slider. As long as you have a pitch that you can throw for strikes and the opposing hitter may not hit it, you're in pretty good shape. "So is that why Samardzija was sent down? To work on a 3rd pitch?" Samardzija was sent down because he has little control and command. None of his four pitches he throws are going to get as many swinging misses as Marmol's slider.

Submitted by MikeC on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:39 pm

There is also the length of time a pitcher is used. A relief pitcher can get away with 1 or 2 pitches because they only go one inning. You really need the 3rd or 4th pitch as a starter because your going through the lineup 3 or 4 times.

Submitted by Eric S on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:52 pm

fwiw: the Daytona Cubs' combined no-hitter yesterday was a 7IP affair (2nd game of a double-header) -- i know its official and all that, just doesn't feel like a genuine no-no Daytona Cubs beat Tiger starting pitcher prospect Chuck Furbush the day before. Would be nice to swing a deal for Furbush and get him in the Peoria rotation with Bibens-Dirkx before the playoffs. Hendry gets this done, and i'll give him a pass for 2009.

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:01 pm

no soriano today. countdown to DL. his knee is toasty as hell. laziness in the OF aside (damn u dusty...we need a real manager to make soriano blah blah blah), some of his recent laxness in chasing down stuff can be tied to his knee. sori's knee, aram's shoulder...hope 2010 is better. oh yeah, and the healthy guy with a near .400 ob% is being driven out of town cuz he doesn't want to make the OF bleacher creatures feel like he's part of their social club. -edit- and as i type that milton hits a game tieing RBI double...2 for 2 on the day. what a bum. he didn't wave to my girlfriend. trade him.

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Submitted by MikeC on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:13 pm

So another Milton 400 AB season means he was healthy? Thats about 2 months of missing AB's. Same goes for last year. Last 2 years 4 months of AB's missing without ever reaching the DL. Sorry but no one can depend on a 400 AB starter for anything, ever. And his 35 or 36 RBI are good for like 97th place among OFers. Besides does anyone give a shit that he started hitting when the season is over? It only took him till August to do anything remotely productive lets just forget about April, May, June, and July when he was helping us dig a hole. Hey thanks Milton for showing up its only the end of the August, season started in April. Whoooopeeee. Shittiest RFer in baseball this season.

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Submitted by Dusty Baylor on Sun, 08/30/2009 - 08:22 am

Nope, I just think that it's funny that your defense of MB is so....enthusiastic? Now...if he'd been brought here, put in the #2 slot in the lineup, and had been walking his ass off there all season, and getting driven in regularly by DLee, Aram..even Jake Fox...then I guess I could see it. I just don't know if I'd want the #5 hitter in the lineup looking so hard to take a walk all the time. MB has had a really good second half. .310/.429/.484 is awfully good. 5HR and 15 RBI in only 156 PA's is okay I suppose. I hope he can do that the rest of his time here. I hope. Soriano? He should have got the knee MRI months ago. I can't argue that he has been brutal except for April and July, where he was superb at the plate. He is awful in the field, and you can visibly see him gimping around the bases. I'd love to see Jake Fox in there the rest of the season. The difference is, you don't see Soriano bitching about the umps/showing them up at the plate, bitching about the fans, bitching about the media. He came out and said "I stink." Your smartass comment notwithstanding, I agree with you that Soriano hass been a bigger issue this season than Bradley. How ever, let's not sugarcoat Bradley's season as a success just yet. Maybe he could be the MVP of OBP?

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Submitted by crunch on Sun, 08/30/2009 - 08:26 pm

I could care less who's bitching to the press and the bitching to the umps milton is doing isn't keeping him from getting his walks or calls at the plate...besides it's not even meltdown ump bitching. the media means NOTHING to me...the bleacher creatures, NOTHING...the baseball social experience, NOTHING. also, you've missed a few dozen times of milton taking responsibility for his actions as well as avoiding situations that invite a fight...most specifically with the guy who's job is to keep that stuff from happening, his manager. soriano not bitching isn't making him any better of a player. soriano being nice to the OF bleachers isn't making him a better player.

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:43 pm

Mitre, Yanks combine on 1-hitter vs. White Sox Btw, can you guys refresh me on the Mitre movement off the club? To Florida I remember. Derek Lee? I could have googled it in this time but I'd rather watch people talk.

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:35 pm

1 hitter belonged to Mitre and Chad Gaudin postgame Lou said Soriano's MRI didn't show anything bad and expects them to give him a cortisone shot...I'll get better detail if I can also on radio they said Jeff Baker's little finger xray was negative for a fracture

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:37 pm

muskat article and a video interview from Soriano: An MRI of Alfonso Soriano's left knee on Saturday revealed inflammation, and the outfielder will likely get a cortisone shot and be sidelined a few days. http://cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090829&content_id=6679804&vk… --- Inflammation can be localized to a specific part of the knee (i.e. patellar tendon) or it can be generalized as in increased joint fluid (an effusion) so it's a very limited amount of information we're getting again. Still, if he had a meniscus or ACL tear (aka something structural) they probably would not have omitted those as specific findings.

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 08/29/2009 - 08:01 pm

t could be arthritic, though? --- could be...a common source of inflammation on an mri. the term for early arthritic changes is chondromalacia (essentially translates to soft or worn articular cartilage) and mri's can see that if it's severe but if it's fairly mild it's a tougher call. It is something easily identified arthroscopically

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    happ, right hamstring tightness, day-to-day (hopefully 0 days).

    he will be reevaluated tomorrow.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I guess I'm not looking for that type of AB 

    Just a difference of opinion

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I don’t see Tauchman as a weak link in any position. He simply adds his value in a different way.

    I don’t know that we gain much by putting him in the outfield - Happ, Bellinger and Suzuki and Tauchman all field their positions well. If you’re looking for Taucnman’s kind of AB in a particular game I don’t see why it can’t come from DH.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Tauchman gets a pinch hit RBI single with a liner to RF. This is his spot. He's a solid 4th OF. But he isn't a DH. 

    He takes pitches. Useful. I still believe in having good hitters.

    You don't want your DH to be your weak link (other than your C maybe)

  • crunch (view)

    bit of a hot take here, but i'm gonna say it.

    the 2024 marlins don't seem to be good at doing baseballs.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Phil, will the call up for a double header restart that 15 days on assignment for a pitcher? Like will wesneski’s 15 days start yesterday, or if he’s the 27th man, will that mean 15 days from tomorrow?

    I hope that makes sense. It sounds clearer in my head.

  • Charlie (view)

    Tauchman obviously brings value to the roster as a 4th outfielder who can and should play frequently. Him appearing frequently at DH indicated that the team lacks a valuable DH. 

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally onboard with your thoughts concerning today’s lineup. Not sure about your take on Tauchman though.

    The guy typically doesn’t pound the ball out out of the park, and his BA is quite unimpressive. But he brings something unique to the table that the undisciplined batters of the past didn’t. He always provides a quality at bat and he makes the opposing pitcher work because he has a great eye for the zone and protects the plate with two strikes exceptionally well. In addition to making him a base runner more often than it seems through his walks, that kind of at bat wears a pitcher down both mentally and physically so that the other guys who may hit the ball harder are more apt to take advantage of subsequent mistakes and do their damage.

    I can’t remember a time when the Cubs valued this kind of contribution but this year they have a couple of guys doing it, with Happ being the other. It doesn’t make for gaudy stats but it definitely contributes to winning ball games. I do believe that’s why Tauchman has garnered so much playing time.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Miles Mastrobuoni cannot be recalled until he has spent at least ten days on optional assignment, unless he is recalled to replace a position player who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And for a pitcher it's 15 days on optional assignment before he can be recalled, unless he is replacing a pitcher who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, or Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And a pitcher (or a position player, but almost always it's a pitcher) can be recalled as the 27th man for a doubleheader regardless of how many days he has been on optional assignment, but then he must be sent back down again the next day. 

     

    That's why the Cubs had to wait as long as they did to send Jose Cuas down and recall Keegan Thompson. Thompson needed to spend the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he could be recalled (and he spent EXACTLY the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he was recalled). 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.

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