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

Cubs Trio Help Solar Sox Glow to Victory

Starlin Castro jacked-up his AFL league-leading batting average to .423 as he ripped two singles, knocked-in two runs, and scored one, Josh Vitters tripled and scored, and John Gaub tossed a 1-2-3 7th, leading the Mesa Solar Sox (Cubs, Marlins, Red Sox, Angels, and Twins) to a 7-2 victory over the Peoria Saguaros (Padres, Reds, Indians, Braves, and Astros) in Arizona Fall League action this afternoon at sunny HoHoKam Park in Mesa. 

box score

AFL leading hitter Castro was the Solar Sox DH today and hit 2nd, getting four ABs.

Facing Saguaros starting LHP Mike Minor (Braves 2009 #1 draft pick out of Vanderbilt) with a runner at1st base and no outs in the bottom of the 1st. Castro lined a single to LF on the first pitch he saw, advanced to 2nd uncontested on the back-end of a double-steal, and then scored on a two-out two-run RBI single to CF by Hank Conger (Angels).   

Castro bounced out weakly to the third-baseman in his second PA against Minor in the 3rd, before lacing a two-run RBI single past the SS into left-center off RHP Mike Leake (Reds 2009 #1 draft pick out of Arizona State) with two outs in the 5th. In his final AB of the day, Castro struck out looking to end the 7th, only his 5th K in 55 AFL Plate Appearances.  

Vitters played 3B and hit 6th, grounding out on a first-pitch broken-bat roller to the second baseman his first time up leading- off the 2nd. before popping out to short RF in his 2nd PA the 5th. But the 20-year old really tagged one leading off the bottom of the 7th against Padres RHP Mike DeMark, juicing a laser-liner stand-up triple into the right-centerfield gap that rolled all the way to the fence. He then scored on an error. In his final AB, Vitters flied out to CF.

Vitters had only one chance in the field today, handling a routine grounder without incident, as he back-handed the ball, squared himself, and made a strong & accurate throw to 1st base to nail the batter by two steps. .

LHP John Gaub entered the game in relief in the top of the 7th and was unhittable, striking out Mitch Canham (Padres) swinging and Josh Rodriguez (Indians) looking, before retiring Lance Zawadzki (Padres) on a lazy pop up to the 1st baseman in foul territory. This was certainly Gaub's best AFL outing (so far), as he alternated a 94 MPH heater and filthy breaking ball.

The 24-year old Gaub was one of the three minor league pitchers the Cubs acquired from the Cleveland Indians in the Mark DeRosa trade last-off-season. He figures to get added to the Cubs 40-man roster on 11/20, because otherwise he would be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft. .  

And Michael Brenly made his AFL debut this afternoon, entering the game as a defensive replacement at catcher in the top of the 9th. Brenly replaces Welington Castillo (DL retro to 10/23) on the Solar Sox roster.

RHP Andrew Cashner is scheduled to make his 4th AFL start tomorrow, as the Solar Sox travel to Peoria Stadium for a rematch with the Saguaros. 

 

Comments

Phil - After watching Castro, do you think he can be ready to contribute at mid year or do you think 2011 is much more likely? If the hype is real, it seems to me the Cubs brass has to be thinking that they can slide Theriot over to 2B when he is ready. I'm assuming Castro would be an upgrade over Theriot at SS defensively (at least range and arm wise) and personally I would love to have Theriot back at 2B with the ability to slide him over to SS when necessary (or for double switches). Let me know your thoughts on where Castro stands after seeing him in person.

Submitted by Cubs Win on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 10:26am.

Phil - After watching Castro, do you think he can be ready to contribute at mid year or do you think 2011 is much more likely? If the hype is real, it seems to me the Cubs brass has to be thinking that they can slide Theriot over to 2B when he is ready. I'm assuming Castro would be an upgrade over Theriot at SS defensively (at least range and arm wise) and personally I would love to have Theriot back at 2B with the ability to slide him over to SS when necessary (or for double switches). Let me know your thoughts on where Castro stands after seeing him in person.

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

CUBS WIN: I think the Cubs will let Starlin Castro's performance on the field determine when he is ready for the big leagues. That could be sometime in 2010 or 2011.

Castro will certainly get an NRI to Spring Training next March, where Lou Piniella will have an opportunity to evaluate Castro's progress, and where Castro will have a chance to work with Alan Trammell and Ivan DeJesus on his fielding and with new Cubs hittng instructor Rudy Jaramillo on his hitting.

I also would not be too quick to dismiss 2007 4th round pick Darwin Barney (Oregon State), another SS who has rocketed through the Cubs farm system. Barney played in the AFL a year ago and got an NRI to ST this past March, and played well enough at AA Tennessee (hitting 317/368/409) that he got a mid-season promotion to AAA Iowa. While Castro is probably the more-talented of the two (or at least has a higher ceiling), Barney isn't exactly chopped liver. He's a very polished player, a "true" shortstop, and a legitimate MLB prospect.

So Ryan Theriot will have to fend-off competition from both Barney and Castro at some point in the not-too-distant future, and it certainly is possible that Theriot will get moved to 2B if and when Barney or Castro make it to The Show. Or as an arbitration-eligible player who will likely get about $2M for 2010 and perhaps considerably more in 2011, The Riot could get traded sometime next off-season.

Just wondering what the scoop is on Cashner. I see that he didn't make his scheduled start today, and he has been declared "unable to participate" in the AFL Rising Stars game. Hopefully it isn't an injury. Anybody know of anything?

Phil - Agree....as much as I like Theriot, he turns into a pumpkin when his arbitration number gets too high (or worse, when he is a free agent). It is key for the Cubs to replace players like him with young talent and not overpay for mediocrity. Theriot at $750k is a steal but Theriot at $5MM Year (or more) is not good business. Knowing that Castro (and possibly Barney) is coming up the ladder, what would you do if you were the Cubs brass in looking at SS and 2B options the next 2 years? Would getting a Short term 2B option (O Dog or Adam Kennedy for 1 year) knowing that you can slide over Theriot if Castro forces his way up in 2011 be smart?

Submitted by The Real Neal on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 7:57pm. I am trying to remember and drawing a blank... what did Sandberg do when he was assisting at spring training? Has that changed a lot over the last couple seasons? It would be nice if we could instill the organization with some of the baserunning, fielding and batting smarts Sandberg used to display.

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

REAL NEAL: Before Ryne Sandberg became a Cubs minor league manager in 2008, he was a Spring Training Instructor. As a STI, he worked with the infielders (mostly at 2B, but also at SS and 3B) and did some baserunning instruction with Bob Dernier. I don't recall him doing any hitting instruction on the field, but he may have worked one-on-one in the cages with certain hitters who weren't responding to Gerald Perry or Dave Keller.

As a minor league manager at Minor League Camp, he was very hands-on with his players (Peoria group in 2008 and Tennessee group in 2009), but he did not become involved with the other squads.

BTW, Sandberg is VERY intense and vocal as a manager, while Jody Davis was very laid-back when he was manager at Daytona. That might be one of the reasons Sandberg got promoted to AA manager, while Davis was reassigned to organization catching instructor duties.

Submitted by Cubs Win on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 3:59pm.
Phil -

Knowing that Castro (and possibly Barney) is coming up the ladder, what would you do if you were the Cubs brass in looking at SS and 2B options the next 2 years? Would getting a Short term 2B option (O Dog or Adam Kennedy for 1 year) knowing that you can slide over Theriot if Castro forces his way up in 2011 be smart?

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

CUBS WIN: Given the Cubs tight payroll right now, I can't see them signing or acquiring any middle infielders from outside the organization anytime soon.

I think they are probably a lot more concerned about the pitching staff (Ted Lilly is a FA after next season), and available payroll will probably be moved in that direction.

There also is the problem of Derrek Lee becoming a FA after next season with no replacement ready in the organization. The Cubs need to decide pretty soon whether to re-sign D-Lee.

Also, Aramis Ramirez can be a FA after next season (player option), and that would be a huge hole to fill if he were to leave. Josh Vitters is a third-baseman, but he needs a LOT of work on his defense before he will be ready to play in the big leagues. Marquez Smith will be the 3B at Iowa in 2010, and is a borderline MLB prospect right now, but if he proves he can hit at AAA and can hit some HR, he could become a Top 15 Prospect by this time next year. M. Smith is a better all-around player than Vitters, although Vitters has a much higher ceiling (as a hitter).

Submitted by Rob G. on Wed, 11/04/2009 - 12:45pm.
you know if Lee wants to take a contract that addresses his aging skillset and likely decline, then I'm all for bringing him back...

since that won't happen, see if they can trade him this offseason or cut bait next year...

Ramirez would be tougher to lose, but he's also on the wrong side of the bell curve.

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

ROB G: With no real 1B prospect in the upper levels of the organization pipeline, I strongly suspect the Cubs will re-sign D-Lee to a contract extention past 2010 for the same money he's making now ($13M per year), probably for two years (2011-12) with a third year vesting option based on games played and/or PA.

Recent comments

  • 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...

  • 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.