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 118 Thread / Cardinals @ Cubs (3 of 3)

Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP Chris Carpenter
SP Ryan Dempster
  0-0, 1.00, 4 K, 2 BB, 9 IP
  12-5, 2.93, 133 K, 59 BB, 150.2 IP
       
CF
*Skip Schumaker
LF
Alfonso Soriano
LF
Joe Mather
RF
*Kosuke Fukudome
1B
Albert Pujols
1B
Derrek Lee
RF
Ryan Ludwick
3B
Aramis Ramirez
3B Troy Glaus CF
*Jim Edmonds
C
Yadier Molina 2B
Mark DeRosa
2B
*Adam Kennedy C Geovany Soto
P
Chris Carpenter
SS
Ronny Cedeno
SS #Cesar Izturis P Ryan Dempster


Amazing game, this baseball.

Just two days ago, we were aglow over the possibility that this weekend set could end with the Cardinals nine games behind the Cubs and all but out of the NL Central race. Then on Saturday the league's highest-scoring road team bludgeoned the Cubs' nominal pitching ace and suddenly, St. Louis has a chance to win this series and close to within five games of first place with the Brewers once again also breathing down the Cubs' necks.

The Sunday Night ESPN Game features a matchup between two members of the Tommy John Surgery Alumni Club, Chris Carpenter and Ryan Dempster.

Carpenter, 13 months removed from his procedure, makes his third start of the year tonight. He threw five shutout innings at the Dodgers last Tuesday, requiring just 51 pitches to to buzz through the 15 outs. He's 7-2, 3.07 in 13 career starts against the Cubs; at Wrigley, he's 5-1, 3.88.

Alfonso Soriano, who has never faced Carpenter as a member of the Cubs, is 10-for-25 (.400) lifetime against the righty, with a pair of homers. On the other hand, in a combined 72 lifetime ABs against Carpenter, Lee and Ramirez together have just 1 HR and 5 RBI.

Dempster, who underwent TJS in August of '03, was beaten by the Astros on Electrical Storm Night last Monday. He is making his first start against the Redbirds since back in April of '05, when he also got the nod for the Cubs against Carpenter and was on the wrong end of a 4-0 final score.

 

Records Following "Tommy John Surgery"
Pitcher
G
IP W-L
Chris Carpenter (2008—Current)
2 9 0-0
Ryan Dempster (2004—Current)
250 405 21-25
Tommy John (1976-1989)
405 2545 164-125

 

 

Comments

52 pitches through 5 for Carpenter. I don't get the Cubs approach at all. You have a ghood pitcher who you know is on a pitch count...with a bad bullpen backing him up. Why in the heck are they not making him work? Why is Lee swinging 3-0? The offense is making me a bit nervous this homestand. Inconsistent and they seem to be less patient at the plate.

big big win (like those big big donations that santo talks about). your ace pitches possibly the worst game of his life and you still win the series, and harden didn't throw. awesome. ahead by 4 and 7 games instead of 3 and 5 games. tremendous win, wood and marmol looked great and should be ready to switch roles back after the off day tomorrow. gotta win the series in ATL with the tough marlins series afterwards, although hopefully Z-Demp-Harden make it less tough. should really go 4-2, and i don't care how they do it. how bad is the carpenter contract? it was bad the moment it was signed, as someone that old with tommy john shouldn't get that many years. he might be out the rest of the season again as it's already mid august.

From ESPN game recap: "Cubs manager Lou Piniella wants more production from All-Star outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. If he doesn't start producing, the Cubs' right fielder and biggest offseason acquisition (four years, $48 million) could have his playing time reduced. "We need him to start hitting," Piniella said before Sunday's game. And if Fukudome doesn't get out of his slump, Piniella said he would have to start looking for other options. That could mean more playing time for Reed Johnson in right or for Mike Fontenot at second with DeRosa moving from second to right. Fukudome went 0-for-4 Sunday night and is in a 30-for-138 slump over his last 39 games." http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280810116 How is Fontenot in the lineup and DeRo in right in any way, shape or form better than Hoffpower looking ugly in right but looking pretty in the 5 or 6-hole?

Kosuke needs to be in their for his defense alone. His numbers are likely better than average out of the 7 or 8 hole in the NL and he handles the toughest defensive postion (RF in Wrigley) flawlessly. If it aint broke dont fix it.

I definitely have no complaints about Fukudome's defense. It's been well above average in RF. And he's gotten quite a bit of days off from Lou since the All-Star break so I don't think it's fatigue. Maybe he misses his wife and the new baby? Are they here or in Japan? Whatever, he really needs to adjust soon to how the pitchers have adjusted to him or I'd have to go with Lou's threat of less playing time...

Posted the following in the previous thread in the wake of Hoffpauir's four(?!) home run performance on Saturday night -- & responding to a post of Mister Whipple: "I've seen Hoffpauir up and down this years in the bigs with a good eye and nice consistency but I don't know much about how he projects long term at a major league level. Bypassing the question of whether he could become a valuable addition prior to September 1, does he have much long term potential? I know he's pretty old to suddenly be an impactful major leaguer (how common is it for a 28 year old to suddenly find his own in the majors?)" --------------------- Well, Ryan Ludwick turned 30 this July and had no regular Major League playing time until May of last year ('07). He spent 5 1/2 years in AAA, batting .285, .303, .271, .191, .266 from 2002 - 2006 before finally putting up a .340/8/36 line for the first 29 games in 2007 (including oba & slg of .380/.642), earning a call up to the Cards in May, 2007. He bats .267/14/52 (oba & slg of .339/.479) in 2/3-time duty in 2007 (303 abs in 120 games). Then he hits like a crazy man this year (.307/.385/.614 with 29 HR & 84 RBI in 109 games). Don't know if Ludwick has arrived or if it is his version of Jim Hickman's 1970 season -- but it has to give hope to someone like Hoffpauir. It also gives us something to think about for spelling Kosuke in right field.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

My point exactly, Neal. You can downgrade in right and upgrade the batting order, or you can downgrade slightly less in right, downgrade again at second and have a wash of the batting order. Can Hoffpower really be THAT bad? And there's always Kosuke and ReJo for late-game subs. Maybe after three weeks of the defensive horror show I'll be ready to change my mind but for now I think it's worth a shot. But he keeps playing 1B at Iowa, so I know it's another pipe dream. I love Lou's love of versatility but there's a fine line between that and misuse of talent. Just because you Can put DeRo in right doesn't mean he should start there more often than not. All I know is if Hoffpower is going to be the new Wardosaurus next year he'd better at least be able to hack it out there.

Was there a scoring change made retroactively that has lowered Marmol's ERA? Or am I going crazy?

[ ]

In reply to by 10man

Actually, YES -- there was a retroactive (rectal-active in Santo-speak) official scorer's ruling in one of Marmot's early July outings that lowered his ERA. I just read this somewhere on the interwebs in the last few days but can't recall where -- and I'm too tired to look it up at this time of the night. Sorry. Maybe tomorrow if no one else has done so by then.

[ ]

In reply to by JoePepitone

According to Friday's Tribune, the scoring of the July 12 game vs. SF has been changed to give Marmol an error in the ninth inning. Therefore, according to the Trib, "instead of giving up four unearned runs in the five-run ninth, Marmol was charged with only one unearned run." They must mean earned runs, right? But anyway, you get the point.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

Since he's not signed to a long term deal, I would guess it wasn't the Cubs' idea. However it may have been that Marmol complained as soon as he realized the call (next day?) and it just took a while to go through the rigamorale.

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.