Cubs MLB Roster

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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

2010 Cubs Draft Ticker Tracker - Day One

ROUND 1 (16): Hayden Simpson, RHP (Southern Arkansas)
R/R, 6'0, 175, 21 years old
COMMENT: College Junior... Features a 91-93 MPH fastball that tops out at 96... Throws both a 82-83 MPH slider and a 78-80 MPH curve... Has a change-up but rarely throws it... Went 13-1 with a 1.81 ERA, 99 IP, 73 H, 35 BB, 131 K, 6 CG and 4 Shutouts at SAU in 2010... Threw 42 consecutive scoreless innings at one point in 2010... Rawlings/ABCA NCAA Division II All-American and Rawlings/ABCA NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year... Was rated the #191 best prospect (6th round talent) by Baseball America pre-draft...

Comments

I don't know. Matt Weiters: .236 .308 .335 .644 Tyler Colvin: .294 .354 .612 .966 In spite of wrongly-biased attacks by the misguided NAVIGATOR and MIKE C, Tim Wilken has been given kudos this last year by every rating system out there, and the beat writers, for resurrecting a horrendous farm system. Right now there are three rookies performing admirably on the team. And, some decent players in the pipeline. I am gonna have to wait and see how this year's draft crap shoot works out before evaluating.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Not sure I understand the logic. If Simpson is the greatest pitcher in the history of MLB and he would have been available for us in the 2nd round (or 3rd or 4th or 5th...), then the pick is a mistake. Besides, isn't Josh Vitters the correct comparison with Wieters -- I believe they were the same draft class. Wilken has done well, though our scouting in Asia and Latin America strongly assists his drafts. More importantly though, Wilken does not seem to understand the concept of relative value or the ability to draft the person that is your highest rated player at the last chance he will be available for drafting.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

I agree, but if you are comparing Colvin and Witters, you should compare them based on number of years post-draft. Colvin has been out an extra year. Taking risks isn't always the right move. Colvin might have been the correct pick based on Wilken's valuation because we didn't have another pick until the 5th round. But here we pick again in about 50 picks and, judging from all rating systems, it appears Simpson would've been available at that time. So the question is, would you rather have Simpson and a first round pick or Simspon and a 2nd round pick? That appears to be the choice and it looks like Wilken chose the latter.

From John Sickels: "Roy Halladay was drafted in the first round by the Blue Jays in 1995, out of high school in Arvada, Colorado. The 17th overall pick, he was assigned to the Gulf Coast League and pitched well, going 3-5 in ten games but posting a solid 3.40 ERA and a 48/16 K/BB in 50 innings. I didn't give letter grades to new draft picks back then, but nowadays I'd probably have given him a Grade B at that point. Halladay's fastball was just average at that point, but he had an excellent breaking ball, and scouts felt his velocity would pick up after he matured physically." "Roy soon became a pretty famous Denver-area ballplayer in his own right. He pitched in 48 games for coach Jim Capra’s Wildcats between 1992 and 1995, going 25-2 with a 0.55 ERA. In his senior season, he allowed just 24 hits and only five earned runs in 63 innings, while striking out 105. He was named All-Conference and All-State for three years, plus League and State MVP twice." And...per Rob G and Baseball Digest, re: Simpson: "Simpson is now 21-1 in 23 career starts, and the peripherals were even more dominant in 2009. The righty tossed 101.2 frames, allowing just 27 earned runs. Opponents hit .180 off of him, and he struck 119 batters on the year. He failed to go six innings or more in just three outings, and had 10 or more punch-outs in five games. Simpson threw six complete games (!) and four shutouts, defeating five ranked teams on the year." So - as I said - you can't be bummed out with this pick, imo.

The positives about Simpson are his plus-fastball, clean medical, durability, and consistency from year-to-year (and perhaps signability), while the negatives are his lack of size and that he loses velocity in the 4th or 5th inning. So maybe the Cubs scouts project him as a Huston Street-type closer. And the Cubs have another pitcher in the organization (Tarlandus Mitchell) who is 5'8 but throws a mid-90's fastball, so I don't think lack of size is as big of an issue with the Cubs Scouting Dept. as it might be with some other organizations. My main concern about selecting Hayden Simpson as a #1 pick is that I hope the Cubs had a REALLY good reason to believe that he would be gone when they pick at #65. I guess there is just a big difference between the NFL and NBA drafts and the MLB draft, in that two baseball scouts can watch the same pitcher or player on the same day at exactly the same time and leave with two completely opposite opinions.

“I feel Hayden is a potential starter who has four average-to-plus pitches and is very athletic with a good feel for pitching,” said Tim Wilken, director of amateur and professional scouting for the Cubs. “I think we’re fortunate to have received really good coverage from our scouts with this selection.” and told to Muskat "This guy just made sense."

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

well, to their credit...the last "obviously bland" pick they made was colvin...lot of people thought he'd go later. i remember people being especially pissed they didn't take a flyer on kyle drabeck or jeremy jeffress (the drabeck one would have been nice). not like colvin is some star in the making, though he probably will have a nice chunk of career.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

"not like colvin is some star in the making..." It is too early to tell, either way. Again, the players that become "stars" are few and far between. The organization has sucked in producing said "stars" for a long time. Well, since 2002-2003 anyway. However, the main job of all these guys, is to get drafted player into the Majors as a productive player, or for use in a trade to acquire vets. THAT is the gig. a "nice chunk of a career", as you say, considering all of the layers in minor league ball, etc., is a resounding success. The few creme de la creme players are the minority and not always top draft choices (Bobby Brownlee was THE highly-touted "no-brainer" draft pick. Didn't fare too well). The Rule 4 draft is completely a crap-shoot - so getting hung up on rankings at this moment is just absurd in my opinion.

[ ]

In reply to by springs

So, you would rather have Simpson and a 2nd round pick than Simpson and a first round pick? I dunno. I'd rather trust guys that take chances and seem to have a clue with what they're doing, rather then follow the masses. Let's call that guy Tim Wilken. if Keith Law and BA and all of them were so well connected and informed, they'd do better than 20-30% correct on their mock drafts. Or they'd be running the drafts themselves. And his scouting report doesn't jive with what the Cubs have for him (tops out at 97, curve, slider and change). to sum up: Tim Wilken = really good scouting director, he knows more than you (or me or them).

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Tim Wilken is very good and does know more than me for sure. But BA's rankings are based on relationships with scouts throughout the game and, while they likely don't tell BA everything, they also would not universally lie to the extreme that someone who is one of the top 16 players in the country will end up ranked at 191. You are misstating the point -- it is not a comparison of Jim Callis and Keith Law with Tim Wilken. It is a comparison of their sources, which include scouts for every team in baseball, and Tim Wilken. Most of those scouts would not have picked Colvin as high as Wilken did and perhaps they were wrong. But those scouts also wouldn't have paid 7 figure bonus to Smardizaja and they would have been right. In fact, I will state right now that if over the last 15 years, for most teams, if that team always drafted the player that was highest ranked at the time by BA rather than who they did draft, they would have drafted better than they did -- it is the consensus of scouts of every team and that is likely better than the 2-3 scouts for your team who sees a player.

[ ]

In reply to by springs

A lot of people think that Samardijza got a huge signign bonus. He didn't. It would be pretty easy to test your theory, and I am 100% certain that teams have beat the pre-draft rankings. Ever hear of Albert Pujols? He's done so much by himself that the Cardinals would probably beat their "projected" pick. There was one Cubs scout who was crazy about Greg Maddux and recommended him being a #1 pick, who crapped himself when the Cubs passed on him. Turns out he was right, just like the guy who found Pujols. And then you've got to factor in signability...

Wilken is a baseball's equvillant to Bill Polian, he just drafts on a different board then everybody else. I dont think I have liked a 1st round pick intially yet but all of them seem to be progressing and everyone's view on the system has changed from a lower-tier one to a mid-tier one and he only has 2.5 draft classes (06 we had 2 picks in the first five rounds so its hard to say its a full class) in yet.

Sounds to me similar to what was said about the last couple picks (I'm thinking Jackson and Cashner specifically), basically that they were more polished than some of the competition. I don't know about you guys, but I'm haunted by a ghost wearing a Cubs jersey with a 22 on the back, and it makes me think that a little less flashy is okay. Someone said earlier on here that the point is to make it to the show and contribute, and I think Wilken puts the bulk of his chips on guys who have the highest chance of doing that vs. the high-risk/high-reward type that make BA's top 50....

14 of the first 32 picks are pitchers! How the hell do the Angels get TWO draft picks in the first round after winning the AL Pennant?! ROB G, I am holding your wife responsible for this!!

On the subject of first rounders, Josh Vitters is dying at double A with three singles in his last 40 at bats. Overall at Tennessee he's at .211/.250/.303 (.553 OPS). He may have to follow Ryan Flaherty back down to Daytona. (It worked for Flaherty.) Put it this way, Vitters is not putting pressure on Aramis, or making it easier for the Cubs to negotiate with Ramirez if he threatens to opt out.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

He is still only 20 and has time, heck even if he doesnt hit the show until the super two cutoff period in 2012 he would only be shy of his 23rd birthday by 6 weeks. Looking at how the top 10 played out after Vitters got picked (Moskos as a college pitcher still isnt out of double-A, Weiters doesnt look like a cant miss guy right now, Detwiler and Parker have had major arm surgery, LaPorta's power hasnt translated to the MLB level, Weathers cant crack a Rockies bullpen that isnt very good and yeah Bumgardner would have been a better pick). Looking back at the first and compensory round about the only guys that are arguably better picks after Vitters are Bumgardner, Weiters, Heyward (dont know if he would have signed with anyone else but the Braves), Porcello, Revere, Cecil and Hunter.

Wilken also said there was at least one other club that had Simpson on its radar Monday. That club “had some extra picks not that far away from us and he was in their mix. *cough* Angels *cough*

From Rogers this morning: The Cubs sort of stumbled onto Simpson on the reports of their area scout for southwest Arkansas, Jim Crawford -- or "Crawdaddy,'' as scouting director Tim Wilken calls him -- and every time a different scout looked at him he continued to look better. He has a Tim Lincecum-style delivery, which roving pitching director Mark Riggins graded as a 100 on a scale of 1-100, and throws four quality pitches, including a fastball that hit 97 in games the Cubs scouted.

I'm okay with Wilken making these unexpected picks, because he seems to be doing okay. I'm just thanking the heavens right now we didn't have the first pick. EDIT: BTW, regarding size, Greg Maddux wasn't exactly J.R. Richard.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • Arizona Phil (view)

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  • crunch (view)

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  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

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  • 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.