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

Lou Piniella RANT

Yeah, we're all pretty sick of the 2010 Cubs. But just for a moment, imagine being Lou Piniella.

Close your eyes and just... imagine having to walk into the little "how come" room and explain this team to the media.

It has to be the absolute worst kind of hell.

Seriously, if you made a movie and had to depict hell, what better place than that little room? Day after day after day...

Now, I don't know exactly what he's thinking, but I would imagine it would be something close to this.

I'd give a million bucks to have a beer with the man, hear it for real...

 


You can view Tim Souers work on a daily basis at Cubby Blue.

Comments

Maybe if the reporters asked him day after day why he batted the two worst RBI guys in the lineup 3 and 4 he would have gotten a clue by, say June 1st.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Exactly. Over the weekend I heard Len&Bob remark more than once, actually about ten million times, that Cubs hitting has been a problem all season and tailed off as the season progressed -- which is totally untrue. In fact, the Cubs started the season off at the bottom of the league in team batting and now are league average (Cubs-.257 .322 .408 .731 NL- .257 .326 .403 .729). And they rank 6th in home runs with 112. But somehow, the Cubs have managed* to take an average offense and utilize it to rank 12th/16 in runs scored. I'm guessing that a lot of that falls on Lou-- the manager* and the black hole in the middle of the lineup he keeps penciling in game after game. Not to mention hitting Tyler Colvin first even though he's shown no ability to hit at all at the top of the order and Geo Soto 8th even though he's been around .400 OBP all season. Yeah, the Cubs are lousy with RISP. It should be no mystery why. That'll happen when your 3 and 4 hitters suck as bad as Lee and Ramirez have.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

given the cubs "i give up" record colvin/castro are probably batting 1/2 for no other reason that getting them maximum ABs to prep for 2011. that said, meh... who's ready for castro leading off with dewitt hitting 2nd in 2011? woo.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

We've seen worse. Not sure why we don't do that now. If we're benching Colvin to get his head straight, why are we trying to maximize his at bats simultaneously? Castro DeWitt Soto Ramirez Colvin Soriano Byrd Hoffpauir Pitcher Seems alright to me.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

i wish mr. i can't run to 1st while i'm daydreaming about my winter vacation would have accepted a trade. if he's going to be like this i hope he's willing to re-up with the cubs for 1yr 5m-ish or something risk reasonable...and shows up ready to have his head checked in a bit more. i dont expect hoff or snyder to be suitable replacements, but dlee is a bit of a distraction, imo.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I think Byrd should hit higher. He's not a real number 3 in most other lineups but we don't have that type of hitter right now, unless you consider ARam to be a number 3 hitter when healthy. I always thought ARam to be better suited as a 3 hitter than DLee even when they were both in their prime. ARam makes more contact. Castro DeWitt Byrd Ramirez Soto Colvin Soriano 1b retread Pitcher

Is AZ Phil on vacation or something? I miss his reports and insight.

Lou: Not the Cub's biggest problem. A legit team has players that know and do their job. A manager basically manages personalities at this level.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

No lou is not. But if i'm soto, i ' m wondering why i' m batting 8th. If i'm z i'm wondering why i got shipped to the bullpen. If i'm colvin i'm wondering why i was on bench behind nada for a month. If i'm sori and byrd i'm wondering why don't get one game batting 3/4. Lot more questions tham answers from lou. But hey whatta you gonna do?

Wow, 4 first inning runs vs. Lincecum. If the Cubs hold true to form, they're done scoring for the evening. Demp better be able to make the 4 runs hold up.

[ ]

In reply to by JoePepitone

and the cubs are trying hard to blow it...4-1, 2 on, 1 out someone out there needs to pull castro's choke collar, too. he's given LA hits in the past 2 games trying to play the OF from SS and blocking the OF'rs from making plays...and his stupid throws keep coming. hardcore superman syndrome even if he's not some egomaniac. -edit- woo, double play

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

i dunno if mlb.com has the replays, but if they do they'll show 1-2 guys standing or jogging while a youngblood coming full force and top speed missiles himself into the play regardless of who's calling what. it'd be like stepping in front of a truck...well, a car...well, a motorcycle...a honda.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

im talking about specific plays where castro decided he covers the entire field and kept OF'rs from making plays. it's just youthful over-aggression and not knowing how certain fields (even his current home field) plays with great familiarity. i'm not calling the kid trash...i'm just saying he needs to recognize his limits as well as the talents of those he plays with.

Ooh look... another passed ball by Koyie "defensive wizard" Hill. And then an error on by the Micah "slick first baseman" Hoffpauir. Please tell me that those two won't be anywhere close to the Cubs big league team next year...

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

I never said that it was a meaningful sample. They both suck, and last night was just more evidence. I don't want them to have anything to do with the Cubs next year. Also... I wasn't using statistics, so "samples" are not very relevant.

"where the hell was i going with this?" - bob brenley after a rambling story hahahaha. highlight of the game...besides the 1st inning.

buster posey just got a double for no f'n reason what-so-ever besides official scoring off what should have been an error. at least it doesnt put us closer to WAS with the most errors in mlb... holy crap that was a clunker...horrible scoring not to call it an error, too. hey awesome...passed ball k.hill...never seen that before...scored a wild pitch on cashner, not arguing that one.

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

Yeah, they weren't really getting good contact off of Marmol (a lot of stuff off the end of bats, falling out of gloves, dribbling up the middle) but Marmol wasn't making anybody look sick like he usually does. Suddenly, the Giants got two runs and have the winning run at the plate and Marmol gets royally pissed off -- he blows three straight fastballs past Uribe (swinging), then gets two feeble swings from Ishikawa before making him dribble the ball to 1st. You could really see the difference that the extra adrenaline made on the quality of his pitches. One minute they were fighting him off and getting wood on the ball, to a greater or lesser degree, and the next minute they suddenly looked over-matched and pitiful. Damn entertaining!

Maybe if the reporters asked him day after day why he batted the two worst RBI guys in the lineup 3 and 4 he would have gotten a clue by, say June 1st. Brilliant after the fact insight. Lee and Ramirez are the teams best hitters, period. People wanted Soriano released to start this season, or at the very least buried at the bottom of the lineup. People got most of their wish and i think he has been wasted hitting 6th for our team. You pay Lee, Ramirez, and Soriano to drive in runs and score them. Your team lives and dies by what they do. Switching them out of the #3 and #4 spot to be replaced by who? Fukudome? Byrd? Ohhhh wait Tyler "one year wonder" Colvin? We wouldn't of won more games by doing any of that, because our team needed Lee, Ramirez, and Soriano's combined production to win the division. It sucks 2 out of the 3 decided to have a bad year and the 3rd got buried in the lineup because of knee jerk reactions. Come on dude arm chair managing is easy when you already know the outcome. Which is exactly where you comment comes from.

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

Sorry don't remember the names, but i do chime in time to time wondering why Soriano is still on the Cubs if he was so finished and washed up that he needed to be released ASAP according to some. Tyler Colvin is his successor afterall and the man deemed to take over his position. I have had far more confidence in Castro's ability to hit than Colvin's. I have had less confidence in Castro's defense being a massive upgrade over Theriot, that little myth hasn't become reality yet despite everyone saying it is so. I have no doubt he has the skills to be better, but right now? No way in hell. I want Colvin to play every single day so he can get exposed as a fluke and we don't go into next year hoping on his production. Because your going to get a massive Neifi Perez let down when that happens. Where did his power go? Why are his strikeouts up and walks down? Why isn't he hitting? Where is the 2010 Tyler Colvin "Awesome" show? Just get it over with now and don't go depending on something that won't happen with this kid as he goes on the Jerome Walton career path. Producing talent doesn't mean 1 year wonders, it means producing a talent that contributes heavily to the parent club for many seasons. We still haven't achieved that since Mark Grace in positional talent. And our best hitting prospect in that time? Its more than likely Casey McGehee and he plays for the Brewers. Just for perspective, the league seemed to have quickly figured out how to get Castro out, but he adjusted and is doing fine. Colvin the league might have had a harder time to figure out, but he hasn't adjusted anything in his game. And probably will not adjust anything, he has always been an aggressive hitter who ignores walks and thats gonna bite him in the ass. You see Castro making the fine tune adjustments needed to be a major league hitter, you don't see that in Colvin. Like with everything i have time to watch this play out. I remember being the sad lonely Dusty hater even when he was first hired. I knew eventually people would recognize what a shit hole of a manager he was. I can wait on the Tyler Colvin bubble bursting as well.

[ ]

In reply to by MikeC

I am fairly certain that I didn't start complaining about Lee and Ramirez batting 3-4 yesterday. I know I've been complaining about Soto batting 8th since April, but don't let the facts intetrude on your rants, they're much more entertaining this way. I love the "You're making these conclusions in hindsight, but I can see Castro is better than Colvin" bit too, that's classic. As to the other things you said about Colvin - he's hitting for about the same isolated power as he has been all season. During July and August he's struck out less often (once per 4 PA's) and walked more often (oncer per 12) than he did in June and May (3.3 and 21) - so really you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. If you don't see the difference between Theriot and Castro's fielding, I don't know what to say. I can only assume you're not watching games. Going by UZR which you can find at Fangraphs - (which I am not a big fan of), it puts Castro at saving about 23 runs more than Theriot over the course of a season - and that's including his errors (but probably not the bad tags on SB's attempts).

[ ]

In reply to by MikeC

Lol..Soriano is only having a good year, when compared to Lee and Ramirez....Soriano has stunk too for a good part of the season.. June: .234/.310/.468 July: .225/.271/.450 August: .188/.229/.375 Poor Alfonso..getting "buried" hitting 6th....and sucking it up too.

[ ]

In reply to by MikeC

"...Tyler "one year wonder" Colvin?" So, are you going to come back next year and give us the, "The Cubs haven't had any farm-team talent in thirty years..." rant MikeC? Or will Colvin and Castro then become "TWO year wonders" in your view of things? We are waiting with bated breath.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

Still too early to determine anything, imo. Personally, IF he can get better command of the strike zone, I think he could start no problem. Even as a 4th Ofer and I think, as AZ PHIL does that he will be playing more at 1B next year, he will be a productive MLB player for the Cubs or another team.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

I don't know what's going to happen with Colvin - most of his recent issues have been from bad luck (read post above - ack no numbers anymore). To me the jury is still out, but he still looks like he's going to have more power than anyone expceted. If he can hit 25 HR's, play really good defense and walk and steal a little more, I can live with 170 strikeout seasons as a pre-arb player.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Because he is capable of playing 1st doesn't mean he should. Although I do agree he will have MLB value. Even if its just as a 4th outfielder who can defend all 3 positions. That is really the value of Fukudome on an MLB roster today.

I liked Trammell's lineup card last night with five left-handed hitters starting. I liked it so much I actually watched the game from about the fifth inning on. I haven't been able to stomach half of very many games this year. And then another lefty pinch hit and knocked in the deciding runs. Maybe it's just me, but I've gotten worn down watching right-handed hitters lunge at balls breaking outside. (Well, Soriano doesn't lunge, he just stands up straight and misses.) There's an easier way to deal with sliders thrown by right-handed pitchers. Just put a balanced lineup out there. Old-fashioned, I know. The Giants have a nice bullpen but they seem to be mostly righties. I'm glad Trammell noticed. I think he managed a little better than his boss yesterday.

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

Fontenot told the Chicago Tribune he's happy with his performance this year: http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/08/cubs-trade-fontenot-to-gia… "Fontenot lost playing time in May when Starlin Castro was called up and Ryan Theriot moved over to short. (2nd base) He said he was happy with his performance this year. "Yeah, there've been times when I wanted to get out there and play more," he said. "But I've always been a team guy. And things haven't gone the way we wanted them to... in the end, I feel pretty good so far this year." He's happy with his performance? This is one of the reasons this team sucks, everyone is complacent with mediocrity. 0 hr, 12 rbi in 40 starts this season. .287/.331/.382 as a starter. The avg is the only acceptable thing. His defense was crap, as usual. .969 fielding percentage at 2b. .909 at 3b.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Man, with ARam probably not available or preferred to not have to PH, and being down a spot from the Fontenot trade, I would expect Crunch will see his favorite Z pinch hit tonight with runners in scoring position.

John Grabow has been diagnosed with a torn medial collateral ligament and will miss the rest of the 2010 season. Grabow was all set to begin a rehab assignment when he felt a "pop" in his knee on Monday.

[ ]

In reply to by rokfish

he walked out of the cubs clubhouse and into the hallway where a CSN bay-area camera followed him on his walk from one clubhouse to his new one. panda was waiting there to greet him. it looked like the most awkward thing he's had to do in a long time, but he was smiling.

mike fontenot traded away...and blake dewitt busts up his lip so badly they have a delay of game to stop the bleeding coming back into the inning.

File this under money well spent (if you're an orthopedic surgeon) Per Wittenmeyer tweet... John Grabow out for rest of season, felt a pop in his knee pitching monday, wed MRI consistent with medial collateral ligament tear. --- Mcl tear if isolated (meaning no associated meniscus tear) recovers with rehab only in about 6 weeks Love that song...pop goes the weasel.

SF team color is black and fontenot had to take a black marker to his "cubbie blue" cleats. he did a real piss-poor hack job of it, too.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.