Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Cubs Acquire Coello from Red Sox

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

The Cubs acquired RHP Robert Coello from the Boston Red Sox yesterday, in exchange for minor league 2B Tony Thomas. Coello had been Designated for Assignment by the Red Sox last Wednesday to make room on their 40-man roster after the Sox signed free-agent RHP Alfredo Aceves. 

The Red Sox were in a bit of bind with Coello because he is presently a Draft-Excluded Player (was added to an MLB 40-man roster after August 15th) and thus could not be sent to the minors (outrighted or optioned) any earlier than March 11th (20 days prior to MLB Opening Day). So the Red Sox had to either trade Coello or release him, and they had to make the decision within 10 days of placing him on the DFA list.

Like Carlos Marmol and Randy Wells, Coello was orginally a catcher. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 20th round of the 2004 Rule 4 Draft out of Okaloosa-Walton CC, but signed too late to get into game action that season. He then spent the entire 2005 season on the Disabled List with a rib cage injury, before getting released by the Reds at the end Minor League Camp 2006. He then signed with the Los Angeles Angels, and was converted to pitcher at AZ Instructs post-2006. He spent the 2007 season at EXST and with the AZL Angels (1.37 ERA and 1.14 WHIP), before qualifying as a Rule 55 minor league FA post-2007 by virtue of having been released previously in his career.  

Coello moved to independent ball IN 2008, pitching for Calgary and Edmonton in the Golden Baseball League. The Red Sox THEN signed him to a minor league contract, and he spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons pitching in the Red Sox farm system, with the Red Sox Hi-A Carolina League club at Salem in 2009 (2.05 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 83 K in just 66 IP), and at AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket in 2010 (combined 3.86 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while leading all BoSox minor leaguers in strikeouts with 130 K in 107 IP), before getting a September call-up to the big leagues, where he posted a 4.76 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in just six MLB games.

Coello pitched in winter ball post-2010, spending time in both the Domincan Winter League (DWL) with Licey and in the Mexican Pacific League (LMP) with Guasave, going a combined 2-5 with a 5.25 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and a .239 OppBA in 17 games (37.2 IP).   

Although he was a part-time starter at AA and AAA (and in winter ball) in 2010, Coello probably projects as an MLB reliever. He has all three of his minor league options left.

2B Tony Thomas was the Cubs 3rd round draft pick out of Florida State in June 2007, after hitting 430/522/733 (including a 35-game hitting streak) while earning ACC Player of the Year honors. He spent the past two seasons at AA Tennessee, and has hit a combined 269/342/438 with 78 SB (27 CS) in 405 minor league games. He rapped out 29 doubles, 11 triples, and 11 HR last year at Tennessee, in what was his best offensive season so far in pro ball. 

The 24-year old Thomas is a fast runner and a streaky hitter with some pop, but he is also a below-average defensive player without the arm to play anywhere but 2B (or maybe LF). He came into Cubs Minor League Camp at Fitch Park last March as the hands-down favorite to win the AAA #1 2B job, but he played himself right back to AA with poor defensive play and a series of base-running gaffes.  

Tags
Cubs Roster Moves
Tony Thomas
Robert Coello

Comments

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Submitted by crunch on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 02:27 pm

it's not stellar, but tony thomas isn't stellar...or very good...himself. "meh" power, sketchy D, and an alarming K rate for a AA guy without the walks to make up for it. if thomas had the arm to at least cover 3rd/RF/SS he might be more interesting...he's looking like a 2nd/LF bench guy at best. the whole deal is "yawn" to me...i don't expect much out of either guy, but coello should at least be some good AAA insurance for the inevitable pen injury.

[ ]

Submitted by tim815 on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 02:52 pm

I make this trade for three main reasons. ***TT had his chance to start in Iowa in 2010. His spring relegated him to Tennessee again. ***Coello has shown solid high minors numbers in 2010. With 3 remaining options, he has the next four spring trainings to get it right and produce for the big club. ***Thomas has been passed by Darwin Barney. This spring, he was going to be passed by Junior Lake and Marwin Gonzalez. Shortly thereafter, DJ LeMahieu and Ryan Flaherty would pass him. The above five can play more positions than second, and will be better defensively. Thomas may 'figure it out' in Boston. Likely, neither will be world beaters. But when you get a mid-teens BoSox prospect for a non-factor, you take that gamble.

[ ]

Submitted by tim815 on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 02:17 pm

They signed a reliever named Aceves that the Yankees released. The Sawks already had 40 guys on their 40 man. To sign Aceves, they had to move someone else off the 40 man. Coello had been brought onto the 40 Man in August of 2010. League rules stipulate that he couldn't be sent down until a date in late March. Hence, Coello was DFA'd. In short, the Red Sox got caught in a numbers game. He isn't a premiere player, or anything. But the Red Sox have an expectation that if a player is on their 40 Man, he has to have some severe talent. Coello was the least valued of their 40.

Submitted by TJ on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 02:39 pm

You make this trade because you can never have enough pitching prospects and we have an abundance of quality 2B candidates on our roster. I'm kidding about the second part. I'm actually pulling for Barney to win the job because I think he can be everything Theriot was supposed to be and was not. Does anyone know if the high K totals for the new pticher is because of a great fastball, breaking pitch, or some other reason.

Submitted by Paul Noce on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 02:59 pm

SI's Heyman channels his inner Phil Rogers: "Three competing executives say they expect the rival Cubs to make a big push for Pujols and, indeed, they do look like the greatest outside possibility at the moment. Wouldn't that cast him in a new light for Cardinal Nation? The Cubs have the resources and the need, and execs feel they will pursue either Prince Fielder or more likely Pujols. "They'll give him the A-Rod deal," one exec opined. "They'll give him $33 million or $34 million for seven years," guessed another exec." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/jon_heyman/02/16/albert.p…

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 02:42 pm

never was a fan of ron santo, the announcer... ...still...there's a void of his optimism and voice missing from this pre-season. in a semi-half-assed-relation-way he was the cubs tommy lasorda...eternal cheerleader.

Submitted by The E-Man on Wed, 02/16/2011 - 02:06 pm

in a semi-half-assed-relation-way he was the cubs tommy lasorda...eternal cheerleader Not "half-assed" in the least. He bled with all of us. Even worse, in fact. Very unusual for an announcer (and he was challenged as an announcer, to be sure). I could not stand him anymore as an on-air guy. But he was the real deal. My one time meeting him in September, the man could not have been nicer to a complete stranger. Like I said earlier, Zonk was probably the best of a weak draft class.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Thu, 02/17/2011 - 02:33 am

I live in Austin and listen to Moreland on my way home from work -- he's on the local radio sports talk station out here. He definitely is knowledgeable about Texas sports and I don't think it will take him long to ramp up for baseball since he's an ex player who (I think) most of us liked. He's not gonna send anybody into a laughing fit, and despite his calling Castro Castillo the other day he won't make a lot of mistakes like that once he's been around a couple months. And now a word from our sponsor: If you're a real die hard you can listen to him live at http://www.longhornstation.com/main.html between 3-7. It's not a very good sports talk show overall but not cuz of Moreland. Luckily, it's a short drive home for me.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    The issue is the Cubs are 11-7 and have been on the road for 12 of those 18.  We should be at least 13-5, maybe 14-4. Jed isn't feeling any pressure to play anyone he doesn't see fit.
    But Canario on the bench, Morel not at 3B for Madrigal and Wisdom in RF wasn't what I thought would happen in this series.
    I was hoping for Morel at 3B, Canario in RF, Wisdom at DH and Madrigal as a pinch hitter or late replacement.
    Maybe Madrigal starts 1 game against the three LHSP for Miami.
    I'm thinking Canario goes back to Iowa on Sunday night for Mastrobuoni after the Miami LHers are gone.
    Canario needs ABs in Iowa and not bench time in MLB.
    With Seiya out for a while Wisdom is safe unless his SOs are just overwhelmingly bad.

    My real issue with the lineup isn't Madrigal. I'm not a fan, but I've given up on that one.
    It's Tauchman getting a large number of ABs as the de factor DH and everyday player.
    I didn't realize that was going to be the case.
    We need a better LH DH. PCA or ONKC need to force the issue in about a month.
    But, even if they do so, Jed doesn't have to change anything if the Cubs stay a few over .500!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally depends on the team and the player involved. If your team’s philosophy is to pay huge dollars to bet on the future performance of past stars in order to win championships then, yes, all of the factors you mentioned are important.

    If on the other hand, if the team’s primary focus is to identify and develop future stars in an effort to win a championship, and you’re a young player looking to establish yourself as a star, that’s a fit too. Otherwise your buried within your own organization.

    Your comment about bringing up Canario for the purposes of sitting him illustrates perfectly the dangers of rewarding a non-performing, highly paid player over a hungry young prospect, like Canario, who is perpetually without a roster spot except as an insurance call up, but too good to trade. Totally disincentivizing the performance of the prospect and likely diminishing it.

    Sticking it to your prospects and providing lousy baseball to your fans, the consumers and source of revenue for your sport, solely so that the next free agent gamble finds your team to be a comfortable landing spot even if he sucks? I suppose  that makes sense to some teams but it’s definitely not the way I want to see my team run.

    Once again, DJL, our differences in philosophy emerge!

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    That’s just kinda how it works though, for every team. No team plays their best guys all the time. No team is comprising of their best 26 even removing injuries.

    When baseball became a business, like REALLY a business, it became important to keep some of the vets happy, which in turn keeps agents happy and keeps the team with a good reputation among players and agents. No one wants to play for a team that has a bad reputation in the same way no one wants to work for a company that has a bad rep.

    Don’t get me wrong, I hate it too. But there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

    On that topic, I find it silly the Cubs brought up Canario to sit as much as he has. He’s going to get Velazquez’d, and it’s a shame.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Of course, McKinstry runs circles around $25 million man Javier Baez on that Tigers team. Guess who gets more playing time?

    But I digress…

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Seems like Jed was trying to corner the market on mediocre infielders with last names starting with "M" in acquiring Madrigal, Mastroboney and Zach McKinstry.  

     

    At least he hasn't given any of them a Bote-esque extension.  

  • Childersb3 (view)

    AZ Phil:
    Rookie ball (ACL) starts on May 4th. Do yo think Ramon and Rosario (maybe Delgado) stay in Mesa for the month of May, then go to MB if all goes "solid"?
     

  • crunch (view)

    masterboney is a luxury on a team that has multiple, capable options for 2nd, SS, and 3rd without him around.  i don't hate the guy, but if madrigal is sticking around then masterboney is expendable.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I THINK I agree with that decision. They committed to Wicks as a starter and, while he hasn’t been stellar I don’t think he’s been bad enough to undo that commitment.

    That said, Wesneski’s performance last night dictates he be the next righty up.

    Quite the dilemma. They have many good options, particularly in relief, but not many great ones. And complicating the situation is that the pitchers being paid the most are by and large performing the worst - or in Taillon’s case, at least to this point, not at all.

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