Cubs MLB Roster

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37 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (three slots are open)

Last updated 11-17-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 20
Adbert Alzolay 
Michael Arias
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Porter Hodge
* Bailey Horn
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Luis Vazquez
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 7
Kevin Alcantara
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

This is Your 2011 Cubs

via Rotoworld...

Marmol entered a 3-1 game and allowed the six runs on five hits and a walk before being yanked having recorded just one out. The last time a Cubs pitcher allowed six runs in the ninth inning with Chicago leading entering the frame came in 1911.

Also it seems that Q-Ball doesn't have the respect of everyone in the clubhouse...a response to Z breaking a bat over his leg last night.

‘‘I don’t like that,’’ Quade said. ‘‘I’m glad he’s OK. I get his frustration, but he can do something else. I cringe because he can hurt himself.’’

‘‘I work hard. My legs are strong,’’ said Zambrano, who was upset at himself because he missed a hanging breaking ball he thought he should have hit. ‘‘It’s nothing to worry about. If you want to see how I can break bats over my legs, come back tomorrow and watch me lift weights.’’

But what about the manager’s concern?

‘‘What manager?’’ Zambrano said.

Don't forget that Dempster was picked over Z for Opening Day and Dempster couldn't have been more vocal about wanting Q-Ball to get the manager gig. It could be nothing, could be something....

I heard Darwin Barney on XM Radio this morning, nothing earth shattering as you'd expect, but I have to say he does come off quite professionally and says all the right things. Said that Carlos Pena could be a preacher if he wanted, seems to be a very vocal and encouraging presence in the clubhouse. Also had good things to say about Marlon Byrd, relating a story in spring training that after Byrd got on him a little bit in the batting cage that Barney encouraged him to keep doing it whenever he caught Barney messing up and that he was committed to improving himself.

Today's lineup vs. Brett Myers: Fuku RF, Barney 2B, Castro SS, Pena 1B, Ramirez 3B, DeWitt LF, Soto C, Colvin CF, Davis P

Comments

Yeah, I remember Barney talking in ST about Byrd and how he's in his face about his diet. I seem to remember that Byrd was bringing Barney breakfast every day, because he didn't like what he was eating...

Barney also said Byrd was trying to be back in 2-3 weeks, although either Sun-Times link or another story I read said something like 6 weeks and mid-July.

"Don't forget that Dempster was picked over Z for Opening Day and Dempster couldn't have been more vocal about wanting Q-Ball to get the manager gig. It could be nothing, could be something...." It is likely that neither Z or Dempster will be on the roster the next time the Cubs make the payoffs.

well I'm surprised Cubs are 1st in BA, 3rd in OBP, 5th in SLG and OPS and Runs Scored Per Game. AVG and OPS drop to 11th though with RISP

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In reply to by navigator

worst BABIP in the league at .314 thanks to the shitty defense, also looks like the second worst LOB% HR rates actually aren't too bad, .99 HR/9 and 9.5 HR/FB% K/9 is 4th best in majors, but BB/9 is worst in league. Fangraphs has their ERA at 4.80 fwiw (don't know why the discrepancy to ESPN), and FIP at 4.10.

shall we take bets that the Cubs decide to option Randy Wells if he doesn't pitch well this weekend and keep Davis and Lopez when Garza gets back?

I don't know how his receiving skills are, but it looks to me like this guy is ready to play somewhere in the majors. I seem to remember that AZ Phil thought he would be at least a capable backup. Too bad we have 'yeah, boy Koyieee' and Castillo in front of him... Trading chip?

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In reply to by Jace

well if Robinson Chirinos can be one, sure... probably not a big market for a guy projected to be utility bench guy. I'll take him over Koyie though and at the moment Soto. He is knocking a few more over the fence this season and his BB and K totals have always been good.

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

Submitted by Jace on Wed, 06/01/2011 - 1:54pm. I don't know how his receiving skills are, but it looks to me like this guy is ready to play somewhere in the majors. I seem to remember that AZ Phil thought he would be at least a capable backup. Too bad we have 'yeah, boy Koyieee' and Castillo in front of him... Trading chip? ===================================== JACE: As I have mentioned here before, I believe Steve Clevenger profiles as an ideal back-up C-1B-LHPH at the big league level. Although his receiving skills are just average (he is a converted infielder, having played SS in college and 2B his first year in the Cubs organization) and although he has a slightly below-average arm, pitchers who have worked with him (minor league guys) have told me they really like to throw to him because he is a student of the game (probably a future manager) and can really pick-apart the other team's hitters, probably because he is a good hitter himself. Back when AZ Phil was a young fart, there was a back-up catcher in the big leagues named Charlie Lau, and he would later become a reknowned hitting coach with the Kansas City Royals in the 1970's. Clevenger reminds me a lot of Charlie Lau as far as his ability to analyze the game. I strongly suspect that Steve Clevenger will eventually be an MLB back-up catcher (and sooner rather than later). And I know of at least one scout from an organization other than the Cubs that feels the same way. So if the Cubs don't add him to the 40-man roster post-2011, I would say he would be a good candidate to get selected in next December's Rule 5 Draft. BTW, the reason Clevenger keeps getting assigned to AA Tennessee is because the Cubs want to maximize his playing time, which would be a problem if both he and Welington Castillo were on the same team. And since W. Castillo projects as a #1 MLB catcher (although maybe not with the Cubs), Castillo gets to play at AAA Iowa, while Clevenger is (seemingly) stuck at AA. Also, Clevenger is better working with kid pitchers, while W. Castillo (who still has some rough edges behind the plate) functions better with older and more experienced AAA pitchers who can help get him through the tough times.

christ... this team takes more balls to the face than a crackhead hooker. now it's aram.

brings in Marshall to face Bourn in a tie game with bases loaded, Bourn singles of course.

re: aram took a ball to the face while diving/fielding...busted open his nose and/or mouth.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

by what...1 or 2 walks or something? there's nothing about colvin's game now or in the past that involves caring about whether he walks or not because he never walks enough to consider it. he's pure contact. he needs consistency and power or his bat game is crap.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

That's fine and all, but if he is walking more than he did last year, is it not reasonable to assume that he isn't swining at anything more than he did last year, or not appreciably more? According to the numbers at Fangraphs - Colvin has swung at 0.5% more pitches that he's seen outside of the strikezone this year, and 4.2% more pitches inside the strike zone, while swinging and missing 20% less often overall. Just call it reverse LeMahieuing it and let it go.

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In reply to by The Real Neal

if you count his 2bb in 60-ish pa in the minors he's walking less. the point is, he doesn't walk enough to even care. projecting to walk even 5-10 times more a year doesn't even matter. if he doesn't make quality contact his hitting game is crap. if he's not hitting for power while doing it he's not a starter. jacque jones jr. will hopefully start hitting for power.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Uhh, you are aware that I WROTE past #42, right? I'm not sure what you think I am saying... I am saying that he has failed to impress since the call-up... Have you read the cubs.com article about how he feels he has his timing back? What have you seen that would lead you to believe he has it back? Walks have little to do with timing... The sac bunt from last night?

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In reply to by Jace

You are judging that he doesn't have his timing back based on two to three at bats. I am saying that two or three at bats is too small a sample to judge anything. A nice sac bunt, two groundouts, a pop-out and a walk, assuming you watched all five plate appearances, and you have judged that his timing is off. What does that mean that your timing is off? I thought it means that you're swinging too soon (which would be a strike or a pulled foul) or too late (which would be a strike or a opposite field foul) - none of Colvins' grand total of five PA's ended like that, so what do you mean that his timing is off?

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In reply to by The Real Neal

Look... (deep breath) I am NOT saying that the 2 partial games that he has played since he has returned are proof that he is washed up, or the worst player that the Cubs have ever had. I am saying that it looks like right now, HIS TIMING IS OFF! Let's look at his ABs from today - First AB - looked at strike one swung at strike two fouled off a pitch grounded out to the first baseman. Second AB - took first pitch for a ball fouled off strike one fouled off strike two took three consecutive pitches in the dirt, WALKED Third AB - took ball one fouled off strike one took ball two foul tip strike two popped out to the third baseman What do you see above that would make you think that I am incorrect in saying that it looks like his timing is off???

[ ]

In reply to by Jace

Once babe Ruth struck out four times in a game. The next game he hit two home runs. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever look at a handful of at bats and think you've learned anything important. Ever. I don't know if he's timing is "off". I am smart enough, however, not to worry about three fucking at bats.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

"Never ever ever," etc. You can learn a lot about a hitter watching individual at bats. In the week before Colvin was sent down, I saw him take a 2-0 fastball down the middle. I thought, Hey, Genius, what are you looking for on two-and-oh? I even had a few nasty thoughts about his hitting coach. Then a couple days later, he gets a good rip at a breaking ball on 0-1, and fouls it back, so now it's 0-2. The next pitch he swings weakly at a breaking ball low and outside. Does Colvin know that pitchers try not to throw the ball in the strike zone on 0-2? That they hear about it from their coach and manager--"Why didn't you bury it?"--if they give up a hit when they're way ahead in the count? Colvin is messed up. The dumb ones take longer to learn how to hit. He's going to have his hands full keeping up with the other young outfielders, especially if (like Jackson) they're smarter than he is.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

This is one of the dumbest arguments I have ever read. It looks like you are arguing just to be arguing. It is perfectly fine to watch one game and say "he didn't really look comfortable in the field," or "his timing looked off at the plate." Hell, you can watch one at-bat and say "he didn't seem to be seeing the ball out of the pitcher's hand real well." Hell, Babe Ruth himself would have probably told you that his timing was off yesterday but he felt better at the plate today. Do any of these comments mean that whatever condition will hold for weeks, or a career, etc.? No. Jesus. This is stupid. I can't believe you wasted that much time arguing about this. And I can't believe I wasted this much time typing this.

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In reply to by WISCGRAD

It's perfectly fine to do anything. It may be stupid, but it's perfectly fine. Colvin says his timing is fixed. Jace watched three at bats and decided he was wrong... Jace was right, because obviously, baseball expert that he is, he would know more than the actual player. The most important thing is knowing what you don't know. That's what I was trying to get across, not that I think Colvin's timing is fine, just that I am willing to admit that watching 3 at bats isn't going to tell me anything. It's amazing you guys aren't trying to get Jim Hendry promoted to president, or God, you think just like he does.

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In reply to by Jace

First AB - looked at strike one swung at strike two fouled off a pitch grounded out to the first baseman. Outcome - Left Handed hitter power pitcher pulls ball. Verdict, Jace is wrong. Second AB - took first pitch for a ball fouled off strike one fouled off strike two took three consecutive pitches in the dirt, WALKED Outcome - Walk. Verdict - incluclisive, lack of details on direction of foul balls, but he hit everything he swung at. Third AB - took ball one fouled off strike one took ball two foul tip strike two popped out to the third baseman Outcome - Power hitter hit opposite field pop-up. Verdict Jace is correct, though again, batter hit everything he swung at. Overall conclusion: Too little information provided to make any authoritative conclusion. He missed one pitch on the day...

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In reply to by The Real Neal

I'd feel better about his prospects if he EVER hit other than the first 6 weeks of last season. 6 years of being a mid 700's ops Minor League guy should carry more weight than 6 weeks of being a good offensive force 12-14 months ago. 4th outfielder IF he can regain some semblance of April/May 2010. AAAA slugger if not.

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In reply to by Dr. aaron b

2nd half of last year he had an OPS of .787 In September it was .808 And for Jace on June 25th of last year his timing was off, 0-4 with 2 K's... his next start he went 3-5 with a home run. Of course, that's impossible that he could go 3-5 in a game after May 17th of 2011.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

(says the guy who just made a joke about LeMahieu after two at-bats, that was way over my head because the joke was the whole reason LeMahieu is in the majors was based on a decision made because of too small a sample, exactly the same thing we are discussing here, and the #1 problem with the Cubs organization that happens time and time again for years and years but I cannot or refuse to recognize). Come on guys, it's really not rocket science. It's math and logic.

day off tomorrow...then the hell part of the schedule starts. cards/reds/phils/brews/yanks/wsox til the 22nd of june.

Of course, that's impossible that he could go 3-5 in a game after May 17th of 2011. --- At Iowa?

Recent comments

  • Cubster (view)

    I blame Jason Schmidt’s 3/44

  • Craig A. (view)

    Was all that stuff with the Blue Jays just to squeeze an extra $10 million/yr out of the Dodgers?  It's more than enough to cover his California income taxes!

  • crunch (view)

    unless he pitches into his late-30 that is gonna sting.  a 70m DH...ow.

    it's great to take care of 2 roster spots in 1 player, and i'm sure the team will cut into the pay with the amount of merch/etc he can sell just by being attached to the team....but yeah, i'm not mad the cubs didn't go that extreme.

  • WebAdmin (view)

    Shohei Ohtani to join Dodgers according to ESPN. 10 years for $700 m
  • Cubster (view)

    I'm getting the feeling that Todd Walker might be a Shaw comp. A valuable hit first player but limited albeit not awful on defense. Hopefully, he has more upside. Not a bad floor if Steve Garvey is his ceiling.

  • Wrigley Rat (view)

    AZ Phil - If that's the level of return, I would want NO part of that trade to Cleveland for Clase and Bieber. I have some faith that the Cubs have a strong plan for which prospects they will keep (even if they dangle them in trade talks) and which they will move, because they have plenty of solid prospects they can trade but they shouldn't be trading any of the ones they hope will be future core players. Some guys are redundant, so I hope they choose the right players to keep and the right players to move. It's always important for a team to know its own minor league players better than scouts from other teams (obviously), but I don't think that's always been the case for the Cubs and many other clubs. 

    Cubster - I watched an interview with Carter Hawkins a couple days ago where he said that although Morel hasn't gotten into any Dominican games at 1B, the Cubs did send coaches down with Morel to work on first base skills during practice. So he is developing those skills, whether the Cubs end up using him there or not will probably be dependent on a lot of factors including how those coaches think he looks at the position while training. 

  • tim815 (view)

    He could still play SS at Double-A, but Vazquez, Hoerner, and Swanson are much better defensively, arm strength or not. I'd be good leaving Shaw at SS with McGeary and Ballesteros around, but by the first of June (?), 1B might make sense in DM.

  • crunch (view)

    i have no reason to see a problem, it just seems like it's his most obvious reason to give pause on him at 1st.

    the cubs situation dictates 2nd/SS isn't an option.  his arm dictates 3rd isn't an option.  1st or CF seems to be his best path and he's only played CF in summer ball back in highschool/college...and of course PCA is a better + closer to the bigs CF.

    it's a lot safer to say he's made for 1st than it is he's made for 3rd.  even as a SS his arm is weak, and it's not like his glove is so great he needs to stay in the middle-IF.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    CRUNCH: Steve Garvey (one of Shaw's comps as a hitter) was a 5'10 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Jeff Bagwell (another Shaw comp) was a 6'0 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Carlos Santana (who played 1B for Counsell in Milwaukee last season and is an above-average defensive first-baseman) is 5'11. It's not like Shaw is 5'7 or 5'8. I don't really see the problem. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    CUBSTER: It's not that Matt Shaw can't play SS (or 2B). Shaw was a SS his last two years in college at Maryland and apparently was OK defensively. It's just that there are certain throws a big league SS has to make (the backhand / flat-foot throw from deep in the 5.5 hole and the leap & change direction throw after fielding a ball up the middle after ranging to his left) that you might not see every game. So while he might appear to be passable at SS, over time the below-average arm at SS will catch up with the player and cost the team runs. 

    Shaw is a good fielder so he could play SS (like Ryan Theriot did) and you would just live with the below-average arm strength that would rear its ugly head every now & again, because he is a plus-plus hitter. But the Cubs have Dansby Swanson locked-in at SS through 2029, so Shaw won't be playing there even if he were to improve his arm strength and remake his throwing mechanics.  

    As far as second-base is concerned, that would seem to be Shaw's best position, because the position requires a plus-glove but not a plus-arm. Nico Hoerner is presently the Cubs' 2B and is signed through 2026 (although he does NOT have "no trade" rights, so he could be traded at any time). So Shaw could move to 2B in 2027 after Hoerner's contract expires (presuming Hoerner does not sign another extension in the meantime), or the Cubs could preemptively trade Hoerner at some point prior to the conclusion of the 2026 season and install Shaw at 2B before 2027. 

    The thing is, the Cubs have three other prospects who also project as second-basemen, including Top 10 prospect James Triantos, Top 10 prospect Jefferson Rojas, and Top 30 prospect Pedro Ramirez. So while Shaw could very well eventually be the Cubs second-baseman, there are other legit candidates who could eventually take-over the position after Hoerner departs. But for second-base to open up before 2027, Hoerner has to be traded.  

    As far as third-base is concerned, the Cubs already have a Top 15 prospect (B. J. Murray) who plays 3B and plays it well, and he should be considered the Cubs third-baseman of the future (possibly as soon as sometime during the 2024 season). Also, I don't think that Christopher Morel has the "touch" required to play 3B (he is an athletic and rangy player who plays like the proverbial "Bull in a China Shop" or like a point guard who plays too fast and turns the ball over too much), while Shaw simply does not appear to have the arm strength required to play 3B. It is true that Nick Madrigal has made himself into an above-average defensive-third baseman, but I would not be too quick to generalize and say that because Madrigal did it, that anybody can do it. Also, 3B requires different perception, reaction, and tracking skills than does SS and 2B (which is why a lot of catchers can often play 3B fairly well), so not all middle infielders can play 3B well-enough to be an MLB-regular at the position. 

    The one position that is wide-open on the Chicago Cubs going forward is 1st base. Matt Shaw is a plus-fielder with a below-average arm but with a plus-plus bat, so he could be a fit at 1st base. Sort of like Padres first-baseman Jake Cronenworth, but Shaw has a higher ceiling as a hitter. If the Cubs were to move Shaw to 1st base in Spring Training 2024 and presuming he is able to play the position without difficulty, he could be in Chicago by the end of the 2024 season. I understand why the Cubs might think about Christopher Morel as a possible first-baseman because they want to get his power into the lineup any way they can, but Morel's two best attributes are HR power and raw arm strength. He is a rangy infielder (not needed at 1st base) with a plus-arm (also not needed at 1st base), but he also doesn't have the "flyhawk" skills needed to play CF. Morel's best position would be LF, but Ian Happ is firmly ensconced there (with a full "no trade") through 2026, which makes Morel a prime trade chip to be used to acquire pitching (or maybe a catcher).  

    As far as Matt Chapman is concerned, I would hope the Cubs don't sign him. It's not just losing the draft pick (Chapman got a QO from the Jays) or that he blocks B. J. Murray long-term, because that wouldn't matter if Chapman is still the hitter he was earlier in his career. But after a red-hot April last year he fell off the table at the plate the last five months. Granted he is a Gold Glove-quality defender at 3B, but you're essentially getting Patrick Wisdom offensively, and so he is not worth the financial investment (money & years) and losing a draft pick on top of it if you sign him. 

    If the Cubs don't sign Ohtani, Yakamoto, or Bellinger (and I am becoming increasingly pessimistic that they can), I would hope that they will sign position player free agents only to one year deals (with maybe a second year option) that can be easily moved at the Trade Deadline, and then get ready to unleash the youth (PCA, Shaw, Caissie, Ballesteros, Murray, et al) in 2025 (or perhaps even over the last two months of the 2024 season, if the Cubs are not in contention). 

    As for possible free agents the Cubs might target, Brandon Belt and Carlos Santana (who played for Craig Counsell in Milwaukee last season) would provide some LH power at 1B & DH (Santana is an above-average defensive first-baseman, and Belt still hits RHP very well).  

    I can see the Cubs maybe acquiring a pitcher like Tyler Glasnow in a trade and then signing him to an extension (Glasnow has the same agency representation as Kyle Hendricks, so an extension should be possible), which would not be the case with Corbin Burnes or Dylan Cease (both are Boras clients).   

    I think in part because of the Carter Hawkins connection with Cleveland, even more-likely than a trade for Glasnow might be a trade for SP Shane Bieber (a post-2024 FA but as a Rosenhaus client he should be open to signing an extension) and closer Emmanuel Clase (signed through 2026 with club options both in 2027 and 2028). The Guardians need power hitters and the Cubs have Christopher Morel, although Morel would not be anywhere near enough to get both Bieber and Clase (or to get Glasnow if the trade is with the Rays). If the trade is with Cleveland for Bieber and Clase, the Cubs would probably have to give up some combination of Christopher Morel, Owen Caissie, Moises Ballestereos, Kevin Alcantara, Jefferson Rojas, and/or James Triantos (probably three from that group), one Top 10 pitching prospect like Ben Brown or Jackson Ferris, and an MLB-ready reliever with closer potential like Daniel Palencia or Luke Little.