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

AZL Angels Jett Past AZL Cubs at HoHoKam

Jett Bandy laced three doubles, including a two-run two-base hit with one out in the top of the 8th that drove-in the tying and go-ahead runs, leading the AZL Angels to a 4-3 victory over the AZL Cubs in Arizona League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa this evening.

box score

The Cubs went into the top of the 8th inning leading 2-1, thanks to a solo HR by Dustin Geiger in the 4th and a Ryan Durrence RBI ground out in the 6th. But AZL Cubs 8th inning set-up man Colin Richardson could not hold the lead, issuing a one-out four-pitch walk, followed by back-to-back doubles and consecutive singles, as the Angels took a 4-2 lead.

The Cubs did score a run in the bottom of the 8th on a leg-double by lead-off hitter Oliver Zapata, an Angels error, and a sacrifice fly, but it wasn't enough, as Angels closer Brandon Efferson threw a 1-2-3 9th for the save.

18-year old LHP Brian Smith (Cubs 2010 40th round draft pick out of Pickering, Ontario) got the start for the AZL Cubs, and threw a solid four innings (61 pitches - 40 strikes), allowing just one unearned run on five hits and a walk, while striking out three. A member of the Canadian Junior National Team prior to signing with the Cubs right at the August 16th signing deadline last year, Smith had his second quality outing in a row, especially significant since he was absolutely terrible in his pro debut at AZ Instructs last fall (30.00 ERA, 4.33 WHIP, and a .527 OppBA) and got a late start to the 2011 season, not pitching in a game until more than halfway through Extended Spring Training. But he has looked OK in AZL action so far (albeit just 7.1 IP over two games), displaying a high-quality curve and change-up, and the poise and stamina needed to throw multiple innings.

19-year old Dustin Geiger (Cubs 2010 24th round draft pick out of Merritt Island HS - Brevard County, FL) continues to be the offensive leader for the AZL Cubs. After two more hits tonight (including the 390-ft+ home run to left-center that gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead, and a picture-perfect hit & run single to right that advanced a runner from 1st to 3rd and led directly to the Cubs second run), Geiger is hitting a robust 400/423/769 (including three doubles, two triples, and a HR) through his first six AZL games, while playing adequate defense at both 3B and 1B (although he looks better at 1B). Geiger has showed tremendous improvement in his power stroke over the last few weeks (having hit 325/367/525 with three doubles, two HR, and 12 RBI over his last 13 Extended Spring Training games), and I had thought that just based on that he would get assigned to Boise, but the Cubs chose to place 3B-1B Wilson Contreras on the Boise roster instead, while keeping Geiger in Mesa. But if he keeps slugging the way he has over the last few weeks, I would expect Geiger to get a promotion to Boise (if not to Peoria) before much longer.

While Geiger has been the offensive star of the AZL Cubs, 19-year old Dominican switch-hitter Brian Inoa has struggled to find a position. Inoa was used mainly as a DH in the DSL last season where he hit 279/356/369 for DSL Cubs #2, but he was worked exclusively at catcher throughout Minor League Camp and Extended Spring Training this year. However, it became quite clear over time that Inoa did not have the defensive chops to succeed as a backstop, so he was moved to 1B, and now (more-recently) to 2B, with poor results at each stop. Inoa made two more errors (on successive plays) leading to an unearned run in tonight's game, and was pulled out of the game in the top of the 7th. Next stop? Maybe LF. But to play LF Inoa will have to show the slugging he displayed at times in Extended Spring Training, like when he hit for the cycle against the Diamondbacks on May 23rd.

 

Comments

For all six teams (Boise and above) to win yesterday, a couple of improbable things had to happen: Peoria had to break a 10-game losing streak, and the suddenly impotent post-LeMahieu Smokies--punished by Jackson's and Lake's deep slumps and then KO'd by the Vitters beaning--had to actually score a run in thirteen innings. More impressive, though, were the seven consecutive scoreless innings spun by Maine and Gaub in Iowa's 15-inning 6-5 win over Albuquerque. Maine pitched three innings, Gaub four(!). Both gave up 1 hit, with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts. Add starter J. Jackson's 5 strikeouts and you get 19 total.

Jason Parker(?) on SS prospects with all kinds of Hak-Ju Lee love. Puts him in his top 3... http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=14377 TCF: Lee is one of my favorite prospects in the game, and a player with the potential to be Leader of the Pack (Future) in this crazy deep talent pool. At the plate, the 20-year-old Korean has great hands and hand-eye coordination, which leads to heavy doses of contact. The power isn’t there, and it might not show up, but he can sting a ball; he’s not an empty hitter. I like his overall approach: It’s aggressive yet under control, giving him some on-base ability and high-batting average projections. The glove is flashy and slick, though he still needs refinement, which he will find through repetition; the actions for a plus defender are already present. The arm is plenty strong for the position and his quick feet, natural instincts, and plus-plus raw speed given him excellent range. The total package could be an All-Star with a plus glove, the ability to hit for a very high average (not empty average), and enough strength to work the gaps. He’s not going to hit 15-plus home runs per season, but you can’t put him in the speed/slasher box, either.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Later Picks of Note: With a mid-90s fastball that consistently touches 97-98, fourth-round pick Tony Zych was one of the hardest throwers in this year's draft, but he doesn't have another plus offering. Sixth-round catcher Neftali Rosario is a very good defensive catcher with a bit of pop. He'll be a nearly impossible sign, but many think 11th-round pick Shawon Dunston Jr. will be a first-round pick in 2014 after honing his skills at Vanderbilt. Analysis: The Cubs focused more on teenage upside than in recent drafts, which fits well with the system needs. Tough signs like Dunston and seventh-round pick Trevor Gretzky give them a chance to make this an excellent crop. better place to hone skills? Vanderbilt or Cubs farm system?

There isn't much to cheer about this year, but I was hoping Castro could make a run for the batting title. However, I am upset every day when I see Q-ball put him in the third spot. When will he realize that for whatever reason, Castro is not comfortable there. I hope it doesn't ruin him.

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In reply to by crunch

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 06/28/2011 - 5:31pm. mateo down, barney up should happen soon enough. doug davis DFA will hopefully happen before that. ============================================ CRUNCH: If Rodrigo Lopez has an (unexpectedly) reasonably decent outing tonight, I would think the Cubs might keep Lopez in the starting rotation and Marcos Mateo in the bullpen and DFA Doug Davis when Darwin Barney is reactivated tomorrow. Davis has the potential to earn about $1M in incentives tied to GS and IP, so I doubt that the Cubs would think twice about releasing him. He has zero trade value. As for other trade possibilities, I could see Kerry Wood going home to Texas once he proves his blister issue has been resolved, and (as I have mentioned here before) the Giants should have some interest in acquiring Geovany Soto. And Alfonso Soriano for Adam Dunn is just too supersilious for it not to happen.

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In reply to by Paul Noce

Interesting to read Von Joshua analyzing someone's swing again. Reminds me when he gave a long dissertation about Milton Bradley, on how the top half of his body was turned the wrong way and out of synch with his legs. "You can't hit like that." He got that right. I think I prefer him to Teflon Rudy. I find the whole Colvin deal very disturbing in terms of what the coach was doing in his day job. Here is a talented young hitter--maybe not too sharp--who is just floundering. He has to go to Iowa to get any answers.

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In reply to by The Real Neal

Colvin's line drive percentage this year is 9.9 compared to last year's 17.0. His HR/FB this year is 6.3 compared to last year's very strong 19.4. It looked to me like Colvin was making plenty of contact, it was just poor contact. And it looked to me like most of the time that he was in the majors he was hitting the very top of the ball a lot of the time that he was pulling it, resulting in weak grounders to the right (or into foul territory). The numbers also suggest that he was getting as much of the fly balls that he hit either. I would say that those are probably symptoms of some mechanical problems which may lead to, be caused by, or just combine with some small timing issues. I think some of it had to do with all the time he spent on the bench, but I don't have any evidence for that.

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In reply to by big_lowitzki

"LOL," etc. Do you think Von Joshua was analyzing Bradley's swing when he was with Texas? With the Cubs, he slugged .397. His OBP was fine, because he was focused like a laser on drawing walks. Fukudome draws walks, too, and many observers would look at him and say, "You can't hit like that." I do find it odd that the Cubs get beaten up every day in these pages for not stressing plate discipline, after spending $80 million since '08 on the two most extreme non-producing OBP specialists in the game. "He just didn't swing the bat. He didn't get the job done. His production, or lack of (production), was the only negative." --Hendry on Bradley

Here's Mike Quade's lineup for Game 2 vs. Barry Zito: 1. Reed Johnson, cf. 2. Starlin Castro, ss 3. Aramis Ramirez, 3b 4. Carlos Pena, 1b 5. Geovany Soto, c 6. Jeff Baker, 2b 7. Alfonso Soriano, lf 8. Lou Montanez, rf 9. Rodrigo Lopez, p

Fukudome was the latest in the succession of left handed hitting RF's that Hendry has failed in the quest to acquire anyone really good after Sosa shrunk. Burnitz, Jacques Jones, Fuk and thinking Fuk can play CF, Uncle Milty. ...plus a few minor attempts to catch lightning in a bottle: Jody Gerut, Ben Grieve, Todd Hollandsworth, Matt Lawton Fukudome's failure is that he came here with the expectation to drive in some runs and provide 20 HR power as well as the history of great April and meh May-Sept. He has succeeded in the OBP and RF defense areas. Tyler Colvin is somewhere in that mix too although he was a farm product and should be lumped in with Pie and CPat.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    agreed and agreed.

    he walked off on his own, but we may not find out for a few days how this will impact the club.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    Looked like a hamstring rather than a knee, not sure if that’s better or worse. 

  • crunch (view)

    steele leaves the game with a hamstring or knee injury.  sigh.

  • crunch (view)

    ...and a madrigal "non-error" leads to a sac fly for a tie game.  nice.

    having a ball clank off your glove, but still getting it count as a hit because it was hit hard is a nice stats gift.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    For sure. This lineup isn’t exactly stacked as is, and subbing out a Cooper or even a Tauchman for Madrigal won’t do it any favors.

  • crunch (view)

    the ESPN bottom graphic taking up 1/8th of the screen sucks.

    i only use ESPN during baseball season and i'm forced to watch a baseball broadcast designed to be broadcast in sports bars and betting parlors where the news/scores of other games is as important as what you're actually tuned in to watch.

  • crunch (view)

    morel triple to start the season....yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    LHP Blake Weiman appears to have been the last cut from the AAA Iowa roster. He is with the Tennessee group at Minor League Camp.

     

  • crunch (view)

    bruce bochy is hobbling rather badly for a guy who's had 2 hip replacements.  his gait is extremely wonky taking the lineup card to the ump.

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.