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

Cub Rally Falls Short at Papago Park

Sean Jamieson and Max Stassi rapped RBI triples to highlight a three-run 1st inning and RBI singles to key a four-run 2nd, and Jordan Tripp and A. J. Kirby-Jones slugged solo home runs to provide the eventual margin of victory, as the Athletics withstood a late rally to edge the Cubs 10-9 in AZ Instructional League action at Connie Mack Field at the Papago Park Baseball Complex in Phoenix this morning.

The Cubs took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning, as lead-off man Rubi Silva lined a single over the shortstop's head, advanced to second on a sac bunt, and scored when the catcher threw the ball into the LF corner on a delayed steal where the third-baseman forgot to cover 3rd.

But Cubs starter Amaury Paulino was battered in the bottom of the 1st, as four of the first five men he faced ripped hits (two singles and two triples) before the young Dominican right-hander settled-down and struck out the last two A’s hitters to strand a runner at 3rd.

Tarlandus Mitchell made his first mound appearance in about five months, taking the hill for the Cubs in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Mitchell induced the first A’s batter he faced to hit a routine two-hopper to 3rd, but third-baseman Jeimer Candelario fumbled the ball for an error. Then after the next two batters were retired (a 5-4 FC and a K), Mitchell fell apart and surrendered four unearned runs on two hits, a walk, and a HBP, while also throwing two wild pitches that moved runners up into scoring position.

LHP Zac Rosscup (on the Daytona Cubs DL since June) pitched the third inning and two outs into the 4th, allowing two runs, including a Jordan Tripp solo HR. Rosscup also pulled the bonehead play of the day, allowing a run to score from 3rd base on a foul pop up out to the first-baseman. The ball came down near the Cubs on deck circle (first-base side) as both 1st baseman Dan Vogelbach and catcher Yaniel Cabezas chased the pop up, but Rosscup forgot to cover home as Sean Jamieson scored easily from 3B. Rosscup was then immediately pulled from the game.

Down 9-3 (with a Micah Gibbs double and a Shawon Dunston, Jr RBI single in the 2nd having plated the Cubs second run, and a Gibbs RBI single following consecutive singles by Yaniel Cabezas and Dan Vogelbach having knocked-in the third run in the 4th), the Cubs mounted a comeback with a five-run 6th off RHP Ryan Doolittle.

Rubi Silva (who had three hits today) roped a single through the box and into CF to lead off the inning, stole 2nd base (his second SB of the day), and, after Yaniel Cabezas walked, scored on a Dan Vogelbach RBI ground single to right. Taiwan Easterling then lined a one-out two-run triple over the centerfielder’s head to drive-in Cabezas and Vogelbach, before scoring on a Micah Gibbs sacrifice fly. Jeimer Candelario kept the inning alive with a two-out opposite-field hump-back single to left, and scored on a line-drive RBI single to right-center by Jeffrey Baez (in what was his U. S. debut). Down 10-8 after A. J. Kirby-Jones took Frank Del Valle deep in the bottom of the 7th, the Cubs scored what would be their final run of the day in the 8th to narrow the deficit to 10-9.

Javier Baez sliced an opposite field double into the RF corner to lead-off the inning, and took third when the A’s second-baseman fumbled the relay throw for an error. After Justin Marra (making his pro debut) struck out swinging (and looked over-matched doing it), Baez raced home on a Carlos Penalver 1-3 ground out (high chopper fielded by the pitcher, with the only play at 1st base). The Cubs then went down 1-2-3 in the 9th.

The defensive gem of the day for the Cubs was a sliding run-saving catch in short left-center (in traffic) by LF Taiwan Easterling. I've seen him make catches like this before, and it's the type of move a punt returner will make when fair-catching a short punt. It's probably fairly easy and comfortable for Easterling to make catches this way, since he did return punts when he played football at Florida State.

Here is today’s abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Rubi Silva, 2B: 3-4 (1B, K, 1B, 1B, 2 R, 2 SB, PO)
2. Javier Baez, DH #1: 1-3 (2-3 SH, K, K, 2B, R)
3a. Yaniel Cabezas, C: 1-1 (BB, 1B, BB, 2 R)
3b. Justin Marra, C: 0-1 (K)
4a. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 2-3 (K, 1B, 1B, R, RBI)
4b. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-1 (1-3, RBI)
5. Taiwan Easterling, LF: 1-4 (6-3, K, 3B, 2-3, R, 2 RBI)
6. Micah Gibbs, DH #2: 2-3 (2B, 1B, F-9 SF, 1-3, R, 2 RBI)
7. Jeimer Candelario, 3B-1B: 1-4 (3-1, 6-4-3 DP, 1B, P-6, R)
8a. SLOT WAS SKIPPED 1st TWO TIMES THRU BATTING ORDER
8b. Jeffrey Baez, DH-RF: 1-2 (1B, F-9, RBI)
9. Shawon Dunston, Jr, CF-DH: 1-3 (1B, 3-1, K, RBI, PO)
10. Eliecer Bonne, RF-CF: 0-3 (K, F-9, F-9)
11. Danny Lockhart, SS-3B: 0-3 (4-3, 4-3, 5-3)

PITCHERS:
1. Amaury Paulino: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 25 pitches (17 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO
2. Tarlandus Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 2 WP, 29 pitches (17 strikes), 2/0 GO/FO
3. Zac Rosscup: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 GIDP, 30 pitches (17 strikes), 2/2 GO/FO
4. Jose Arias: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 19 pitches (15 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
5. Frank Del Valle: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 26 pitches (18 strikes), 3/0 GO/FO
6. Andrew McKirahan: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 17 pitches (12 strikes), 0/3 GO/FO

ERRORS: 2
1. 3B Jeimer Candelario - E5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)
2. 2B Rubi Silva - E4 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Yaniel Cabezas 0-2 CS

ATTENDANCE: 19 (including Shawon Dunston, Sr)

WEATHER: Partly cloudy & breezy, with temperatures in the 90’s

Comments

Cubs 1 game away from the 5th spot in the draft and 1 game away from the 11th spot in the draft...currently in 7th. No idea how the tiebreakers work.

We don't get picks if we don't offer arbitration. And we almost certainly won't offer arbitration. And I don't believe we CAN offer arbitration to Ramirez. We have a club option, and I believe that precludes arbitration.

[ ]

In reply to by DavidP

Submitted by DavidP on Sun, 09/25/2011 - 10:25am. We don't get picks if we don't offer arbitration. And we almost certainly won't offer arbitration. And I don't believe we CAN offer arbitration to Ramirez. We have a club option, and I believe that precludes arbitration. ================================== DAVID P: There is nothing in the CBA or any MLB rule that would prohibit the Cubs from offering arbitration to Aramis Ramirez (and picking up a draft pick if he declines and then signs elsewhere) should he become a free-agent post-2011. And that is whether he becomes a FA as the result of the Cubs declining their $16M 2012 club option and paying the $2M buy-out, or as the result of the Cubs exercising their 2012 club option and then Ramirez opting out. The ONLY way the Cubs would not be able to offer salary arbitration to Ramirez (and therefore not get a draft pick as compensation if he signs elsewhere) is if there is a specific clause in his contract that prohibits the Cubs from offering arbitration to him should he become a free-agent.

according to Wittenmyer tweets... Ninja could close today, planning a "kids" lineup for Monday, Ramirez 50/50 to get a start before the end of the season.

4 more games and then Mike Quade can take his rightful place in Cubs history next to Gene Michael, John Vuckovitch, Jim Essian, Rene Lachmann, Bruce Kimm, Frank Lucchesi, and the other bozos of the last 20 years that Cubs fans try to blot out of memory.

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that last offseason the Cardinals offered Albert Pujols a nine-year deal worth $22-$22.5 million per season and aren't expected to increase their proposal this offseason. Not only that, Strauss thinks the Cards might be thinking about keeping the average annual value of the offer the same but shortening the number of years. It's hard to imagine they would entice Pujols to stick around with that kind of offer, though Strauss does indicate the team could change their bid depending on what other teams propose. Strauss lists the Cubs, Angels, Rangers, Marlins and Nationals as teams that could make a run at Pujols. It will certainly be interesting to track the offseason bidding war for arguably the game's best player.

Same dumb stuff Soriano has said before, which makes no sense. Hitting 5th-7th has no difference in approach. Leading off one day and hitting cleanup the next might mess with someone's head, but again, only if they're not a focused player to begin with.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Actually, you said this: "I notice there's not a lot of sentiment around here to commit to LaHair and tell a still viable Pena that he's not needed." Somehow you conveniently left off the second part (the Pena part) this time around. Your implication is very clear - that some folks around TCR don't want to commit to LaHair because of Pena. So again - who has said that? There are a variety of reasons (he's a 4A player, his defense may be questionable, the Cubs should go after Fielder/Pujols, etc) that people have given for their reluctance to commit to LaHair. I don't recall ever seeing Carlos Pena being one of those reasons. But maybe you can point out where I am wrong. And do you seriously think that you are only the only person on TCR that thinks the Cubs should with LaHair at first next year? Really?

good news is if Cubs lose 2 of 3 to Padres, they'll tie them and Cubs own the tiebreaker if the Cubs can manage that, they need Royals to win 2 of 3 or sweep the Twins for the 5th spot in the draft the contenders for the 5th spot Padres vs. Cubs Cubs @ Padres (cubs are 1 back) Royals @ Twins (tied, but own tiebreaker over Cubs) Pirates @ Brewers (Pirates 1-game back but own tiebreaker) Marlins vs. Nationals (1-game back, Cubs own tiebreaker) A's and Rockies are 2-back and Cubs own tiebreaker over both

Give a shout out to Rock Shoulders @RockBigFly24 on twitter today is his 20th birthday. He is part of the Cubs Fab Five from 2011 draft. Baez, Maples, Vogelbach, Dunston Jr. and Rock Shoulders we could be in great shape in 2 or 3 years.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

TRN: What's the logic here, Cubanos and retirees don't like baseball? Anyway, I will take that bet. -------------- And I have years of actual proof people don't go to the games. You lose. Not even MLB can figure out why. Is it that there are too many retirees in Florida? Don't know, the college football games still draw crazy crowds. But MLB games in two different cities have attendance at/near the bottom of the league. Even TB, competing for a playoff spot until the end of the season, has had horrible attendance this season (and previous years). 2011: Tampa - 29th Florida - 28th 2010: Florida - 28th Tampa - 22nd - 1st place, lost lcs 2009: Florida - 29th Tampa - 23rd 2008: Florida - 30th Tampa - 26th - 1st place, lost world series 2007 + 2006: Florida - 30th Tampa - 29th And so on, and so on, and so on. Winning makes no difference. A new stadium isn't going to change squat. http://espn.go.com/mlb/attendance

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

That is sort of like saying you have actual proof Corey Patterson is going to the Hall of Fame. I mean he hit .320 as a 19 year old his first season. Let's see how the people of Florida react to not having to go to the 29th or 30th worst ballpark in the majors for a year. It's good to see him go down with his guns blazing. Just say he wanted to give it some actual thought, and look at the last time a team moved from an out-side stadium in God awful weather to a dome stadium... like the Astros did. 1964: Colt Stadium · Attendance: 725,773 (10th of 10) 1965: Astrodome · Attendance: 2,151,470 (2nd of 10) I guess it was the 65 win Astro Team that was drawing all the fans.

Unfortunately, I'll be enjoying the last of my $2 tickets, cheering on the Astros over the Cardinals tonight. Coleman should have a good chance to get his ERA under the magic 6.50 bar tonight at Pets-R-Us Park.

Campana CF, Barney 2B, Castro SS, Peña 1B, LaHair LF, Clevenger C, LeMahieu 3B, Colvin RF, Coleman P Cubs need to lose 2 of 3 this series...YOU CAN DO IT!!!

If you're looking for something to watch tonight before the Cubs game, I'd like to plug a show I have a family member working on: Check out Terra Nova on FOX at 8 Eastern Time. The dinosaurs ought to be pretty cool. I have no opinion on the rest of it. (My family member works in visual effects lately.)

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

premise is that Earth in 150 years is overpopulated and overpolluted...and they've found some portal to go back 85 million years and fix it, but only like 1000 people can go through. The modern stuff you they've all brought with them supposedly. Anyway, they wanted to do Jurassic Park meets Avatar for television and Spielberg threw his name on it to make sure it gets made. Fox is usually good about giving their sci-fi shows a chance to find an audience, so it should at least make a full season.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

You should read his blurbs on the back cover. Wow. Steve Stone really recommends himself highly. There were times that I really liked listening to Stone. But his venom for others (like the venom he has Beane in that article) always smacks of his own sense of self importance and entitlement.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

if they actually saw the movie they'd be more horrified by how they took "artistic license" with a lot of the real-life people. scott hatteberg gave an interview recently about it (he was amused, not pissed)...they could pick a bunch of characters in the film and do the same thing. ultimately it's good for baseball with all the casuals seeing it.

seems about ready to go down, allegedly his last night managing tonight.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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.