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 Bats Mostly Silent at Talking Stick

Micah Gibbs tripled and singled, scored a run, and drove-in another, but the Rockies scored five unanswered runs to overcome an early 2-1 deficit and defeated the Cubs 6-2 in AZ Instructional League action this afternoon at Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick east of Scottsdale.

Here is the abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1a. Zeke DeVoss, CF: 0-3 (K, K, K)
1b. Jeffrey Baez, PH: 0-0 (BB)
2a. Danny Lockhart, SS: 1-3 (1B, E-5, 5-3, CS)
2b. Mark Malave, PH: 0-1 (6-3)
3. Rafael Lopez, DH-C: 0-3 (4-3, F-8, L-6)
4. Reggie Golden, RF: 0-3 (K, F-8, F-7)
5. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 0-3 (4-3, K, K)
6. Dustin Geiger, 1B: 0-2 (HBP, 6-3, 6-3, R)
7. Micah Gibbs, DH #2: 2-3 (3B, 4-3, 1B, R, RBI)
8a. Justin Marra, C: 1-2 (1B, 4-3, RBI, SB)
8b. Garrett Schlecht, LF: 0-0 (BB)
9. Shawon Dunston, Jr, LF-DH: 0-3 (F-8, 4-3, 4-6 FC, CS)
10. Carlos Penalver, 2B: 0-3 (FC, F-7, 5-3, CS)

PITCHERS:
1. Starling Peralta: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, 24 pitches (12 strikes), 2/4 GO/FO
2. Christopher Pieters: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 29 pitches (13 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
3. Alexander Santana: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 32 pitches (17 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
4. Tayler Scott: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 31 pitches (18 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
5. Michael Jensen: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 14 pitches (8 strikes), 3/0 GO/FO
6. Tarlandus Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 26 pitches (15 strikes), 2/0 GO/FO

ERRORS: 1
C Rafael Lopez - E-2 (overthrow at 2nd base on SB allowed runner to advance to 3rd base)

CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. Justin Marra: 0-1 CS, 1 PB
2. Rafael Lopez: 0-3 CS, 1 E (see above)

ATTENDANCE: 24

WEATHER: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 70’s

Comments

Hope you are having fun watching the future. Quick Question on Marco Hernandez - BA's write up on him for their AZL list said plus speed and plus arm (along with good range at short). On paper, that seems to suggest potential plus defense at short. That said, I recall, at some point (can't seem to find it right now), you had questions about his arm and thought that he might end up at 2nd base. I'm just curious about your take on BA's write-up. Also, what's your take on Marco and Jeimer's power ceilings? And is there a reason Penalver seems to be listed at short every game? I thought he was viewed as a guy who would get PT at short. Oh, one final question, if I might - how did Starling Peralta's velocity and command look?

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In reply to by toonsterwu

Submitted by toonsterwu on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 12:36am. Hope you are having fun watching the future. Quick Question on Marco Hernandez - BA's write up on him for their AZL list said plus speed and plus arm (along with good range at short). On paper, that seems to suggest potential plus defense at short. That said, I recall, at some point (can't seem to find it right now), you had questions about his arm and thought that he might end up at 2nd base. I'm just curious about your take on BA's write-up. Also, what's your take on Marco and Jeimer's power ceilings? And is there a reason Penalver seems to be listed at short every game? I thought he was viewed as a guy who would get PT at short. Oh, one final question, if I might - how did Starling Peralta's velocity and command look? ========================================== TOONSTER: Marco Hernandez does not have a plus-arm. Arismendy Alcantara and Junior Lake have plus-arms (though not always accurate), and Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro have stronger arms, too. Hernandez bounces throws to 1st base from the 5.5 hole. He doesn't have to make that long throw from 2nd base, and he has good range, and he's a good fielder, so he should be a very good 2B. I would compare him to Logan Watkins in that respect. He can play SS, and if he hits a lot and you need a SS he can play there, but ideally he would play 2B. As for his HR power potential versus Candelario, both drive the ball hitting LH and punch the ball RH. While both show loft-power LH, Candelario has a bigger frame and should be able to eventually become a significant HR hitter from the left-side. As I mentioned last week, Candelario hasn't shown the plate discipline or patience I expected after seeing his walk total from the DSL. He has been more of a hacker so far, but while I can't say this for sure, I suspect it has to do with the Cubs probably viewing Candelario as a future middle-of-the-order guy and wanting him to be more aggressive hitting strikes, and he hasn't quite figured out what that means, so he just swings at everyting. (BTW, the guy who is REALLY patient is Garrett Schlecht). Carlos Penalver is a flashy SS with enough arm to play there (a "true" SS), but he has been playing more (or as much) 2B & 3B as SS at Instructs because Javier Baez ALWAYS plays SS when he is in the lineup (and is not the DH). And Danny Lockhart is a very good defensive SS, too. But Penalver looks just so much more comfortable at SS than at either 2B or 3B. He looks like he's got that Venezuelan Aparicio-Concepcion-Guillen thing going where "I just want to play SS and don't ask me to play anywhere else." Starling Peralta struggled with his control yesterday. The problem with pitchers at Instructs is a lot of them are learning a new pitch or a different way to throw a pitch or a different arm slot or their throwing mechanics are being revamped, so they struggole in the process and get less than ideal results. That appears to be the case with Peralta right now.

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In reply to by The E-Man

Submitted by The E-Man on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 6:21am. Thanks PHIL. Was wondering about you feelings on the younger Dunston? ================================== E-MAN: Dunston had his best game offensively in his first pro game and he has struggled since. He is in a slump right now, and has been really showing his frustration both verbally and with his actions. He is a more-patient hitter than his dad, but he runs the bases very aggressively. His defense in CF is VERY good. He has plus-range and takes good routes, and he has a strong arm. He appears to have been well-coached in the fundamentals of baseball.

Hey AZ Phil, Thanks for these writeups! Quick question: Do you think Zeke DeVoss has a future as a full-time Left Fielder, or is his value likely tied up in the possibility of him sticking in CF? Thanks!

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In reply to by Charlie

Submitted by Charlie on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 7:05am. Hey AZ Phil, Thanks for these writeups! Quick question: Do you think Zeke DeVoss has a future as a full-time Left Fielder, or is his value likely tied up in the possibility of him sticking in CF? Thanks! ======================================= CHARLIE: If DeVoss can maintain a high OBP by walking a lot and if he can steal bases at a high pe4rcentage, he could be an everyday lead-off hitter. And then he could play either LF or CF (as needed). However, B. Jackson, Ha, Szczur, Easterling, Chen, Na, and Dunston are all better defensive CF. Right now DeVoss reminds me a lot of Dwaine Bacon. If I had to predict where DeVoss will be on Opening Day 2012, I would say he will be the lead-off hitter and LF at Peoria (figuring Pin-Chieh Chen will play CF and bat #2 and Reggie Golden will play RF and hit somewhere 4-5-6).

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In reply to by The Real Neal

Submitted by The Real Neal on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 9:45am. Sorry, but I refuse to believe anyone named their child Dwaine. Hopefully DeVoss hits a little more than that guy you just made up. What do you think about Easterling's plate approach so far? He was marked by us Hendry haters as a hackastic football player when we drafted him, but I noticed he did take a few walks. Seems like Peoria was pretty agrresive place for him to be. ================================================ REAL NEAL: Taiwan Easterling is an aggressive player in all facets of his game. An aggressive fielder who lays his body out to make a play, an aggressive base-runner who is always looking to take an extra base, and an aggressive hitter who doesn't have a lot of patience. One thing Easterling probably has to do to ultimately be successful is hit HR and lots of doubles and triples. Because he is NOT a lead-off hitter. I suspect Easterling will begin the 2012 season at Daytona, playing LF (and some CF when Szczur is the DH) and hitting maybe 6th.

with Athletics Nation, talks about Moneyball http://www.athleticsnation.com/2011/10/6/2469605/oakland-as-gm-billy-be… Yeah. I'm not sure that would be the right word, but the feel of the movie, the feel of the clubhouse, the feel of the meetings, the feel of the conversations you have, is probably the most general way I could say it. I thought they did a good job of doing that. And listen, they're making a movie and I thought they did a good job of taking the subject matter that you mentioned and turning it into something that was entertaining and thoughtful. I finally saw it last night, from a moviemaking standpoint, some really great editing and storytelling. The last 20 minutes from winning the 20th game on are absolutely fantastic. From a truth telling standpoint, there's some eye rollers, but you have to expect that coming in. I also have no fucking clue what Keith Law was talking about in regards to Carlos Pena's character "as a sullen Latino player". Dude says 5 words in the movie when he's traded and none of it comes of as anything other than, that's how the business goes.

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In reply to by Rob G.

Years ago, I met the real Pappy Boyington at the Oshkosh, WI Airshow/Fly-in. The TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep was on still or in re-runs. I asked him how realistic the show was. He stared at me for a second, signed his book for me, and then said in a deadpan voice, "You know, they weren't making a documentary." That experience always stuck with me when I'm watching a TV show or movie "based on real life events". I liked the movie Moneyball.

The Cubs don't have to ask permission to talk to Andrew Friedman, right? In his blog yesterday, Bruce Miles cited an article in the St. Petersburg Times quoting an obviously demoralized team owner Stuart Sternberg following the Rays' ALDS loss. "Eventually, major-league baseball is going to vaporize this team," etc. Miles calls this "pretty powerful stuff," and says it's relevant to the Cubs' search for a GM. I think that's absolutely right. How can everybody in management be happy as clams down there if the team is dying? Sternberg may not be able to get his hands on another team but the other people, including Friedman, can get a job. The Cubs may not have won since 1908 but they have another 100 years to try.

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In reply to by VirginiaPhil

I just read The Extra 2% -- a decent read, by the way -- and Friedman approached building a winner like a Wall Streeter: Take a long-term view; improve incrementally and continuously; and don't be afraid to admit a mistake and move on. He put a ton of money into development -- including facilities and scouting -- and used statistical analysis extensively. He's Ricketts' wet dream, but as a friend of Sternberg's, he's probably not going to move on.

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In reply to by Rob G.

heh @bigleaguestew 'Duk Ryne Sandberg just looked at Robin Ventura's coaching experience and went into a corner to cry.

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In reply to by Rob Richardson

heard...it's just well, robin's been out of a mlb clubhouse for quite a while. it's just a "woah" pick. i was kinda shocked at k.gibson getting a managerial gig...then again i was shocked that k.gibson even wanted to be a coach. though he's been a part of some great baseball postseason history (twice, at least) he was known as being a guy who would rather be playing football. he did, though, have so much respect for playing hard and playing it right. r.ventura never even wanted to coach...now he's back to lead a dugout. i wonder what he has that put him up at the top of the candidates...hell, or even on the list...

gammons on theo situation on mlb network: "I don't think he even knows" ...did mention that he didn't think theo would stick around in BOS after his contract runs out after 2012, though. ...also he's supposedly "not money driven at all."

Phil: Tell us more about Golden and Vogelbach, they seem to always appear in your writeups. Two geniune power hitters in the Cubs system, at the same time and at the same level, when's the last time that happened? I mean, based on your descriptions of prodigious blasts and their apparent HR frequency, it sure seems like these two have 30+ HR potential each. Which would be nice.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • 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.