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

2012 Trade Deadline Free-for-All

3:16 PM: Nevermind, looks like 3B Christian Villanueva and RHP Kyle Hendricks. Villanueva was #100 on BA's top 100 prospects in baseball list before the season. He was #7 on Goldstein's top 11 list:

Year in Review: After impressing last year in the complex leagues, Villanueva was a Sally League All-Star in his full-season debut.
The Good
: Villanueva has outstanding bat speed and impressive power for his size, projecting to hit for average with 15-20home runs annually. He's an impressive athlete with average to slightly-above-average speed; he has improved his defense at third base, and has good hands with a strong arm.
The Bad
: Other than the bat, Villanueva is not exceptionally toolsy. His approach could use improvement. He's filling out and getting stocky, and will likely lose some of his speed down the road.
Ephemera
: Villanueva was used in six different spots of the Hickory batting order in 2011, but had the most success in the six-hole, hitting .357/.410/.629 in 20 games.
Perfect World Projection
: Above-average third baseman.
Fantasy Impact:
A good batting average with some power and more speed than your average third baseman.
Path to the Big Leagues
: Villanueva is buried in Texas at the hot corner, and the Rangers have experimented with him at other positions. He'll begin the 2012 season at High-A Myrtle Beach.
ETA
: 2015


Not finding much on Hendricks.

3:14 PM: Heh, on that note, one dude is hearing that it's Odor and Roman Mendez. Don't take that too seriously yet.

3:12 PM: Pure speculation on my part, but Rougned Odor (that's a terribly unfortunate name) is a Class A position player in that top 20 list.

3:06 PM: Rosenthal says a Class A pitcher and a Class A position player are headed to the Cubs.

3:03 PM: Here's a Rangers top 20 prospect list to start speculating upon. It won't be Profar or Olt.

3:00 PM: And fin. I'll try and get the prospects for Dempster up before I take off here.

2:58 PM: Scott Miller of CBS saying Rangers as well for Dempster...and so is Buster Olney.

2:57 PM: Whomever Ken Gurnick is, he's dropping the Rangers as the destination for Dempster. I believe he's the Dodgers beat writer for mlb.com

2:50 PM: Bowden saying Yanks "may have" acquired Dempster.

2:49 PM: Dodgers beat writer for the L.A. Times Dylan Hernandez says Dodgers are out on Dempster and they're done making deals today.

2:41 PM: The NL Central has been busy, Pirates get Gaby Sanchez and Travis Snider (that happened last night). Cardinals get reliever Ed Mujica and Reds get Jonathon Broxton.

2:15 PM: Nightengale saying that Soriano likely staying put, but of course he'll easily clear waivers, so an August deal is always possible.

2:06 PM: Kaplan says Tigers and Cubs are hard at work trying to complete a deal for Soriano.

2:03 PM: Dempster has allegedly said he'd waive his NTC for the Yankees, Rangers and Dodgers.

1:25 PM: Heyman tweet claim Dempster has already told Cubs he'd agree to a trade with Yankees...sure. Rothschild and Hendry are over there, so it does make some sense.

1:09 PM: Some Dempster to the Yankees or Diamondbacks rumors floating.

12:33 PM: Olney saying that Diamondbacks are working on something big and then teases a Justin Upton for Matt Garza deal as making sense. Of course the Cubs are on Justin Upton's no-trade list.

12:20 PM: The actual deal with the Texas Rangers for Geovany Soto is Soto and cash to the Rangers for Brigham and either a player to be named later or cash considerations heading to the Cubs.

12:18 PM: Another Goldstein tweet saying the Cubs really want to get Allan Webster out of the Dodgers and are trying to include parts to make that happen.

11:51 AM: By the way, Coleman, W. Castillo and Cardenas on their way up from Iowa for tonight's game.

George Ofman says multiple players involved in potential Dempster deal and Goldstein tweets that James Russell could be one of those players.

(You can usually find the tweets or links in the twitter box btw).


Jim Bowden claims they're just crossing the i's an t's on a deal to send Dempster to his beloved Dodgers.

Earlier the Dodgers gave up Lindblom and Ethan Martin for Shane Victorino.

The Giants are apparently getting Hunter Pence from the Phillies without including Gary Brown or Brandon Belt.

It seems Rangers, Reds and Blue Jays are the 3 teams still in on Garza.

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

Yeah, broken record on the Dempster bashing, too. Kaplan wrote today: "Dempster has made it clear to Cubs management that he would like to play in Los Angeles but he also understands that Epstein and Hoyer have a job to do and he will not stand in their way if it means that the best deal is somewhere else," a source with knowledge of the discussions told me this morning. "He never told them he would only go to LA, he only said that he wanted time to make the best decision for him and his family and that is his right as a 10/5 [10 years in the majors, the last five with your current team] man. Ryan is serious about wanting to win a World Series and he will approve a deal if it gives him that chance. People who have been critical of him about the Atlanta deal don't have all of the facts." That is not being unprofessional. Signed, Dempster's Apologist

[ ]

In reply to by johann

Johann, I really was offended by the actual behavior of his tweets, his angry demeanor since then in interviews, and almost all of his quotes and logic. I am not trying to be argumentative. The only fact that would change my mind (given that I am basing my opinion on observed behavior and words that don't match my personal taste for mature bahavior) would be if there was, say, someone with a death laser pointed at his head while he tweeted, or if he had his feet in a unsecured rat trap while he conducted interviews etc. it was his observed combative unprofessional behavior, not his decision.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

"...no one knows exactly what happened except the parties involved" Heed your own advice. You then don't know that he wasn't being unprofessional, yet you keep asserting it as a fact that he was being professional and just using his 10/5 rights. So which is it? Do we not know all of the facts, in which case you are just as in the wrong as we are by talking about this like you know for sure what happened, or are you sure that he was being professional and simply using the "we don't know wall of the facts" as part of some sort of weak argument? I don't get your unrelenting broken record defense of him that acts as if he has been 100% right and 0% wrong in everything that has happened over the past week no matter what new evidence comes to light your story has never changed. You've been pre-determined to support him since minute 1.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

RHSP Ethan Martin and RHRP Josh Lindblom (traded to PHI for for Shane Victorino) sounds a lot like what the Dodgers were probably offering the Cubs for Ryan Dempster a week ago. Likewise, RHSP Jacob Turner and two lesser prospects (traded to MIA for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante a couple of weeks ago) could be what the Cubs were offered for Matt Garza and Darwin Barney. And now OF Nate Schierholtz, RHRP Seth Rosin, and C Tommy Joseph to PHI for Hunter Pence could be what the Cubs would have gotten from SF yesterday if Soriano had waived his NTC (with the Cubs paying most of Soriano's remaining salary).

lots of speculation of bigger deal, Webster to Cubs possible, JAMES RUSSELL mentioned going to LA too. Appears to be multi player deal.

@BNightengale Alfonso Soriano has informed the #Cubs which teams he would be traded to but no offer yet Giants not on list, doesn't say who is

Rob G: What is with this Dodgers spending spree?? Did the Magic Group come in with billions? They really aren't competing with the Halos are they?

Buster Olney ‏@Buster_ESPN Diamondbacks working hard on something big, and a Garza/Upton framework makes sense for both Cubs and Diamondbacks. Um, yes please.

it would be fun if the Cubs get Ted Lilly back from LA as a throw in as long as they send cash to cover his remaining contract. (and the Ted Lilly Supercomputer has to be included in the package)

One post and 6 updates later... How's that vacation going, Rob?

Speaking of Kaplan, every tweet is he has heard from "solid/impeccable/great" source. Isn't that the assumption? Would anyone think he was speaking to shitty sources? Then he pats himself on the back when he gets something right.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

You're all right, and I dislike sportwriters quite a bit, but I imagine in the modern internet rumor world where "sources tell me" was used indiscriminately (I'm looking at you early MLBTradeRumors), people are finding the need for superlatives to distinguish 'real' rumors. As I tell my daughter: "No, you're not starving, you're hungry"...but hungry no longer has meaning in our world. Or as my Korean friend/student once told me: "It's cold as a buttfucker".

Question from me: If Soriano isn't traded now but has to go through the waiver thing, is he ineligible for the postseason? Would he still be interested in a trade, if not (directed at the mind-readers out there)?

From the Kapman: "David Kaplan @thekapman Source tells me: "the final half hour or so will be very interesting for Theo/Jed. Dominoes have to fall right for major things to happen." 28 minutes ago."

Be interesting to see the names. I wonder if the Rangers popping up at the last minute means they overpaid at all. And the haters can be happy that he's not going to L.A.! :emoticon:

Why am I joyed at the news of Dempster being traded yet I have absolutely no idea what the Cubs receive in return? Dempster was a good pitcher.

i knew the rangers would eventually get dumpster ;p seriously, though...surprised it's not the dodgers, but not surprised TEX stepped up.

Christian Villanueva signed with the Rangers in August 2008, so he is eligible for selection in the December 2012 Rule 5 Draft and the Cubs will need to add him to their 40-man roster by November 20th. Kyle Hendricks won't be Rule 5 eligible until post-2014 (he was drafted last year). Jess Chen interview with Kyle Hendricks He played college ball at Dartmouth, just like ex-Cub Mike Remlinger.

also...how the hell did s.victorino become so damn valuable? i mean, if he had another year of club control or a cheap 2013 contract i could understand...but he's a FA... dodgers gave up a hell of a package for a 2 month vic rental. also, also...PHI fans are pissed about the house cleaning and what was gained in the pence trade.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Tue, 07/31/2012 - 3:42pm — crunch i almost went to college there, myself (ASU)...too much $$ to do out-of-state, though. they have an awesome horticulture program with great facilities. ====================================== CRUNCH: Back when I was at ASU, out-of-state tuition at Arizona colleges was the second-lowest in the U. S. (Mississippi was the lowest), so everybody was from someplace else. It was like going to Mars and meeting a bunch of the guys from the old neighorhood... Plus CUBS SPRING TRAINING! I got out of there with my degree just in time before they jacked-up the rates.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

For all the greatness you speak of ASU it's UofA who gets all the headlines with their talents in planetary sciences, engineering, anthropology etc. They pretty much destroy anything ASU does. UofA is classified as a Carnegie Foundation (high level of research) and no University gets more Nasa grants than the UofA. A lot of the Mars projects are designed and run out of the UofA. The Phoenix landing was the 1st mission controlled entirely by a university. ASU is more of a community college/party campus. As you can tell anyone from the lower half of the state is UofA and anyone from the upper half is ASU.

[ ]

In reply to by SheffieldCornelia

Sheff, I think that we can be sure that management will not have reservations any more for the rest of the year. Sure...Jay Jackson? Why not? Volstad and his Act? Why not? Chris Rusin? OK! Even Jeff Belliveau! Who has shown that he just can't seem to pitch when he gets called up to the Majors. I have more faith in HoyStein with a #1 pick than I would be with Hendry at the helm, anyway.

[ ]

In reply to by SheffieldCornelia

"There HAS to be someone at AAA who could do better . . . " There is a reason why Iowa loses six games every week--starting pitching. Among Coleman, Rusin, Raley, Volstad, Jackson (who mostly relieves now), Lopez and De La Cruz, only Raley has decent numbers and gives the I-Cubs a chance to win. As a lefty, Raley might fill in nicely for Maholm. But Raley is in his first season at this level and they could be applying the "full season at Iowa" rule to him.

Bizarre top of 3rd. Single, single (first n third), fielder choice Rizzo to Clevinger, single by alvarez over DeJesus head but Jones holds 3rd and Walker goes to 3rd and is tagged for the 2nd out. Barajas walks to load the bases before Barmes out on a FC Valbuena unassisted. 3 hits, one BB, no runs And Coleman 71 pitches thru 3 And Burnett perfect thru 3

Theo and Jed did well with these deals. It is mind boggling the lack of pitching in this organization (thanks Diamond Jim Hendry!) but at least some intriguing arms have been obtained. This team is going to be epically bad the rest of this season and probably next season too. But I am very confident that Theo, Jed, Jason and Dale can build this thing over time.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • 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...