Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus one player is on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-12-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 3
Julian Merryweather, P
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 


Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Giants Sweep Cubs at Fitch Park

Jeffrey Baez rapped out four singles, stole a base, scored two runs, and drove-in another, and Trevor Gretzky, Luis Acosta, and Francisco Sanchez each hammered an RBI double, but the Giants rallied for three runs over the final two innings to defeat the Cubs 8-5 on Field #2, while on Field #3, Josh Conway tossed three shutout innings for the Cubs, but three Giants pitchers combined to throw a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts, Leonardo Fuentes smacked an RBI triple and Sam Eberle followed with an RBI double to spark a two-run 7th, and Rando Moreno clubbed a bases-clearing three-run triple to cap a three run 8th, as the Giants blanked the Cubs 5-0 and swept the doubleheader, in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.

The position players were divided up according to where they are projected (as of right now) to be assigned in June, so the squad on Field #2 was essentially the AZL Cubs, and the squad on Field #3 was what will likely eventually be the Boise Hawks (again, at least as things stand right now)

The game on Field #2 was called in the middle of the 7th inning, and the game on Field #3 was called in the middle of the 8th inning.

Jorge Soler batted 3rd and played RF in the game on Field #3, going 0-3 with two ground outs and a called third strike.

David Bote started at 2B for the Cubs squad on Field #3, but was pulled from the game after the 5th inning when Manager Bobby Mitchell was notified that Bote was being promoted and needed to get to Sky Harbor Airport to catch a plane ASAP. As a result, 1B Jose Dore was moved over to 2B for the final three innings, the first time he has played the position in pro ball.

Here are the abridged box scores from the two games (Cubs players only):

FITCH PARK FIELD #2

SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
1a. Roberto Caro, LF-DH: 1-3 (6-3, P-6, 1B)
1b. Alberto Mineo, PH: 1-1 (1B)
2. Trevor Gretzky, 1B: 1-3 (6-3, 2B, 1-4 SH, K, RBI)
3. Jeffrey Baez, CF: 4-4 (1B, 1B, 1B, 1B, 2 R, RBI, SB)
4a. Mark Malave, DH: 0-2 (E-5, F-9 , R)
4b. Rashad Crawford, LF: 1-2 (1B, K)
5. Luis Acosta, 3B: 1-3 (2B, K, K, RBI)
6. Francisco Sanchez, SS: 2-3 (1B, 2B, K, RBI, SB)
7. Kevin Encarnacion, RF: 0-3 (F-7, L-6, K)
8. Wilfredo Petit, C: 2-3 (1B, K, 1B, PO)
9. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-3 (E-6, 1B, P-5, 2 R)

SQUAD "B" PITCHERS:
1. Jose Rosario: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 32 pitches (21 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
2. Matt Loosen: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 1 WP, 59 pitches (37 strikes), 2/6 GO/FO
3. Corbin Hoffner: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 19 pitches (12 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO
4. Loiger Padron: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 17 pitches (14 strikes), 1/1 GO/FO

SQUAD "B" ERRORS: 4
1. 3B Luis Acosta - E-5 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely - eventually scored unearned run)
2. 3B Luis Acosta - E-5 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely)
3. SS Francisco Sanchez - E-6 (throwing error allowed batter reach base safely - eventually scored unearned run)
4. C Wilfredo Petit - E-2 (errant throw on stolen base attempt at 2nd base allowed baserunner to advance to 3rd)

SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Wilfredo Petit: 0-8 CS, 1 E (see above)

FITCH PARK FIELD #3

SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1a. David Bote, 2B: 1-2 (1B, 6-3)
1b. Xavier Batista, 1B: 0-1 (F-9)
2. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-3 (K, P-3, F-9)
3. Jorge Soler, RF: 0-3 (3-1, K, 4-3)
4. Yasiel Balaguert, DH: 1-3 (4-3, 1B, K, CS)
5. Shawon Dunston Jr, CF: 0-2 (3-U, L-6, BB)
6. Reggie Golden, LF: 0-3 (5-3, K, K)
7a. Neftali Rosario, C: 0-2 (5-3, K)
7b. Justin Marra, C: 0-1 (K)
8. Jose Dore, 1B-2B: 0-1 (HBP, K)
9. Jacob Rogers, 3B: 0-1 (BB, K)

SQUAD "A" PITCHERS:
1. Josh Conway: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 45 pitches (27 strikes), 5/2 GO/FO
2. Hunter Cervenka: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 20 pitches (14 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
3. Ethan Elias: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 34 pitches (23 strikes), 1/4 GO/FO
4. Chad Martin: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 37 pitches (25 strikes), 1/3 GO/FO

SQUAD "A" ERRORS: 2
1. P Josh Conway - E-1 (errant throw on pick-off attempt at 1st base allowed baserunner to advance to 2nd)
2. 3B Jacob Rogers - E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely - eventually scored unearned run)

SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Justin Marra: 0-1 CS

ATTENDANCE: 14

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 80's

 

Comments

Phil-- Yoanner Negrin was a strikeout machine tonight at Des Moines -- had 8 Ks in 3.0 innings and has 13 Ks in 7.2 IP so far this year. Small sample size, sure but quite a good start for him. He's 28 years old but was only signed as a free agent back in June of 2011, the same time as Javier Baez's draft, with no organized ball history before that. They've rocketed him through the system lo A and high A in 2011, AA and AAA (plus 124 IP in the Mexican league) in 2012, now starting him in AAA Iowa this year. What does he throw and how does the front office see him? Is he seen as a AAA filler/organizational man or do they project him as a possible piece for the bullpen with the parent club? Edit: I see where you mention him being signed as a Cuban defector in the summer of 2011 in your comment at http://www.thecubreporter.com/2011/07/28/cub-juggernaut-alive-well-fitc… but his birthplace is listed in Baseball-Reference.com and the Cubs.com minor league stats page as being Miami, FL. Was he born in Miami, went back to Cuba and later defected back to the US? Sounds highly unusual.

JOE P: Yoanner Negrin (known as "Yoannis" before he defected) was born in Havana, but he currently resides in Miami. 

Negrin throws a boatload of pitches (four-seamer, two-seamer, change, curve, and slider, plus some secret sauce), and he uses various arm-angles, too, which makes his repertoire even more diverse and unpredictable. 

The only velocity reading I ever heard on Negrin was a 90 MPH fastball on his four-seamer and mid-upper 80's on his two-seamer, and that was in a "live" BP session. But since he can cut the four-seamer or throw it straight, he might be able to alter the velo a bit at certain times if he is so inclined. 

He also has a reputation as being "rubbber-armed" and able to throw a lot of pitches per outing and to pitch more-frequently than the average starting pitcher without incurring arm problems. This is fairly consistent with the way Cuban pitchers are trained, so it's not necessarily unique to Negrin. But it also means he would profile as the ideal "12th man" on an MLB pitching staff, able to start a game on a moment's notice, or pitch in long relief or throw multiple innings in an extra-inning game, and not be adversely affected by inconsistent usage. 

The Cubs have released many of the Cuban defectors that they signed over the past couple of years, but they made sure to keep Negrin under club control (despite his age) by "loaning" him to Tabasco in the Mexican League last season. He had a strong post-2012 pitching for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League (he was 4th in ERA among VWL starting pitchers), and he was a starting pitcher for Team Spain in the 2013 WBC. So he has been pitching virtually year-round since signing with the Cubs, but almost none of that time with a Cubs affiliate (until now). I had predicted last fall (while he was pitching well in the VWL) that the Cubs would likely give Negrin an NRI to big league camp, but they did not, possibly because he was set to pitch in the WBC.

A scout once told me the biggest mistake casual observers make when evaluating a player or pitcher is to assume that a player or pitcher gets to a certain age or point in development and then never improves, when it actually is better to just keep an open mind and see what happens. And then there are guys who just never seem to get a chance or opportunity, but once they do, they make the most of it. 

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    ...and he takes a comebacker off the knee on pitch 7.  out made, run scored.

    pitch 9 is a 3 run homer.  amazing.

  • crunch (view)

    wade miley (MIL) loads the bases on 5 pitches in the 1st.  that's a special kind of talent.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    While the Chapman trade helped to cement a championship I honestly think that trade was made in a different era. Nobody trades their best prospects for rentals anymore.

    The Quintana trade was a stinker from day one. It seemed to be a product of Theo’s unshakable faith in his 2016 “core” and the consistent and mistaken idea that they were always just one guy away from a return to WS glory. The mistake was repeated several times and I think that realization along with a general evolution in baseball thinking has helped to shape Jed and the way he operates today.

  • Bill (view)

    I had mixed emotions when I heard of the trade, as I have with most trades that involve high potential prospects.  But that is because I hate to trade a high potential prospect for a veteran with only a few years control, and with a much lower potential than the prospects give away.  I hated the trade of Cease and Jiminez for Quinta, because I viewed Quintana as a decent, but not top pitcher, being traded for two very high-potential prospects.  I disliked the trade for Chapman, because a high-potential prospect was traded for a rental, although in this case, the fact that the rental was a top player greatly softened the blow.  The trade of Ferris and Hope for Busch seemed even at the time, to be a good one, even though they gave up one of my favorite prospects.  The return was a high-potential prospect with 6 years of control, at a time when he could be a difference maker on the team.

    13 games hardly proves that it was a good trade, but at least it was a reasonable one, no matter how it turns out.  So far, so good.

  • crunch (view)

    i was strongly happy about the deal, but words can barely describe how quickly zyhir hope went from "interesting youngster" to "high end prospect" when he showed up in arizona post-draft.

    it may not have shown up in the team prospect numbered rankings, but the dodgers had their eyes on such a low level guy for a reason and the cubs knew what they gave up.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I have to disagree. They got not just A triple A stud but THE AAA stud of the entire PCL for a position player who hadn’t played above the AZL level and a pitcher who was rather mediocre in his first taste of pro ball at low A. I’m not saying the guys they traded haven’t shown great promise but they have a very long way to go and a whole lot to prove before they make the bigs. Especially since Busch filled a defined need (whether it had been at third or first) I take this trade any day of the week and don’t bother looking back.

  • crunch (view)

    matt shaw (AA) has a .381/.552/.905 line through 7 games...3 homers and a triple.  6 games at 3rd, 1 game DH (5 PO, 7 A, 0 E).

    that's somewhat fun news.

  • crunch (view)

    i was blown away confused/pissed when it was announced the cubs were trading for y.almonte.

    i was thrilled when m.busch was announced as part of the trade.

    it's really weird to have the "you gotta take this payroll guy, too" (1.9m) part of the trade leak before the main piece.

    the cubs didn't get a deal given what they gave up, but i was very happy to have a guy like busch in the fold with so much club control.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Have to admit I was initially disappointed the Cubs traded away the upside of Jackson Ferris but Busch is making a believer out of me.  If I still lived in midwest guessing we would have invented some drink special named a Busch Bomb at the local drinking establishment to celebrate his homers.  

  • Cubster (view)

    per Tribune: Suzuki MRI results pending from yesterday so we should get a timetable for return later today.