Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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


28 players are on the MLB ACTIVE LIST, plus seven are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two are on the 10-DAY IL, and three are on the 15-DAY IL


Last updated 9-22-20239
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 14
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Marcus Stroman
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 6
Nico Hoerner
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom
* Jared Young

OUTFIELDERS: 6
* Cody Bellinger
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

OPTIONED: 7
Keven Alcantara, OF 
Ben Brown, P  
Brennen Davis, OF 
Jeremiah Estrada, P
Caleb Kilian, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Michael Rucker, P

10-DAY IL: 2
Jeimer Candelario, 1B
Nick Madrigal, INF

15-DAY IL: 3
Adbert Alzolay, P
Brad Boxberger, P 
Michael Fulmer, P 

60-DAY IL: 4
Nick Burdi, P
Codi Heuer, P
* Brandon Hughes, P
Ethan Roberts, P
 


Minor League Rosters

Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Outlast Angels at Fitch Park

Yasiel Balaguert doubled twice, singled twice, walked, drove-in two runs, and scored three more, Junior Lake stroked a double and an RBI single, walked, and scored two runs, Rony Rodriguez singled twice, doubled, knocked-in three runs, and scored another, and Xavier Batista belted an RBI triple and a single and scored a run, helping the Cubs defeat the Angels 10-8 in Cactus League Extended Spriung Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #4 in Mesa, AZ.  

RHP Trey Lang (Cubs 2012 6th round draft pick) got the start and had another rough outing, allowing six runs (all earned) on six hits (three singles, two doubles, and a triple), two walks, and an HBP, plus three wild pitches, in 4.1 IP (72 pitches). He did strike out five (all five swinging), but he was bouncing his breaking ball and had difficulty throwing his fastball for strikes.

In EXST Cubs roster news, catcher Neftali Rosario (Cubs 2011 6th round draft pick) has been moved up to Kane County. It's probably just a temporary thing, however, because Rosario was hitting just 091/167/136 in 11 EXST games (24 PA), and had missed some time with an ankle injury. Rosario was doubtful to even make the Boise roster, much less a permanent promotion to KC.  

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only):



CUBS LINEUP:
1. Kevin Encarnacion, LF: 1-5 (E-3, L-4, 4-3, 2B, P-6, R)
2. Junior Lake, CF: 2-4 (6-4-3 DP, K, 2B, 1B, BB, 2 R, RBI)
3. Yasiel Balaguert, RF: 4-4 (BB, 2B, 1B, 2B, 1B, 3 R, 2 RBI)
4. Xavier Batista, 1B: 2-5 (K, 1B, 3B, 1-3, K, R, 2 RBI)
5. Rony Rodriguez, DH: 3-5 (1B, 2B, 4-3, 1B, K, R, 3 RBI)
6. Jesse Hodges, 3B: 1-4 (3B, L-5, F-7, 4-6 FC, R, RBI)
7. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 0-3 (F-7, 6-3, 4-3, HBP)
8. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-4 (K, F-7, 5-3, K)
9. Jose Morales, C: 0-2 (BB, 4-3, BB, 3-6-3 DP, R)

CUBS PITCHERS
1. Trey Lang: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R (6 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP, 3 WP, 72 pitches (42 strikes), 5/3 GO/FO
2. Orbandy Rodriguez: 1.2 P, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 27 pitches (22 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO
3. Carlos Martinez: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 33 pitches (20 strikes), 1/2 GO/FO  
4. Mike Hamann: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 12 pitches (9 strikes), 1/0 GO/FO

CUBS ERRORS: 1
1B Xavier Batista - E-3 (fielding error on infield single allowed batter to advance to 2nd base)

CATCHERS DEEFENSE:
Jose Morales: 1-1 CS

ATTENDANCE: 13

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's 

Comments

I'm sure you're all aware of this, but at some point the Cubs went from a terrible offense to a middle of the road one (7th in runs scored in NL, 8th in OPS).

Overall, 3rd in SLG, 12th in OBP...meet the new boss, same as the old

today they have Barney & Ransom batting 1st and 2nd versus the lefty Vargas...sure.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

"Eh, ball what?"

"Ball Four son, get your ass to first"

"Eh shit, I lost count, not suppose to let ball four go by. Alfonso tell me you only hit home runs if you swing. Plus me and Castillo have a bet on who will swing at more bad pitches."

Addison Reed blows a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the 14th against the Mariners.

After 0-0 through 13, WSox get 5 in the top of the inning. Reed gets the first guy and then 4 straight singles, before K'ing Jason Bay and giving up a tying grand slam to Kyle Seager.

To the 15th...

#schaudenfreude

Cubs up 1 in the bottom of the 7th...I'm sure this will go smoothly.

Wonder where the 8th inning bullpen roulette wheel will land?

AZ Phil, do you know the extent of Jae-Hoon Ha's injury? Is he in Arizona? Thanks. Also how agout his partner Dae-Eun Rhee?

Ask for something around here... And you get it. Yesterday I wondered out loud how many pitchers picked in the first round have had a decent career that has lasted 3 years, and, sure enough, you morans came up with more than one list. I'm still not really sure I'd like to see a top three pick spent on a pitcher. I'm not so interested in whether or not they actually live up to potential - that's always a crap shoot whether they are pitchers or position players. My only reason for not wanting to take a top three pick on a pitcher is the injury factor. I wouldn't expand that to an entire first round, though. If the Cubs were picking, say, 15th in the first round, and they chose a pitcher, I really wouldn't care either way. One thing seems clear - there don't seem to be any can't misses. I wanted Bryant until I saw Rob's point about him, now I'm not so sure (I'm easily swayed by anything close to a reasonable argument, especially by people who know a lot more than I do about something). I do wonder though, and I'm way too lazy to research it, if Bryant isn't considered special now because he simply got bigger and stronger in college. Could be in high school he had some pop but nothing overwhelming. Somebody mentioned - maybe crunch, that Bryant was a no field third baseman. Whoever they pick, I really want somebody who can come in and help the team this year. Bring him up!!

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I'm sure Bryant will have a perfectly reasonable career. I'd be more stoked about him if batted from the left side and was a good bet to stay at third base. But I think Gray and Appel will also have perfectly reasonable careers, with Gray having the most upside of the 3. And the Cubs could use some immediate help in the rotation of course. Plus, despite the fact that TheJedi are on a 5-year plan, by Year 5, they need to be contending for a playoff spot or I don't even think Ricketts will be that patient.

If the Cubs were playing the long game, I'd say go with Frazier or Meadows. But for the immediate needs, I'd definitely go Grey if he's available. 100 mph fastballs have a high rate of having major league careers. Although I do think Gray will need a few seasons in the minors to work on his control, while I believe Appel should be in the majors by 2014. I'd say even 2013, but they'll probably let his arm take a break.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

"no field" 3rd is a bit strong, but a lot of people believe he won't stick there. i imagine he'll get a chance to try it out, but a lot of people doubt he'll be able to stick there. his reaction time there is supposedly a bit slow and he's racked up a concerning amount of errors there in college...but they use aluminum bats there and college is a place where (thanks to those bats) people look more at the footwork/reaction-time/arm more than the errors. my main concern about bryant is that he's a junior...so he's going to want to get paid...his power is off-the-charts and he's going to demand top loot with an extra year of college to leverage. given the cubs slot it's not that much of a concern, though...the worst that could happen is he'd want same/similar loot as gray/appell.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/standings ESPN's playoff odds calculator still gives the Cubs an 11% chance of making the playoffs this year. That's better than 11 other teams, despite the Cubs being in a division with three teams on pace for the playoffs. It's roughly the same odds as the Phillies, who are at .500 in a weak division despite poor play. I've been the first to admit this year's Cubs are OK and not terrible, but the record is what it is, and the sell-off is pending. If ESPN wants 10-to-1 that the Cubs make the playoffs, I'll happily take that.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil 09/23/2023 - 09:02 pm (view)

    The deadline for trading players on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) and players who were outrighted to the minors after signing a 2023 MLB contract was August 1st, but trades involving players on a minor league reserve list are prohibited beginning at 12 PM (Eastern) on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the 2023 MLB regular season (Sunday 9/24) through the last day of the MLB regular season (including a day on which a regular season game is played after the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season).   
     

  • Arizona Phil 09/23/2023 - 09:58 pm (view)

    jdrnym: 

    As you know, the abbreviation "DFA" stands for "Designated for Assignment." 

    There are three types of assignments: 

    1. Trade Assignment (when a player is traded from one MLB club to another)
    2. Outright Assignment (when a player is sent to the club's minor league Domestic Reserve List after Outright Assignment Waivers have been secured).
    3. Optional Assignment (when a player is optioned to the minors, subject to being recalled at a later time). 

    So when a player is Designated for Assignment, the player can either be traded, outrighted to the minors, or optioned to the minors. 

    Normally a player is not Designated for Assignment and then optioned to the minors, because the club could just option the player to the minors immediately without a DFA.

    Back in the day It was not that unusual for a player to be Designated for Assignment so that Optional Assignment Waivers could be secured (Optional Assignment Waivers were required before certain players could be optioned to the minors, and just like the old Trade Assignment Waivers, Optional Assignment Waivers were revocable if a player was claimed). Optional Assignment Waivers were eliminated in 2016 and Trade Assignment Waivers were eliminated in 2021, so all revocable waivers have been eliminated. What's left are Outright Assignment Waivers and Outright Release Waivers, and both are irrevocable once requested.  

    With the new five option limit whereby a player can (with a couple of exceptions) be optioned to the minors no more than five times in a given season before Outright Assignment Waivers must be secured (and it - IS - Outright Assignment Waivers that must be secured, even though it is for the purpose of an Optional Assignment), it now might be necessary for a club to DFA a player to clear a spot on the MLB 26-man roster (MLB 28-man roster in September) for another player and to allow for the two days (actually 47 hours) required to run a player through waivers. After the two day Waiver Claiming Period concludes (and presuming the player isn't claimed), the player can be returned to the MLB 40-man roster and optioned to the minors (even after being Designated for Assignment). But for that to happen, the player can - NOT - be replaced on the MLB 40-man roster by another player after being Designated for Assignment.  

    However, in the case of Jordan Luplow, he had - NOT - been optioned to the minors five times in the 2023 season prior to be optioned to AAA St. Paul on 9/18, so the Twins did not need to DFA Luplow in order to secure Outright Assignment Waivers so that he could be optioned to the minors a sixth time. But because he was Designated for Assignment and not replaced on the 40 by another player after the DFA, the Twins could option him to the minors (and return him to the 40) even after he was Designated for Assignment, because an Optional Assignment is one of the three types of assignments.

    So Luplow was Designated for Assignment even though he didn't need to be, and then the Twins returned him to their MLB 40-man roster and optioned him to the minors a couple of days later (which they can do, since Luplow wasn't replaced on the 40 by another player after he was Designated for Assignment). What the Twins did (DFA Luplow and then option him to the minors a couple of days later) was within the rules. It's just very odd and doesn't make a lot of sense. 

    So I will offer the most logical reason I can think of to explain why the Twins did this:  

    The Twins DFA'd Luplow because they intended to reinstate Chris Paddack from the 60-day IL, but then Carlos Correa suddenly needed to go on the 10-day IL and so they decided they wanted to keep Luplow on the 40-man roster (and on Optional Assignment to AAA) and didn't want to risk losing him off waivers or by him electing free-agency after being outrighted. Luplow has Article XX-D rights (he has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career), so he would had the right to elect free-agency after he was outrighted. There was also the possibility that he would have been claimed of waivers, and obviously the Twins felt they might need his RH bat after losing Correa and with Royce Lewis having left a game with a hamstring injury that led to an IL assignment. 

    Also, if Luplow was outrighted instead of being optioned, he would no longer be automatically eligible to play in the post-season (except as a possible injury replacement).

    Not only did Carlos Correa go on the IL, Royce Lewis went on the IL, too, two days after Correa went on the IL and two days after Luplow was optioned to AAA, so the Twins did in fact end up needing Luplow after all, and recalled him just a couple of days after he was optioned to replace Lewis on the MLB 28-man roster. 

    So that all I've got. That is the only thing that makes sense. The Twins DFA'd Luplow because they had intended to replace him on the 40 with another player (probably Paddack) and hoped that they would be able to run him through waivers and that he wouldn't get claimed and that he would accept an Outright Assignment, but then they suddenly changed their minds because of the injury to Correa and the possibility that Lewis might also have to go on the IL (which did, in fact, happen the next day).

    So the Twins were able to return Luplow to the 40 because he hadn't been replaced on the 40 by another player after he was Designated for Assignment, then they optioned him to St. Paul, and then they recalled him after Royce Lewis was placed on the 10-day IL (the minimum 10-day optional assignment being waived because Luplow replaced a player (Royce Lewis) who was placed on an MLB IL. 

  • crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:00 pm (view)

    CIN out here blowing a 9-0 lead they built through 3 innings.  9-9 tie in the 7th.

  • crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:05 pm (view)

    boxburger 10d IL, k.thompson back up.  it's his right forearm (again).

  • crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:12 pm (view)

    merryweather got out of it, but he loaded the bases with 1 out.  of course ross got cuas up in the pen...thankfully he didn't need to come in.

    looks like cuas gets the 9th.

  • crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:46 pm (view)

    4ip 2h 0bb 6k, 49 pitches.  no idea why they're giving the pen the last 2 innings when he's out there dealing like this and only threw 49 pitches.  he was supposed to pitch tomorrow and he's fresh.

  • crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:52 pm (view)

    ...and assad is now a pen arm, evidently...odd move given recent success.  i guess wicks starts tomorrow?

  • crunch 09/22/2023 - 09:16 pm (view)

    ARZ, MIA, and CIN all lose.  nice.

  • crunch 09/22/2023 - 09:54 pm (view)

    stroman is now the saturday starter...okay, then.

  • jdrnym 09/22/2023 - 09:52 pm (view)

    Phil,

    Jordan Luplow was DFA'd by the Twins on Monday and was ultimately optioned and then recalled today. I didn't think that was possible since optional waivers were eliminated years ago. How did that work for the Twins?