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

Get a brain, morans.

Submitted by CubbyBlue on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 10:33 pm

If you image-search "get a brain morans", a million shots come up of this guy who was apparently protesting something.
I'm not going to really try to find out what, I know we just like that sign next to that team logo.
And "morans" does come up here quite a bit so... enjoy.

 

Comments

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 10:59 pm

anyone see Baez or Olt?

Andrew (Raleigh )

Did you see the Time article on the Royals (or their perceived style of play) being the future of baseball? Not every postseason result has to mean something. Sometimes teams just win. People should enjoy the ride and stop trying to create false narratives.

Klaw
  (1:09 PM)

I didn't, and that's pretty silly. I do think you'll see two changes in player valuation, though. Players who make more contact will see an increase in value after years of teams just not caring at all about hitter strikeout rates, and I think the recent shift toward assembling bullpens of power arms to try to shorten games to 6 innings will accelerate.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 10:02 pm

clearly not reading Phil's reports...

Re: Schwarber sticking at C

Klaw
  (1:16 PM)



Of course they feel that. Every team tells you that about a kid they just drafted four months ago. I highly doubt he can stick there. LF is the best case scenario, 1b the worst.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 10:04 pm

Re: CJ Edwards and moving to the bullpen

Klaw
  (1:30 PM)



Meaning you don't want him to be a bullpen arm, right? There isn't a starter in the majors built like him, he doesn't have much fastball plane or life, and he needs a better changeup. Those are tangible concerns.

and

Not sure there's any injury risk involved. Let him start until he proves he can't. Let Schwarber catch until he proves he can't. Let DJ Peterson play third base. You have to try the high-upside scenario.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 10:13 pm

HOLY F'N CRAP WHAT A POSTSEASON! the giants are NL champs. walk-off HR in the 9th...wow.

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 10/17/2014 - 10:20 am

so game tied, season on the line and they put in Wacha who hadn't pitched in 20 days.

~shrug~

[ ]

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 10:42 pm

TJ, Maybe it would have been less obvious to say that players are protective of their roles, and a closer might not appreciate being used in a non-closing situation on the road. You're managing players as well as situations--but I guess that sounds obvious again. If you asked most people who has the advantage in a tie game from the start of the ninth inning on, they would say the home team. So then the home team uses its closer in the ninth, and the game is still tied after nine. Who has the advantage now? It's just an interesting question to me, one that I've never heard discussed.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob Richardson on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 10:16 pm

Many people think it is a mistake to lose an important game with your best bullpen pitcher (assuming that is your closer) still sitting in the pen.

[ ]

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 10/17/2014 - 10:32 pm

Speaking of Felix Pie... from the Fangraphs review of Cub prospects:
14. Jake Stinnett, RHP Video: Stinnett pitched for the first time mid-way through his junior year at Maryland and was good enough to get drafted, but took off in his senior year, flashing three above average pitches and hitting 96 mph from an athletic delivery, which prompted the Cubs to take him near the top of the 2nd round. The stuff varied in the spring as Stinnett’s arm wasn’t used to the workload, but he was at his best in instructs, has mid-rotation upside and a very fresh arm for a 22-year-old. After signing and before being sent to an affiliate, Stinnett had a freak accident in Arizona on a funky hop from a fungo during PFP (pitcher fielding practice) hit him in the nuts; he needed surgery and nearly lost his testicle but I’m told he has a good sense of humor about the episode.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/evaluating-the-prospects-chicago-cubs/ http://deadspin.com/366269/felix-pies-minor-surgery-no-big-deal-nothing…

Submitted by jacos on Sun, 10/19/2014 - 10:53 pm

Seen enough of Cutler. Also the turf at Soldier Field is an embarrassment. /Chicago...the city that sometimes work

[ ]

Submitted by billybucks on Sun, 10/19/2014 - 10:02 pm

It really sucks to be a Bears fan -- year after year of relentless mediocrity. They bet it all that the QB Whisperer would turn Cutler into Aaron Rodgers and save the day -- not happening. Cutler can't read defenses and waits far too long to release the ball, which is why the Bears WRs never seem open but the Dolphin receivers looked open all day.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 10:55 am

I don't know why they didn't go with the lineup they had last week. Those scrubs did better than McClellin ever will. Whoever was arguing with me here about my complaints about the D and how we at least now have an exciting offense has now seen that argument put to rest. There's nothing here at all. And Cutler is now Alfonso Soriano in a much more important capacity.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 10:58 am

I think the whole thing about a QB Whisperer only works if the QB has the capabilities needed to see the entire field. No whisperer can magically create that ability. Holmes was open on the interception to a covered TE. Holmes had a fifty fifty chance of dropping the pass thrown to him, but that's better than an interception. Either Cutler doesn't trust Holmes with the ball, or he didn't see him. If he didn't see him, you can't fix that. You can fix the other I guess, but that's a pretty big problem, too. You can't have receivers out there the QB doesn't trust. A lot of what is wrong with this team seems related to coaching and that's a big bummer for me because I had very high hopes for Trestman when they brought him in. Damn you, Kool-Aid!!

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Mon, 10/20/2014 - 10:09 pm

the same mediocre team with Angelo/Lovie...at least those two had a few seasons of brilliance.

I didn't watch much of the game yesterday, Cutler seemed mediocre at best, which I think we can fairly say is about as good as he is with occasional moments of brilliance.

Tannenhill scorching your defense is far more alarming to me, he's one of the worst in the league.

[ ]

Submitted by Old and Blue on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:17 am

On a more positive note, it was good to see D Rose with some explosiveness last night. It'll be interesting to see if San Antonio style basketball can beat LeBron-style over the course of the season and through the playoffs if Rose stays healthy.

Submitted by Carlito on Sun, 10/19/2014 - 10:49 pm

There is something inherently wrong with Baseball taking a 5-6 day break before WS Game 1. This is a sport that is played daily. I expect some sloppy play, it's unfair to the players, and the weather gets worse by the hour this time of year ...

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 10/19/2014 - 10:31 pm

AFL on MLB Network... Oct. 31 (Friday) - Scottsdale at Salt River Watch live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 3:35 p.m. ET/12:35 MST Nov. 4 (Tuesday) - Mesa at Salt River Watch live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 8:35 p.m. ET/6:35 MT Nov. 6 (Thursday) - Mesa at Salt River Watch live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 8:35 p.m. ET/6:35 MT Nov. 8 (Saturday) - Mesa at Salt River (Military Appreciation Game) Watch live on MLB Network at 8:05 p.m. ET/6:05 MT Nov. 15 (Saturday) - AFL Championship Game Watch live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 3:08 p.m. ET/1:08 MT

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:55 am

Really bad day yesterday for Mesa Solar Sox 1B Dan Vogelbach.

No errors were charged to him, but he was unable to hold onto a room-service one-hop throw from Addison Russell (E-6 charged even though ball bounced into and then out of Vogelbach's glove), messed up his footwork while holding runner at 1st base causing him to miss a pick-of throw from LHP Sean Nolin (E-1 charged), failed to tag the runner on an off-line throw from 2B Tony Renda that had batter-runner beat by three steps (E-4 charged), and could not field another easy one-hop relay throw at 1st base so that the DP could not be turned thus extending the inning.  

I saw Vogelbach make 10 errors at Extended Spring Training in 2012 (which is why he was held back at AZL Cubs instead of being assigned to Boise) and I remember thinking at the time that he was one of the worst defensive 1st basemen I had ever seen. I know that he has worked very hard to improve his defensive play at 1st base, but the fact is, he is still a butcher in the field. Back in the day they called defensively-challenged 1B Dick Stuart "Dr Strangeglove." Well, Vogelbach is no better. 

It's not just that he isn't Gold Glove at 1st base. He can't even make routine plays consistently. He has a cast-iron glove, he can't move his feet, he has difficulty tracking pop-ups while he's moving, and he is easily confused. 

Vogebach is a really nice guy and he tries very hard, but he can't play 1st base. He is as bad defensively today as he was two or three years ago. He will almost certainly have to be an MLB DH, but to have a chance to do that he will,have to hit a ton and show a lot of power at AA and AAA over the next couple or three years. I can't see Vogelbach having much value as a trade chp until he proves he can rake at AAA, and even then he would be considered strictly a hitter with a negative defensive value.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:33 am

not being able to play 1st is just kinda sad... it's a much harder position, but one of the worst displays of D i've ever seen is bj upton playing SS in AAA. it was absolutely amazing how horrible he was there in every single aspect of playing the position...and he got multiple seasons to showcase how awful he was there.

[ ]

Submitted by Tarzan Joe on Wed, 10/22/2014 - 10:58 pm

Long time lurker some time commenter here...I was at the AFL game AZ Phill was at and I'd have to concur that Vogelbach may be the worst fielder, period, that I've seen. Terrible hands, footwork, reactions, instincts, the whole shebang. This is a limited eyeball test so take it for what it's worth. My dad was with me and he actually referred to him as Dr. Strangeglove 2.0. His body type seems to be key inhibitor here as he's simply not built to move. He can rake, for sure, but there's no way he does anything other than DH if he makes it to the bigs. My second eyeball test was of Russell and it's hard not to like what you see. Big, athletic frame, great hands and footwork, combined with a shortstop's arm. I hadn't seen him in person before and, well, I was impressed. Final eyeball test was CJ Edwards. That tiny, lanky frame does give you doubt. Hard to imagine he won't end up in the pen at some point, which is fine. He wasn't very sharp in the couple innings he pitched and his body language reflected that. I'd like to see him get a full healthy season under his belt before testing him in the bigs.

Submitted by DavidP on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:34 pm

Phil - the Cubs have a PTBNL coming from the A's after the draft. What are the rules in this case. I am pretty sure it couldn't be anyone that was on the 25 man roster after the trade, but could it be someone on the 40 man roster?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:09 pm

DAVID P: The PTBNL must be named or cash substituted within six months of the date the trade is reported to the MLB office. Cash (typically $50,000 for trades involving players on an MLB 40-man roster) can be substituted for the PTBNL. The exact cash amount that can be substituted for a PTBNL must be stated in writing when the trade is reported to the MLB office. Therefore, the PTBNL owed to the Cubs from Oakland in the Samardzija trade must be selected by the Cubs (or else cash will be substituted) no later than January 5th, and the PTBNL the Cubs owe Boston must be selected by the Red Sox (or else cash will be substituted) no later than January 30th.

Typically the PTBNL is selected from a list of minor leaguers agreed to in advance by both clubs when the trade is made, although it could be a player on a DL. If the club owed the PTBNL does not select a player within six months, the cash amount is automatically substituted. 

A PTBNL can be on an MLB 40-man roster, but the PTBNL cannot spend any time on an MLB Active List (25-man roster)--including September when rosters expand or after the conclusion of the MLB regular season if the club is participating in the post-season--from the time the trade is reported to the MLB office until the PTBNL is named. 

A player on an MLB 15-day or 60-day DL can be a PTBNL as long as the player is not reinstated and added to an MLB Active List prior to the PTBNL being announced. So a player on an MLB DL can be a PTBNL as long as the player is either reinstated from the 15-day or 60-day DL and then immediately optioned to the minors (and is not recalled prior to the PTBNL being named), or if the player is reinstated from the DL after the conclusion of the MLB regular season. 

NOTE: All players on optional assignment to the minors must be recalled no later than the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season (it's called "Recalled - Not to Report"), but players "Recalled - Not to Report" are not placed on the club's MLB Active List (25-man roster). Rather, they are "reserved" on the club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster). Therefore a player on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) who is "Recalled - Not to Report" after the conclusion of the MLB regular season can be a PTBNL.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:20 pm

from what I recall, the player the Cubs are suppose to get from A's is "signficant" but not that signficant to change the opinion of the trade (I think that was Keith Law's take).

The player we owe the Red Sox I don't know about, guessing cash may be enough.

Guessing post Rule 5 draft this will get tidied up.

 

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:33 pm

I think the fact that the PTBNL the Cubs owe Boston is supposedly to be named after the Rule 5 Draft might suggest that the Red Sox will be able to select a PTBNL from the list of Cubs minor leaguers who were eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft but were not drafted. Or it could be that the Cubs will select a player in the Rule 5 Draft for the Red Sox and then send that player to Boston as the PTBNL after the conclusion of the draft, although that is less likely because the Red Sox actually select ahead of the Cubs in the Rule 5 Draft (Red Sox select 7th, Cubs select 9th). .

Having an opportunity to select a player from the list of Cubs players eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft who were not drafted could be to the Red Sox advantage if they wish to select a minor league prospect too inexperienced to add to their MLB 40-man roster post-2014 or too inexperienced to select in the Rule 5 Draft, but who could have 40-man roster value later (like maybe post-2015). That type of player could include prospects like OF Jeffrey Baez, SS Marco Hernandez, or 2B-turned-catcher Gioskar Amaya, each of whom are unlikely to get added to the Cubs 40-man roster by the 11/20 deadline, or get selected in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft because they aren't anywhere near ready for MLB.

 

Submitted by jacos on Tue, 10/21/2014 - 10:11 pm

No Raul Ibanez on WS roster, Royals become first team in WS without a player who didn't play in the 20th Century. /per Olbermann

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil 09/24/2023 - 09:09 pm (view)

    With two more HR on Sunday versus Houston, Nelson Velazquez now has 17 HR in 49 MLB games this season (pro-rates out to 56 HR in 162 games). 

  • crunch 09/24/2023 - 09:52 pm (view)

    cubs win...so do MIA and CIN,.  ARZ is close to winning (up by 6 in the 8th).  total wash of a day.

    off day tomorrow then it's the last week of baseball...not an easy one vs MIL and ATL.  last-week drama...

  • crunch 09/24/2023 - 09:47 pm (view)

    merryweather puts the first couple guys on with 0 outs...and smyly is up in the pen.  back end of the pen situation is a mess.

  • crunch 09/24/2023 - 09:31 pm (view)

    "Coming into the game, they were 0-819 when trailing by nine runs or more."  damn.

  • Charlie 09/24/2023 - 09:48 am (view)

    I wonder how many pitchers have missed this much time in a relatively short span with recurring forearm issues and not had it lead to surgery.

  • Cubster 09/24/2023 - 09:34 am (view)

    Historic win for Pirates...

    https://www.mlb.com/news/pirates-mount-historic-rally-to-beat-reds?part…

  • 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 09/24/2023 - 09:41 am (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).

    https://www.thecubreporter.com/why-player-designated-assignment-and-the…

    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 (cannot be withdrawn) once requested.  

    With the new five option limit whereby a player can 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 return him to the 40 and option him to the minors 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 return him to the 40 and 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 what I believe is the most logical reason 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 they recalled Trevor Larnach to replace Correa, but then they probably decided they should keep Luplow on the 40-man roster, too (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). Clearly the Twins felt they might need Luplow's RH bat after losing Correa and with Royce Lewis having left a game with a hamstring injury that led to an IL assignment. And that meant that Paddack would remain on his minor league rehab assignment a few extra days, but the Twins will need him in the post-season, not now. 

    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 both Larnach and Luplow were recalled within a couple of days of each other, replacing Correa and Lewis on the Twins MLB 28-man roster).  

    So that's 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). Also, with the injuries to Correa and Lewis, the Twins wanted Luplow to remain automatically post-season eligible, which would not be the case if he was outrighted.  

    Again, the Twins were able to return Luplow to the 40 and option him to AAA because he hadn't been replaced on the 40 by another player after he was Designated for Assignment. 

  • 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).

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