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

Sunday Funnies: Don't ask a Cub Fan to turn back the clock today.

Turn back the clock today?
What a stupid idea.
The last time it was good for us doesn't even exist because WE WEREN'T BORN YET.
If a tree fell the last time the Cubs won a World Series but everybody died since then, did it make a sound?
I don't think so.
Turn back the clock?
Are you insane?
Even the "good" years are horrible, filled with collapses and black cats and Steve Garveys.

Lucky for us, that's in the rear view.
Now is a time for optimism.
The times they are a-changin'.
I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
You're built like a car, you've got a hub cap diamond star halo.

Okay mabye not T. Rex but you know what I'm talking about.

It's horrible that poor Ricky Renteria lost the Cubs' managership, but really anybody who signed on with the Cubs since Theo Epstien arrived had to know that the people playing at Wrigley Field weren't really a team at all.
They were a concept.
An abstract notion.
I mean, Bryan LaHair was an All-star.
Did that even really happen?
The words "Bryan LaHair was an All-Star" are weirder than anything T. Rex ever wrote.
Ricky had to know that his job could be gone at any time.
I have a couple friends who are Dodger fans, and those guys are FURIOUS that Donny Baseball is still their manager when they coulda bought our new guy.
Joe Maddon?
That's a big step towards reality.
I mean, even Cardinal Fans noticed that one.
It's a disturbance in their force.
The game I got to go to this year, when the crowd was homer-silenced twice by new, unknown Cubs?
That was about as good as I've felt about our favorite team in years.
"Who is Soul Air?" I was asked.
"How do you say Al can't are ahhh?"
I was in HEAVEN.
And I liked it.
And I expect more of that in 2015.
So don't ask me to turn back the clock, okay?

Comments

It's a disturbance in their force. --- Thanks Tim. I'll just fall forward from here on out.

Nick Cafardo's Sunday piece is all over the Cubs/Theo grabbing Maddon.
It’s considered cold and heartless. It’s tough to fire someone just because someone better comes along. In the end, did Theo Epstein do the best thing for the Cubs by firing Rick Renteria and hiring Joe Maddon, and did the Dodgers miss out on an incredible opportunity to obtain Maddon by sticking to their commitment to Don Mattingly?
“I think it will be a case of, ‘Why didn’t I do what the Cubs did?’ ” said one baseball executive. “Joe Maddon seems to be the hot manager out there and guys like that aren’t available very often. When Maddon is out there you don’t need a long, drawn-out managerial search. If you can afford him, you hire him. Seems like the Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies, Rangers all could afford him.”
The early rap on Mattingly was that he wasn’t keeping up with in-game decisions, that he was a tick slow. That seemed to improve. The other positive about Mattingly is that he managed a lot of high-maintenance players, including Adrian Gonzalez, Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Yasiel Puig. It’s not an easy team to manage. Friedman will likely weed out some of them, but would Maddon have been able to manage those personalities better than Mattingly? Friedman probably knows the answer, and he may regret that he let an opportunity slip away.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/11/01/tampa-bay-rays-have-suffer…

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

I am very surprised by this move. In the year 2014... eh... 2015, managing baseball seems to be about knowing the data and executing based on the data. I felt Renteria did that well enough. I get that his lineups really irked people around here, but as long as the Cubs are losing, folks will be irked about something... anything. His positioning of defenders was good more often than it was bad. I'm anxious to see how this changes the dugout's ethos.

and a few more Cub related things from Cafardo:
David Ross, C, free agent — Ross spoke to Red Sox GM Ben Cherington at length late in the week and was told that Cherington wanted to see how the roster shook out before making a commitment to him. What that means is anyone’s guess. The Red Sox need a backup catcher, and why not Ross? It could mean that if they were unable to obtain a lefthanded bat, they would need that lefthanded bat from the catcher position. Ross should get a few calls when free agency begins in earnest on Tuesday.
Rick Renteria, former manager, Cubs — The Twins and Rays are contemplating interviewing him for their vacant managerial jobs. Renteria would fit the Twins’ situation nicely as they have some big-time Latin players coming up in Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas. One of the lures for the Cubs a year ago is that Renteria is bilingual and there were a few Latin prospects and major leaguers he could communicate well with.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

What I'd like to see, just to engage the dark side of my funny bone, is to see Renteria go to the Twins, Olt get traded there, and then watch the immortal Trevor Plouffe take at bats away from him. But, in all seriousness, I think it would be great to see Capt Happy land on his feet somewhere and do well.

speaking of my Montero idea

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/arizona-diamondbacks-catcher-miguel-…

 The Arizona Diamondbacks, trying to create payroll flexibility, are willing to trade catcher Miguel Montero, according to major-league sources.

allegedly for some starting pitching upgrades, I presume Edwin and Travis Wood wouldn't fit that unfortunately. Maybe Hendricks but I'd hate to see him go at this point. Says they'd need a catcher replacement too, but not necessarily in the same trade.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

If Martin is expensive in $$ and Montero is going to cost pitching, I don't see how either deal makes sense for the Cubs, unless the front office really believes Castillo's D is not salvageable. The difference in bats doesn't seem like enough to overcome the difference in cost right now, especially with Martin so old and Montero leaving the power-friendly Arizona park.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

Yeah you guys have kinda talked me down on the need for Martin. Castillo is still young - had a bad year last year at the plate but however you measure the way a pitching staff is handled he seemed to do fine. I know everyone says he doesn't "frame" pitches right, but it hasn't seemed to hurt the staff much. Maybe what they really need is a really good backup catcher instead.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/53197/skip-the-stats-maddon… Christina Kahrl's article on Maddon is worth the read. References some baseball books on evaluating managers (Bill James and Chris Jaffe). Also note the commentary on Sandberg's non-hire...
The Cubs from these last three years? They didn’t have much to work with. Knowing that was certainly why Ryne Sandberg never got a shot at managing the Cubs as the first hire by the Epstein regime. The first man through that door was doomed to be a crash test dummy, not simply hired to be fired the way any manager inevitably is, but virtually guaranteed to depart unlamented and 70 games below .500 after just two seasons. A key benefit of hiring a Dale Sveum or a Renteria was dispensability; there was no chance of rioting in Wrigleyville’s watering holes over their early, messy fates. But hiring and firing a franchise legend such as Ryno after two years? Or three? That would definitely not play in Peoria.
That’s all about to change. I’d liken the Cubs’ hiring of Maddon to some of the other celebrity manager hires of the recent past, such as the Cardinals getting Tony La Russa in 1996 or Dave Dombrowski getting Jim Leyland to join him in Florida in the ’90s and later return to the dugout in Detroit.

breaking news: yanks GM obviously smoking a lot of crack "CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees are likely to make impending free agent David Robertson a qualifying offer." that's the equivalent of paying a SP $45m a year when you scale out to a full season's work.

Maddon's agent Alan Nero (audio) interview on XM with Jim Bowden and Duquette. https://soundcloud.com/mlbnetworkradio/octagons-alan-nero-agent-for?in=… • Rays were negotiating with Maddon with under market value numbers, leading to a standstill. Even Nero/Maddon's proposals to the Rays were under market value. The Rays did budge (in their opinion) but not in real world terms. Their offer was so far from reality that it didn't make sense. • First Cubs contact was an email asking for Nero to prove that there was an opt out. Theo was also in communication with the commissioners office as a part of his due diligence. Prior to the Cubs he had heard from 10 teams. Offers for front office and media opportunities that would allow JM to stay out for a year and tend to his charities. Theo wouldn't talk until he had clearance from the commissioners office. • Rays pursuing tampering is unfortunate, silly, sad and a bit insulting. • Rays should look in the mirror (Nero: I think so), there is no reason to tarnish something that was so good. Wish him well and move on. You don't make accusations that are unfounded. https://soundcloud.com/mlbnetworkradio/octagons-alan-nero-agent-for?in=… also John Arguello/Cubs Den has more on this interview... http://www.chicagonow.com/cubs-den/2014/11/cubs-news-and-notes-maddon-m…

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

In the Rays' defense, I think it was mostly one of the baseball writers tweeting that they "may" seek tampering. That's what those guys do. Helps build that twitter following, after all, the modern day equivalent of selling papers. If the Cubs checked in with the MLB office, there's nothing there, and I am pretty sure the Rays know that. For all we know, it's just a writer making noise where there is none to be made.

Wada signs new 2015 contract w Cubs, terms not yet disclosed Edit- $4M plus incentives up to $2M more

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

not too big a fan of this one...feel Cubs are just adding insurance at this point in case they don't like FA prices. Folks are gonna get cut or traded at some point here.

Arrieta, Hendricks, E-Jax, T. Wood, Doubront, Wada, Turner, Straily with the possibility of adding 2 starters? Something has to give.

Lester, Scherzer or Hamels, Arrieta, ?? (Masterson, Hammel, E. Santana, Liriano, McCarthy, trade), Hendricks, one of Wood, Doubront, Wada or Turner would be more interesting to me...

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

If LA is in on Martin, I think the Cubs won't push hard, especially if they are happy with Schwarber's progress. On the OTHER hand, they may be happy to seriously overpay Martin to ease Schwarber in. I really think Theo thinks very strongly that Schwarber is an incredibly valuable asset as a catcher. One rationale for overpaying for Martin could be to establish him here for a couple years with the pitching staff, then ease Schwarber in, transitioning Martin into a backup at the end of his contract and having him mentor Schwarber. That really doesn't seem like a bad strategy to me, much better than paying for somebody's TMJ surgery.

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

I'm pretty much in Kool-Aid mode right now. If TheoCorp thinks Martin is a good move, so do I. If they're in on him just to jack up his price and keep the costs up for the signing team, I'm good with that, too. They know a helluva a lot more about this stuff than I do.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

a lot of rumor-mongers since very late off-season seem dead set on getting the cubs a new starting catcher. as long as it doesn't keep them from getting someone the team actually needs (aka, SP) then whatever, though. still, martin...meh. good bat, good D, and all that, but he's a premimum position guy coming off a hell of a year and is probably going to get paid ($$+years) very well for some team to find out if 2014 was a fluke or not. also, robertson...hahahahahhahahahahahahaha...yeah, right.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/central-notes-maddon-vogelbach-hu…

The Cubs are rich with hitting prospects, but one whose future with the team is a bit cloudy is first baseman Dan Vogelbach writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times in a piece for Baseball America. As Wittenmyer notes, Vogelbach is seen by the Cubs (and other clubs) as a first baseman only, and he has Anthony Rizzo to serve as a firm roadblock to the Majors. The Cubs have already fielded calls on his availability in trades, writes Wittenmyer, who notes that Vogelbach, formerly listed at 6’0″ and 250 pounds, dropped 30 pounds and improved a good deal defensively this season. He does note that the improvement took him merely from “unplayable” to “below average.” Vogelbach recovered from a slow start at High-A to hit .285/.373/.461 over his final 115 games.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

BP agrees for the most part...
Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Cubs: Even among patient hitters, there are different approaches. Some try to work deep counts while others simply refuse to give in. Vogelbach is the latter. He walked four times in this game but seemed generally disgusted by the notion, as though he wasn’t happy about not getting to hit but cognizant that it’s better than chasing bad pitches and getting out. Vogelbach clearly wants to hit, as it’s the only thing he does well on a baseball field, and he attacks hittable pitches when he gets them. He maintains a good idea of the strike zone, however, which should make up for any points in batting average he sacrifices for his power. His raw power is legitimate and is a true plus tool, and combining it with an above-average hit tool and good plate discipline should make for a solid everyday hitter. He may never suit up for the Cubs, with first base blocked by Anthony Rizzo and even that being a stretch of Vogelbach’s talents with a glove, but he’s going to give some American League team a solid DH for 5-7 years in his prime and should be one of the main pieces the Cubs use when they ultimately decide to trade for pitching help. —Jeff Moore
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=24986

jose abreu mvp snub...m.brantley one of the "finalists" with v.martinez and the guy who is going to win anyway, m.trout.

twitter rumoring that Indians may have some interest in EJax in a salary swap (Swisher, Bourn I suppose).

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

i wouldn't complain about bourn even if it means taking on 7.5m for the next 2 seasons after ejax is sent away (with a risk of a vesting option for 12m if he gets 550pa in 2016). the "real" CF in the pipeline is 2-3 seasons away anyway. i'm not a bourn fan or anything...i just see any chance to give ejax another team to play on as a positive and a nearly useless sunk cost if he sticks around. i dunno why anyone would have any interest in ejax, though. last season wasn't bad...it was a trainwreck.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Wouldn't have minded Nick "Old Man Skills" Swisher back in 2008 (on his first FA contract) or 2009 (when the White Sox sold low on him), but he's legitimately an old man now and doesn't really fill a team need. Bourn at least could play CF if necessary. I want to say I would take my chances on an E-Jax rebound, but this year makes me feel like that is hoping against hope. Edit: Let's all stop and imagine the alternative timeline in which the Cubs pulled off a Swisher trade instead of signing Milton Bradley. Wasn't that nice? OK. Proceed with your day.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

considering Swisher playing the OF right now is a huge reach, don't know what Cubs would do with him. Last year was probably a bit extreme on the downside for him so he should bounce back a bit to 20 HR's and 335-340 OBP, but don't see what they'd do with him.

Bourn could at least play defense and be a good 4th OF, platoon, occasional starter.

Alfonso Soriano retires.

Thanks John McDonough and Crane Kenney for the extra 2 years in baseball :)

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

There's really no comp with Sandoval. In Sandoval's rookie season he struck out less than 10% of the time. During his next year, the adjustment year, it was 13%. Baez strikes out 99.999% of the time, or something like that. Sandoval is a little like Pedro Guerrero was, although Guerrero was about 50 points better in OPS. Baez is The Wild Thing of batters, so far. I think he'll tweak his mechanics some and still has a chance to be special but this is no time to trade him. His stock is too low.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I don't think I missed your point. Everyone knows Baez CAN hit unhittable pitches. My comment was that there is no comp to Sandoval. Sandoval can hit stuff out of the zone but he doesn't flail at stuff. Shortly after Fangraphs had an orgasm at how Baez clubbed an unhittable pitch - a low slider if memory serves, the league, as if everyone at one time got a message on their phone saying, see this? started immediately throwing stuff consistently out of the zone and not giving him anything at all to hit unless it was a high fastball. The league ate him alive after it discovered he can hit stuff that many others can't. His challenge is to now make his own adjustment. Some of this absolutely needs to be mechanical. He just can't keep the swing as it is now, and I've read that much of his time in Iowa was spent NOT unwinding like a coiled spring. I really think he'll fix that, and I'm sure he'll always have a lot of K's, too. But if he adjusts, you'll see some pretty neat stuff. The homer fangraphs oohed and ahhhed over was a thing of beauty. But I keep seeing people throwing his name around in possible trades, and that to me is a mistake. It could be he'll be a bust and now is the time to trade him, but I have a very strong gut feeling he'll work on that swing over the winter and cut loose this spring.

[ ]

In reply to by Carlito

You both missed my point which is simply that Baez may be the rare hitter who can take a ball out of the ballpark on an otherwise untouchable pitch. And he is saying that this type of skill may be of special use in playoffs when there aren't many hit-able pitches, etc. I'm not saying Baez is Sandoval. None of the other Cubs are bad ball hitters. The article poses the idea that OBP and contact etc aren't necessarily the end all be all. You may benefit from an extreme bad ball hitter.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

Yeah, I'd imagine the Cole Hamels would be a Cub already if it all it took was Vogelbach.

I find it hard to believe Cubs could get Hamels without using Baez or Russell or Soler, but I guess some depends how much if any salary Phillies will chip in.

If the 1st tier is off limits, maybe amongst the 2nd or 3rd tier Cubs would need to cough up Alcantara, Hendricks, Edwards, Vogelbach, maybe even W. Castillo....might need all of them to get a deal done.

(Reuters) - New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in an interview with federal agents probing a Florida anti-aging clinic at the center of baseball's doping scandal, the Miami Herald reported on Wednesday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/05/us-usa-florida-doping-idUSKBN… ...so yeah. baseball doesn't take kindly to players who try to trash reporter's careers and credibility by dragging them through the mud when they question or relay evidence that someone has doped. his days in the game is done. isn't that right mark mcgwire? wait...

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

speaking of "PEDs" (in this case, speed)...troy patton suspended AGAIN for a positive test for a banned amphetamine. 3rd time, 80 days. adderall strikes again. he really needs to get his shit together with the drinking and drugs. he should be way further into his career with his tallent.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

phew...thanks. i totally spaced tonight's game and i'm in serious baseball withdrawl. also, 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

Recent comments

  • 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...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.