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

New Cubs Bench Coach, New Rumors

A couple of quick hits for everyone...

- The Cubs have indeed hired former Cub and rumored backstabber Dave Martinez as their bench coach (not Davey Lopes if you're following Bruce Levine on twitter). That'll move Brandon Hyde to first base coach and newly hired Doug Dascenzo to outfield/baserunning coordinator.

- The Cubs signed INF Jonathan Herrera to a minor league deal...he last played for the Red Sox.

- Some talk that the Cubs are looking at David Ross as a backup catcher, he just happened to have caught 18 of Jon Lester's games last year with the Red Sox.

- Speaking of Lester, the rumors are aplenty, with talk of Dodgers, Yankees and even the Angels possibly trying to swoop in with some substantial offers. Alll of it makes sense to be honest, as Lester is good, relatively young for a free agent, won't cost a draft pick and every team wants pitching. Hopefully we'll have our answer before the Winter Meetings next week. I do think the Cubs take runs at Shields or Scherzer if they miss out, but they won't stretch beyond the measures of insanity for either of them.

- Some twitter rumor that Cubs offered Chase Headley a 4/65M deal...probably doesn't make sense unless they're convinced Kris Bryant can't play 3B or convinced Chase Headley will move to left field without much friction.

Comments

per Ken Rosenthal tweet: Sources-Lester decision unlikely before winter meetings.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Bears will be out of the playoffs for the 7th time in the past 8 years (for reference, Cubs are 2 of the past 8)-- and Phil Emery and Ted Phillips are still employed. The Bears have nothing to build on -- they are not good at anything. Can't/won't run the ball, passing offense is lousy unless the other team is in prevent, and the defense is lousy at every position. No hope of being better next year. Very hard to like this franchise right now.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Again, I gotta emphasize that the offense sucks, too. They have one of the best backs in the NFL (okay, I'm biased because I have a man crush on Matt Forte) and they don't use him. Now V Phil will say "oh you bears fans all want to go back to that silly running game." No, I want a team that knows how to run a 21st century offense with a balanced attack. There are some QBs that can throw all day. Cutler ain't one of them. But the worst thing to watch is how inept they all seem out there. I don't know if Trestman's offense is too complex, or what, but they look lost out there. The defense just sort of goes without saying. The worst i've ever seen from a Bears team.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I'm not gonna call it great, but I don't think it sucks. Cutler was an efficient 10/13 in first half I think with no turnovers and Forte gets a ton of touches, a screen isn't much different than a run frankly (he's on pace to tie or break the season record for catches by a running back and I think on pace for 300 touches total). Their best WR got hurt early too and their 2nd best was injured going in. Dallas has a pretty weak defense, but the offensive numbers between the two teams were close, other than Cowboys did a more damage on the ground. Those weren't short drives the Cowboys were scoring on in the 3rd quarter (other than the Forte fumble).

In the end, if the Bears were down a score late in the game, I feel the offense COULD come back and make a game of it. I know for sure the defense would cough up the lead in a second. I guess that's the best way i can describe the difference between the two.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Heard an interesting analysis from Tom Thayer this morning -- it's very hard to run-block out of a two-point (pass block) stance. Your center of gravity too high and your weight is on your heels. To run block, you should be in a 3-point stance, which allows you lean forward, start low and explode into the defender. Trestman's offense relies on the threat of the pass to create running lanes -- this clearly is not working. Let Kyle Long start low and explode, and have Forte follow him -- this will work.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

worth a shot!!!

They were 7th in Yards per attempt last year (Down to #23 this year), my guess is Trestman saw it work last year and is gonna be reluctant to change. And I imagine it would be hard to change mid-season if that's what you've been practicing for 2 years now.

And Forte is getting older, the burst might not be quite there (can't say I've watched enough to know), but he's certainly still at the highest level at everything else.

I somehow missed the Chris Conte play where he got a nice cheer. Something involving the PA announcer?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

@BNightengale The #Dbacks had rejected a Gregorius-Greene trade until the #Yankees got the #Tigers involved in deal.

"No way Brian, I'm not trading an everyday SS for a backend rotation pitcher."

"Okay, what if I can get you a low-end reliever who had a terrible season last year?"

"Haha, funny Brian!"

"He's left-handed"

"Sold!"

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.