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

The Future Is Where We Are Going to Spend the Rest of Our Lives

The Amazing Criswell (from Plan 9 from Outer Space): Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are here. And now, for the first time, we are bringing to you, the full story of what happened on that fateful day. We are bringing you all the evidence, based only on the secret testimony, of the miserable souls, who survived this terrifying ordeal. The incidents, the places. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer. Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts...


Lewis Brinson and Kellin Deglan hammered two-run doubles and nine pitchers (including six of their Top 10 pitching prospects--Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez, Andrew Faulkner, Jake Thompson, Luke Jackson, Luis Ortiz, and Jose LeClerc) combined to toss a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts, helping the Rangers Prospects defeat the Cubs Prospects 5-1 in the 2015 Cubs-Rangers Spring Training Futures Game played Monday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Apparently the Cubs didn't get ALL of the Rangers best prospects in trades over the past three years (at least not yet), because they obviously have a few left in their system (and Rangers #1 prospect Joey Gallo didn't even play in the game).  

Willson Contreras knocked-in the lone Cub run with an RBI double, but probably the best overall performance by a Cub position player was turned-in by 2014 #1 draft pick catcher Kyle Schwarber, who walked in both of his At Bats (both times on 3-2 pitches), and also helped Corey Black get out of jams in two different innings by throwing out Ranger baserunners trying to steal (one at 2nd and one at 3rd).

And the best Cub pitching performance was by #1 pitching prospect C. J. Edwards (acquired from the Rangers in the Mattt Garza trade back in 2013), who retired all six men he faced (K, L-4, K, 4-3, F-9, K - all strikeouts were swinging). 

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only) 

CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Jacob Hannemann, RF: 0-3 (3-1, K, 4-3)
1b. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 0-1 (K)
2a. Albert Almora, CF: 1-2 (1B, 5-3)
2b. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 1-2 (1B, F-8, R)
3a. Kyle Schwarber, C: 0-0 (BB, BB)
3b. Willson Contreras, C: 1-1 (2B, HBP, RBI)
4a. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 0-2 (K, K)
4b. Victor Caratini, 1B: 0-1 (BB, 4-6 FC)
5a. Christian Villanueva, 3B: 0-2 (K, 5-3)
5b. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 1-2 (F-7, 1B)
6a. Billy McKinney, LF: 0-2 (1-3, K)
6b. Charcer Burks, LF: 0-2 (6-4-3 DP, K)
7a. Mark Zagunis, DH: 0-2 (K, K)
7b. Gioskar Amaya, PH-DH: 0-2 (6-3, P-3)
8a. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 0-1 (BB, P-6)
8b. Chesny Young, 2B: 0-2 (K, 5-3)
9a. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-2 (K, K)
9b. Gleyber Torres, SS: 1-2 (3B, K)

CUBS PITCHERS
1. Corey Black: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 65 pitches (39 strikes)
2. C. J. Edwards: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1/2 GO/FO, 24 pitches (19 strikes)
3. Armando Rivero: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 11 pitches (9 strikes)
4. Josh Conway: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/FO, 26 pitches (15 strikes)
5. James Norwood: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 0/3 GO/FO, 10 pitches (6 strikes)
6. Steve Perakslis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/2 GO/FO, 11 pitches (8 strikes)
NOTE: Hunter Cervenka and Juan Carlos Paniagua were on the roster and in the bullpen but did not pitch in the game

CUBS ERRORS: 1
3B Jeimer Candelario - E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE
Kyle Schwarber: 2-2 CS

WEATHER: Dark (it was a night game) and a bit breezy with temperaures in 80's

ATTENDANCE: 118

 

 

 

Comments

Tribune headline: Cubs' demotion of Kris Bryant sparks outcry http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-kris-bryant-javi… Gotta love the media. Outcry? Really? I could see a headline like, "MLPA attempts to interfere with Cubs' roster decisions." But I haven't heard an outcry. It was a semi-fun topic to sort of argue about, but it's hardly controversial in the way they make it out to be. With Olt at a .400 OBP I'd like to see Bryant get some outfield reps in a place that doesn't have a brick wall. I'm also curious to see what Stella!!! can do, although that's more related to the Baez demotion.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

wonder how Maddon is going to deploy Alcantara and LaStella? So far LaStella has had the better spring...

Alcantara: 48 PA's 256/313/442 16 K/4 BB

LaStella: 44 PA's 333/395/410  6 K/3 BB

Could start both of them at 2b and 3b some days and Alcantara can be short side platoon in LF while Denorfia is out.

Blind squirrel Paul Sullivan ‏Tweet- Assuming he pays his dues, @MLB_PLAYERS union owes Mike Olt an apology for its "bad day for baseball" statement on Bryant demotion.

i know more than a few people here know/understand what's going on with the bryant situation and are cool with it (even those lying to themselves who honestly believe the money/service issue aren't the major driving forces)...but if you want to get the groundswell take, check out comments on general publication news sites. there is outcry...it's just not coming from those who follow the cubs like hawks...of which we're a minority.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I can't wait until mid-april when all this bryant service time shit is over; it made me give up completely on another baseball forum I frequented because every time the topic came up there was a flood of posts about the cubs "stealing" from him and old white billionaires oppressing the working man

[ ]

In reply to by waveland

i don't even give a fu... those of us who follow the team closely knew there was a 90-100% chance of this happening before spring training even begun. i'm more upset about the cubs getting into bidding war over a 38 year old catcher who can barely hit and who's arm is on the decline...and if a backup catcher is at the top of my list of things to be upset about, then things aren't that bad (to me).

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

In the future, the Cubs (and other MLB clubs) should just not invite guys like Kris Bryant to big league camp. 

Just have him report to Minor League Camp, and he can hit ten home runs in obscurity against Round Rock, Nashville, and Reno, and he can be brought up to play the last four innings of an MLB Cactus League game maybe once a week and wear # 94 or # 98 with no name on the back, just like Jeimer Candelario, John Andreoli, and Stephen Bruno did. 

Only players on the MLB 40-man roster and free-agents signed to a minor league contract where a Spring Training NRI is part of the deal should be in big league camp.  

AZ Phil- Nice Ed Wood reference. /"Because all you of Earth are idiots!"

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

I'm guessing this for now:

C: Montero, Ross, Beefy

INF: Rizzo, LaStella, Alcantara, Castro, Olt

OF: Coghlan, Fowler, Soler, 2 open spots

Just means Herrera is a goner, which is good. Lake and Szczur have had better springs than Sweeney. Sweeney is left-handed though and has a contract. We'll see how Maddon feels about young bench guys. Lake against lefties isn't a bad thing imo and you could theoretically throw a glove on him to play 2b, ss or 3b in a real desperate pinch. I think he's a terrible defender wherever you put him, but not my call.

Szczur will be vying for the Honorable FuldTheriotBarney White Scrappiness Award

Rob G.-- I don't know if you're planning to do the old Cubs stats guessing game spreadsheet you ran on the site prior to the Cubs total irrelevance, but I have some recommendations for this year if you do (beyond the usual who has the most saves, who leads in OPS, number of wins, etc.): 1. Who plays the most innings / gets the most starts at 3B? 2. Ditto but for LF? 3. How many errors does Castro commit at SS? 4. How long do the Cubs carry 3 catchers? 5. Who gets the most PAs as DH in interleague games? 6. Who puts up the best OPS against same-handed pitchers? Looking forward to paying way more attention to the MLB team this year than in the past several!

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Good questions though. Don't patronize me! Seriously though, that makes sense. I do wonder what others might think of as similar sorts of questions going into the season, even if we don't need to have a whole spread sheet full of our predictions.

Bears sign RB Jacquizz Rogers...a walking Key 'N Peele sketch.

always expected more from him at Atlanta, decent Third down back I suppose.

heh..

@ESPNChiCubs Lester on long at-bats: "Those always suck..either get a hit, walk or just do something."

Jon Lester threw a very high-percentage of strikes this morning (74%), but in a lot of cases a Smokies hitter would keep fouling off pitch-after-pitch until he got one he could drive. You could see Lester was amused (not angry), because he sort of sighed and smiled when he was unable to put left-handed hitter Bijan Rademacher away, as Rademacher took Lester ten pitches deep into an AB with foul ball-after-foul ball before finally flying out. 

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.