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

Your 2015 VSL Cubs!

The Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) begins play tomorrow (Monday 5/18), and the Cubs are one of only four MLB organizations fielding a team in the VSL this year. 

As recently as 2005 there were ten teams in the VSL, but over time the number has fallen dramatically. The political climate in the country (including assassinations and kidnappings) has made Venezuela a dangerous place, and while most MLB organizations have full-time or part-time scouts working there, only four MLB organizations now field a team in the VSL.

When the Cubs moved their second affiliate in the Dominican Summer League (DSL Cubs #2) to the VSL in 2013, they were bucking a trend where MLB organizations were.moving their VSL affiliate to the DSL as a second DSL team. (The Cubs had just built their new state-of-the-art academy complex in the Dominican Republic, but they also wanted to increase their presence in Venezuela). So the VSL became a five-team league in 2013 when the Cubs placed a team there, resulting in a schedule where each of the five teams would play each of the other four VSL teams once and then get a bye on the 5th day.

However, the 2015 VSL schedule had to be re-worked at the last minute after the Mariners suddenly and unexpectedly pulled out of the VSL, moving their VSL affiliate (VSL Mariners) to the DSL earlier this year (that affiliate will play in the DSL as DSL Mariners #2). So with only four teams now in the VSL (VSL Cubs, VSL Phillies, VSL Rays, and VSL Tigers), the schedule has been altered to where the four clubs will play six days in a row and then get Sundays off (like the Arizona Fall League).

The youngest player on the VSL Cubs roster is SS Rafael Narea,(he just turned 17 last month). The slick-fielding Narea was at Extended Spring Training for about a month before returning to Venezuela last week, and while he went 
hitless in eight Cactus League EXST Plate Appearances, he was impressive in the field, especially for a player that young. 

21-year old catcher Roberto Vahlis (known as "Fuji" by his teammates) is also on the VSL Cubs roster. He was at Riverview Park for Minor League Camp and then for the first half of Extended Spring Training, before returning to Venezuela with Narea last week. Vahlis spent the previous three seasons playing in Latin American summer leagues, with the DSL Blue Jays in 2012, and then with the VSL Cubs in 2013-14. (He is from Venezula). So this will be the last season for Vahlis as an active player in the VSL or DSL, because players are not allowed to spend more than four seasons in Latin American summer leagues. (Same goes for LHP Carlos Rodriguez and RHP Harrinson Bermudez). 

Vahlis had three hits (all three singles) in five Cactus League EXST AB (all as a pinch-hitter or DH) before returning to Venezuela. He was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as a 17-year old international free-agent in July 2011, and he has hit a combined 213/324/313 in 107 career minor league games (2012-14). 

Besides Narea and Vahlis, LHSPs Carlos Rodriguez and Yapson Gomez have spent time in the U. S., Rodriguez at Cubs Extended Spring Training and then with the AZL Cubs in 2013, and Gomez at Cubs AZ Instructs post-2014. (Neither was invited to Minor League Camp or Extended Spring Training this season). . 

Six members of the 2014 VSL Cubs are presently at Cubs Extended Spring Training in Mesa, including RHP Enrique de los Rios, 2014 VSL HR champion 3B-1B Wladimir Galindo, IF-OF Danny Gutierrez, SS Andruw Monasterio, C Jhonny Pereda, and 1B-3B Miguel Rico (the Cubs are converting Rico to catcher).

Althouigh all three pitched for the VSL Cubs last season, Venezuelan LHP Alex Pacheco, Panamanian RHP Moises Ramirez, and Colombian RHP Mauro Vides have been assigned to the DSL Cubs (at least temporariliy). .  .    

Almost half of the players on the VSL Cubs Opening Day roster will be making their pro debut in 2015 (these players are underlined).

Because they exceeded their pre-assigned 2013-14 International Signmg Bonus Pool limit by more than 15% (when they signed OF Eloy Jimenez, SS Gleyber Torres, RHP Jen-Ho Tseng, RHP Jeferson Mejia, RHP Erling Moreno, and C Yohan Matos), the Cubs were restricted to signing no player to a bonus in excess of $250,000 in the 2014-15 International Signing Period (ISP), Four of the twelve players receiving six-figure signing bonuses from the Cubs during the 2014-15 ISP have been assigned to the VSL Cubs, including LHP Emilio Ferrebus ($250K signing bonus), LHP Riger Fernandez ($200K signing bonus), SS Francisco Garay ($200K signing bonus), and SS Rafael Narea ($150K signing bonus).  
 

VSL CUBS: 30


* bats or throws left
# bats both 

PITCHERS:
 17
Jesus Arias
Andres Arteaga 
Harrinson Bermudez
* Andres Bonalde 
Alejandro Colorado
Luis Contreras
* Riger Fernandez 
Emilio Ferrebus 
* Yapson Gomez
Jose Leidenz
Gabriel Lima
Ivan Medina
Bryan Molina 
* Eugenio Palma
Juan Rengifo
* Carlos Rodriguez
Freddy Tineo 

CATCHERS
: 3
Daniel Diaz
Gustavo Polanco 
Roberto Vahlis

INFIELDERS: 5
Jhonny Bethencourt 
Francisco Garay 
Fidel Matos
Rafael Narea 
Henry Pedra

OUTFIELDERS: 
5
* Luis Ayala
Moises Colasante
Jose Gonzalez
Luis Hidalgo
Jose Rojas 

MANAGER
Pedro Gonzalez 

COACHES
Franklin Blanco (Hitting Coach)
Eduardo Villacis (Pitching Coach)

ATHLETIC TRAINER: 
Arnoldo Goite

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH
Manny Estrada 

Tags

Comments

m.redmond fired by MIA (and his bench coach) ozzie is still under contract, btw (final year of a 4/10m)...so they'll have 3 managers under contract in 2015.

today is rosscup's turn to suck out of the pen...ah, it's everyone's turn everyday! dat pen...

Schwarber with 2 bombs today -- now has 9 on the year. He and Vogelbomb are 1-2 in OPS in the Southern League, and the only 2 over 1.000. Looks like an interesting battle for LF between Schwarber and Baez...

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

I'm assuming the Cubs will still give Schwarber the chance to stick out at catcher since as good as Montero has been he's probably not the long term answer. Be nice to have Montero and Schwarber both at C for now and Castillo and Ross gone. Guess I need to read more how he's been doing defensively though. God we need someone in LF though as it's been a black hole of suck so far offensively.

[ ]

In reply to by johann

The fact that TheoCorp is sticking with him is a good sign to me when it comes to his catching. I take what some of the "experts" say with a grain of salt, since they don't see him every day, but a lot of the "experts" seem to think it's all just an experiment that will end with him in LF. However, the word from the "experts" on Bryant was that he wouldn't make it as a third baseman, and he's been fine. Once in awhile I do notice things like, "so and so stole 3 bases" on Schwarber and the stats seem to show him at about 17% on caught stealing, so that is pretty horrific. Not as bad as Montero's 13% though, so perspective is everything, I guess. I would think the next stop for Schwarber is Iowa since they don't have a real prospect there, and Contreras is starting to make a lot of noise in Double A and they may want to hand him the job full time over there.

Kyle Schwarber and Vogelbach for M. Brantley (signed through 2017 with an $11M team option for 2018)

Who says no?

(probably me and I know as Cubs fans the bulk of you will say no way, like you said no way to trading Javier Baez last season)

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

I imagine a lot of Schwarber's walks are pitchers afraid to throw to him and that very may well continue in majors. His K rates are great for a power hitter for sure.

But Brantley at the moment is walking more than striking out, can't tell you rare that is, his last few years it's almost been a 1:1 ratio.

I doubt Cubs are trading Schwarber and Brantley's defense by the metrics is less than great. I don't think Castro or Baez gets anyone's big fish either. Baez as part of a real good prospect package certainly.

I have no idea what Castro will get them if they move him. I think most teams see an average shortstop that may not play shortstop that's gonna be cheap. How much is a complimentary piece worth?

Of course I think he's the perfect complimentary piece for the Cubs and believe his value is greater to the Cubs than any other team.

(Although that pop-up he let drop was pretty brutal yesterday)

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

not sure that was my read on the pop-up, certainly on Russell it was, but Castro ran out, then backpedaled like he had it easily, then misjudged the wind or the ball or thought the outfield was playing more shallow or something, but if he just ran to the spot or at the very least, didn't backpedial...he should have made that play

Javier Baez last 10 games

13/36 1 HR, 9 K, 5 BB

D. Vogelbach has 28 BB vs 29 K this season (is just 4 months older than Schwarber)

K. Schwarber has 25 BB vs 30 K

Both have 16 XBH's, but Schwarber has 9 HR's vs Vogelbach's 4

[ ]

In reply to by Newport

2008 Ryan Theriot was a really good player, at least with the bat, 2009 was passable. But he was already 28 and 29 then by that point, defensive skills were adequate at best at short and for whatever reason decided he didn't want to walk as much, probably because of that 2009 'power surge' he had. Why take walks when you can hit dingers!!! And he was a bit of a douchebag.

J. Parker had another elbow surgery, luckily for him it was just a fracture. He's already had 2 Tommy John surgeries, but has avoided his 3rd for now.

A few commenters have wondered over the last few weeks how badly Cubs hitters have been squeezed by the poor strike zone while hitting. Jeff Sullivan at Fangraphs used info from Brooks Baseball to look at all 30 teams. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/winning-and-losing-the-strike-zone-game/ Just as we all suspected, Cubs hitters are 29th in baseball in getting favorable calls while hitting. Luckily, the good work by our battery to get called strike outside the zone have resulted in basically a neutral overall effect so far this season.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

Thanks for that, glad I'm not imagining that. Soler seems to get a fair brunt of this all by himself for some reason. Another maybe my imagination thought, but Bryant seems to be getting a few more calls in his favor than he did the first week.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

"Soler seems to get a fair brunt . . ." Probably some element of rookie hazing, which includes teaching young hitters how to behave with respect to the plate umpire. I recall Joe West and Soler having a little standoff a few weeks ago. West won the argument, because the next pitch was an automatic called strike three after Soler had taken a little walk, shaking his head and grinning broadly, after a bad call for strike two. I'm generally very happy with the way opposing teams and umps enforce certain rules of behavior in baseball, in particular the one that prohibits celebration until the game is over.

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.