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

Cubs & Rockies Split the Difference at Talking Stick

Jairo Rosario reached base four times (single, double, walk, and an HBP) and scored a run and RHSP Javier Palacios tossed four innings of shutout ball, leading the Rockies to a 7-2 victory over the Cubs on Dust Storm Field, and Roberto Caro belted a two-run triple and Andruw Monasterio followed with an RBI single to highlight a three-run third to help the Cubs take an early 3-0 lead, but then they had to hold-on to edge the Rockies 5-4 on Red Mountain Field, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training split-squad doubleheader played this morning at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.   

Eloy Jimenez drilled an RBI double and a single for the Cubs in a losing cause on Dust Storm Field. 

Chris Denorfia (on Cubs MLB 15-day DL - strained hamstring) continued his EXST rehab, serving as a DH for the Cubs squad on Red Mountain Field. He batted four times (once in each of the first four innings), and went 1-4 (5-3 GO his firsr time up, a strikeout looking in his second AB. a fly out to left his third time up, and a line-drive single to left in his fourth and final Plate Apparance). Denorfia appeared to be running better today than he did yesterday, but he clearly still isn't 100%.  

In EXST roster news, OF Kevin Encarnacion has been moved up to South Bend. Encarnacion was hitting 258/329/403 in 21 Cactus League EXST games (70 PA), with one HR and three triples, twelve RBI and nine runs scored, 7/10 BB/K, and one SB (no CS).  

Encarnnacion was signed by the Cubs out of Venezuela as an 18-year old in 2010, and has hit 291/402/428 in 797 career minor league games.

He was involved in a near-fatal car crash in the Dominican Republic post-2013 while attending an off-season mini-camp at the Cubs Dominican Academy. He was a passenger in the vehicle, and was pulled-out just seconds before the vehicle exploded.

Encarnacion suffered third-degree burns on his right side (he now wears a pressure-sleeve on his right arm) and shoulder damage as well, and the Cubs had him flown from the Dominican Republic to Phoenix immediately after the accident to be treated at the Burn Unit at Maricopa County Medical Center. After several surgeries and post-surgery rehabilitation that cost him the 2014 season, Encarnacion finally returned to the field at AZ Instructs post-2014.

The 23-year old Encarnacion was forced to give up switch-hitting as the result of the injuries sustained in the crash (he now only bats left-handed), and he was left behind at Extended Spring Training this year to continue working on hitting left-handed against LHP (not an easy task when you've never done it before) and to get regular playing time. 

Here are the abriged box scores from today's games (Cubs players only): 

DUST STORM FIELD 

CUBS SQUAD "A" LINEUP
1. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 1-4 (1B, F-7, F-8, 6-3) 
2. Ho-Young Son, SS: 1-2 (HBP, P-3, F-9 SF, 1B, RBI)
3. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 2-4 (4-6-3 DP, P-4, 2B, 1B, RBI)
4. Joey Martarano, 1B: 1-4 (K, 1B, K, P-6)
5. Frandy de la Rosa, 2B: 2-3 (1B, 1B, L-7)
6. Ricardo Marcano, LF: 1-3 (F-8, 1-3, 3B)
7. Jose Paniagua, DH: 0-3 (K, 5-3, K)
9. Adonis Paula, 3B: 1-3 (P-3, 1B, 6-3, R)
10. Erick Castillo, C: 1-3 (K, 1B, 3-1, R) 

CUBS SQUAD "A" PITCHERS
1. Carson Sands: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 PO, 1 BALK, 1/5 GO/FO, 76 pitches (46 strikes) 
2. Daniel Bard: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HBP, 0/2 GO/FO, 25 pitches (8 strikes) 
3. Pedro Araujo: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 0/5 GO/FO, 35 pitches (26 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "A" ERRORS: 1
2B Frandy de la Rosa: E-4 (two base throwing error allowed batter to reach 2nd base)

CUBS SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE::  
Erick Castillo: 0-1 CS 

RED MOUNTAIN FIELD 

CUBS SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
X.  Chris Denorfia, DH #1: 1-4 (5-3, K, F-7, 1B, R)
NOTE: Denorfia led-off the top of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings 
1. Andruw Monasterio, SS: 1-3 (F-7, 1B, 6-3, RBI)
2. Danny Gutierrez, LF: 0-2 (6-3, F-8, HBP, SB)
3. Alberto Mineo, 1B: 1-2 (2B, 6-3 DP) 
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED THIRD TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
4a. Jhonny Pereda, C: 0-1 (4-3, BB, R)
4b. Yohan Matos, C: 0-1 (6-3)
5. Robert Garcia, CF: 0-3 (K, K, 3-1)
6. Jenner Emeterio, DH #2: 1-2 (K, 1B, BB, R, SB)
7. Carlos Jimenez, 3B: 1-3 (F-8, 5-4 FC, 1B, RBI, SB, CS)
8. Varonex Cuevas, 2-3 (2B, F-7, 1B, R)
9. Roberto Caro, RF: 1-3 (3B, 1-3, K, R, 2 RBI)

CUBS SQUAD "B" PITCHERS:
1. Jesus Camargo: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 0/5 GO/FO, 63 pitches (32 strikes)
2. Dillon Maples: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, 1 PO, 3/0 GO/FO,  22 pitches (13 strikes) 
3. Scott Frazier: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, 3 WP, 0/1 GO/FO, 34 pitches (19 strikes) 
4. Jae-Hoon Ha: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/1 GO/FO, 5 pitches (3 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" ERRORS: NONE 

CUBS SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE
Jhonny Pereda; 1-2 CS 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's 

ATTENDANCE: 6 

Comments

AZ PHIL- Since you're good with MLB rules - Earlier this year the Cubs traded Mike Kickham to SEA for Lars Huijer, who promptly decided to retire despite being 22, so do the Cubs get any kind of compensation or something else from SEA? A couple years ago the Cubs acquired Jacob Brigham in the Soto deal. After reviewing his medical records he was considered unhealthy, so the Rangers instead took Brigham back and gave the Cubs Barrett Loux after the season ended. What's the deal in the Kickham trade?

[ ]

In reply to by cubbies.4ever

CUBBIES4EVER: The Cubs probably got cash (likely the $20,000 they would have received if Seattle had claimed Kickham off waivers) from the Mariners after Huijer retired. Or the compensation could have been tied to the Tony Zych deal, where the Cubs sold the contract of Zych to Seattle at the end of Spring Training in return for an undisclosed amount of cash, when the Cubs had already decided to release Zych anyway.  

Cards Matt Adams out 3-4 months with Quadriceps tear. Post-Dispatch writer tweets that he will undergo surgery on Friday to repair this. MLBTR already speculating on how StL will deal with this ranging from Ryan Howard or Justin Morneau to Travis Ishikawa. Hmmmm. Quad tendon ruptures always get repaired but the trend to repair muscle (alone) injuries is somewhat more recent. Just like tendon and ligament injuries there is a 1-3 grading system. Grade 1 is injury without disruption. Grade 2 is injury with some stretch. Grade 3 is injury with complete disruption. I'm sure it's a grade 3 tear of muscle if he's having surgery on this. Repairing muscle is sort of like trying to sew two jello desserts together (muscle doesn't hold sutures well). If there is a big defect though it can be brought together with sutures. The trick is to not let the muscle atrophy and yet keep the repair intact. That's why it's a long recovery. It's hard for me to know what is going on without seeing the MRI though. I know when Alfonso Soriano tore his quad, he never regained his base running/stealing skills. That, of course, is not an issue with Adams. https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/603773693232316416

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.