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 Best of TCR: The Hendry Chronicles

Everthing Arizona Phil writes in the comment section is worthy of a Best of TCR article. But this Best of TCR writeup is to show that I can find a post when news is particularly thin (beyond those gimme's from our TCR guru in the desert). Thanksgiving weekend is usually a desert of baseball news unto itself. Thus to brighten our tumbleweed desolate weekend, my long time friend, The E-Man steps up with a summary of Bruce Levine's ESPN AM-1000 saturday morning "Talking Baseball" weekly radio show. Enjoy (except for the part where he says that my season tickets will be more expensive). Take it away E-Man:

Just heard Hendry on WMVP this AM with Bruce Levine.

Jimbo came on the show...

- no slam dunk with Marmol as closer. He is not "set to close", but it is Lou's decision. They (Marmol/Gregg) may share duties. One may close more in the beginning of the year than the other.

- It did not appear that Hendry was giving any cards away re signing Woody. Reiterated that he wanted to give Wood a shot at a "nice 2 or 3-year deal".

- Thinks the world of K. Towers. They are still discussing things.

- The Cubs braintrust has had "every possible combination of LH hitting FA's and and SH's on a big board for the last two months..." they are going to do something it appears.

- B. Levine's money is on them "rolling the dice" (exact quote) on Milton Bradley. To put Ibanez in the OF with Soriano and Johnson/Pie/Dome, would just make it a shittier OF defensively. Just doesn't think they'll do it.

- Cubs are truly the "leading" trading partner in the Peavy sweepstakes. JH is awaiting the owner to be named in order to get a go-ahead (or decline, if its the Canning group) on taking on $60MM contract of the former cy Young winner.

- Levine's "two cents" is that IF the Brew can't sign Sheets or CC, or another big time pitcher, he thinks that the Reds - with a healthy Harang, could be the Cubs top competition in 2009. They have perhaps the best LH hitting "in baseball."

- He also believes he has heard that ticket prices may go UP for Terrace and Club Boxes (hear THAT Cubster), but the rest of the park will remain the same.

From the Windy City, I'm "The E-Man"

Comments

also found this Peter Gammons post Thanksgiving Q &A with his two cents on the status of Jake Peavy: The Braves, Cubs and seemingly everyone else claims they're not in on Jake Peavy. What's going on? The Padres absolutely believe Cubs GM Jim Hendry can make this a three-way trade to get the Padres the pitching they need in addition to third base prospect Josh Vitters. The Braves were not going to have to surrender any of their five-best prospects, but have hesitated over Single-A level pitching. Peavy is a Cy Young winner, in case anyone's forgotten. http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3732933&searchName=g…

Looks like Sickel just posted his top twenty Cub prospects. Four shortstops in the top twelve, and that doesn't include Barney. I found the Sickel item while looking for news about Josh Kroeger, still wondering if he's still a Cub (since he has 37 RBI in 32 winter-league games). Sickel seems to think he is.

Get Peavy---it all starts with pitching, and it REALLY starts with starting pitching---Hendry just signed a 4-year deal, Z is signed for 4 more years, as is Dempster---Peavy has 4 yrs left on his deal---there's your big 3 for the next four years---fill in around those guys---your minor league system is to bring guys up when needed and to trade guys when needed----GET PEAVY

Baltimore Sun story about Pie-to-Orioles as part of a Peavy deal. Slightly more than a rumor, since MacPhail actually cited today (Saturday):
MacPhail said today that a deal is not imminent, but did acknowledge that Pie is the kind of player the Orioles are pursuing to broaden the club's position depth.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

If Hendry is giving up Vitters, Pie, Marshall, Cedeno etc in any 3-way deal he better be getting more than Peavy. That's way more than the Mets gave up for Johan. If Peavy were signed to a Haren like contract that would be different. I can't see Hendry making a run at Huff as I don't see how his defense could be any better than Ibanez's in RF. I guess Luke Scott would be a better option but he can't hit lefties so he'd need a platoon partner. I suppose Johnson could do if Fukudome is going to play everyday, but a Luke Scott/Reed Johnson platoon for RF doesn't exactly bowl me over. Luke Scott vs lefties .238/.339/.417 vs righties .273/.357/.517

[ ]

In reply to by dB

Don't the Cubs still need a centerfielder? Maybe they can add a fourth team to the trade and get Pie back. Speaking of centerfield, Sam Fuld is quietly putting up nice numbers (321/435/557) for Rich Hill's team (Aragua) in Venezuela. He mostly hits leadoff and has 22 walks to 9 strikeouts. Potentially of interest to Piniella is that Fuld has 4 home runs in 106 at bats--Fukudome was only good for 10 in 501 ABs. An unsigned article in the Trib today says that Rich Hill "appears on the verge of a release from Aragua." Actually, Hill came out of the bullpen the other night and threw an uneventful inning-and-a-third. No runs, one hit, one walk. The Cubs could use another lefty arm in the pen and can't send Hill to the minors again, so this is his only chance with Cubs. The problem, of course, with Hill in relief is that he doesn't hold runners. Buddy Bailey is the Aragua manager and he'll likely stay with Hill as long as possible.

Pie, Marshall, Cedeno / Theriot, and Vitters for Peavy? If we acquire another outfielder, it would appear that Pie has no place to go since Lou won't play him, and I think he is out of options, so he can't be sent back to Iowa. So trading him would become a must. Unless you send Hoffpair back to Iowa and keep Pie instead, but that wouldn't make much sense roster-wise. Cedeno could produce as well as Theriot at the plate with better defense if given a chance. He won't hit .300 but he has a bit more power. Losing Vitters and Marshall would hurt....but to get a Cy Young winning starter for 4 years....I could live with that.

maybe Huff or Luke Scott could go to the Cubs.. ------------- expanding or just evening out the deal? ...and then there is the dreaded concept of McFail trying to get Brian Roberts past Peter Angelos. (preparing to break out the Cubnut diagrams again) ...of course George Sherrill would be an upgrade over Neal Cotts as another avenue to consider.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

is "not Ibanez" a viable answer?

I think this left-handed bat stuff is kind of B.S. imo, they're just replacing Edmonds, so I don't see how this is really adding more lefty bats to the order, seems like a lateral move to me unless they also replace Theriot with Furcal or Hudson(moving DeRosa to SS).

just sign Manny or Dunn, put them in LF, move Soriano to RF and actually have a bat in the order teams are afraid to pitch to...(moreso with Manny than Dunn).

if I'm limited to FA left-handed hitters, I go:

Dunn (move Soriano to RF), Bradley, Abreu (flip a coin between Bradley and Abreu in my opinion, one's a better hitter, one will stay healthy). Bradley plus the replacement is probably going to be worth about the same over 162 games as just Abreu. If Bradley actually comes that much cheaper, than he's probably the smarter play.

I can't think of any trade targets that are worth wasting any time on until Nick Markakis becomes available. :)

 

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I'd accept "not Ibanez," I just had the feeling that most readers do feel the team needs another lefty bat. I'd rather not have Hudson, either, while we're at it, unless he's coming cheap for some reason. I'd take Furcal, but only if it means that Soriano is not batting either 1 or 2 in the lineup anymore. I would like to avoid Dunn, but mostly because I just don't understand why the guy can't do more with his "tools" and thus dislike him. Also I don't really want to see the Cubs spending tons of money on Abreu or Bradley, but if we're taking money out of the picture, I wouldn't mind having either in the lineup. Markakis would be great. I'd take Hermida for now, but it seems the Marlins aren't giving him away cheaply enough, or Hendry would've acquired him already. At the risk of doing a Virginia Phil imitation, I really am OK with going with Pie in center and platooning Johnson and Pie or Johnson and Fukudome, hoping that Pie finally turns his tools into results and re-signing Kroeger so we've got him in case Fukudome (or Hoffpauir) becomes completely useless. I wouldn't really mind Fontenot getting more ABs, either. The guy has earned some playing time. If they don't sign Furcal or another expensive free agent, I want Wood back. Rant over.

Muskat states the obvious in a Peavy non-rumor rumor story today, basically re-states that the Cubs would need to shed a salary as part of any Peavy trade: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081201&content_id=36… I don't care what anyone says, but $15M per year for Peavy is a bargain. It's ludicrous if salary (e.g., no one wants to pay Marquis) gets in the way of a deal. The story also repeats the Garrett Olson/Pie/Orioles involvement. While a slow news day, it is a significant one in Cubdom...today's the day bids for the team are due and the day we officially say goodbye to Howry.

Neal, that is an excellent point about the payroll. If the Cubs are $10 million within their final budget after raises for arbitration, what do you suggest they try and do? I heard on a radio report that they have been given a two year window to win...not sure what that means but the implication was that the payroll would have to go down at some point. It seems like eventually they are going to have to find out if some of their young guys can establish themselves as players...Pie, Cedeno, Hoffpauir, Weurtz, etc. who am I missing? On one hand, our system is so lacking in upper end quality it would be tough to see Vitters go, especially if we want to stop paying near top dollar for so many positions. However, think of the boat load you could have received for Patterson or Pie when they were up and comers in the system, before their flaws became obvious.

Bruce Levine, as of my ride home at 6:00, Kerry Wood will not be offered arb by the Cubs. Just report what I hear...

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.