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

93 Cubs Minor Leaguers Headed to Mesa

93 Cubs minor leaguers will be reporting to the Cubs Under Armour Performance Center at Mesa Riverview Park over the next few days. 

68 of the players will be assigned to the "basic" (traditional) Cubs AZ Instructional League squad, 19 will be assigned to the "advanced" Instructs squad, and eight will be assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. (Two of the players assigned to the Cubs "advanced" Instructs squad will move to the AFL on 10/11). 


Only the "advanced" Instructs squad (actually a Cubs/Angels "co-op" team) will be playing games against other organizations. The "basic" squad will be playing "sim" games and intrasquad games only.

Among the players assigned to the "basic" Instructs squad are seven international free-agents signed during the 2015-16 International Signing Period. These players will be making their pro debut at Instructs. Also, eight minor leaguers who played for the DSL Cubs or VSL Cubs in 2015 will be making their U. S. debut at Instructs

Additionally, Vimael Machin (Cubs 2015 10th round draft pick - Old Dominion University) will be making the conversion from infielder to catcher (which will likely continue at Minor League Camp and Extended Spring Training next season), Yohan Matos (2015 AZL Cubs) is being moved from catcher to OF, and 2015 Cubs 1st round draft pick Ian Happ (U. of Cincinnati) will be getting reps mostly at 2B (he played both 2B and CF in college, but only OF at Eugene and South Bend after signing with the Cubs).

All of the Cubs 2015 draft picks are attending instructs except for 1B-3B Blake Headley (20th round - U. of Nebraska), SS Sutton Whiting (24th round - U. of Louisville), IF-OF Angelo Amendolare (27th round - Jacksonville U.), OF Daniel Spingola (31st round - Georgia Tech), and OF Donnie Cimino (37th round - Weslyan U.), plus NDFA LHP Heath Dwyer. All five (plus Dwyer) were college seniors who were signed primarily to provide minor league roster depth.  

Here are the Cubs instructs rosters: 

2015 CUBS AZ INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE ROSTER (basic squad):

68 players

* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 34
Jose Albertos (2015 IFA – Age 16 - Mexico)
Adbert Alzolay
Dave Berg
Casey Bloomquist
Craig Brooks
* Wander Cabrera (2015 DSL)
Jesus Camargo
Jesus Castillo
Dylan Cease
.Jared Cheek
Oscar de la Cruz
Enrique de los Rios
Scott Effross
* Bryan Hudson
Corbin Hoffner
* Ryan Kellogg
Gabriel Lima
Mark Malave
Junior Marte
Kyle Miller
M. T. Minacci
Erling Moreno
Preston Morrison
* Pablo Ochoa (2015 DSL)
* Tyler Peitzmeier
Eury Ramos (2015 DSL)
Andri Rondon (2015 DSL)
* Manny Rondon
* Carson Sands
Pedro Silverio
* Justin Steele
* Kyle Twomey
* John Williamson
Austyn Willis

CATCHERS: 7
Miguel Amaya (2015 IFA – Age 16 - Panama)
* Vimael Machin (ex-INF)
Marcus Mastrobuoni
Tyler Payne
Jhonny Pereda
Gustavo Polanco (2015 VSL) 
Ian Rice

INFIELDERS: 15
* Aramis Ademan (SS – 2015 IFA – Age 17 - Dominican Republic)
Jhonny Bethencourt (2B - 2015 VSL)
# Frandy de la Rosa (2B)
Luis Diaz (SS – 2015 IFA – Age 16 - Dominican Republic)
Vladimir Galindo (3B)
# Ian Happ (moving to 2B from CF)
P. J. Higgins (2B-3B-SS) 
Rafael Mejia (3B - 2015 DSL)
Andruw Monasterio (SS)
Isaac Paredes (SS – 2015 IFA – Age 16 - Mexico)
# Yeiler Peguero (SS - 2015 DSL)
* Chris Pieters (1B – ex-LHP)
Matt Rose (1B)
* Carlos Sepulveda (2B)
* Jason Vosler (3B)

OUTFIELDERS: 12
Alex Bautista
* Donnie Dewees
Michael Foster
# Robert Garcia
* Jake Hannemann
Eloy Jimenez
* Kwang-Min Kwon (2015 IFA – Age 17 - South Korea)
Yohan Matos (ex-C)
Kevonte Mitchell
Jose Paniagua (OF-1B)
* Jonathan Sierra (2015 IFA – Age 17 - Dominican Republic)
* D. J. Wilson

2015 ANGELS/CUBS CO-OP ADVANCED AZ INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE ROSTER

33 players (14 LAA/19 CUBS)

* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 16
Victor Alcantara (LAA)
Paul Blackburn (CUBS)
Matt Brazis (CUBS)
Tyler Carpenter (LAA)
David Garner (CUBS - thru 10/10)
Joe Gatto (LAA)
* Ronnie Glenn (LAA)
Michael Jensen (CUBS)
* Jordan Minch (CUBS)
Garrett Nuss (LAA)
Steve Perakslis (CUBS)
Eduardo Paredes (LAA)
James Pugliese (CUBS)
Tayler Scott (CUBS)
Tyler Skulina (CUBS)
Duane Underwood Jr (CUBS)

CATCHERS: 4
Cael Brockmeyer (C-1B - CUBS - thru 10/10)
# Victor Caratini (CUBS)
Michael Strentz (LAA)
Wade Wass (LAA)

INFIELDERS: 6
* Kody Eaves (2B - LAA)
Andrew Daniel (2B-3B - LAA)
Zach Houchins (3B-SS - LAA)
Gleyber Torres (SS- CUBS)
* Dan Vogelbach (1B - CUBS)
Chesny Young (2B-3B - CUBS)

OUTFIELDERS: 7
* Alex Abbott (LF- LAA)
Jeffrey Baez (RF - CUBS)
Charcer Burks (LF - CUBS)
* Rashad Crawford (CF- CUBS)
* Natanael Delgado (RF- LAA)
* Shawon Dunston Jr (LF - CUBS)
* Bo Way (CF - LAA)

CUBS ASSIGNED TO 2015 MESA SOLAR SOX (AFL)
Corey Black, P
Cael Brockmeyer, C (Taxi Squad)
# Jeimer Candelario, 3B
Willson Contreras, C
David Garner, P
Pierce Johnson, P
Mark Zagunis, OF
Rob Zastryzny, P

MANAGER:
Mark Johnson

Comments

It looks to me like the "advanced" co-op roster is largely for guys who missed a chunk of playing time to injury this season. Will be good for guys like Vogelbach, Underwood, Blackburn to get some more games under their belt. On that note, I'm a little surprised to see Gleyber Torres on the list. He had a full year, is still playing in the playoffs, and seemed to wear down towards the end. Hope he has a chance to rest up/condition for next year.

[ ]

In reply to by bradsbeard

BRAD: From what I was told, in most cases the players assigned to "advanced" instructs are players the Cubs wanted to send to the AFL, but there wasn't room for them there, so they are playing in "advanced" instructs instead. 

So "advanced" instructs is sort of a junior AFL. 

BTW, there are only five "advanced" AZIL teams: 

Cubs/Angels (co-op)
Diamondbacks 
Rangers
Reds 
Royals 

There are two advanced AZIL games scheduled every day, and so each advanced AZIL team gets a bye every fifth day (just like the AZL). 

All of the organizations with teams in "advanced" AZIL (except the Cubs) also field teams in the basic (traditional) AZIL. The traditional AZIL features 16 teams, including two Mariners squads ("white" and "blue") and one KBO team (SK Wyverns). There were two Korean teams in traditional AZIL the previous couple or three years, but the NC Dinos aren't sending players to Arizona this year.  

Also, the  Royals will be extending their Instructs a week or two beyond when the other teams are done, and so the AZIL Royals have scheduled games against local JC and college teams after everybody else has finished up and gone home. 

seeing i.happ play so much LF+RF in A ball had me a little worried about how they view him in CF going forward. hopefully he can stick there.

Thanks AZ Phil, it looks like you will have a busy fall.

AZ Phil, How does the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 work? I know the draft order is the same, but is any Rule 5 eligible player that's left of the major league reserve list (the 40 man roster?) able to be taken in the AAA phase? For instance, if Jeffrey Baez isn't added to the 40 Man, can he be taken in the AAA Phase? Or, can he be added to the Iowa Reserve list and be protected from AAA selection? Sorry for the long-winded way to ask that. Thanks.

CHILDERS: 

Each MLB club (including the Cubs) has a 40-man Reserve List, each AAA club (Iowa) has a 38-man Reserve List, each AA affiliate (Tennessee) has a 37-man Reserve List, and each "A" level affiliate (Myrtle Beach, South Bend, Eugene, AZL Cubs, DSL Cubs, and VSL Cubs) has a 35-man Reserve List. 

MLB clubs are required to file their MLB Reserve List and reserve lists for all of the club's minor league affiliates with the MLB office on November 20th. Once filed, players on minor league reserve lists who are eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft cannot be traded, released, or moved to a different reserve list in the same organization until after the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft. (So if a Rule 5 Draft-eligible player is not placed on the MLB 40-man roster by 11/20, he is "frozen" on a minor league reserve list until after the conclusion of ther Rule 5 Draft). 

Rule 5 Draft-eligible players on AAA reserve lists are eligible for selection ONLY in the Major League Phase. At present there are 47 Cubs minor leaguers who are eligible for selection in the 2015 Rule 5 Draft, so obviously not all of the eligible players can be placed on the 38-man AAA (Iowa) reserve list. 

And although the AAA reserve list has a 38-man limit, clubs always leave a few slots open for minor league free-agents who might be signed prior to the draft.

So let's say the Cubs add four of the Rule 5 Draft eligible players to their MLB 40-man roster by 11/20, leaving 43 players eligible for selection. They then place 30 of the remaining 43 Rule 5 Draft-eligible players on the AAA (Iowa) reserve list, leaving 13 players on either the AA (Tennessee) reserve list (these players would be eligible for selection in the AAA Phase) or on an "A"-level reserve list (these players are eligible for selection in the AAA or AA Phase).   

Just as an exercise, I will place the 47 players presently eligible for selection in the December 2015 Rule 5 Draft on either the Cubs MLB Reserve List, Iowa reserve list, or the Tennessee reserve list. Note that this list does not include Cubs minor league free-agents (there are presently 35 Cubs minor leaguers eligible to be a minor league free-agent post-2015) who might sign 2016 minor league successor contracts prior to the Rule 5 Draft, or free-agents from other organizations who sign a minor league contract with the Cubs prior to the Rule  Draft (these players would be eligible for selection if they sign a minor league contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft). 

2015 RULE 5 DRAFT-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS LIKELY TO BE ADDED TO CUBS MLB 40-MAN RESERVE LIST BY 11/20:  
Pierce Johnson, RHP   
Dan Vogelbach, 1B
Jeimer Candelario, 3B 
Corey Black, RHP
NOTE: Post-2015 minor league FA catcher Willson Contreras will very likely be added to the MLB 40-man roster as well, but he is not eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft until he signs a 2016 minor league successor contract.  It's also possible that post-2015 minor league FA RHP Felix Pena and/or RHP Carlos Pimentel  could be added to the Cubs MLB 40-man Reserve List if the player declines to sign a 2016 minor league successor contract. (A minor league player eligible to be an MLB Rule 55 minor league FA who declines to sign a minor league successor contract for the next season cannot be a FA if the player is added to an MLB Reserve List by 5 PM Eastern on the 5th day following the conclusion of the World Series). Again, if a minor league player eligible to be a Rule 55 6YFA or second-contract FA signs a minor league successor contract for the next season prior to the Rule 5 Draft, he becomes ekligible for selection.   

LIKELY TO BE PLACED ON AAA (IOWA) RESERVE LIST (eligible for selection in Major League Phase ONLY): 
Gioskar Amaya, INF-C

John Andreoli, OF
Pedro Araujo, RHP
Jeffrey Baez, OF
Matt Brazis, RHP
Stephen Bruno, INF 
Josh Conway, RHP
Blake Cooper, RHP
Taylor Davis, C
Shawon Dunston Jr, OF
Kevin Encarnacion, OF
P. J. Francescon, RHP
Michael Heesch, LHP
Michael Jensen, RHP
Danny Lockhart, INF
Mark Malave, RHP (ex-C)
Dillon Maples, RHP
Trey Martin, OF
Jonathan Martinez, RHP
Juan Carlos Paniagua, RHP 
Jose Paulino, LHP 
Carlos Penalver, INF
Chris Pieters, OF (ex-LHP)
James Pugliese, RHP 
Bijan Rademacher, OF
Jasvir Rakkar, RHP
Jacob Rogers, 1B
Alexander Santana, RHP 
Tayler Scott, RHP
Daury Torrez, RHP

LIKELY TO BE PLACED ON AA (TENNESSEE) RESERVE LIST (eligible for selection in AAA Phase):
David Bote, INF
Ben Carhart, C-INF

Erick Castillo, C
Gerardo Concepcion, LHP 
Andin Diaz, LHP
Anthony Giansanti, OF
Ricardo Marcano, OF
Alberto Mineo, C
Yomar Morel, RHP
Yoanner Negrin, RHP
Ariel Ovando, LHP (ex-OF)
Steve Perakslis, RHP
Austin Reed, RHP

Additionally, any player eligible to be an Article XIX-A or Article XX-D Minor League Free-Agent or MLB Rule 55 Six-Year Minor League Free-Agent (6YFA) post-2015 (see list below) who signs a 2016 minor league contract or agrees to a 2016 minor league successor contract prior to the December 2015 Rule 5 Draft will be eligible for selection.

Also, any player eligible to be a Rule 55 Second Contract Minor League Free-Agent (see list below) who signs a 2016 minor league contract prior to the December 2015 Rule 5 Draft will be eligible for selection if the player was 18 or younger on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract and it is at least the 5th Rule 5 Draft since he signed his first contract, or the player was 19 years or older on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract and it is at least the 4th Rule 5 Draft since he signed his first contract.  

ARTICLE XIX-A MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT POST-2015
James Russell, LHP (can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)

ARTICLE XX-D MINOR LEAGUE FREE_AGENT POST-2015
Mike Baxter, OF (can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Brian Schlitter, RHP (can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Taylor Teagarden, C (can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)

MLB RULE 55 MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT POST-2015

SIX-YEAR MINOR LEAGUE FA 

Jeffry Antigua, LHP
Daniel Bard, RHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs) 
Frank Batista, RHP
Emilio Bonifacio, IF-OF (Article XIX-A player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs) 
Drake Britton, LHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Ryan Buchter, LHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)  
Luke Carlin, C (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Adron Chambers, OF (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs) 
Pin-Chieh Chen, OF
Willson Contreras, C
Fernando Cruz, RHP 
Wes Darvill, INF
Ryan Dent, INF
Jae-Hoon Ha, RHP (ex-OF) 
Jonathon Mota, INF
Blake Parker RHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs) 
Felipe Paulino, RHP (Article XIX-A player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Starling Peralta, RHP (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Felix Pena, RHP
Carlos Pimentel, RHP 
Jose Rosario, RHP
Andres Santiago, RHP 
Chris Valaika, INF (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs)
Logan Watkins, INF (Article XX-D player - can elect free-agency if drafted & then later re-claimed by Cubs) 

SECOND CONTRACT MINOR LEAGUE FA 
Luis Aquino, RHP (previously released by CLE)
Roberto Vahlis, C (previously released by TOR)
NOTE: RHP Jesus Arias (previously released by CLE), RHP Julian Aybar (previously released by TB), RHP Jesus Camargo (first contract not renewed by DRM), and RHP Miguel Estevez (previously released by CIN) are eligible to be an MLB RULE 55 SECOND CONTRACT MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT post-2015, but they are not eligible for selection in the December 2015 Rule 5 Draft even if they sign a 2016 minor league successor contract prior to the Rule 5 Draft.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Thanks AZ Phil. Torrez, Martinez and maybe Scott would suck losing, but only Scott has experience in AA. JC Paniagua just hasn't panned out (yet, hopefully). Jeffrey Baez and Trey Martin wouldn't get snatched up in the MLB phase. No experience in AA. I guess Rademachher, Bruno and Andreoli are the only real still young-ish possible MLB phase guys. I guess we wouldn't really miss anyone from the AAA phase. Good stuff as always.

The Pelicans are sitting pretty, having captured the two road games in the Carolina League final series and with three chances at home to claim the championship. Soler is starting every game in right field and hitting decently, but Zagunis has gone to the bench, so it's about a break-even situation for the Pelicans and for Wilmington. (That's Wilmington, DE, not NC.) Soler seems to be wearing number 45. Was #68 taken? I do wish he would find a more traditional outfielder's number. 68 is always going to look like a spring-training number. Soler has seemed a bit too easygoing sometimes. Why bother changing numbers? Why bother swinging? edit: The hitting stars in this series, by the way, have been Chen and Caratini.

Az Phil, one thing I've wondered since Cahill came up. Since he was signed after a release, I know we're paying him the prorated minimum. If the cubs wanted to retain him next year and opt in to his 13.5 million dollar option, which is really unlikely due to that dollar amount, but hypothetically, would the cubs be on the hook for the full amount? Prorated? Or the option amount left over after thr opt out cost?

K-BANSAW: Trevor Cahill's 2016 club option buy-out was auitomatically triggered when he was released by Atlanta. So he gets $300K after the season (to be paid either by Arizona or Atlanta, depending on what the teams agreed to do when he traded from AZ to ATL).

The Cubs do not owe Cahill anything beyond the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary they are paying him through the end of the 2015 season, but they also do not have a club option (or buy-out) for 2016. And so Cahill will be an unrestricted Article XX-B MLB FA post-2015. 

I like this blog....... Go fellow Canadian, former Arizona State SunDevil and Eugene Emerald, Ryan Kellogg in the Arizona Instructional League. GO SUNDEVIL BASEBALL

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.