Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-21-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 14
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 





Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Albertos Gives D'backs Plenty of Nothin' at Salt River Fields

RHSP Jose Albertos (2015 IFA - Mexico - $1.5M signing bonus) hurled four innings of one-hit shutout ball with seven strikeouts and Cubs 2016 7th round draft pick Michael Cruz (making his pro debut) belted an RBI double off the top of the right-centerfield fence (near HR) with two outs in the top of the 8th that drove-in the run that ultimately proved to be the difference in the game, as the AZL Cubs withstood a four-run 9th inning rally and edged the AZL Diamondbacks 5-4 in Arizona League action Wednesday night on Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Strick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

Besides the 8th inning RBI double, Cruz also was hit by a pitch (right shoulder) in his first pro AB, fouled a ball off his right instep in his second AB, and took a foul-tip off his right shoulder in the bottom of the 4th while working behind the plate (he caught all nine innings in 105+ degree heat). Welcome to pro ball. 

The 17-year old Albertos was masterful beyond his years in his four innings of work, staying ahead in the count (69% of his pitches were strikes) and mixing a 96-98 MPH fastball with a plus-change and an occasional curve to keep the opposing hitters off-balance. In fact, the Albertos change-up was so deceptive that one D'backs hitter injured his right knee (and had to leave the game) screwing himself into the ground on a swinging third strike trying in vain to hit one. The only hit off Albertos was a broken-bat line drive single over the third-baseman's head with two outs in the top of the 1st.

The AZL Diamondbacks were held to one hit (the first-inning broken-bat single) through the first eight innings of the game, but Kyle Smith (two-run double), Juan Araujo (RBI double), and Michael Branigan (RBI single) contributed run-scoring hits to the four-run 9th inning rally that fell a run short, as the potential tying and winning runs were left-stranded on the bases.

LHRP Jack Leathersich (ex-NYM) had another clean 1-2-3 inning (K, K, 6-3), as he continues to impress in his rehab from July 2015 TJS.    

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

AZL CUBS LINEUP:
1. Luis Ayala, RF: 1-5 (L-7, L-5, 1B, 1-3, K)
2. Jose Gonzalez, CF: 0-4 (1-3, 4-3, 6-3, BB, K, R)
3. Jhonny Bethencourt, SS: 0-3 (4-3, L-4, BB, 6-3, R, SB)
4. Gustavo Polanco, 1B: 1-4 (3-U, L-8, F-9, 1B, R, RBI)
5. Kevin Zamudio, DH: 1-4 (2B, F-9, 5-3, F-8, R)
6. Michael Cruz, C: 1-3 (HBP, F-7, F-8, 2B, RBI)
7. Rafael Mejia, 3B: 2-4 (1B, 2B, 6-3, K, R)
8. Edgar Rondon, 2B: 1-3 (3-U, 5-3 SH, 1B, K, RBI)
9. Ruben Reyes, LF: 1-3 (4-3, F-7 SF, K, 1B, RBI)

AZL CUBS PITCHERS
1. Jose Albertos: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 3/2 GO/AO, 54 pitches (37 strikes) 
2. Jack Leathersich: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 14 pitches (8 strikes)
3. Eugenio Palma: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 4/2 GO/AO, 19 pitches (12 strikes) 
4. Tanner Griggs: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 2/2 GO/AO, 28 pitches (17 strikes) 
5. Luis Aquino: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 4 pitches (4 strikes)

AZL CUBS ERRORS: 1 
1B Gustavo Polanco: E-3 (missed catch allowed batter to reach base safely)

AZL CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Michael Cruz: 1 PB

ATTENDANCE: 16

WEATHER: Clear with temperatures 100+  

Comments

John Arguello (Cubs Den) also goes to the AZL Cubs games and he writes game reports, often has a photo gallery, and provides a link to the milb.com box score, so if you want info about the AZL Cubs and AZL Cubs games going forward, please visit Cubs Den.  

link 

One thing I have noticed about two of the Mexican pitchers (Camargo and  Albertos) who have come through Mesa Riverview over the past couple of years is that they have a plus-change-up but struggle a bit with their curve. This is almost exactly the opposite of what you see with most other young pitchers down here. Usually a young pitcher has a promising fastball and a decent if not plus-breaking ball (curve or slider) but struggles to learn the off-speed straight-change.  

Could it have something to do with the way young pitchers are coached in Mexico? Perhaps the change-up is taught instead of a breaking ball to help cut-down on elbow and shoulder injuries. 

BRADSBEARD: I haven't seen enough of Michael Cruz to say one way or the other, but he received the electric stuff Jose Albertos was throwing without any problems. (It was by far the best outing Albertos has had as a pro as far as command is concerned, going back to post-2015 Instructs, 2016 Minor League Camp, and EXST).

Cruz wasn't challenged by any D'backs base runners (because there were only three through the first eight innings, and none of them tried to steal), but FWIW, he did make some really lousy (Miguel Montero-like) throws to 2nd base after pre-inning pitcher warm-ups. 

Cruz will certainly get some intense instruction/evaluation at post-season Instructs, and his future as a catcher will be more-clear after that. I'm sure the Cubs very much want Cruz to remain a catcher if at all possible. 

As a hitter, just prior to the 8th inning RBI double off the right-centerfield fence, Cruz hit a long fly down the RF line that had home run distance but hooked foul at the last second. I've seen him take BP a few times, too, and he has legit raw HR power. A LH hitting catcher with HR power would be really nice to have. 

AZ PHIL: Albertos is only 17!!? Not 18 until November, apparently. Julio Urias will be 20 this summer. I can assume that - since he is from Reynosa, MX (Broncos de Reynosa is the Club - apparently Kyle Farnsworth has prev been on their roster), and Urias' Diablos Rojos del Mexico were in the same league - that they know one another. If Albertos pans out, it could be a huge coup for the Cubs, as Urias is for the Dodgers. The team certainly needs some impact arms in a big way, as I am not feeling so happy-face over Underwood and Pierce Johnson - or ANY Iowa Cubs starter except perhaps Ryan Williams.

SHOW ME THE MONEY: Jose Albertos has signed with Mega-Agent Scott Boras.

Albertos has already received his signing bonus and won't see any additional significant money until he reaches the big leagues, so this is a long-term investment for the Boras Corporation.  

Other Cubs represented by Boras include Jake Arrieta, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, and Albert Almora Jr. 

Boras is 63, maybe he'll be retired or dead by the time Bryant, Russell, Almora, Albertos all hit free agency. Doubt he will be before Jake hits there though.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    excited to see more power in the lineup.

    HOU going with 3 righty starters vs the cubs and their only lefty pen arm is hader.

    unless busch has a mystery injury, we should see busch+mervis working all 3 games.

  • fullykräusened (view)

    More than 50 years ago (I'm old), I was in the audience when my HS choir performed the whole thing. (It was a really elite choir and director.) That was my first exposure to the piece. You're right, Sonicwind75, there is a lot more to it than "O Fortuna," just like there's a lot more to Beethoven's Ninth than the Ode to Joy, etc. Much if it, as you say, is bawdy: "O! O! Totus florio! Iam amori virginali, totus ardeo!" Basically, "I'm really horny for these virgins!" And the guys in the choir adopted the "Skoal"- type greeting from the tavern scene: "Wafna!" 

  • crunch (view)

    i would have pause if the cubs had a pitching squeeze.   as it is, they have more guys than they have roster.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Maybe Brewer

    He'd be able to leave the Cubs. He's out of options. That would open up a 40man spot.

    I don't think Jed would do that.

  • crunch (view)

    brewer has done nothing to keep him on the big league roster...imagine that's 1 guy gone.

    yeah, it's only 2 appearances, but they were both unimpressive.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Yeah it is.....sorry......closers don't throw 89mph

    It would be unique for sure.

    But CP can't be HR susceptible

    That's what Alzolay has right now and that's what Kyle has no matter the situation.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Supposedly Happ said on a radio show he's good to go

    I hadn't read that anywhere from the usual accounts, so this could be off.

    If true, Canario goes down.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Hmmm. Maybe my idea of transitioning Hendricks into a closer role isn’t so crazy.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Mervis and Wesneski getting promoted aaccording to Tommy Birch from Des Moines Register.

    So Happ to the IL

    Maybe Hendricks to IL ????

    Mervis/Cooper are DH platoon

    Wisdom, Canario, Tauchman share LF/RF

    I wonder if Busch has ever played LF?

    I don't believe he has

  • crunch (view)

    “I respect his track record of what he’s accomplished,” Counsell said on Sunday morning. “And you go through these. He’s gone through -- maybe not this particular stretch -- but stretches where you’re not pitching the way you want to and struggling. And you figure it out.” -- Counsell on Hendricks

    fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...

    i respect his track record of no longer being in the rotation.  in 2016 he threw 2 innings out of the pen, his only work out of the pen.  the cubs won the world series that year.  let's repeat that magic.  the formula is obvious.  stats don't lie.  etc etc whatever...

    small sample size and all, but how about this craziness...

    "Entering Sunday, Hendricks had allowed an .843 OPS against hitters in their initial plate appearance, followed by a 1.056 OPS in a second meeting and a 2.449 OPS when seeing batters for a third time."