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 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
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

Senzel Can't Be Stopped or Contained

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Blake Trahan lofted a sacrifice fly to left with one out in the 7th to tie the game and Daniel Sweet followed with a two-out RBI single to give his team a 3-2 lead, and Nick Senzel (Reds 2016 1st round draft pick - 2nd overall pick in the draft) provided an insurance run with a gargantuan home run over the scoreboard in right-centerfield leading off the bottom of the 8th, as the Reds rallied late and then held-on to edge the Angels/Cubs co-op squad 4-3 in AZ Advanced Instructional League game action Tuesday afternoon on Field #1 at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, AZ.  

Brendon Sanger (Angels) and Alberto Mineo (Cubs) belted solo home runs and Mineo also doubled and scored on a Jason Vosler (Cubs) two-out RBI single to account for the three Angels/Cubs runs.  

Although they lost the game, Angels/Cubs pitchers (actually they were all Cubs pitchers) fanned 14 Reds in the game (11 swinging). 

Nick Senzel continues to wow scouts & spectators alike with his awesome power to all fields. Reds fans didn't have a whole lot to cheer about this past season, but I would expect the University of Tennessee product to make the Riverfront Stadium scene sooner rather than later, providing misery to Cubs pitchers (and to all opposing pitchers) for years to come. He could be the next great young stud MLB third-baseman, following in the footsteps of Josh Donaldson, Nolan Arenado, and Kris Bryant. 

The Reds starting lineup featured four players who will be playing for the Peoria Javelinas in Arizona Fall League beginning next week, including SS Zach Vincej (singled and scored), CF Brian O'Grady, 1B Chad Wallach (RBI double), and 3B Brandon Dixon. Wallach is the son of long-time MLB third-baseman Tim Wallach (Expos, Dodgers, Angels).  

Here is the box scoere from the game (Cubs players highlighted in bold and underlined):

ANGELS/CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Donnie Dewees, CF: 0-3 (L-8, 4-3, K)
1b. Brennon Lund, CF: 0-1 (K)
2. Carlos Sepulveda, 2B: 0-4 (P-3, P-6, 3-U, P-6)
3. Christian Villanueva, DH #1: 1-3 (BB, 1B, F-8, P-4, PO) 
4a. Matt Thaiss, 1B: 0-2 (P-5, F-9)
4b. Alberto Mineo, 1B: 2-2 (2B, HR, 2 R, RBI)
5a. P. J. Higgins, C: 0-1 (BB, F-9, CS)
5b. Ian Rice, C: 1-2 (F-8, 1B)
6a. Hutton Moyer, SS: 1-2 (P-4, 1B)
6b. Connor Justus, SS: 1-1 (HBP, 1B) 
7. Jason Vosler, 3B: 1-3 (BB, 5-4-3 DP, 1B, 6-4-3 DP, RBI)
8. Eddy Julio Martinez, RF: 0-2 (L-4, 6-3, BB)
9. Brendon Sanger, LF: 1-2 (BB, HR, F-7, R, RBI)
10a. Jose Briceno, DH #2: 0-2 (P-6, F-7)
10b. Jared Walsh, PH: 0-1 (K) 

REDS LINEUP: 
1a. Zach Vincej, SS: 1-2 (4-3, 1B, R)
1b. Blake Trahan, PH-SS-DH: 0-1 (P-3, F-7 SF, RBI)
1c. Mitch Trees, PH: 0-1 (K) 
2a. Brian O'Grady, CF: 0-2 (K, K)
2b. Daniel Sweet, PH-LF: 1-2 (F-7, 1B, RBI) 
3a. Chad Wallach, 1B: 1-2 (6-3, 2B, RBI)
3b. Gavin LaValley, 1B: 0-2 (L-9, 4-3)
4a. Brandon Dixon, 3B: 0-2 (4-3, K)
4b. Nick Senzel, 3B: 1-2 (K, HR, R, RBI)
5a. James Vasquez, DH: 0-0 (BB, BB)
5b. Alfredo Rodriguez, PH-DH-SS: 1-2 (2B, F-9)
6a. T. J. Friedl, LF: 0-2 (K, 3-6 FC)
6b. Aristides Aquino, RF: 0-2 (L-8, K)
7. Jose Siri, RF-CF: 1-4 (1B, F-8, K, K)
8a. Cassidy Brown, C: 0-2 (K, K)
8b. Chris Okey, C: 0-1 (BB, 6-3, R)
9a. Brantley Bell, 2B: 0-2 (K, K)
9b. John Sansone, 2B: 1-2 (1B, K, R)
 
ANGELS/CUBS PITCHERS: 
1. Oscar de la Cruz: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 3/0 GO/AO, 35 pitches (21 strikes) 
2. Justin Steele: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1/1 GO/AO, 41 pitches (27 strikes) 
3. Kyle Miller: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/4 GO/AO, 34 pitches (19 strikes) 
4. Manuel Rondon: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 0/4 GO/AO, 19 pitches (11 strikes) 
5. Tommy Nance: 1.0 IP,  1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 0/1 GO/AO, 15 pitches (10 strikes) 
6. James Norwood: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 12 pitches (9 strikes) 

REDS PITCHERS:
1. Braulio Ortiz: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 0 K, 1 PO, 1/6 GO/AO, 50 pitches (22 strikes) 
2. Lucas Benenati: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 GIDP, 3/4 GO/AO, 40 pitches (24 strikes) 
3. Jesse Strickland: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 0/3 GO/AO, 22 pitches (10 strikes)
4. Patrick Riehl: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 13 pitches (8 strikes)
5. Joel Kuhnel: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 1 GIDP, 1/1 GO/AO, 13 pitches (9 strikes)

ANGELS/CUBS ERRORS: NONE 

REDS ERRORS: NONE 

REDS CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Cassidy Brown: 1-1 CS 

ATTENDANCE: 7 

WEATHER: Sunny & a bit breezy with temperatures in the 90's 

Tags
AZ Advanced Instructional League
Alberto Mineo
Jason Vosler

Comments

Submitted by The E-Man on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:32 am

Thanks PHIL. Indeed the Reds after making the Playoffs with Dusty, have embraced the SUCK model. With Senzel and RHP Robert Stephenson, plus OF Jesse Winkler, they should be very competitive soon enough. I should also say that the times I have seen the Brewers at Wrigley this year, they have some very nice young talent that should make an impact the next 3-5 years as well.

Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:29 am

Article up at Cubs MLB.com site today breaking down Cubs defensive efficiency ratings: http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/204934024/anthony-rizzo-cubs-defense… Leads me to wonder, should the Cubs start Baez at 2B and Zobrist in LF for game 1? It not only gives you better overall infield defense, but it also allows the Ross-Baez combo to be an additional deterrent to the running game. Or do you sit Baez in favor of getting Coghlan's lefty bat in LF?

[ ]

Submitted by The E-Man on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:38 am

HUGE proponent that KB/Addy/Baez/Rizz is what I want to start for me in the Playoffs. The margin for error is SO slim, and with runs even more difficult to come by (with a sometimes-RISP-challenged team), I feel ya on having Zobrist in the OF. Soler is a butcher in the OF and with Lester on the mound I want the absolutely the best 8 guys I can muster.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:15 pm

from rotoworld

Should the Mets win the Wild Card Game against the Giants on Wednesday, Bartolo Colon or Robert Gsellman would start Game 1 of the NLDS. Colon is an option to pitch out of the bullpen during the Wild Card Game. Should the Mets not need him in that capacity on Wednesday, though, he would start the first game of the NLDS (assuming a victory). Gsellman would start Game 1 if Colon is used out of the bullpen in relief of Noah Syndergaard during Wednesday's winner-take-all contest against Madison Bumgarner and friends.

Submitted by Rob G. on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:35 pm

Bochy put Ninja and Cueto on the Wild Card roster, mentions Ninja has bullpen experience. I mean, if I had that hot mess of a bullpen, I'd certainly rather throw either of those 2 guys before just about anyone else.

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:23 pm

really grown to love the 1-game WC sudden-death game. it weakens the entry of the WC team as opposed to the older version where they started on the same pitcher use as division champs. plus, it's like having 2 "Game 7" games to kick off the playoffs. i hope we're done with playoff expansion with adding more teams, though. i don't want the post-season saturated.

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:12 pm

uh oh... 3r HR in the top 9th with 1 out for SF...double-sided shutout over. looking a lot like SF is going to get a chance to extend their "even numbered year" streak.

[ ]

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:52 am

That's what happens when you use your closer in a non-save situation. Actually, it's standard procedure for the home team to use its closer in the ninth inning of a tie game, since there will never be a save situation in that particular game (except for the visitors).

Submitted by billybucks on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:08 pm

LEAVE NO DOUBT! Make sure they remember -- FOREVER! -- the year they played the Chicago Cubs!

Submitted by Rob Richardson on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:34 am

The Cubs should watch last nights game to see how not to play the Giants. You need to get to their bull pen, so allowing Madbomb to only pitch 14 pitches to get through 2 innings is not a great approach.

[ ]

Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:34 am

I didn't see, did Madbum even throw > 100 pitches last night? It didn't seem like it. The Mets were doing things like rolling over the first pitch into a double play. Weak. I think the Cubs and Giants are evenly-matched teams in many ways, so I expect this divisional series to be a very good matchup. Whoever wins has a very good chance at advancing to the W.S.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob Richardson on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:41 am

He made 119 pitches, and I disagree the Cubs and Giants are evenly-matched. That said in a short series where the Giants will have two very good pitchers making three of the five starts anything can happen so I get your point. The Cubs offense needs to force the Giants starters out of the game early by driving up their pitch counts, and they need to avoid turning average or below average players into heroes.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:43 pm

The Giants have some good starters, arguably better than the Cubs this year if you take out the defensive equation. But on every other level the Cubs are the better team.

The Cubs need to force long AB's and get into the bullpen, everyone knows this. That being said, they can't be so driven for long AB's to miss hittable pitches early in the count.

But for a match-up for the Cubs pitchers, the Giants were definitely the best lineup to face. Apparently Nunez is hurt, so the running game won't be much of an issue for Lester or Arrieta(although they have Span and Pagan too who are okay). And they reallly don't have a lot of home run hitters and putting the ball in play is exactly what this Cubs team and defense is designed for...

Saw a tweet this morning that teams that won 15 or more games that matched up in the playoffs saw the better team winning 9 out of 10 match-ups. The only loser was 2001 Mariners versus the Yankees.

I think the Cubs win this in 4. And I've decided I'd rather face the Dodgers (Kershaw, HIll and Maeda) then the Nats (Scherzer, Roark and Strasburg) because #1) Cubs have killed lefties all year and #2) losing to Dusty Baker would be the epitome of Cubbery.

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Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Fri, 10/07/2016 - 10:13 am

"I disagree the Cubs and Giants are evenly-matched." So do I. The Giants have one guy (Belt) with a higher OPS than Zobrist and Fowler, let alone our big boys. Russell would lead them easily in HR and RBI. What they are, really, is a bunch of Zobrists and Fowlers. Not that that's easy to beat, but they're not like us.

Submitted by The E-Man on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:58 am

I thought this morning (for once) - for those thinking, "Oh shit, they have to face the Even-Year Giants & their pitching" - but then I thought, "SHIT! They are playing the Cubs now!" Anyway, b/c they were in cruise control for so long, we forget that this is really a very, very good team. We'll see if they can sustain this soon enough. #Cubswin

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:53 pm

my meaningless predictions...

  • Cubs over Giants
  • Dodgers over Nationals
  • Blue Jays over Rangers
  • Indians over Red Sox

 

  • Blue Jays over Indians
  • Cubs over Dodgers

 

  • Cubs over Blue Jays

There's really no rhyme or reason other than it always seems a WC gets to World Series these days and hell if I'm picking the Giants. Also think the Red Sox pitching is crap, they may get past Indians because of injuries, but I'm not jumping on their bandwagon.

Submitted by Brick on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:08 pm

Thanks for posting stuff today. I should be working, but I'm agonizing and I need content to insert into my eyes and ears. I don't know how long I'll survive this postseason.

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Submitted by Charlie on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:10 pm

That is a really nice piece of sports journalism, and here's what I like most about it: It undercuts the inaccurate caricature of Hendricks as "The Professor." (Well, it does reinforce it a little when it talks about why Hendricks can make that in-season adjustment.) He may be a white kid with mediocre velocity who went to an Ivy League school, but his pitching performances in 2014 and 2015 were neither cerebral nor crafty. He was a two-pitch starter who relied on raw stuff and throwing strikes to be effective. Now he's a got a pitch mix that gives him more strategic options. He's learned more of his craft this year.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:32 pm

There was Bobby Hill and there was Eric Patterson and now there is Arismendy Alcantara

@mlbtraderumors Reds Claim Arismendy Alcantara, Designate Patrick Kivlehan

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:47 pm

it's crazy what a couple of clankers off the glove and a badly played fly ball can do to an inning. 5 runs scored off 2 clankers and 1 badly played ball all after 2 outs. plus, ham threw a zillion pitches in the 3rd (42 pitches). no errors, and those clankers were off hard hit balls, but that was a 6 out inning.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:48 pm

anyone know why Carlos Gomez is in LF and Ian Desmond is in CF? Team seniority or is Gomez hurt?

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Submitted by crunch on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:02 pm

gomez barely played CF in his short time with the TEX team, plus he came to TEX from HOU after playing some questionable D there. that said, ian desmond settled out as an average-at-best type defender in CF after starting his tenure there playing some flashy CF...him tracking that ball he totally missed was a hell of a time for that average style to turn into crap.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:10 pm

figuring it's some BS like well Desmond played there before you got here. Gomez's issues in Houston all seemed to be mental gaffes from what I read and he seems to be back on track in Texas. The statcast replay they just showed had Desmond tracking it quite well and alligator-arming it near the wall that he wasn't actually that close to...oof.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    masterboney is a luxury on a team that has multiple, capable options for 2nd, SS, and 3rd without him around.  i don't hate the guy, but if madrigal is sticking around then masterboney is expendable.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I THINK I agree with that decision. They committed to Wicks as a starter and, while he hasn’t been stellar I don’t think he’s been bad enough to undo that commitment.

    That said, Wesneski’s performance last night dictates he be the next righty up.

    Quite the dilemma. They have many good options, particularly in relief, but not many great ones. And complicating the situation is that the pitchers being paid the most are by and large performing the worst - or in Taillon’s case, at least to this point, not at all.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Wesneski and Mastrobuoni to Iowa

    Taillon and Wisdom up

    Wesneski can't pitch for a couple of days after the 4 IP from last night. But Jed picked Wicks over Wesneski.

  • crunch (view)

    booooooooooo

    also, wisdom and taillon are both in chicago.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Tonight’s game postponed. Split games on Saturday.

  • crunch (view)

    cubs getting crazy good at not having player moves leak.

    taillon we 100% know is pitching tonight.  who he's replacing and any additional moves are unknown as far as i can tell.

    p.wisdom was not in today's lineup in iowa (rained out) and he was removed from the game last night mid-game, but not for injury.  good bet he's with the team in the bigs, too.

  • Bill (view)

    A good rule of thumb is that if you trade a near-ready high ceiling prospect, you should get at least two far-away high ceiling prospects in return.  Like all rules-of-thumb, it depends upon the specific circumstances, but certainly, we weren't going to get Busch for either prospect alone.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Right on schedule, just read an article in Baseball America entitled "10 MLB Prospects Outside The Top 100 Who Have Our Attention".  Zyhir Hope was one of the prospects featured. It stated that he's "one of the biggest arrow-up sleeper prospects in the lower levels right now."

     

    Not sharing to be negative about the trade, getting a top 100 prospect who is MLB ready should carry a heavy prospect cost.  But man, Dodger sure are good at identifying and developing young talent. Andrew Friedman seems to have successfully merged Ray's development with Yankees financial might to create a juggernaut of an organization.  

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
    I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
    I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
    That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
    I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
    We'll find out soon enough!!!

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