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

A Schwarbernundrum

It was fantastic and almost unbelievable that Kyle Schwarber was able to DH in the World Series, and a case could be made that the Cubs would not have won the World Series without his presence in the lineup.

That being said...
Being able to DH in World Series road games in A. L. parks is one thing, but the Cubs will have to decide at some point if Schwarber will be able to play a defensive position going forward.  

Obviously it's much too early to come to any conclusions, but IF (big "IF") it becomes apparent that Schwarber cannot be at least a semi-regular catcher or even a passable left-fielder in the field, it may become necessary for the Cubs to think seriously about trading Schwarber to an American League club where he can be a full-time DH. It's not that Schwarber is indifferent about defense, because nobody works harder than he does. It's just that he might not be able to play defense (whether it be catcher or left-fielder) with enough skill to avoid future injuries.  

Supposedly the Yankees asking price for Andrew Miller last July was Schwarber, so if he can actually fetch a pitcher of that quality in a trade with an A. L. club, it might not necessarily be a bad thing to trade Schwarber IF it turns out that he is limited defensively. 

That's why it was unfortunate that the National League did not adopt the DH in the new CBA, because that would have solved the problem before it became one. 

If the Cubs do find it necessary to trade Schwarber, it is at least good to know that the Cubs top two prospects (Ian Happ and Eloy Jimenez) project to be left-fielders at the big league level (Happ ETA 2018 and Eloy ETA 2019), and two other Cubs Top 10 prospects (Mark Zagunis and Eddy Julio Martinez) are corner outfielders as well.

If the Cubs want to indeed sustain success beyond the 2015-21 Bryant-Rizzo-Russell-Lester-Hendricks-Baez contention window, they will need to avoid trading any more next generation top prospects for short-term fixes. While Gleyber Torres was seemingly blocked by Russell and Baez, he actually was part of the next generation of Cub prospects who would have theoretically provided potential replacements for Bryant, Rizzo, Russell, and/or Baez, should any or all of them not sign contract extensions beyond 2021.  

That doesn't mean that trading Torres for Aroldis Chapman was in and of itself the wrong thing to do, just that it can't become a blueprint for roster management going forward, IF the Cubs want to avoid another three-year rebuild 2022-24.

With both Jake Arrieta and John Lackey scheduled to be free-agents after next season, the Cubs will likely need two starting pitchers in 2018. So the idea of trading Schwarber to an American League club for a quality starting pitcher with (let's say) three years of club control might become a lively topic of conversation at next year's Winter Meetings. Schwarber could be next year's Jorge Soler.

Again, it it obviously too early to think too seriously about the possibility of trading Kyle Schwarber, and while I would certainly hate to see him go, it is something to keep in mind as the Cubs go forward through the 2017 season.  

Comments

AZ Phil, I know the Cubs have re-signed Manny Parra to a minor league contract. Do you think he is a possible loogy in 2017? How far along is he with his rehab? Thanks.

[ ]

In reply to by Hagsag

neat...didn't hear about that. he was doing well last season in spring training before his arm blew up. there was even talk of a pen arm being traded to make room for him on the roster. he's a lefty that throws low 90s with a slider...when healthy...which hasn't been a common theme for him since 2013 or so.

[ ]

In reply to by Hagsag

HAGSAG: Manny Parra is still in the Cubs organiation only because the Cubs are on the hook for his April 2016 TJS. I think he will probably continue his rehab by throwing "live" BP and eventually pitch in "sim" games & EXST Cactus League games at Extended Spring Training, and then the Cubs will see where he's at come June. Or he could get released before that. 

I think the Cubs need to tell Kyle to forget about catching and focus on becoming an All-Star LF. The hope of being a catcher may dilute his focus a bit, and, given the emphasis Joe and Theo team put on strong defense at catcher, I just don't see it for Schwarber. I have to believe that an athlete with his skills and his work ethic can become at least an average LF if that is the only position he focuses on. In this lineup, hitting ahead of Bryant and Rizzo, he could put up All-Star numbers as a LF. If Jay/Almora man CF, with Heyward in right, they should be able to help cover a bit for Schwarber. But, it comes down to practice and reps -- stay in LF and don't go behind the plate, Kyle.

I'm not sure the issue is whether he can play defense or not. He improved dramatically in LF at the end of 2015 (obviously with NLCS hiccups) and we truly have no significant sample size to judge. That being said - even if he is as marginal as Soler, the evaluation on a team with so many options is more likely in how good of an offensive player he is. ZIPS only has him at 2.1 zWAR. With an OPS that exceeded Kris Bryant (I know small sample size), the proposition changes entirely if WARBear performs more like the offensive-only side of Mike Trout. With the athleticism of Almora/Hayward, the net increase in OF platoon WAR suddenly is BETTER than last year with Dex, if Kyle is more in the mid 4 WAR range and Heyward rebounds to only his career average (as he has done twice before following 1 or under WAR in bad seasons.) Clearly the front office doesn't think it's that big of a concern, and Kyle isn't exactly slow in LF either. He's an athlete - albeit a non-traditional one for that role. With this coach (and our new bullpen toys), I could envision a seamless transition for a .380/.390+ OBP leadoff Schwarber who gets leads before the 8th - and is pulled for Szczur/KB/Zobrist in close games. Frankly not to different from how Joe used both Soler and Willson. I remember back to when Kyle was drafted with a couple of reports saying that there was a sizeable contingent in the front office who actually felt Schwarber had a BETTER potential impact than Kris. They are two completely different players of course and that doesn't mean they didn't think Kris would be anything but great. But I suspect there is a reason they quickly quashed the Yankee rumors and actually called Kyle. I don't get that they foresee anything but a permanent piece for a long time. (Of course I will deny all of this if he goes bust by June....lol)

Schwarber will be fine in LF, I look forward to him hitting 30 plus Hrs next year. He is not Pablo Sandoval

mark trumbo kyle schwarber should be okay in LF. hopefully with jay/almora it won't sting too much. the bar is already set pretty low for expectations there. hopefully he can meet those expectations as a minimum.

phil bickford (MIL pitching prospect, 2015 1st round pick) suspended 50 games after a second positive for a "drug of abuse" ...weed takes down another minor leaguer. yes, they know the risk...and yes it's stupid to take that risk, but it's also played out (imo) to keep cracking down on this particular non-performance-enhancing drug in the minors.

There is no reason to think that he won't be up to full strength and range of motion by spring. That would be normal for this surgery now.

"According to Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago, the Cubs have had continued dialogue with free agent right-hander Tyson Ross since the winter meetings ended." meh. sure, he's not trash, but when he's not pitching in the caverns of OAK and SD home parks that gloss becomes less shiny. still, he's looking 8-12m or something like that so it wouldn't be an expensive gamble comparable to what he can do. it would be kinda weird to slow montgomery's entry into being rotation-ready for 2017+, though.

Why does everybody forget about Trevor Clifton? He's done well at every level. (very poor run support so not a fair W/L). He'll be a rule 5 eligible next year. Everybody talks about Cease (rightfully so)/Johnson/Underwood etc. (All three have had significant injuries Clifton never has). Everybody talks about Happ and Jimenez, who face the same problem as Soler, no place to play, given Happ is more of a Zobrist type. Why does Clifton or Stinett even slip off the radar. They'll both start at AA depending on AAA one or both could push a SP to the bullpen like Rob Z. did last year after starting at AA.

[ ]

In reply to by cubbies.4ever

CUBBIES-4-EVER: I haven't forgotten about Trevor Clifton. I have him rated as the Cubs #7 prospect overall and #2 starting pitcher prospect (behind only Dylan Cease) and I've been saying that here at TCR for months, and I have Jake Stinnett as the Cubs minor league SP breakout candidate in 2017. Both are Rule 5 Draft-eligible post-2017, so barring injuries or collapse Clifton will very likely be added to the MLB 40-man roster by next 11/20 (at the latest) and Stinnett should get strong consideration for the 40 as well. 

[ ]

In reply to by cubbies.4ever

Fwiw, Clifton is rated by Sickels as the Cubs #3 overall prospect behind only Eloy and Cease. He also has Underwood at #9 overall with a B-/C+ rating. Pierce Johnson is outside his top 30, with a C rating. He also notes in the comments that he believes that Johnson can still make it to the majors as a reliever and that, if he was another team, he would try to buy low on him.

[ ]

In reply to by cubbies.4ever

Why, cubbies.4ever? Because after five drafts beginning in 2012, only Zastryzny and Zack Godley (now with the Diamondbacks) have thrown a pitch in the majors. We didn't draft Arrieta or Hendricks. Fun fact: Rob Z. and Godley are the only McLeod-era draftees to play in the majors who were drafted lower than 6th overall. (I certainly concede that McLeod nailed the #2 and #4 picks.) Pitching-wise, apart from Clay Buchholz I don't see much during McLeod's stints in Boston or San Diego. I was kind of rooting for McLeod to land that GM job with the Twins a few months ago.

Jon Morosi‏ @jonmorosi #Cubs have been in contact with #Tigers on a possible Justin Wilson trade, source says; unclear if there is current momentum

supposedly LAD/k.jansen are close to a deal. WAS has been linked to a ton of top FA and trade targets...and have nothing to show for the rumors. they got j.lobaton and c.heisey, though...so well...yeah. anything they can do to not be uber-competitive works for me. they got a hell of a crew of talent as it is without getting top tier additions.

Peter Gammons GM respected for scouting and highly asture in analytics today said, "I think Adam Eaton is one of the 15 best players in the game." /fart

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • 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...