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

Nationals @ Cubs: Fedde vs Lester (Game 110)

WAS (64-44): RHP Erick Fedde (0-1, 15.75)
CHC (58-51): LHP Jon Lester (8-6, 3.96) 
First pitch: 1:20pmCST

Lester gave up 3 ER in 4 innings (and hit a HR-wtf?!) for a no-decision in the 16-4 blowout of the D’backs on Tuesday. The Nats are 41-184 (.223) against him. Wieters is 16-49.

Fedde got knocked around by the Rockies in Washington for his MLB-debut last week (4 IP, 7 ER, 3 K, 2 BB). He was 4-4 with a 3.72 in the minors before his call up. No word on how Dusty plans to blow out his arm.

Arrieta (10-8) opens the series in San Francisco against Moore (3-11) and the Giants on the wrong coast tomorrow at 9:00pmCST.

Go Cubs!
 

Comments

Woo Hoo - Rays manage to score a run against the Brewers on a bases loaded, no out gidp. It's a start at least.

cubs making it happen with 2 outs...2Ks to start the 2nd...single, single, single scoring a run.

contrerYES...big ass HR to center...next to last row of the bleachers. no-doubter. 12th HR out of the 4-slot (20th overall).

This game is on Joe - clearly Carl Jr is not in a good place right now and hasn't been for awhile. Hell, Rondon hasn't pitched since Tuesday

8th inning implosions at home are fun. Edwards needs a week off. He has nothing in the tank.

But at least they'll have the cool Harley gear to wear on the trip out to the west coast - that will be fun

heyward with double #10...2nd on the day. this is his 2nd 3-hit game on the season. it's also his 1000th career hit. someone give that guy another 20m bucks.

I'll give the Cubs bullpen credit: when they implode, they go big - no shttin' around with this crew.

[ ]

In reply to by nickel23

Inexplicably stupid move by Maddon. No way Edwards should have been put into that spot. Just terrible. Cubs continue to wet their pants against good teams -- can't even win a series vs. Nats without any of their top 3 starters. Justin Wilson -- we need you to be really good. Koji is toast, and CJ needs therapy.

[ ]

In reply to by nickel23

I understand what Joe was thinking with putting CJ in that situation yesterday. He's right about it increasing his confidence if it goes well. On the bright side, I don't think he makes that decision if it were the postseason. If it were a postseason game, Joe likely keeps Montgomery in, puts Hector or Koji in, or puts Davis in for a 5 out save. Joe's reasoning for the decision did not seem like something you do in the postseason for sure. Unfortunate that it didn't work out, but I'm not worried.

[ ]

In reply to by chitownmvp01

CHITOWNMVP01: I think the best move with Edwards would be to pitch him in low-leverage situations for a week and then decide at the end of the road trip whether to option him to Iowa or not. 

The main problem with sending Edwards to the minors right now is that he has only one minor league option left, so the Cubs really can't afford to send him to the minors for more than 19 days, otherwise they burn his last minor league option year, and the Cubs will probably want to preseve that for next season. 

So I expect Edwards will remain in the Cubs pen through the road trip to SF and AZ, and then the Cubs will decide next Monday whether to send him down to Iowa until September 1st or keep him in the MLB pen.

If I had to guess, I would say the Cubs will send Edwards to AAA for 19 days starting next Monday (after the road trip), have him pitch in high-leverage situations at Iowa, and then recall him when rosters expand on September 1st. Right now his walk rate is just totally unacceptable. He is costing the Cubs games in a season where even one game could mean the difference between making the playoffs or staying home in October.  

As for who would replace Edwards in the Cubs bullpen, it could be RHRP Matt Carasiti (acquired from COL for Zac Rosscup last month). Carasiti is a AAA closer, but he would probably be used in middle-relief for the Cubs. He is a ground ball pitcher who rarely gives up a HR, so that would give Carasiti an edge over Justin Grimm. NOTE: Grimm cannot be recalled until Friday unless he replaces a player on the 25-man roster who is placed on the DL or other MLB inactive list.

Also, Carasiti will be a minor league FA post-2017 if he not added to the MLB 40-man roster by the 5th day after the final game of the World Series, so it would not be out of line to add him to the 40 sooner than that. 

As for who the Cubs would drop from the 40 to make room for Carasiti (if Carasiti is called-up to replace CJE), Iowa RHSP Aaron Brooks is the most-likely candidate. The thing to remember about Brooks is that - IF - the Cubs can get him through waivers, he cannot elect free-agency if outrighted, AND, he would not be eligible to be a minor league 6YFA after the World Series, either, so the Cubs would be able to keep him under club control through the 2018 season in case he turns the corner next year at AAA. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

I am behind what you are explaining AZ Phil. CJE definitely needs to find his confidence. Low leverage situations and then AAA for 19 days should help him. And it would be nice to see what Carasiti can do. It would be great to be able to hold on to Brooks, but if losing him is the cost, that's acceptable. I know it would be better if he can clear waivers and we have him locked in for 2018, but I gotta believe there will be guys getting promoted from AA and taking some of the SP positions available.

cubs go west to play SF...3 vs SF, day off thursday, 3 vs ARZ...then back home for CIN(4) and TOR(3)

The Cubs signed LH-hitting 3B-2B Mike Freeman to replace Tommy LaStella and Jeimer Candelario at AAA Iowa. Freeman elected free-agency after being outrighted to the minors by the Dodgers last week. 

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.