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

Cubs @ Phillies: Hendricks vs Lively (Game 128)

CHC (68-59): RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.52)
PHI (47-80): RHP Ben Lively (1-4, 3.70)
First pitch: 6:05pmCST

Hendricks’ winless streak continued on Sunday, with a no-decision against the Blue Jays (6 IP, 3 ER, 6 K, 2 BB). He’s 2-2 with a 3.46 on the road this year. Overall, the Phillies are 7-38 (.184) against him. Galvis is 3-6.

The rookie Lively had a no-decision in San Francisco his last time out, giving up 2 ER over 6 innings. He’s 1-1 with a 3.18 at home this year. None of the Cubs have faced him.

It’s Lackey (10-9) and Nola (9-9) tomorrow at 12:35pmCST to wrap up the road trip.

Go Cubs!

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

he's a bit of an oddball considering that while baseball may not be a top priority in his overall scope of life, he still stays in baseball shape and ready to play. it's not like he's an underachiever simply cruising on natural ability (sup, ian stewart). even before he was a cub, he was a bit notorious for being aloof and even leaving without permission when private life stuff popped up. it's not some euphemism for drugs or other "bad" issues, it's that his life outside the game and the people in it seem to be really important to him. he doesn't seem to respond well to being backed into a corner and he seems more than willing to bail on that kind of stuff, even if it costs him money. i think he's pretty confident that 40K a year or 400K a year, his wish to feel content at what he's doing overrides any $$ amount.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Crunch's assessment seems spot-on from what I've read.  I've known the type in other professions. Hell, I'm trying to be that type, in my own profession.  To me as a fan, he's a breath of fresh air. 

What I don't quite get and wonder if anyone wants to take a crack at answering:  Given all we hear about (and see of) his amazing hit tool and his ability to hit for a high average in his sleep, why isn't he thought of around the game as a possible every-day option at 2nd or 3rd? Defense that bad, or he's a victim of type-cast as this generation's prototypical pinch-hitter?

 

[ ]

In reply to by Transmission

I very much support prioritizing personal happiness over careerism. But I aso wonder what it says about you when you have an opportunity to have some fraternal goofiness and you just stick with your last name. Could've gone with 3 AM or whatever Maddon calls him! That said, all but 3 or 4 of the nicknames are boring as heck.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

yeah, la stella and lester (no surprise there) didn't seem to want to take part in the fun with the names. i don't even think they did the "decorative cleats" thing, either, but im not sure. cj "carls jr" edwards won the shoe game, imo.

I'm in Philly tonight, seeing the game as part of my brother's bachelor party. Wish me good vibes for the Cubs and also for me not to get a battery thrown at me.

rizz-oh! cubs with a 2 run lead. #29!

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Rizzo is fascinating -- he is a very hot/cold hitter, but his numbers over time are remarkably consistent. Over the last 3 years his OBP has been: .386, .387, 385. HRs have been: 32, 31, 32. Now, this year -- 6 HR each month. Baseball, man -- it's the best.

for some reason i really like the whole corny as hell "wave to the dugout" thing that happens when a runner gets on base for the cubs. shooting fake arrows into the air is so 2012. finger guns is for amateurs.

Dear CT STEVE and BRICK: Thank you for the good work tonight. Please stay there, overnight. Go again tomorrow.

HAGSAG: The four players on the Cubs 10-day DL will be reinstated (Lester, Russell, and Grimm probably on 9/1 or soon thereafter, and Contreras later), and Victor Caratini (3rd catcher) and Rob Zastryzny (stretched-out as a starter) are virtual locks to get called-up. 

The other potential call-ups are probably still TBD, but IF-OF Mike Freeman (signed to a minor league contract by the Cubs less than 24 hours after he elected free-agency after being outrighted to the minors by the Dodgers) would seem to be a likely September addition, because he can play anywhere in the INF and OF and he is a high-percentage base-stealer. I doubt that Freeman would have signed with the Cubs so quickly after becoming a FA if the Cubs did not give him a virtual guarantee that he would be called-up to Chicago in September. 

I think the Cubs would like to call-up Eddie Butler as an extra starting pitcher, but he's been on the DL at Iowa for a while now and I don't know if he can get back into starting pitching shape before the minor league season is over. Otherwise he will probably be assigned to Advanced Instructs in Mesa and get reps there in case he's needed in the post-season. If Butler is unable to pitch (as a starting pitcher) in September, the Cubs might call-up RHSP Seth Frankoff from Iowa instead, since Frankoff is stretched-out as a starter. But Frankoff's slot on the 40-man roster might be needed for somebody else.  

I do think the Cubs will try to acquire another MLB RP before the midnight 8/31 post-season roster eligibility deadline, but if they can't I would think RHRP Pierce Johnson could get recalled just to provide additional RP depth (since he's already on the 40-man roster). Same goes for LHRP Jack Leathersich, although both have had difficulty throwing strikes at AAA. 

The Cubs might also call-up an outfielder, probably Mark Zagunis (if he is ready to play -- he's presently on the DL at iowa) or else Jake Hannemann, but it's possible that the Cubs could call-up John Andreoli (just for September), and then drop him from the 40 after the season.  

Besides Frankoff, the other player presently on the 40 who could get dropped to make room for potential September addition(s) would be RHRP Jose Rosario (who has had a "dead arm" all year). However, since Rosario is on the DL at AA Tennessee, he cannot be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers until he is healthy enough to pitch. So if he is not ready to return to action when the Cubs need his 40-man roster slot, Rosario would have to be either released or else recalled from his Optional Assignment and then placed on the MLB 60-day DL (more-likely released).

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    in other news, it took 3 PA before a.rizzo got his 1st HBP of the season.

  • Eric S (view)

    With two home runs (so far) and 5 rbi today … clearly Nick Martini is the straw that stirs the Reds drink 😳

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • 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.