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

2017 Arizona Fall League Schedule Released

The 2017 Arizona Fall League schedule has been released and rosters should be announced later this month. 
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an MLB developmental league (approximately equivalent to "AA") that operates for six weeks after the conclusion of the MLB regular season.

The 2017 AFL schedule features a 30-game "regular season," plus the "Bowman Hitting Challenge" held at Sloan Park in Mesa on Saturday October 21st, an All-Star Game (formerly called the "Rising Stars Game," but now known as the "Fall Stars Game") played in the stadium at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Saturday November 4th, and the AFL Championship Game (pitting the winner of the East Division against the winner of the West Division) played at Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday November 18th. There are no games played on Sundays or on the day of the Bowman Hitting Challenge and on the day of the Fall Stars Game, but otherwise there are three games scheduled every day Monday through Saturday (except for one off day on Wednesday October 8th), beginning with Opening Day on Tuesday October 10th and extending up through Thursday November 16th. 

The Cubs (as well as the other 29 MLB clubs) usually assign some of their better prospects to the Arizona Fall League, and sometimes minor leaguers who are eligible for selection in the MLB Rule 5 Draft might be sent to the AFL to give them a chance to play their way onto the MLB 40-man roster. Depending on what positions they are asked to fill on the Mesa squad, I would not be surprised to see the Cubs assign some combination of position players and pitchers such as catchers Ian Rice or P. J. Higgins, INF Chesny Young, third-baseman Jason Vosler, super-sub IF-OF David Bote, OF Charcer Burks, and OF Eddy Julio Martinez (Young, Vosler, Bote, and Burks will be first-time Rule 5 Draft eligible post-2017), starting pitchers Alec Mills, Oscar de la Cruz, Jose Paulino, Michael Rucker, Tyson Miller, or Ryan Kellogg, or possibly even one of the Cubs 2017 draft picks like Alex Lange or Brendon Little (starting pitchers assigned to the AFL are usually pitchers who didn't throw a whole lot of innings in the minor league regular season either because of injury or because they spent part of the season working out of the bullpen), and relief pitchers Dillon Maples, Dakota Mekkes, Craig Brooks, James Norwood, Jake Stinnett, Brad Markey, David Garner, Wyatt Short, and/or Tommy Thorpe (de la Cruz, Paulino, Maples, Norwood, Stinnett, Markey, Garner, and Thorpe are Rule 5 Draft-eligible post-2017). NOTE: Post-2017 Cubs minor league free-agents like RHRP Daury Torrez, RHP James Pugliese, RHP Justin Hancock, C-1B Tayler Davis, SS Carlos Penalver, OF John Andreoli, and CF Trey Martin can be assigned to the AFL ONLY if  the player signs a 2018 Minor League successor contract or is added to an MLB 40-man roster.prior to the start of the AFL season.   

Here are the current AFL eligibility rules & restrictions. NOTE: Some of the eligibility rules & restrictions have been changed (relaxed) over the past couple of years:

1. There are six AFL teams, and each AFL team is affiliated with five MLB clubs. SEA & SD (Peoria Javelinas), KC & TEX (Surprise Saguaros), LAD & CHW (Glendale Desert Dogs), AZ & COL (Salt River Rafters), CUBS (Mesa Solar Sox), and SF (Scottsdale Scorpions) are the "host organizations" for the six AFL teams, but the affiliations of the other twenty MLB clubs can vary from year-to-year. NOTE: Besides the Cubs, DET, HOU, OAK, and WAS will be affiliated with the Mesa Solar Sox in 2017. (BAL, CLE, MIA, and OAK were the other four MLB organizations affiliated with the Mesa Solar Sox in 2016).

2. Each MLB organization must assign a minimum of seven players to its AFL affiliate, including a minimum of four pitchers (preferably one pitcher capable of starting plus three relievers) and a minimum of three position players (specific positions needed to be filled by each organization TBD by a conference call "position draft" between the Player Development Directors of the five MLB organizations affiliated with that particular AFL team). NOTE: C-1B Victor Caratini, RHRP James Farris, 2B-OF Ian Happ, LF Eloy Jimenez, RHRP Ryan McNeil, RHRP Steve Perakslis, and RHSP Duane Underwood Jr were the Cubs players assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox in 2016.   

3. An MLB organization can assign additional pitchers and/or players to its AFL team's "Taxi Squad." Players assigned to an AFL team's "Taxi Squad" can play in no more than two games per week (it used to be Wednesday and Saturday games only, but now it's just no more than two games per week regardless of the day), but a player can be transferred from the Taxi Squad to the 35-man Active Roster to replace an injured player. NOTE: The Cubs initially did not assign any players to the Mesa Solar Sox Taxi Squad in 2016, but OF-DH Kyle Schwarber was briefly assigned to the MSS Taxi Squad 10/22-10/25.   

4. A player can be selected to play in the AFL more than once, as long as the player continues to meet eligibility for selection.

5. MLB players (including players selected in a preceding Rule 5 Draft) with less than one year (1+000) MLB Service Time accrued (not including time spent on a Disabled list) as of September 1st are eligible.

6. Any player on a AA or AAA Active Roster or Disabled List on August 15th is eligible.

7. Two players on an organization's Advanced Class-A (A+) affiliate's Active Roster (or Disabled List) on August 15th can be assigned to the AFL.

8. Two additional players who were on the Active Roster or Disabled List of a minor league affiliate below AA (A+, A, SS-A, R) on August 15th can be assigned to the AFL.

9. International players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and/or Australia are eligible only if the player is not on the reserve list of a Winter League club from the player's home country. Otherwise, there is no maximum limit on the number of international players an MLB organization can assign to its AFL team.

10. A player on the Restricted List, Military List, Disqualified List, Ineligible List, or Voluntary Retired List is not eligible to participate in the AFL.

11. A player who was on a minor league or MLB DL at the close of the regular season is eligible to play in the AFL as long as the player has been reinstated, but there can be no special limits or restrictions placed on the player's playing time (other than the automatic restrictions imposed on a player assigned to an AFL team's "Taxi Squad").

12. A player cannot be assigned to the AFL on an Article XIX-C Minor League Injury Rehabilitation Assignment by a club participating in an MLB post-season series (LDS, LCS, and World Series). NOTE: OF-DH Kyle Schwarber was added to the 2016 Mesa Solar Sox Taxi Squad on 10/22 after being reinstated from the Cubs MLB 60-day DL (so it was NOT considered a "rehab assignment"), and he played in two AFL games before re-joining the Cubs for the World Series on 10/25.  

13. Players assigned to the AFL do not accrue MLB or minor league service time, each player receives the same salary, and the salaries are paid out of a special fund managed by MLB.

14. Only players who are under control of an MLB organization are eligible to play in the AFL. A free-agent (unsigned player) is not eligible to play in the AFL.

Each MLB organization provides either the manager, a pitching coach, or a hitting coach to its affiliated AFL club (assignments rotate every year). The Cubs are responsible for providing a hitting coach to their affiliated AFL club in 2017. NOTE: Cubs AA (Tennessee) hitting coach Jacob Cruz will serve as hitting coach for the Mesa Solar Sox in 2017. 

CUBS ASSIGNED TO 2017 MESA SOLAR SOX (updated 7-26-2017)
TBA 
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Jacob Cruz (Hitting Coach)

Comments

AZ Phil, have you heard or seen whether De la Cruz or Mills are throwing or otherwise have a chance to return before the end of the minor league season?

Hi Phil, was so sad to hear about John. I will miss him. He was such a special person. I posted a note on your write-up on John. You captured him so nicely. I have a new email [email protected]. I finally gave up on AOL. Email me so I have your email address. Thanks! Montana Bob

As they need a defined "starting pitcher" on the Solar Sox, my leans would be either James Pugliese or Brad Markey.

ARIZONA PHIL: What are your impressions of Yunior Perez and Dakota Mekkes? What are the other scouts saying, if anything? Thanks.

E-MAN: Yunior Perez was considered the pitcher with the best arm signed by the Cubs in the 2015-16 IFA. He is a big kid (6'4) and features a mid-90's FB that very well could increase in velocity as he matures, but his secondary stuff needs a lot work and he has MAJOR command issues. So he is long-term developmental guy (high ceiling/low floor). He (finally) had a decent outing last night for the AZL Cubs, so hopefully he can build on that. Scouts like him just because he has a "live" arm with a plus-FB. Dakota Mekkes reminds me a lot of Dick Tidrow or maybe Rod Beck. He is a big man with a wide girth (6'7 250+) and he has a deceptive delivery that produces a lot of strikeouts without a high-octane FB or plus-secondary pitch. He has what scouts call "pitchability," which means he just gets outs. I think Mekkes is a very likely candidate to pitch in the AFL post-2017, and if he pitches well there he could get an get an NRI to Spring Training. He projects to start the 2018 season in the AA Tennessee bullpen, but I could envision him pitching his way into the Cubs bullpen with a strong performance in Spring Training.

Cubs assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox (AFL): 

Pedro Araujo, RHRP 
David Bote, IF-OF 
Oscar de la Cruz, RHSP 
Alec Mills, RHSP 
Ian Rice, C 
Jake Stinnett, RHRP 
Jason Vosler, INF 

The rosters are provisional and subject to change. For example, Araujo is eligible to be a minor league 6YFA after the World Series, and so he must sign a 2018 minor league successor contract in order to play in the AFL. 

As I mentioned in the original post (see above), the AFL is often used as proving ground for players eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft, and Bote, de la Cruz, Stinnett, and Vosler (and Araujo if and when he signs a successor contract) fit that profile.  

Mills and de la Cruz both missed considerable time in 2017 and getting reps in the AFL will help both pitchers make-up innings lost due to injury. Mills is already on the MLB 40-man roster, but de la Cruz (one of the Cubs top SP prospects) is not and he will be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft if he is not added to the 40 by 11/20 (although he is very close to being a "lock" to get added). 

Rice has emerged as a legit MLB catching prospect at AA in 2017 (although his bat is more advanced than his glove right now), but getting additional experience in the AFL can't help but aid his development. (Rice will not be Ruke 5 Draft eligible until post-2018). 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Interesting group of guys heading to AZ this year. Think this means Chesny and Jose Paulino aren't added to the 40 Man? How about Erling Moreno? He is the one I'd hate to lose most of those 3. And though he's far away from MLB, some teams have been going based on upside in rule 5 in recent years. I wonder if Clifton has cost himself a roster spot with his bad year, or if they just want to limit his innings and give him a rest after an awful season.

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

DJL: Trevor Clifton has thrown way too many innings this season to be assigned to the AFL. I'm actually kind of surprised he hasn't been shut-down. But even with his struggles lately, Clifton is certainly "on the bubble" for a slot on the MLB 40-man roster on 11/20. Same goes for LHP Jose Paulino, IF-OF Chesny Young, IF-OF David Bote, 3B-1B Jason Vosler, OF Charcer Burks, and RHRP Jake Stinnett. And RHRP Matt Carasiti and/or C-1B Taylor Davis could get added to the 40 just to keep them from walking away as a minor league free-agent after the World Series (as happened with Jose Rosario last year). 

I believe the only prospects who are virtual-locks to get add to the Cubs MLB 40-man roster are Adbert Alzolay, Oscar de la Cruz, Dillon Maples, and Jen-Ho Tseng, The Cubs will probably add six or seven, so figure two ir three of the guys who are "on the bubble" will get added to the 40 along with Alzolay, de la Cruz, Maples, and Tseng. 

Erling Moreno is one of the Cubs top six or seven SP prospects, but he would be a long-shot to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft because I doubt that the claiming team could keep on their 25-man rostet for an entire season. Even if he were to be selected, I would think the Cubs would probably believe that they would get him back, so I doubt that he would get added to the 40 post-2017.

Jose Paulino is more of the type of pitcher (a LHP with a 93-94 MPH sinker & power slider combo) who could be stashed in an MLB bullpen for an entire season and be used as a LOOGY and to throw "garbage innings," so the Cubs might not be able to re-claim him if he gets selected. That's why Paulino is more-likely to get rostered post-2017 than Moreno, even though they are comparable prospects (and Moreno may even be a better prospect). So Paulino is very likely "on the bubble" along with Slifton, Young, Bote, Vosler, Burks, Stinnett, Carasiti, and T. Davis, because he is a definite candidate to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft (and lost for good) if he is left off the 40-man roster. 

There is still a week to go in the AFL, but I feel confident about this: AZ PHIL'S 2017 AFL ALL-STAR TEAM C - Alex Jackson (ATL) 1B - Eric Filia (SEA) 2B - David Bote (CUBS) 3B - Austin Riley (ATL) SS - Nicky Lopez (KC) LF - Braxton Lee (MIA) CF - Victor Robles (WAS) RF - Ronald Acuna (ATL) DH - Francisco Mejia (CLE) SP - Max Fried (ATL) RP - Cody Carroll (NYY) MVP: Ronald Acuna

David Bote has returned home to attend to a personal matter and so his AFL season has apparently concluded. 

C-1B Ian Rice has been moved up to the "regular" MSS active list from the Taxi Squad. 

Presuming the Mesa Solar Sox make it that far (and they are up by 2-1/2 games with only four to play), Cubs RHSP Alec Mills is in line to start the AFL Championship game next Saturday. 

Mills has been one of the best starting pitchers in the AFL this year, and is the ace of the Solar Sox starting rotation.  

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Confirmed Cubs RHSP Alec Mills will get the start for the Mesa Solar Sox in the AFL Championship Game Saturday afternoon versus the Peoria Javelinas (the best and most-loaded team in the AFL) at Scottsdale Stadium (it will be televised on MLB network). Mills has been one of the better SP in the AFL this season and is clearly the ace of the Solar Sox staff, and he'll have to take his "A" game to the mound versus Peoria. On the negative side, Cubs INF (and Solar Sox MVP) David Bote went home last week to attend to a personal matter and is not expected to return for the Championship Game, and RHP Adbert Alzolay (arguably the Cubs #1 pitching prospect) has been shut-down after reaching his 2017 innings limit. But RHRPs Jake Stinnett and Pedro Araujo are well-rested and could very well see action out of the Solar Sox pen on Saturday, and OF Charcer Burks, INF Jason Vosler, and C-1B Ian Rice have been getting regular playing time for the Solar Sox and so any or all of the three could be in the MSS starting lineup on Saturday (TBD).

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

not to distract (too much) from his nice AFL showing, but as a guy that's about to turn 26 in a couple weeks i would expect alec mills to carve these kids up. that said, it's nice to have him in the AAA/majors pipeline for 2018 along with tseng.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.