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

Pirates @ Cubs: Kuhl vs Arrieta (Game 131)

PIT (63-69): RHP Chad Kuhl (6-9, 4.52)
CHC (70-60): RHP Jake Arrieta (13-8, 3.49) 
First pitch: 7:05pmCST

Arrieta had a no-decision in Cincinnati on Thursday. He’s 5-1 with a 1.78 since the All-star Break. That’ll do.

In his three starts against the Pirates this year, Jake is 0-2 with a 4.50. Overall, they are 64-275 (.233) against him. Bell is 6-11 with a HR.

Kuhl lost to the Dodgers his last time out (4 IP, 2 ER, 2 K, 5 BB). He’s 0-1 with a 19.29 ERA in two games against the Cubs this season. He’s 4-5 with a 4.86 at home so far. For their careers, the Cubs are 24-57 (.421) against him. Heyward is 4-8 with a HR.

Nova (11-11) and Quintana (8-11) finish the series tomorrow at the same time.

Go Cubs!

Comments

FAKE NEWS EDIT. #MTCRGA anyway, lester pen tomorrow. could be back by week's end or this weekend if he doesn't go on a minor league rehab assignment.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

That's good news... at the same time, I'm all for them sending him somewhere to do one rehab start just to make sure everything is going swell. What I don't want is for him to have any sort of problems in his first start back and not only result in a loss, but to further deplete their bullpen. Montgomery deserves at least one more start, and if the front office/Maddon is comfortable with it, I'm fine with a 6 man-rotation the rest of the way (and can alternate L/R/L/R/L/R). With roster expansion just days away, the bullpen will get some reserves to throw during whatever garbage innings exist for the remainder of the season. So I don't see Montgomery being as much of a necessity for the bullpen. Although one thing to watch for Montgomery is his innings pitched on the year. He pitched 100 last year and is at 109.1 this season, so honestly, I don't think they want to let him get way past 120 to 130 IP (especially considering he'll hopefully pitch more in the postseason), so maybe they shouldn't go to a 6-man rotation?

Rizzo donated $3.5 million to Lurie Children's hospital's cancer ward today. He is there on a regular basis, bringing gifts and hanging out with the kids. That is one seriously good dude.

arrieta is popping the glove with some 93-94mph offerings, but all his pitches have so much movement they're rather wild. tighten it up a bit and PIT isn't gonna have a good night.

Look at Cubs offense over the last 10 days with Zobrist in leadoff, versus not in leadoff. Not a coincidence. Surely someone in uniform understands the correlation.

[ ]

In reply to by blockhead25

On tonight's Gameday feed: "RT @CEmma670: Ben Zobrist has a career-best hard contact rate and a career-worst BABIP this season. His fortunes are turning. He can give the Cubs a boost." Wasn't aware of his hard contact rate vs. BABIP issue. I'll have to check out his Fangraphs page. You'd think someone would have mentioned this before now.

Win. 3.5 Game lead. Want 6+ game lead before we head into the stretch of playing MIL and STL 48 straight games.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

@billybucks- So true, but we who've seen him pitch over the last 4+ years all know that we've already gotten his best. Maybe he's got one season in him that's better than his 2017, but no way does it match his 2015 or first half 2016. So that Boris laughter is probably directed towards the teams who are ready to throw big money his way.

If the Cubs weren't stuck with Heyward's crap contract, they could take the $$ risk with re-signing Jake. Just sayin'.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

i'd take arrieta over giving heyward 23m/y for heyward's 2-ish chances a game to be good in RF while hitting .240/.310/.346 heyward isn't dead weight (not counting his cruddy playoffs last year), but even for a non-star role player he's having a hard time filling his role with almost 2 seasons under his belt.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I believe there are more than half a dozen teams that will pay "whatever" for him and eat the back-end of his contract. I'd include the Cardinals, Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers among them. The Dodgers seemingly could buy the island of Aruba right now and it does nothing to its deep pockets. Of course they could DFA Aruba, eat the expense, and then buy Bimini - so there's that.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

EJAX Did they also give Ejax a WS Ring? It would have been hard to "earn" those high draft picks without his "contributions". I consider it money well spent. It would have been hard to suck that bad without him.

[ ]

In reply to by Sonicwind75

That is an excellent idea. The entire ground crew should get one. Also, my vendor, Rich should get one too because he helps to keep the crowd along the 1st base side motivated with Goose, Bud and Bud Light.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

i can't imagine a situation where the cubs wouldn't hesitate to move a guy hitting .240/.310/.346 in almost 2 full seasons that's owed $135m if someone came knocking. i also can't imagine anyone lining up to take that contact. the only steady thing one can say about him is he does well above average in the 2-ish chances a game he gets in the OF playing D. i think the cubs are stuck with this contract for a while unless they want to eat a nice chunk of loot. i don't see heyward using any of his opt-outs without a radical change in what he's doing at the plate. luckily, the cubs have plenty of money to absorb this mis-investment because they have a slew of cheap MLB-quality youth.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Heyward's paychecks add up to $28 million this year. The difference between that and $23 million is enough to buy--I don't know, twenty John Mallees?--until we get a hitting coach who can communicate to Heyward the importance of guessing fastball once in a while in order to get the bat there on time.

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.