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 @ Pirates: Quintana vs Cole (Game 139)

CHC (75-63): LHP José Quintana (9-11, 4.49) 
PIT (67-72): RHP Gerrit Cole (11-9, 4.11) 
First pitch: 6:05pmCST

Quintana, who went 3-2 with a 5.73 in August, beat the Pirates on Wednesday (6 IP, 3 ER, 9 K, 0 BB). Overall, they are 16-49 (.327) against him. Freese and McCutchen are 3-6, Bell (1-3) and Rodriguez (3-7) have HRs.

Cole has had a down year, although not against the Cubs, against whom he’s 1-1 with a 1.38. His last outing was a 5 ER, 6-inning loss against the Reds. For their careers, the Cubs are 35-160 (.219) against him. Rizzo, who was told by the magic iPad to stay on the bench and watch the Cubs lose last night’s game by a run, is 9-29.

Lester (9-7) and Taillon (7-5) go tomorrow at the same time.

Go Cubs!

Comments

The Philadelphia Phillies have traded RHRP Juan Nicasio to the St. Louis Cardinals for INF Eliezer Alvarez. Nicasio will not be eligible to play for the Cards in the post-season, but he could help them get there. 

The Phils claimed Nicasio off Outright Assignment Waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on 8/31. 

But remember... 

A club is not permitted to make a waiver claim and then trade the player to another club if the purpose or effect of the claim was to prevent a third club from being awarded the waiver claim. (A waiver claim that is judged by the MLB Commissioner to have been made for this purpose will be revoked).

So - IF - another club that had a waiver claim priority between the Phillies and the Cardinals as of 9 AM on 8/31 put in a claim on Nicasio but was not awarded the claim because the Phillies had a worse record, that club could file a grievance and the whole House of Cards could come crashing down. The original waiver claim by the Phillies would get revoked, the trade between the Phillies and the Cardinals would be revoked, the third club (the one that wasn't awarded the waiver claim on 8/31) gets Nicasio for the $50,000 waiver price, and Nicasio would likely be ruled eligible to play in the post-season with that club (since that club should have been awarded the claim on 8/31).  

Again, that's - ONLY - if another club (besides the Phillies) put in a claim when Nicasio was on Outright Assignment Waivers 8/29 - 8/31 - AND - that club cares enough to file a grievance.

If I'm Theo & Jed, I'm calling all clubs who had a waiver claim priority between the Phils and Cards on 8/31 (SF, CHW, CIN, OAK, NYM, DET, SD, TOR, ATL, SEA, KC, MIA, TB, and TEX) to find out if another claim was made, and if so, I would certainly encourage that club to Do the Right Thing and file a grievance. 

[ ]

In reply to by nickel23

NICKEL23: The procedure for awarding waiver claims is different depending on the type of waivers and the time of the year.


PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING OF WAIVER CLAIMS (TYPE OF WAIVERS): 

1. For Outright Assignment Waivers and Outright Release Waivers (but NOT for Trade Assignment Waivers): If a player is claimed by only one club, that club is awarded the claim. If more than one club makes a claim, the club with the lowest winning percentage (regardless of league) either from the previous season (beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season through the 30th day of the MLB regular season) or on the day the player clears waivers (beginning on the 31st day of the MLB regular season through the last day of the MLB regular season) is awarded the claim. If two clubs with the same winning percentage make a claim, the club in the player's own league is awarded the claim. If two clubs from the same league make a claim and they are tied in the standings, the club with the lowest winning percentage from the previous season is awarded the claim. If the clubs are still tied, standings from two years back (or three years back, four years back, etc) are used to break the tie.

2. For Trade Assignment Waivers (only): If a player is claimed by more than one club, the club in the player's own league with the lowest winning percentage is awarded the claim, even if that club has a higher winning percentage than the club or clubs making a claim from the other league. So a player placed on Trade Assignment Waivers must essentially be "waived out of his own league" before he can be assigned to a club in the other league. But again, this ONLY applies to Trade Assignment Waiver claims. 

PROCEDURE FOR AWARDING OF WAIVER CLAIMS (TIME OF THE YEAR)

1. During the off-season and up through the first 30 days of he MLB regular season, the previous season's MLB standings are used to determine waiver claim priority. 

2. Beginning on the 31st day of the MLB regular season through the conclusion of the MLB regular season, the MLB standings as of the date the player clears waivers are used to determine waiver claim priority, with the previous season's MLB standings only used to break ties.

RESTRICTION ON MAKING WAIVER CLAIMS:

A club is not permitted to make a waiver claim and then trade the player to another club if the purpose or effect of the claim was to prevent a third club from being awarded the waiver claim. (A waiver claim that is judged by the MLB Commissioner to have been made for this purpose will be revoked).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So (reportedly) what happened with Juan Nicasio is this: 

According to Pirates GM Neal Huntington, the Bucs placed Nicasio on Trade Assignment Waivers sometime around 8/25, and he was claimed by a National League Central club (Reds, Brewers, Cardinals, or Cubs, but it was probably the Cards). The waiver request was then withdrawn (since Trade Assignment Waiver requests are revocable the first time they are requested by a team), because Huntington said he did not want Nicasio to go to a team in the N. L. Central. (Remember, clubs in the same league have waiver claim priority over clubs in the other league for Trade Assignment Waivers ONLY). 

The Pirates then placed Nicasio on Outright Assignment Waivers (which cannot be withdrawn if a claim is made), hoping he would be claimed by an American League team (since no distinction is made between leagues when determiining waiver claim priority for Outright Assignment Waiver requests). But then the Phillies unexpectedly claimed Nicasio off Outright Assignment Waivers (after not claiming him off Trade Assignment Waivers a few days earlier) and were awarded the claim on 8/31. The Phillies then placed Nicasio on Trade Assignment Waivers within a day or two (which is the only way they could get a player back for him), and the Cardinals obviously won the claim and worked out a deal with the Phillies to acquire Nicasio.    

I think that it is fairly obvious that the Phillies claimed Nicasio of Outright Assignment Waivers for the purpose of placing him on Trade Waivers and trying to get a player back for him (which they did). The only problem with doing that is if another National League club or an American League club with a waiver claim priority between the Phillies and Cardinals on 8/31 (like the Texas Rangers, for example) put in a claim on Nicasio when he was on Outright Assignment Waivers 8/29 - 8/31 and then was not awarded the claim because the Phillies claimed him (the Phils had the worst record in MLB at the time). 

Is it possible that the Cardinals asked rhe Phillies to make the claim to keep Nicasio from being claimed by an A. L. club? (Not that the Cardinals would ever do something like that!).

I think what might be confusing is that in the Rule 5 Draft, a club picking early in the 1st round will sometimes make a proxy-pick for a club selecting lower in the 1st round, and then will subsequently trade the drafted player to the other club (usually for cash). Waivers are different, because the MLB office knows how many claims were made and which club(s) made the claim(s). There is no way to prove in a draft if a player would have been selected by a third club (with a draft slot between the club that makes the pick and the club that acquires the drafted player in a trade) if the third club had been given the chance. 

[ ]

In reply to by tim815

TIM: If the Cubs claimed Juan Nicasio when he was on Outright Assignment Waivers 8/29 - 8/31 it wouldn't affect yesterday's trade between the Phiillies and Cardinals because only a club that had a waiver claim priority between the Phillies and Cardinals on 8/31 (like the Rangers, Royals, or Rays for example, but NOT the Cubs) - AND - that made a claim could file a grievance that could result in the trade being voided. (So the Cubs can't file the grievance, but another club that was affected by the Phils waiver claim and subsequent trade could). 
 
The MLB office does not advise clubs how many waiver claims were made and which clubs made claims. Sometimes the information leaks out, but the process is supposed to remain confidential and free from collusion.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

If anybody is wondering how it was that the Phillies were able to place Juan Nicasio back on Trade Assignment Waivers after he had been placed on Trade Waivers and then pulled back by the Pirates last month, it's because the rule only applies if it's the same team. Once Nicasio was claimed off Outright Assignment Waivers by the Phillies on 8/31, the Phillies can place Nicasio on Trade Waivers again (and they could have pulled him back once he was claimed by the Cardinals if they were so inclined). 

And again, Nicasio was NOT placed on  Outright Release Waivers on 8/29 after the Pirates withdrew the Trade Waiver request. He was placed on Outright Assignment Waivers (which are usually used to outright a player to the minors, but in this case it was to allow A. L. clubs have a chance to win the waiver claim, since Outright Assignment Waiver claims are awarded to the club with the worse record regardless of league). 

Reds sweep Brewers! Let's go Q! Let's go bullpen!! Let's go offense!!!

[ ]

In reply to by Rob Richardson

BOB R: After today's Brewer loss at CIN, the Cubs Magic number is 21 over STL and 20 over MIL pending tonight's action. (Right now the Cardinals are one game ahead of the Brewers in the loss column, so the Cards are actually in second place by % points).   

But you are right about the magic number not meaning much right now. The Cubs have seven games left against both the Brewers and the Cardinals (including four games each at both MIL and STL).

There is also a very real possibility that the Cubs could end up being the #2 Wild Card team. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

"There is also a very real possibility that the Cubs could end up being the #2 Wild Card team" I have trouble seeing this, as if they lose enough ground to fall behind MIL or STL, it will be difficult to stay ahead of COL (or the other of STL/MIL that doesn't lose the division). Cubs lose 5 of 7 to those teams, that's 5 games they can't make up to win the WC.

ian happ spectacularly tripped over his own bat running to 1st. it got some serious air. he doesn't seem injured or amused.

happ...bruh... when a pitcher throws 6 balls in a row, walking the dude before, don't swing at the 2-0 pitch outside the zone...or the 3-0 pitch outside the zone that would have walked you. but yeah, go ahead and K. nice.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Avila -- throws out a runner in the bottom of the 8th, drives in the winning run in the 9th. That's 16 RBI in 24 games for him to go along with a .370 OBP and .812 OPS. Nice pickup there, Theo. Now, if his buddy Wilson can find his stuff...

Feels like a long time since the Cubs won a game like this. Good stuff. Props to Q and the bullpen. Now, even with a Brewers Sweep...Cubs will still be in first place. Cubs win 2 of 3 at Wrigley, Brewers will be far back in the rearview mirror.

Contreras out for rehab assignment with Myrtle Beach -- ummm, the Carolinas are in the path of the worst hurricane in decades.

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...