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: Lester vs Taillon (Game 140)

CHC (76-63): LHP Jon Lester (9-7, 4.46) 
PIT (67-73): RHP Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.50) 
First pitch: 6:05pmCST

Lester gave up 4 ER in 5 innings but beat the Braves on Saturday. In three starts against the Pirates, he’s 0-2 with a 6.08 this season. Overall, they are 61-222 (.275) against him. Mercer is 6-19, with a HR.

Taillon had a no-decision against the Reds his last time out (6 IP, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB). In two starts against the Cubs this season, he’s 1-1 with a 3.00. For their careers, the Cubs are 22-75 (.301). Rizzo is 6-11 with 2 HR, Jay is 2-2, and Baez is 5-7 with a HR.

If you’re in the area, tickets start at $4.

Lackey (11-10) and Nelson (11-6) start the NL Central showdown with the Brewers at Wrigley tomorrow at 7:05pmCST.

Go Cubs!

Comments

So now it's Ferrebus for the rest of us, as Alex Avila look-alike Emilio Ferrebus takes the ball tonight at Scottsdale Stadium in the AZL championship game (best two-out-of-three series is tied at 1-1). . 

Tough loss for the AZL Cubs last night at Sloan Park in Mesa.

After going ahead 5-4 on a dramatic one-out bases-clearing three-run triple into the RF corner by Nelson Velazquez (on a 3-1 pitch) in the bottom of the 5th (unfortunately, Velazquez was left-stranded at 3rd), the Cubs gave the lead back in the top of the 6th. The inning started promisingly enough with a pop-up in front of home plate, but somehow it resulted in a messy four-car pile-up in front of the pitcher's mound involving 3rd baseman Cam Balego, 1st baseman Luis Hidalgo, catcher Marcus Mastrobuoni, and pitcher Eury Ramos, as Jacob Gonzalez (son of Luis Gonzalez) hustled into 2nd base (as the ball somehow found an open spot between the quartet) for what had to be scored a double. (The Arizona Highway Patrol was called-in to do the Accident Reconstruction on the wreck but the results will probably not be known for weeks). And "J-Go" (as he is known to his teammates) scored the tying run later in the inning on a two-out bases-loaded walk.  

Then in the top of the 9th, with two outs and a runner at 3rd, Cubs reliever Fauris Guerrero induced the Giants hitter into a two-hop chopper to Cam Balego (now playing 1st base). Balego lost his balance and did a face-first prat fall while fielding the ball and made an errant throw to Guerrero covering 1st, and so the go-ahead run scored on what should have been an easy inning-ending 3-1 putout. 

So then the Cubs came up in the bottom of the 9th trailing 6-5. They got the potential tying and winning runs on base with two outs and Nelson Velazquez coming up to the plate while the Cubs bench was going banshee crazy-nuts on the dugout railing, and in a true Mighty Casey Moment, Velazquez struck out on three pitches (all three swinging, al three sliders, all three pitches out of the strike zone).

So there was a lot of drowning sorrows in warm beer and whiskey in Mesa last night (in other words, not much different than any other night in Mesa)
 
So it's on to Scottsdale! 

Go Cubs! 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

I will be glued to my computer following four playoff games on a night off of work. MB/Eugene/Mesa, and the Geelong Cats in the Aussie football League. I might bother Bill Mitchell for a request of a photo of the line-up cards, so I know which nine relievers will be eligible tonight. I expect to see Marco Estrada as one of the potential relievers.

[ ]

In reply to by tim815

TIM: FWIW, all of the pitchers on the AZL Cubs active roster were dressed last night, but the only pitchers who were physically in the bullpen during the game were Guerrero, Ramos, Remy, Sweeney, and Stophel. 

It will be truly "all hands on deck" tonight. The only pitchers who probably can't pitch tomight are Colorado, King, Marquez, and Ramos, and Guerrero, Palma, Passantino, and Medina would be iffy (although the latter four seem to have rubber arms and I'm sure they would want to pitch if they're needed).  

But the main six in the pen tonight should be Carrera, Correa, Estrada, Remy, Sweeney, and Stophel, with the others only if they're needed,  
 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

It sucks for the Giants that one of their relievers was injured in the game. (I hate injuries.) I'm not sure if the Giants will back-to-back their closer from last night. That their starter (from Carbondale and SIU-C named Marciano) couldn't get out of the first kind of incinerated their pen for tonight. I'll be a busy boy/nervous wreck tonight. I hear the parent club is playing also, but that will be on another screen. Myrtle Beach and Eugene audio Mesa box for the after-the-inning update. And a possible third year in a row with at least one league champ. After four last year.

[ ]

In reply to by tim815

I failed to mention this yesterday, but Eugene manager Pedro Feliciano is from the same home town as Nelson Velazquez, and AZL Cubs manager Carmelo Martinez knows more about beisbol in Puerto Rico than probably anybody on earth, so I suspect they may have had some influence or input in the Cubs selecting Velazquez when they did - AND - convincing him to sign. Same goes for SS Luis Vazquez. 

It looks like the Cubs don't want Lester to start against the Brewers, The Brewers were probably the one team that really took advantage of Lester's throwing-to-bases issue last year. 

Happ (.911 OPS w/RISP) leads off; Zobrist (.597 OPS w/RISP) bats cleanup. Joe, let me see that iPad for a minute.

Willson Contreras catching and batting 2nd for Myrtle Beach, reaches base on HBP 1st time up. 

holy f'n rain. according to len/jd it came on suddenly while lineup cards were being exchanged. they don't even have the tarp on the field yet (working on it). bryant is in the dugout with his batting helmet on, expecting to be in the on-deck circle. right side of the field is a puddle. wow, the grounds crew has a stuck tarp. the right side of the field is going from puddle to pond. almost to the second they finally get the tarp on it stops raining. seriously, though...the right side of the infield is a mess.

Geez, it hurt just watching that pathetic grounds crew trying to get the infield covered with the tarp... Might as well just cancel this one and not risk any injury to the particular team in the pennant race. However, on the flip side, I'd hate for the Cubs to have to play this game after the regular season ends if it matters to the outcome of the pennant/wildcard race.

I know start time moved tomorrow because of this, but why was this a night game to begin with? I thought getaway days like this were almost always day games.

To any of our southern Florida TCR friends, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE! Thank you.

[ ]

In reply to by RichK

we have all-you-can-drink coal ash river water, purposely underfunded public schools being legislated into for-profit private schools paid for with public tax money, extremely gerrymandered voting districts, and people with strong opinions about where other people go to the bathroom. join us. bring guns. if you're not grocery shopping with a gun ready to kill some people, you might as well not be shopping.

Rough start for Kershaw: Single. Double. HR by Arenado. 3-0 Rockies, nobody out in the first.

Movie: Ok bitches - for an absolutely, stupid, goofy college "baseball" movie you may want to see, check out Richard Linklater's "Everybody Get Some". Kinda like a college/baseball "Dazed and Confused". But...considering he was Oscar nominated for "Boyhood", he knows what he was doing. I have heard him interviewed and it is somewhat autobiographical.

The Justin Wilson Experience moves to Pitt! EDIT: AND ONLY ONE RUN GIVEN UP!!! WHOOO! Such a badass!

i want to give a shout out to fans of either side of this contest for sitting through a 6 run cubs lead in the 9th during a miserable downpour...all 100 or so of them left.

Dexter K's with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 9th as the Cards lose 3-0 to the Padres. Cubs now up 5 games! BTW -- I had to turn off the Pats-Chiefs game. The NFL is nothing but injuries and commercials. Just terrible.

I really can't see how Justin Wilson can make the post season roster? I mean I'd probably prefer Lackey as a reliever...

Lester now has the highest BA of any Cub starting pitcher (.167), and with some pop -- 3 doubles and a HR.

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...