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

A Toast to Crane Kenney, the man with the wheelbarrow.

In the absence of any significant Cubs news over the past week (we apparently signed a AAA depth reliever), I instead prepared a brief tribute to an unsung hero of the Cubs rebuild: Crane Kenney, President of Business Operations. Kenney famously said his “job [wa]s to fill a wheelbarrow with money, take it to Theo’s office, and dump it.”[1] Sometimes I think we ignore just how impressively Kenney fulfilled that goal. Only two years ago, we wondered if the Cubs could support a $140m payroll. Yet today we take for granted that the Cubs can afford to spend to luxury cap and beyond. That is a remarkable achievement that does not get nearly enough attention.

I first began following Cub finances in 2014.[2] In the three years since, the Cubs increased revenue from $266m to $434m; an astounding 63% increase. In the process, the Cubs rose to third highest revenues in baseball, behind only the Dodgers and Yankees. Since then, the Cubs have added at least $57m in revenue that I know about. If the Cubs TV deal in 2019 is as lucrative as expected, the Cubs could move past the Dodgers, and even challenge the Yankees for the #1 spot. The Cubs even managed to do it without selling away Wrigley Field’s name.

Perhaps the most impressive feet is that the Cubs were able to increase sponsorship revenue during the lean years from 2012-2014[3], when the on-field product stunk. Revenues actually rose, even as ticket sales went down. That is a testament to Kenney’s sales job. So the next time someone offers up a toast to Theo Epstein, make a follow-up toast to Crane Kenney; the man with the wheelbarrow.

 

[1] The Plan by David Kaplan, chap. 4.

[2] I got hooked by this article.

[3] The Plan by David Kaplan, chap. 4.

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

To be clear, I do not endorse Kenney's work as President of Operations from 2010-2011. But his work since 2012 on the business end has been impeccable. You need only look at the circus that is Miami baseball to realize how lack of revenue destroys a franchise. Or even look at the Brewers' apparent inability and/or unwillingness to sign Arrieta/Darvish as their high-priced equivalent to Jon Lester as the next logical step towards contention. The financial turn around of the Cubs is just as important to the current run of success as any draft pick (ok maybe not Bryant).

Is Kenney still running around in his own "Cubs jersey?" lol.....what a dork. I think the Cubs dodged a bullet with Wadebot. At 17MM AAV, he'd need to produce 2 WAR every year as a one-inning reliever just to provide fair value on the deal. And I don't know that he can do it.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

a starter making comparable pay for expected innings would be clearing $50m+ a year. it's crazy that "legit" top-tier closers are worth 16+m these days. chapman is getting 17m, jansen 16m, davis 17m... b.morrow going out there for the cubs at 10m a year should be nice enough if he can stay healthy.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Let's say you can get Addison Reed for $7-8MM AAV. For the same money, I feel better about having Morrow + Reed than I would in having just Davis, if for no other reason than the mercurial nature of relievers and the "hot hand" theory. Your odds are twice as good at getting one good reliever, and your odds are half as small for suffering a devastating bullpen injury. 2 > 1. Plus, the Cubs have a pair of wildcard/lottery ticket options in J Wilson and D Maples as a bonus (tho Wilson ain't free).

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

based on what morrow was doing last year, he could end up being one hell of a deal even if 10m for him is considered a little expensive right now. he was throwing harder than he ever has and still had great control over everything. steve cishek and pedro strop are decent enough closer backups...along with a few other guys who could emerge as even stronger candidates. unlike chatwood, though, i don't see morrow as much as a gamble as much as i see him as a solid signing.

Happy New Year to all. And, don’t let that door hit you on the way out, John Fox...

As we enter the new year -- I really hope the Cubs buy some pitching rather than trade for it. Schwarber, Happ, JHey, Almora and Zobrist give them a very flexible outfield in terms of dealing with tough lefties or late-inning defensive replacement or double-switches. Gotta remember how young some of them are -- Happ was an effective MLB player at 22, having had only one month (116 PAs) at AAA before being called up. He struck out a lot last year -- not a big surprise, given the jump in pitching quality he was dealing with. HIs .360 OBP in the minors is encouraging.

"According to Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago, "the two clubs showing the most interest" in Jake Arrieta are the Cubs and Cardinals."

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    For sure. This lineup isn’t exactly stacked as is, and subbing out a Cooper or even a Tauchman for Madrigal won’t do it any favors.

  • crunch (view)

    the ESPN bottom graphic taking up 1/8th of the screen sucks.

    i only use ESPN during baseball season and i'm forced to watch a baseball broadcast designed to be broadcast in sports bars and betting parlors where the news/scores of other games is as important as what you're actually tuned in to watch.

  • crunch (view)

    morel triple to start the season....yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    LHP Blake Weiman appears to have been the last cut from the AAA Iowa roster. He is with the Tennessee group at Minor League Camp.

     

  • crunch (view)

    bruce bochy is hobbling rather badly for a guy who's had 2 hip replacements.  his gait is extremely wonky taking the lineup card to the ump.

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • 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.