Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 





Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

The Bourjos Conundrum

3/24 UPDATE:

The Cubs released OF Peter Bourjos prior to the 12 PM (Eastern) deadline on Saturday.

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

3/22 ORIGINAL POST:  

An Article XX-B MLB free-agent who signs a minor league contract at least ten days prior to MLB Opening Day and then is either not released by 12 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day prior to MLB Opening Day or added to an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) or MLB 60-day Disabled List by 12 PM (Eastern) on MLB Opening Day will automatically receive a $100,000 retention bonus, and the player can unilaterally opt-out of the minor league contract on June 1st if he has not been added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) or an MLB Disabled List by that date.

CUBS ARTICLE XX-B MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS SPRING TRAINING 2018:
Peter Bourjos,OF

So, the Cubs need to decide by mid-day Saturday what they want to do with Peter Bourjos. 

Here are their choices:

They could just release him and forget about him.

Or they could release him and then (if he agrees) re-sign him to a different minor league contract (because it would be signed less than ten days prior to MLB Opening Day, there would be no retention bonus or automatic player opt-out). The new contract would not likely include a retention bonus but it could include an earlier player opt-out date (the Cubs did this with Munenori Kawasaki a couple of years ago). 

Or they could assign him to Iowa and pay the retention bonus and deal with the player opt-out when it gets closer to June 1st.

Or they could add him to their MLB 40-man roster (and Opening Day 25-man roster).

The problem with adding Bourjos to the MLB 40-man roster (and Opening Day 25-man roster) is that it will be difficult to send him to the minors if his spot on the 25 is needed at a later point in time. Bourjos does have minor league options available, but once he is added to the 40 Bourjos must give his consent before he can be optioned or sent outright to the minors. And this is NOT the same thing as having the right to elect to be a free-agent if sent to the minors. He has that, too. It's just that the Cubs can't even attempt to send him to the minors unless he gives his consent. So if the Cubs add Bourjos to the 40 and find out later that they need his spot on the 40 (or even just on the 25), they would have to either release him (and be on the hook for his $1.4M major league salary) or trade him (if anybody is interested)... unless he consents to a minor league assignment (not likely).

Last year the White Sox signed Bourjos to a minor league contract prior to Spring Training, and once they decided he wasn't a fit on their MLB 25-man roster, they traded him (and his Article XX-B rights) to the Tampa Bay Rays. And Bourjos ended up spending the entire 2017 season in MLB with the Rays. Perhaps something like that could happen again this year.  

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by Hagsag

what's not to like about a guy who's put up a .231/.288/.366 line in the past 4 seasons over 1100+ PA? besides, he makes jason heyward look good. hell, even if people like his speed he sure isn't showing it this spring. he seems even slower than he's been in his recent past. he's not slow, but he's not a burner. it's hard to tell whether they need a "5th OF'r" because happ/almora are covering CF, and there's a slew of corner OF options to cover the expected regulars. also, there's technically no "speed guy" on the bench even if bourjos is a weak version of speed off the bench. there's a lot going in different directions of whether he's possibly useful or not.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I believe I can answer that question: He wouldn't be that useful--not useful enough to be worth adding to the 40-man right now. Almora, Happ, and Heyward can all play CF. Zobrist and Bryant are also available to play LF and RF. If there's no AAA coverage for CF in case of injury/injuries, go get someone who's been released / waived and also release Bourjos and see if you can re-sign him, as AZ Phil notes, to a minor league contract.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Hannemann seems like he’s done enough this spring to be viewed as a reliable CF option if it comes to that. Would require a 40 man spot but the Cubs wouldn’t have to give him one until he was needed. If adding Bourjos wouldn’t cost Butler, I’d be ok with it. But even though Butler probably isn’t going to be anything great, I’d say the chance that he can put it together is worth letting Bourjos catch on with another team.

Theo could hire him as an Assistant to an Assistant? He could work for Murton.

Patrick Mooney @PJ_Mooney

Source: Going with eight-man bullpen, #Cubs are releasing Peter Bourjos as the veteran outfielder intends to look for a big-league job after a strong spring.

"Madison Bumgarner suffered a fractured pinky finger on his left hand after being hit by a comebacker in Friday's Cactus League game."

doh.

out 6-8 weeks.

Injuries happen, sometimes randomly as in the course of competition, sometimes not like doing something recreationally that is simply stupid. Baum is a true talent and is in the last two years of his option based contract at a current bargain of $12M. Baum is out 8 weeks then rehab and then prep, July 1?  SF Giants are now down two SP'ers who eat innings, Samardz out till beginning of May. Wonder if they might want to make a move on Butler? 

"The Bourjos Conundrum" has concluded.

he's signed a MLB deal with the braves.  good for him.  he got a chance to show he's "worth it" and it paid off, even if it's with a team that won't get him a ring (barring insanity levels of unexpected).

Bourjos the Brave.  Sounds familiar.  Early season of Game of Thrones or else Monty Python.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    masterboney is a luxury on a team that has multiple, capable options for 2nd, SS, and 3rd without him around.  i don't hate the guy, but if madrigal is sticking around then masterboney is expendable.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I THINK I agree with that decision. They committed to Wicks as a starter and, while he hasn’t been stellar I don’t think he’s been bad enough to undo that commitment.

    That said, Wesneski’s performance last night dictates he be the next righty up.

    Quite the dilemma. They have many good options, particularly in relief, but not many great ones. And complicating the situation is that the pitchers being paid the most are by and large performing the worst - or in Taillon’s case, at least to this point, not at all.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Wesneski and Mastrobuoni to Iowa

    Taillon and Wisdom up

    Wesneski can't pitch for a couple of days after the 4 IP from last night. But Jed picked Wicks over Wesneski.

  • crunch (view)

    booooooooooo

    also, wisdom and taillon are both in chicago.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Tonight’s game postponed. Split games on Saturday.

  • crunch (view)

    cubs getting crazy good at not having player moves leak.

    taillon we 100% know is pitching tonight.  who he's replacing and any additional moves are unknown as far as i can tell.

    p.wisdom was not in today's lineup in iowa (rained out) and he was removed from the game last night mid-game, but not for injury.  good bet he's with the team in the bigs, too.

  • Bill (view)

    A good rule of thumb is that if you trade a near-ready high ceiling prospect, you should get at least two far-away high ceiling prospects in return.  Like all rules-of-thumb, it depends upon the specific circumstances, but certainly, we weren't going to get Busch for either prospect alone.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Right on schedule, just read an article in Baseball America entitled "10 MLB Prospects Outside The Top 100 Who Have Our Attention".  Zyhir Hope was one of the prospects featured. It stated that he's "one of the biggest arrow-up sleeper prospects in the lower levels right now."

     

    Not sharing to be negative about the trade, getting a top 100 prospect who is MLB ready should carry a heavy prospect cost.  But man, Dodger sure are good at identifying and developing young talent. Andrew Friedman seems to have successfully merged Ray's development with Yankees financial might to create a juggernaut of an organization.  

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
    I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
    I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
    That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
    I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
    We'll find out soon enough!!!