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

Cub Offense Fades to Black at Indian School Park

RHSP Gregory Santos and four relievers combined to hurl a five-hitter (all five hits were singles) and Ricardo Genoves knocked-in both runs with an RBI GO and a sacrifice fly, as the Giants black squad edged the Cubs 2-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Field #2 (AKA "Jim Davenport Field") at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Cubs pitchers also allowed only five hits (all singles).

The Cubs scored their lone run in the top of the 2nd inning on three consecutive two-out singles (RBI single by Fidel Mejia).  

In EXST Cubs roster news, OF Luis Ayala (on Myrtle Beach 7-day DL - right shoulder strain) has completed his EXST rehab and has rejoined Myrtle Beach. 

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only):  
CUBS LINEUP:
1. Fernando Kelli, CF: 0-4 (F-9, 6-3, L-4, K)
2. Reivaj Garcia, 2B: 1-4 (K, K, 1B, 4-3)
3. Alexander Guerra, DH #1: 1-3 (1B, 5-3, K)
3b. Henrry Pedra, 3B: 0-1 (6-3)
4a. Yovanny Cuevas, LF: 0-1 (6-3, HBP)
4b. Jose Alonso Gaitan, LF: 0-1 (6-3)
5. Jonathan Sierra, RF: 0-3 (3-U, K, F-7)
6. Luis Vazquez, DH #2: 0-2 (F-9, BB, L-9)
7. Cam Balego, 1B-DH: 1-3 (1B, P-4, 6-3, R)
8. Fabian Pertuz, SS: 1-2 (1B, 3-U, HBP)
9. Fidel Mejia, 3B-1B: 1-2 (1B, 4-3, 1-4 SH, RBI)
10a. Raymond Pena, C: 0-2 (4-3, 1-3)
10b. Eric Gonzalez, C: 0-1 (K)

CUBS PITCHERS
1. Riger Fernandez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 BALK, 1/2 GO/AO, 33 pitches (15 strikes)
2. Yovanny Cruz: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 2/2 GO/AO, 27 pitches (20 strikes)
3. Casey Ryan: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 2/1 GO/AO, 16 pitches (12 strikes)
4. Stephen Ridings: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 BALK, 0/2 GO/AO, 21 pitches (15 strikes) 
5. Eduarniel Nunez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 20 pitches (13 strikes) 
6. Mitch Stophel: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 16 pitches (13 strikes) 

CUBS ERRORS: NONE 

ATTENDANCE: 11 

WEATHER: Sunny and a bit breezy with temperatures in the 80's 

Arizona 
Scoring 
Service 

"Just because it isn't official doesn't mean it didn't happen" 

Comments

TIM: Fabian Pertuz is clearly talented both offensively and defensively, but he has a tendency to play too fast and tries to do too much. He needs to calm down a bit, especially defensively. He could probably benefit from a year in the DSL, although his assignment is still TBD.

Luis Verdugo will likely be in the AZL this year, though. He's the real deal and he looks like he's ready to roll right now. So it would appear that Luis Verdugo and Josue Huma will probably be the two primary Cubs shortstops in the AZL (one assigned to each of the two Cubs AZL teams), unless Fabian Pertuz remains in Mesa and/or Christopher Morel doesn't go directly to Eugene (Morel would likely get reps at both 3B and SS if he is assigned to one of the AZL teams, but he would probably play mainly 3B at Eugene because Luis Vazquez will very likely be the primary Emeralds SS until he gets moved-up to South Bend). 

Hey Phil, do you have any insight on Eduarniel Nunez? He's got a decent pitcher's frame and put up solid numbers in his DSL debut last season. Does he stand out to you in any way? 

Thanks!

[ ]

In reply to by K Dub

K-DUB: Prior to yesterday Eduarniel Nunez was featuring a FB that topped-out at 94 but with poor command and no usable secondary stuff. He had had much difficulty negotiating through innings and throwing strikes.

Yesterday he was used in a more-traditional relief-type role (prepped as a pre-planned one-inning stint) and he struck out the side (he also issued one walk) relying heavily on his FB which he was (finally) able to command.

The Cubs have other pitchers up from the DSL this year who are similar to E. Nunez (projectable but raw), although E. Nunez throws the hardest of the bunch. Sometimes these pitchers develop and sometimes they don't and sometimes injuries delay or derail the pitcher's career, so it takes time (sometimes a couple of years) to sort them out and see which ones (if any) are able to launch.

Oscar de la Cruz is the most-recent success story, but for every ODLC there are a dozen others who never get out of short-season ball.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

K-DUB: I know you ask about FB velocity from time-to-time, and so I have attempted to gather info about Cubs EXST FB velo:

Eury Ramos: 93-96 T-97
Danis Correa: 92-94 T 95-96
Stephen Ridings: 92-94 T-95
Jeremiah Estrada: 91-94
Eduarniel Nunez: 91-94
Fauris Guerrero 91-93 T-94
Ivan Medina: 91-93 T-94
Mitch Stophel: 91-93
Yovanny Cruz 91-93
Brailyn Marquez: 89-92 T-93
Jesus Tejada 91-92
Jose M. Gonzalez: 89-91 T-92
Faustino Carrera: 88-91
Benjamin Rodriguez: 87-90 T-91
Didier Vargas: 87-89 T-90-91
Eugenio Palma: 87-89 T-90

I don't have anything on some of the others (like Raidel Orta), and a pitcher's FB velo can vary from outing-to-outing. 

And of course command, pitch movement, deception, seconday stuff (other pitches besides the FB), stamina (including the ability to throw more than 15-20 pitches in a given inning without losing something in the process), and maintaining mechanics (like arm slot and release point) from one outing to the next are other issues that come into play, and (taken collectively) they are at least as important (or more-likely even more important) than velocity. 

Very rough go so far for Bleacher Nations #1 Cubs prospect Jose Albertos. Currently sporting an 18.23 ERA in 7 appearances (4 starts) thanks mostly to a ridiculous lack of control: 24 walks and 9 wild pitches in 10.1 IP, along with 15 hits allowed. On the bright side, only 1 HR allowed so there's that. 

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • 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.