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

Manfred Cracks Down on Mexican League

Jeff Passan at Yahoo! Sports reports that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred advised MLB clubs last Tuesday that as a result of extensive fraud and corruption, MLB clubs are banned from doing business with Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (Mexican League) clubs until further notice. 

link

This may have something to do with Mexican RHP Florencio Serrano Jr -- one of the top International Free-Agents (IFA) signed by the Cubs in the 2017-18 International Signing Period (ISP) -- being released by the Cubs on Monday (it's possible that Serrano's contract was voided by order of the MLB Commissioner). Also, three other Mexican IFAs signed by the Cubs in the 2017-18 ISP (LHP Alejandro Carrillo, RHP Manuel Espinoza, and INF Juan Mora) were on the Restricted List until just yesterday, so there may have been an on-going investigation in progress by MLB that delayed the reinstatement of those players and perhaps was the impetus for Serrano being released. 

Baseball America rated SS Luis Verdugo and RHP Florencio Serrano Jr (both from Mexico) as the top two IFA prospects signed by the Cubs in the 2017-18 ISP. Serrano's situation was unusual because he was born in the U. S. (Texas) but moved to Mexico to attend HS, which meant he was able to circumvent the MLB First-Year Player Draft and be eligible to sign as an IFA in July 2017 (a year before his U. S. HS class would have graduated). Even though the MLB Commissioner's Office knew what Serrano did, there was no restriction placed on signing him as an IFA last July, but I don't know what might have transpired in the meantime that led to his being released. 

The article specifically mentions los Toros de Tijuana and los Leones de Yucatan as two of the three Mexican League clubs that are the primary offenders, and perhaps not coincidentally, Tijuana and Yucatan happen to be the two Mexican League clubs from whom the Cubs have acquired numerous (more than two dozen) players over the past three years. The Cubs employed a "Mexico Scouting Coordinator" (Sergio Hernandez) who negotiated with the Mexican players and the Mexican League clubs (mainly Yucatan and Tijuana) who controlled the contractual rights to the players that has allowed the Cubs to acquire a number of notable prospects from Mexico like RHSP Jose Albertos, SS Isaac Paredes (traded to Detroit last July in the Justin Wilson/Alex Avila deal), 2B Carlos Sepulveda, RHSP Javier Assad, RHSP Jesus Camargo, LHSP Faustino Carrera, OF Carlos Pacheco, SS Luis Verdugo, 2B Reivaj Garcia, and RHP Florencio Serrano Jr. (NOTE: Sergio Hernandez is no longer listed as the Cubs Mexico Scouting Coordinator -- the position has apparently either been eliminated or is vacant).

But the relationship goes beyond just having a scout in Mexico. The Cubs loaned veteran Mexican League RHRP Mario Meza back to Yucatan the past two seasons after acquiring him from los Leones in December 2016 (although he attended Cubs Minor League Camp in Mesa in both 2017 and 2018, Meza has never actually pitched for a Cubs minor league affiliate). Likewise, RHP Hector Alonso Garcia was loaned back to Yucatan and OF Ruben Reyes was loaned back to Tijuana last season (the Mexican League clubs from whom the Cubs acquired the players) to help ease a minor league roster jam for the Cubs, although Reyes is playing at Eugene and Garcia is pitching for AZL Cubs #1 this season. And Tijuana has Spring Training in Tucson, and (except for this season) the Cubs played them every year during Minor League Camp, sometimes acquiring a player from the Toros after the conclusion of the game (as happened with OF Jose Alonso Gaitan in March 2017). So the relationship between the Cubs and the two Mexican League teams runs (or did run) fairly deep.

I strongly suspect that one or more MLB clubs filed a complaint with the MLB Commissioner regarding the Cubs using (or -- in the eyes of other less-resourceful MLB organizations -- abusing) the Mexican League "loophole" (where only 25% of the signing bonus counts against a club's ISBP as long as the Mexican League club that controls the rights to the player receives the other 75%) to sign numerous high-end prospects from Mexico despite being in the "penalty box" (no signing bonus in excess of $300K allowed in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 ISPs) after exceeding their ISBP in the 2015-16 ISP.

The Mexican League is an "affiliated" minor league (meaning it is part of Minor League Baseball, and has been for sixty years), although the clubs are independent of MLB organizations. (There is no other league like that in affiliated Minor League Baseball). However, MLB organizations are (or at least have been) permitted to "loan" players to Mexican League clubs during the minor league season, and that sometimes is a convenient way to get innings for Mexican pitchers (like Mario Meza) or reps for Mexican position-players who are mired in a deep MLB minor league system while allowing the MLB organization to continue to contractually control the player.

The Mexican League is designated as a "AAA" league, but is in reality more-equivalent to full-season "A" ball (like South Bend or maybe Myrtle Beach) or to an advanced independent league like the Atlantic League. The AAA designation goes back 50 years to when Mexican League players were subject to selection in the Rule 5 Draft. But because the Mexican League had "AAA" status, MLB clubs could select Mexican League players only in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft (higher draft price and right to re-claim), but the designation was not changed even after Mexican League players were exempted from selection in the Rule 5 Draft (which happened many years ago).

I suppose there could be further on this, just like with the Atlanta Braves last off-season. Hopefully not. 

Comments

"Mooooooom. Make him staaaaaaaaaaaahp."

 

Owners to Manfred about Epstein.

 

If you're too good at something, MLB will stop you from doing that thing.

I know it's possible we never get more info on this. On one hand, I hope that the Cubs making effective use of a CBA loophole to spend more money on players is as far as this goes. I don't want the team I root for to be involved in any abuses that involve the exploitation of minor league players. On the other hand, if that's all this is, the commissioner's decision is garbage. Seems unlikely, though I have no real opinion on Manfred.

Here is a Fangraphs article from a few years ago that helps explain how LMB (Mexican League) clubs control players (especially young players who aren't yet ready to play in the Mexican League). 

link 

It appears that sometime in 2015 the Cubs found a way to avoid the difficulties most other MLB clubs have faced over the years in trying to sign Mexican players and in dealing with the Mexican League clubs who control the rights to the players, such that the Cubs were able to sign 25 players out of Mexico (including some very highly-regarded prospects) in just three years, while most other MLB organizations were unable to sign even one. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Per the article linked above: "Parents worried about the situation with the Mexican league and who are consciously aware of their son’s talent potential to play in the majors some day make an economic sacrifice to send their kids to high school or college in the U.S. with the hopes that their sons are selected in the amateur draft." It sounds like Serrano did just the opposite. Makes me wonder if there was some sort of arrangement established before he moved down there.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

"I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!" - dotard in chief ...but hey, they came around and donated a crapload of money to trump and then one of his kids got an appointment. of course he withdrew his nomination once they started probing his family's finances and the $1m+ they donated during the campaign, but i'm sure it's because he was needed elsewhere, not because of the prospects of the government looking into the family finances. so it's all good. it's all gooooooooooooooood.

[ ]

In reply to by Hagsag

The only conformity I expect from a Cub fan (or a blog, I suppose) is that he/she wear more blue than red, and root for the Cubs. Beyond that, it's a free country, as we used to say, back when it was truer.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Well said. As I posted earlier, I am currently in France on vacation. Just visited Omaha Beach and the D-Day U.S. cemetery. Sobering and humbling. A reminder to speak up when you disagree with what you see, and to stand up for others. Also -- win a few games in LA, whatever it takes, and get us back on the good foot. Ain't nothin' more American than baseball, man.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

Good for you, Billybucks. Would love to someday visit Normandy - high on the bucket list. Did see Bastogne while in college and that was memorable.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • 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.