Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

39 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (one slot is open), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL and one player has been DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT (DFA)   

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and eight players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-24-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Pete Crow-Armstrong 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 8 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2
* Cody Bellinger, OF  
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 3
Kyle Hendricks, P 
* Drew Smyly, P 
* Justin Steele, P   

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

DFA: 1 
Garrett Cooper, 1B 
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Projected Post-2018 Chicago Cubs 40-Man Roster (11/20)

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

PROJECTED POST-2018 CHICAGO CUBS ROSTER (11/20)

40 players

* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 24
Adbert Alzolay (will be recalled from Iowa & placed on 60-day DL on 9/1 - will be reinstated post-World Series)
Anthony Bass (will likely be added back to 40 in September - possible 11/30 non-tender)
Tyler Chatwood
Steve Cishek
Trevor Clifton (will likely be added to 40 on 11/20)
Yu Darvish (will be reinstated from 60-day DL in September)
* Brian Duensing
Carl Edwards Jr
Luke Farrell (possible 11/30 non-tender)
Justin Hancock (will be reinstated from 60-day DL post-World Series - possible 11/30 non-tender)
Kyle Hendricks
Brandon Kintzler  (Cubs will decline $10M club option & then Kintzler will exercise $5M player option for 2019)
* Jon Lester
Dillon Maples
* Mike Montgomery
Brandon Morrow
James Norwood 
* Jose Quintana (Cubs will exercise $10.5M club option for 2019)
* Randy Rosario
* Kyle Ryan (post-2018 6YFA could be added to 40 post-World Series if not in September)
* Drew Smyly (will be reinstated from 60-day DL in September)
* Justin Steele (will likely be added to 40 on 11/20)
Pedro Strop (Cubs will exercise $6.25M club option for 2019)
Duane Underwood Jr 
NOTE: If Bass, Farrell, and/or Hancock are non-tendered on 11/30 (the usual 12/2 contract tender date will be moved-up two days to 11/30 because 12/2 falls on a Sunday) expect the Cubs to try and re-sign them to 2019 minor league contracts (preferably after the Rule 5 Draft) for "big league money" and an NRI to Spring Training. 

CATCHERS: 3
# Victor Caratini
Willson Contreras
P. J. Higgins (will likely be added to 40 on 11/20)
NOTE: It is VERY likely that Chris Gimenez will be called-up from Iowa on 9/1 to be the Cubs #3 catcher, but there is an outside chance that C-1B-3B Taylor Davis could get called-up instead (or in addition to Gimenez if there is room on the 40 for both), but whether one or both are called-up, neither will be retained on the 40 post-World Series. 

INFIELDERS: 8
Javy Baez
David Bote
Kris Bryant
* Tommy LaStella
* Anthony Rizzo
Addison Russell
* Jason Vosler (probably will be added to 40 on 11/20)
# Ben Zobrist
NOTE: The Cubs could add an extra infielder who is a legit SS (like Mike Freeman) to the MLB 40-man roster in September to provide insurance/depth behind Russell and Baez, but if Freeman is added to the 40 in September, he would certainly be dropped from the 40 post-World Series. Or Chris Coghlan could be added to the roster as an extra LH bat off the bench, but if he is added to the 40 in September he would certainly be dropped post-World Series.  

OUTFIELDERS: 5 
Albert Almora Jr
# Ian Happ
* Jason Heyward (will not opt-out post-2018)
* Kyle Schwarber
Mark Zagunis
NOTE: The Cubs will very likely add a 5th OF/PR to the roster in September, and it could be a player acquired in a trade at the 8/31 post-season roster deadline or a player from within the organization (like Jacob Hanneman or Wynton Bernard). But whoever is added will certainly be dropped from the MLB 40-man roster post-World Series. 

RESTRICTED LIST: 1
Oscar de la Cruz, P
NOTE: Cannot be reinstated until MLB JDPTP suspension expires in April 2019

LIKELY TO BE DROPPED FROM 40 IN SEPTEMBER: 
Alec Mills, P (cannot elect free-agency if outrighted but would be 6YFA post-World Series) 
Cory Mazzoni, P (cannot elect free-agency if outrighted but would be 6YFA post-World Series)
Jen-Ho Tseng, P (would remain under club control thru 2020 if outrighted)
* Rob Zastryzny, P (would remain under club control thru 2019 if outrighted)
NOTE: Outright Assignment Waivers would have to be secured before player can be outrighted to minors

POST-2018 WORLD SERIES ARTICLE XX-B MLB FREE-AGENTS
Jesse Chavez, P 
* Jorge de la Rosa, P 
Chris Gimenez, C (likely to be added to 40 on 9/1) 
* Cole Hamels, P (2019 $20M club option will almost certainly be declined)  
* Justin Wilson, P
NOTE: None of the free-agents will be extended a Qualifying Offer 

Tags
Cubs Roster Construction

Comments

Submitted by Craig A. on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:49 pm

Based on age and performance, Brian Duensing would seem to be a candidate for DFA.  Do the Cubs think he recover his 2017 form?

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:20 pm

CRAIG: I think Brian Duensing will probably survive at least through Spring Training 2019. He took less money to sign with the Cubs (the A's offered him more $$$) and I think the Cubs (and Joe Maddon) appreciated his loyalty and are trying to give him every possible chance to turn it around. 

Submitted by cubbies.4ever on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:37 pm

Why the love for P.J. Higgins? Between Alamo/Remillard/Higgins there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference.  Alamo was draft out of HS so spent a couple of years buried in AZL before turned loose and plays 1B and is the only of the three that shows power but never played above A+, Remillard (so I've heard is excellent defender) but has missed a lot of time due to botched TJS, only to play AAA, Higgins doesn't seem to stand out.  All 3 being rule 5 eligible.  Amaya seems like the only real C prospect, but is too young.  Seems like a vet FA off season move.

Also no Chavez or Mazzoni.  Mazzoni hasn't been good at Iowa, but has been great while at CHI and I know Chavez is older and struggled early in TEX, but like Mazzoni has made the most of his time in CHI and it's not back in the Hendry days where every player was 30+ or derailing "the next saviors" (Patterson, Pie, Jackson, Hill, Vitters, and to a degree Prior and Wood), the Cubs are pretty young still despite their experience, they'd only have 3 guys 35+ (Zobrist, Dunesing (assuming he remains), and Chavez)

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:11 pm

cubbies.4ever: The Cubs top "pure" catching prospects are Miguel Amaya and Jonathan Soto, but P. J. Higgins is considered a better MLB prospect (and a more-likely candidate to get selected in the December 2018  Rule 5 Draft) than Pereda, Rice, Remillard, or Alamo, because he is the most-athletic and versatile (he plays infield as well as catcher) of the four and he has the highest upside.

Higgins was a 2B-3B-C in college and he played INF-only (not catcher) for the AZL Cubs and Eugene after the Cubs drafted him in 2015. So he has been catching more-or-less full-time only since post-2015 AZ Instructs.

I expect the Cubs to assign one of their Rule 5 Draft-eligible catching prospects to the AFL, and I would say the most-likely one to be assigned is P. J. Higgins, because while it's not a lock that he gets added to the 40 on 11/20, he is the most-likely one to be added as things stand right now.

Don't get too hung-up on his minor league stats. In terms of projection (ceiling), the best comp for P. J. Higgins is J. T. Realmuto.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:48 pm

sometimes guys are just "useful pieces" and it's worth more to keep him protected than leave him exposed.  there may be better talent in the system, but the skill set of the exposed dude would make him a target to be snagged by other teams.

even though he's been nothing much worth missing for the cubs, it was almost 100% known that leaving ryan flaherty unprotected meant he was going to be someone else's property very quickly into the rule5 because of his versitile skill set.

in this particular case, higgins may not be showing up on many prospect lists, but whether some other team believes he's a jt realmuto posibility or a bench guy who can adeptly play C/3rd/etc, his exposure may keep the cubs from finding out where his true ceiling is while some other team gets to figure it out.

[ ]

Submitted by The E-Man on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:46 pm

PHIL: Flaherty is the only Maine born baseball player ever to hit a HR in a post-season game (Orioles). He was also a #1 draft pick for the Cubs in a very notable draft incl. Garrett Cole a few picks before him, and Wade Miley after in 2008. You may recall he was also a comp. pick for the Cubs losing Jason Kendall. 

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 08:12 am

All it takes is one club to like a guy, but presuming Steele, Clifton, Higgins, and Vosler are added to the 40 on 11/20, the Cubs minor leaguers who stand the best chance of getting plucked in the 2018 MLB Rule 5 Draft are C-1B Ian Rice, C Jhonny Pereda, RHP Erling Moreno, RHRP Craig Brooks, and INF Chesny Young. 

Among the Cubs post-2018 minor league FA eligibles, LHP Kyle Ryan is the most-likely one to get added to the 40 either in September (if there is room for him) or post-World Series (before he can walk away as a FA). The only other Cubs post-2018 6YFA who might get some consideration for the 40 are LHRP Alberto Baldonado, OF Jeffrey Baez, and RHP Erick Leal, but it's much, much more-likely that the Cubs will overpay (in salary) to try and entice Baldonado, Baez, and Leal to sign 2019 minor league successor contracts (with an NRI to Spring Training) and then take their chances that they won't get selected in the Rule 5 Draft (and actually all three of them would be pretty good candidates to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft if they do sign successor contracts).  

Submitted by jdrnym on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:59 pm

Do upcoming XX(B) free agents on the 60-day disabled list have to be reinstated prior to the date they're declared a free agent?

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 08:56 pm

jdmym: An Article XX-B FA who is on the 60-day DL is automatically reinstated and declared a free-agent at 9 AM (Eastern) on the day after the final game of World Series (the same day and time all other Article XX-B free-agents are automatically declared a FA and removed from a club's MLB 40-man roster), and then  all other players on the MLB 60-day DL must be reinstated no later than 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series (and that's even if the player has not spent 60 days on the 60-day DL). 

BTW, that's why the 60-day DL is officially called the "Emergency Disabled List" (and - NOT - the "60-day Disabled List"), because it isn't always the case that a player must spend at least sixty days on the "60-day DL" before he can be reinstated. Usually, but not always. 

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 08:40 pm

HAGSAG: Edmond Americaan makes hard-contact with a line-drive stroke, he is a fast runner but is sometimes too aggressive on the bases, and he has enough range to play CF and enough arm to play RF but he needs to improve his reads, tracking, and routes in the OF. In other words, he's toolsy and raw. And he's 21, so he's not exactly a kid.

But here is a picture of Americaan when he was a kid, pitching for Curacao in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, in 2009... 

link 

Submitted by tim815 on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 08:37 pm

Not Phil, but I watched him play a few games on the computer when he was at Chipola Ju Co. Bigger dude, with big power. At least, at the level. I was happy to see the pick, and to see him get signed. A bit surprised he's off to such a good start as a pro.

Submitted by cubbies.4ever on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 08:20 pm

PHIL - What do you think the chances are that the White Sox leave Dylan Cease unprotected and Cubs could get some of the Q mistake trade (although on paper smart at the time) back?  They already have Eloy on their 40.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 08:37 pm

cubbies.4ever: Unless he suffers a career-ending or career-limiting injury in the next couple of months, there is no way the White Sox will leave Dylan Cease unprotected post-2018. 

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Miguel Cruz walked six in 1.2 IP in his last start, so I guess he is improving. Wilme Mora also walked six in one of his appearances a week or two ago, and one or two others have walked five. I don't know what would be the most I have ever seen a pitcher throw in a game out here, because the manager / pitching coach usually gets the pitcher out of the game if it gets too ridiculous. 

    As for the attendance, probably about 20 of the 25 were early arrivals for the Savannah Bananas game who came over to Field # 1 to see what was going on, and once they saw all the bases on balls (12 walks by Cubs pitchers and four by Angels pitchers) they ran away screaming. I'm used to it so it didn't bother me that much. 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Jed has added Teheran, Tyranski, Kissaki, and now Straily and Nico Zeglin today.

    Zeglin is 24 yrs old. Pitched well at Long Beach St in '23 and well in some Indy Ball.

    They also added Reilly and Viets in late ST.

    Have to search for MiLB arm depth anywhere you can and at all times!!!

  • Childersb3 (view)

    25 in Attendance!!!

    Phil, is that a backfield record?

    Also, 6 BBs for Cruz in 2 IP. What's the most walks you've seen in one EXT ST outing that you can recall?

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    He has a pulse. Apparently that’s the only requirement at this point.

  • crunch (view)

    cubs sign dan straily...for some reason.  minor league deal.

    welcome back.

    zac rosscup is down in mexico trying to make it happen...maybe they could throw him a contract, too.  junior lake is his teammate.  shore up a bunch of holes with some washups.

  • fullykräusened (view)

    The great thing about going to live sports events is you don't know if you're going to see something historic. Today I went to the Cub game, after putting the liner back in my coat and fishing my Cubs knit hat out of the closet. I needed all that- my seats are in the upper deck, left, so the east wind was in my face. Both teams failed to capitalize on good situations, but both starters did a good job to accomplish this. So, we go to the bottom of the sixth inning. The Cubs tie it up, and then Pete Crow-Armstrong comes up. We all know he would still be in AAA if not for injuries, and future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander absolutely carved up the young fellow up in his first two plate appearances. So this time he hits a fly ball. The wind was blowing in and had suppressed several strong fly balls- including a rocket off Altuve's bat that Canario hauled in (does anybody else remind me of Jorge Soler?) , but the ball kept carrying and carrying. 107mph, legit angle and carry. The crowd went nuts, the dugout went nuts. Maybe, just maybe, I saw the first homer from a long-term Cub.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Which was my original premise. They won the trades but lost their souls. They no longer employ the Cardinal way which had been so successful for so long.

  • crunch (view)

    STL traded away a lot of minor league talent that went on to do nothing in the arenado + goldschmidt trades.  neither guy blocked any of their minor league talent in the pipeline, too.  that's ideal places to add talent.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Natural cycle of baseball. Pitching makes adjustments in approach to counter a hot young rookie. Now it’s time for Busch and his coaches to counter those adjustments. Busch is very good and will figure it out, I think sooner than later.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In 2020, the pandemic year and the year before they acquired Arenado, the Cardinals finished second and were a playoff team. Of the 12 batters with 100 plate appearances, 8 of them were home grown. Every member of the starting rotation (if you include Wainwright) and all but one of the significant relievers were home grown. While there have been a relative handful of very good trades interspersed which have been mentioned, player development had been their predominant pattern for decades - ever since I became an aware fan in the ‘70’s

    The Arenado deal was not a deal made out of dire need or desperation. It was a splashy, headline making deal for a perennial playoff team intended to be the one piece that brought the Cardinals from a very good team to a World Series contender. They have continued to wheel and deal and have been in a slide ever since. I stand by my supposition that that deal marked a notable turning point within the organization. They broke what had been a very successful formula for a very long time.
     

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