Cubs MLB Roster

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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 nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-23-2024
 
* 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
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 9 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 1 
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

Padres @ Cubs: Lucchesi vs Lester (Game 111)

Submitted by CTSteve on
SD (43-70): LHP Joey Lucchesi (5-6, 3.74)
CHC (64-46): LHP Jon Lester (12-4, 3.22)
First pitch: 1:20pmCST
 
Lester, who was in the middle of the Cy Young race, has gone 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in his last three games. He gave up 4 ER in 5 innings in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
 
Overall, the Padres are 22-89 (.247) against him. Villanueva is 2-2 and Pirela is 4-8, both with a HR.
 
Lucchesi lost to the D’backs his last time out (4.1 IP, 5 ER). He’s 2-2 with a 2.81 on the road this season. None of the Cubs have faced him.
 
Tomorrow it’s Hamels and Tunis in KC at 7:15pmCST.
 
Go Cubs!
Tags
2018 Game day thread

Comments

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:44 am

A couple of notable items reference the Cole Hamels and Brandon Kintzler trades: 

1. The Cubs are paying $5M of the $8M+ remaining of Hamel's 2018 salary (Rangers are paying $3M+), and the Rangers will pay the $6M buy-out post-2018. However, if the Cubs exercise the $20M club option for 2019, the Cubs are on the hook for the entire $20M. 

If the Rangers had to pay $6M in 2019 whether or not the Cubs declined the club option, the Cubs could bring Hamels back for $14M (with the Rangers paying the balance) if they were so inclined. So even if Hamels pitches "lights out" the rest of the season, it's probably unlikely that the Cubs would exercise the $20M club option for 2019 because they would have to pay all of it.

That said, the Cubs could decline the 2019 $20M club option, let the Rangers pay Hamels the $6M buy-out, and then try and re-sign Hamels for no more than $14M (and that's presuming the Cubs will want him back and Hamels will want to come back in 2019, which at this point is very much TBD). 

2. Kintzler has a "backwards" mutual option for 2019, meaning the Cubs have to decide whether to exercise the $10M club option first (the Cubs will decline), and then after the Cubs decline the club option (which they will), Kintzler has a $5M player option (which he very well could exercise, since it's questionable whether he could do better than that as a FA). So the mutual option is backwards because usually the player has to make his decision first and then the club can choose to either accept the player's choice or decline the club option and let the player be a FA. (It was probably set-up that way because of the difference between the two salaries -- $10M club option versus $5M player option -- and the fact that there is no buy-out if the club option is declined). 

So the Cubs could go into 2019 with a fully-stocked starting rotation (Lester, Hendricks, Quintana, Darvish, and either Smyly, Montgomery, or Chatwood) and bullpen (Morrow, Strop, Edwards, Kintzler, Cishek, Duensing, and two from among Smyly, Montgomery, and Chatwood). The only post-2018 free-agents among the relievers are Justin Wilson and Jesse Chavez. Of course that doesn't mean the Cubs won't maybe DFA Duensing or try and trade Chatwood (and good luck with that), but right now the Cubs project to have a full 13-man veteran pitching staff going into the 2019 season (with no room for Hamels even if he turns out to be a perfect fit in the starting rotation or for any of the younger pitchers with upside like Randy Rosario, Dillon Maples, James Norwood, et al, in the bullpen, unless one or more of the veterans are moved during the off-season).

[ ]

Submitted by bradsbeard on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:51 am

I’ve been thinking of scenarios in which the Cubs might re-sign Hamels, and if he pitches really well down the stretch I bet they’ll try to work something like that out where they let the Rangers pay the buy out (I believe the Cubs will give Texas a PTBNL in that event) and then work out an extension with Hamels. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were something like 2/$15 or 2/$20 so Hamels ends up with more money but the Cubs don’t have to take all the LT hit in one year. 

[ ]

Submitted by billybucks on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:24 pm

Barring a trade, there's not much room for position players next year either.  No FAs that I can think of after this season.  You have Contreras, Rizzo, Baez, Russell, Bryant, Heyward, then 2 of Schwarber, Happ, Almora and Zobrist in the lineup and 2 on the bench.  Two remaining bench spots are for a backup C (Caratini for now) and then a tough call between TLS and Bote.  So, if they decide to go big after Harper or Machado, they'll need to move some bodies.   

[ ]

Submitted by tim815 on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 08:26 am

Ovalles had a good season going until an injury derailed it. Apparently, hamate surgery. He's a reasonable get for the Rangers, but doesn't sway the Hamels trade. A $300,000 or less signing, Ovalles was an effective signing, regardless how the future plays out.

Submitted by Hagsag on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:56 am

If Theo can find a trading partner that will Walkwood, he should be sent to the HOF immediately.

Submitted by Transmission on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:47 pm

Lineup of:

Almora Cf

Baez 2b

Bote 3b

Russell Ss

Schwarber Lf

Contreras C

Caratini 1b

Lester P

Happ Rf

 

That's a new one...

Submitted by billybucks on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:03 pm

Looks like the answer to the question: "Was Lester just lucky the first half of the year?" is a resounding "Yes!".

My goodness -- getting roughed up by the Padres, at home.  He is in a serious nosedive -- maybe time for an extra day off?   

My friend predicted this last night, lamenting that he was going to today's game: "Lester is terrible when it's hot."  No data, but, at least for today, his theory holds true.  And, of course, meanwhile Wade Miley continues to channel Steve Carlton.  Sheesh.

[ ]

Submitted by billybucks on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:21 pm

And, the WAY they scored.  I saw "Strike 3" with 2 outs on GameDay, did a little fist pump, and saw CJ had 2 out nobody on.  Feeling good.  Then -- Strike 3 was a WP, then another 2-out WP allows the tying run to score.  CJ walks a fast guy with no power with 2 outs and the bases empty, and then the roof caved in.  Quite a turn of events.  All bad.

Submitted by Eric S on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:31 pm

Well, Cubs are fortunate to get the split in this series, even against the worst team in the NL. Hope to keep treading water and play .500 ball until Morrow, KB and Yu get back - then hopefully you catch fire. 

Submitted by billybucks on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:30 pm

Maybe it's just me, but I thought Randy's shoulder looked a little, ah, "fatigued".   

Submitted by The E-Man on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:41 pm

Brewers will win the series with the Padres. Cubs, in line with how they play aganst the shit, will lose 2/3, and there will be a tie going into Cubs-Brew series. Calling this now...And, if you recall, Yelich was injured when the Cubs were in the, “we’re so much better than the Brewers” series. They just aren’t at the moment.

Submitted by Cubster on Sun, 08/05/2018 - 08:50 pm

Angel Hernandez and CB Bucknor in the same ump crew...oh my lord. Why isn’t Captain Peter Peachfuzz in this crew.

Submitted by blockhead25 on Mon, 08/06/2018 - 08:13 am

Cubs are giving up way too many dumb outs on the bases where the potential loss far exceeds the potential gain.  they need to clean that crap up.

oh, and When I saw Almora Jr swing at the first pitch in the game, I threw my phone down.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    welp...

    bellinger...fractured rib.

    a not-very-ready PCA will probably be called up when it would be much better for him to be in AAA getting regular ABs.

  • crunch (view)

    i have no hard data, but i'm seeing the same thing.

    there used to be some parks where that was rampant (colorado during the todd helton days comes to mind), but i'm seeing it all over the place the past couple seasons.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I’ll spare the details which I’ve stated before but, in short, the Cardinals have lost their sight of their successful identity and strategy over last several dominant decades. From the beginning of the season I saw the Cardinals being in last place or near it again this year, and my prediction is that Mozeliak will be gone after the end of the season.

  • Bill (view)

    I would have kept Cooper rather than Wisdom, but at least I can understand why they did it.  In a team that lacks dominant power hitters, Wisdom can be a dominant power hitter, at least in streaks.  I suppose that there is always the possibility that the streaks longer in both duration and frequency.  I will be content if they essentially make a 100 % DH commitment to Mervis against righties and Wisdom against lefties.  When a regular needs rest, give them total rest, rather than a DH rest.  Do this for at least 2 months, and then re-evaluate at that point.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    This is Cubs adjacent but…


    Jordan Walker just was optioned by the deadbirds. For all the talk of the Cardinals development machine, they’ve really missed on a lot of can’t miss superstars lately. Walker has struggled. Gorman has been okay. They’re already trying to push Carlson out the door. Their pitching system has been so bad they had to go out and sign basically a full rotation over the last two offseasons.

    They’ve still developed a few of those pesky solid players, like Donovan, Edman, and Nootbaar. Their two best prospect to MLB players have been Adolis and Arozarena, neither of which is a cardinal.

    I hope they never figure it out again. Cardinal failure brings me such joy.
     

  • Raisin101 (view)

    Thank you so much! I really appreciate not only all your posts but how eager you are to respond to our questions.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Is it just me or does it seem that official scorers are becoming less likely to call a misplay an error? 

     

    Guess I've hit my cranky old-man phase in life.  "I remember back in the day when an error was an error.  Official scorers have gone soft.  Now where did I put my readers?!!??"

     

    Sidenote, maybe Bellinger should be a little more careful against the Astros.  That was the series last year that a play at wall put him on the IL.   

  • crunch (view)

    i hated the almonte pickup, but he's 9-10 out of 12 for good outings, following a great spring.  hope he can keep it up.

    i already miss cooper, but yeah...the thin OF roster backup the team seems to want to carry probably got wisdom preference over cooper.  i could live without seeing wisdom at 3rd unless it's a blowout, though.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Things I've been wrong about:

    -Tauchman is fine as a 4th OF. I knew that. I just want a better LH DH option and he was really the DH for us until Seiya got hurt. I'm glad Mervis is getting a chance at it. Caissie is coming for that job for sure. But Tauchman continues to be highly useful as a 4th OF with Seiya being hurt

    -I wanted Yency to go to get guys at Iowa a chance. Guys like Palencia and Sanders or RileyT. Maybe even Hodge! But Yency has been better the last two plus weeks. He did hit 96 the other day. He was 93 in Texas to open the season.

    -Leiter has his split working enough. It just needs to stay there

    -I was surprised Jed picked Wisdom over Cooper. I wonder if this happens if Seiya wasn't hurt. Wisdom has more power. Cooper is the better hitter. Jed picked Wisdom and Wisdom had an option left as well.

    -Palencia just doesn't miss enough bats. Similar to ManRod, just two yrs younger. ManRod is killing AAA for TB right now!

    Things I got right so far:

    -Hendricks. Sorry Kyle. You got paid though!

    Jed, you missed there.

    -Smyly. If Jed could've traded him before or during ST, then he should have and saved some cash.

    -Mastro.  Not a LH DH. Pinch runner. Defensive utility. Maybe he's better than Madrigal but didn't get a legit chance to prove it.

    -Luke Little is good. He's had one bad outing. That's it. Needs to get better entering with guys on base. But he needs to stay in MLB.

    -Oh yeah....Morel is doing fine at 3B! He'll get better as well!!

  • crunch (view)

    bellinger "right rib contusion"

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