Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus one player is 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 3-28-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# 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 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 1 
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Use Araujo to Acquire ISBP Space

The Baltimore Orioles secured Outright Assignment Waivers on RHP Pedro Araujo (who was Designated for Assignment by the Orioles on Wednesday) this afternoon, then he was re-claimed by the Cubs for $50,000 (half the Rule 5 Draft price) and was outrighted back to AAA Iowa (the minor league club from which he was selected by Baltimore in the Major League Phase of the December 2017 Rule 5 Draft), and then the Cubs traded Araujo back to the Orioles for $750K in 2018-19 International Signing Bonus Pool (ISBP) space.

So the Orioles get $50,000 and they get to keep Araujo (but don't need to keep him on their MLB 40-man roster -- he was assigned to AAA Norfolk), and the Cubs get to spend $750K more ISBP money (if they so choose). 

However, it's very unlikely that the Cubs would have paid the Orioles $50,000 to re-claim Araujo and then traded him back to Baltimore just for ISBP space (in other words, the right to spend $750K more money on international free-agents) unless there is a particular international player (like maybe Cuban SS Yolbert Sanchez?) or possibly multiple players (like perhaps two or three of the Mexican IFAs recently declared eligible to sign by MLB, like RHP Jaime Melendez, RHP Jose Angel Valenzuela, and/or C Fernando Villalobos) the Cubs wish to sign prior to the 2018-19 ISP signing deadline on June 15th, and the $750K in ISBP space acquired from the Orioles in the Araujo deal (added to whatever remains from their 2018-19 ISBP space) is the only way they can get it done. 
 

Comments

Hey Phil, can Melendez and Valenzuela pitch in reliief? Sign them and bring them to Chicago now!

[ ]

In reply to by Hagsag

If the Cubs use the $750K in ISBP space they acquired from the Orioles in the Araujo trade to sign one or more of the remaining Mexican IFAs (most of whom sign a "future services contract" with a Mexican League club when they are 15 or 16), the Cubs would have to pay an additional 35% of the signing bonus to the Mexican League club as a "release fee," but the 35% release fee paid to the Mexican League club on top of the signing bonus paid to the player does - NOT - count against the MLB club's ISBP. So (for example) if the Cubs were to sign Mexican IFA catcher Fernando Villalobos for $750K, they would have to pay an additional $265K to the the Mexican League club that controls Villalobos, but the $265 paid to the Mexican League club as a "release fee" would not count against the Cubs 2018-19 ISBP. 

The Cubs have optioned RHRP Carl Edwards Jr to Iowa and have placed LHRP Mike Montgomery (left shoulder inflammation) onto the 10-day Injured List. Their replacements have not yet been announced. 

Since players on the Cubs MLB 40-man roster who were optioned to the minors prior to MLB Opening Day (like Collins, Maples, Norwood, K. Ryan, Wick, etc) cannot be recalled any earlier than the 11th day of the MLB regular season (which is tomorrow -- Sunday April 7th) unless the player is replacing a player who has ben placed onto an MLB inactive list (like the 10-day IL), only one of Saturday night's bullpen reinforcements (the one who replaces Montgomery) can be a pitcher who was already on the MLB 40-man roster.

And so the replacement for Edwards - MUST - be a pitcher who is not on the Cubs MLB 40-man roster (like Allen Webster or Dakota Mekkes), and of course a player will have to be removed from the 40 in order to create a slot for Webster or Mekkes. Possibilities for that move include transferring Morrow, Barnette, or Cedeno to the 60-day IL (which would mean that pitcher cannot be reinstated from the IL until the last week of May), or a DFA of a player on Optional Asignment. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

If the Cubs are able to secure Outright Assignment Waivers on Jen-Ho Tseng and outright him to the minors, he does - NOT - have the right to elect free-agency - AND - he will remain under club control through the 2020 season (although he will be eligible for selection in the December 2019 Rule 5 Draft). 

Tseng signed with the Cubs as an IFA out of Taiwan in July 2013 ($1.625M signing bonus) but he was "Signed for Future Service," which means his minor league service time clock didn't start until the 2014 season, and so the Cubs gained an extra year of club control that will carry through the 2020 season. 

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    steele MRI on friday.  counsell expects an IL stint.

    no current plans for his rotation replacement.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    I would say also in the bright side column is Busch looked pretty good overall at the plate. Alzolay…man, that hurts but most of the time he’s not giving up a homer to that guy. To me the worst was almonte hanging that pitch to Garcia. He hung another one to the next hitter too and got away with it on an 0-1. 

  • crunch (view)

    amaya blocked like 6-8 of smyly's pitches in the dirt very cleanly...not even an exaggeration, smyly threw a ton of pitches bouncing in tonight.

    neris looking like his old self was a relief (no pun), too.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In looking for bright spots the defense was outstanding tonight. The “stars” are going to need to shine quite a bit brighter than they did tonight offensively though for this to be a successful season.

  • Eric S (view)

    Good baseball game. Hopefully Steele is pitching again in April (but I’m not counting on it). 

  • crunch (view)

    boo.

  • crunch (view)

    smyly to face the 2/3/4 hitters with a man on 2nd in extras.

    this doesn't seem like a 8 million dollar managerial decision.

  • crunch (view)

    i 100% agree with you, but i dunno how jed wants to run things.  the default is delay.  i would choose brown.

    like hellfrozeover says, could be smyly since he's technically fresh and stretched.

    anyway, on a pure talent basis....brown is the best option.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Use pitchers when you believe they're good. Don't plan their clock.

    I'm sorry. I'm simply anti-clock/contract management. Play guys when they show real MLB potential talent.

    If Brown hadn't been hurt with the Lat Strain he would've gotten the call, and not Wick.

    Give him a chance. 

    But Wesneski probably gets it

  • crunch (view)

    alzolay...bro...