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 

 



 

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Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Lay Lumber on D'backs at Riverview

Fernando Kelli collected three singles and a walk, stole a base, scored two runs, and drove-in another, Gioskar Amaya drilled an RBI double and a single, stole a base, and scored three runs, Wladimir Galindo blasted a three-run HR, Marcus Mastrobuoni laced an RBI double, singled and scored, and walked, Abraham Rodriguez doubled and scored and drew a bases-loaded walk to force-in a run, Dalton Hurd singled twice, scored two runs, and knocked-in another, and Rochest Cruz rifled an RBI single and a triple and scored a run, leading the Cubs to a 12-3 drubbing of the Diamondbacks in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Thursday morning on Field #5 at the Riverview Baseball Complex on John Arguello Way in Mesa, AZ.  

The Cubs bashed-out 16 hits (ten singles, four doubles, a triple, and a HR) and drew five walks to propel the high-octane offense that was on display in the game. 

The Cubs played only one Cactus League EXST game today, so the squad that hosted the D'backs consisted of elements of both the Cubs "A" team and the Cubs "B" team. 

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only): 

CUBS LINEUP:
1. Fernando Kelli, CF: 3-4 (6-3, 1B, BB, 1B, 1B, 2 R, RBI, SB, PO)
2. Gioskar Amaya, 3B: 2-5 (6-3, 2B, E-6, 1B, K, 3 R, RBI, SB)
3. Wladimir Galindo, 1B: 1-3 (6-3, K, BB, HR, R, 3 RBI)
4. Marcus Mastrobuoni, C: 2-3 (1B, 2B, BB, F-9, R, RBI)
5. Abraham Rodriguez, DH #1: 1-3 (2B, P-6, BB, F-9, R, RBI)
6. Dalton Hurd, RF: 2-4 (1B, 5-3, F-8, 1B, 2 R, RBI)
7a. Orian Nunez, DH #2: 0-2 (E-6, F-7, R, RBI)
7b. Richard Nunez, PH-DH: 1-2 (5-3, 2B, RBI)
8. Carlos Pacheco, LF: 1-3 (6-3, BB, 1B, L-9)
9. Herson Perez, 2B: 1-4 (1B, F-7, 5-3, K, RBI)
10. Rochest Cruz, SS: 2-4 (1B, P-3, 3B, 4-3, R, RBI)
11. Widimer Joaquin, DH #3: 0-2 (K, K)
NOTE: Slot was skipped 3rd & 4th times thru batting order

CUBS PITCHERS
1. Eduarniel Nunez: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/3 GO/AO, 22 pitches (16 strikes)
2. Jeremiah Estrada: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 2/0 GO/AO, 41 pitches (26 strikes) 
3. Maikel Aguiar: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, 1 GIDP, 1/4 GO/AO, 33 pitches (13 strikes)
4. Manuel Espinoza: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2/1 GO/AO, 18 pitches (17 strikes)
5. Didier Vargas: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 14 pitches (8 strikes) 
 
CUBS ERRORS: 1 
2B Herson Perez: E-4 (fielding miscue allowed batter to reach base safely) 

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE
Marcus Mastrobuoni: 0-1 CS, 1 PO, 1 PB

CUBS BASERUNNING
1. Rochest Cruz - thrown out 7-5-4 attempting to take extra base on RBI single
2. Carlos Pacheco - thrown out 7-4 attempting to stretch single into double 

ATTENDANCE: 13 

WEATHER: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 80's 

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

Comments

The Cubs have moved hot-hitting INF Robel Garcia (295/391/590 with six HR in 22 games) up to AAA Iowa from AA Tennessee. Here is what I wrote about Garcia when the Cubs signed him last October: 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/10302018/hes-robel

One thing to keep in mind about Garcia is that because he was a second-contract free-agent (he was previously released by CLE), the Cubs might have him under control for just the 2019 season (TBD). 

A second contract player can be signed for one year or (with consent of the player) any number of years up through the player's seventh minor league season. Garcia will have accrued five minor league seasons by the end of the 2019 season, so the Cubs - MIGHT - have him under control through the 2021 season, or it could be only through the 2020 season, or it might be just for the 2019 season (again, TBD).   

If the Cubs have Garcia under control beyond this season, he will be Rule 5 Draft eligible post-2019 unless he is added to the MLB 40-man roster by 11/20. 

If he is not under control beyond the 2019 season, he will almost certainly (at minimum) be offered a 2020 minor league successor contract (which he does not have to sign), otherwise the only way the Cubs would be able to keep him from becoming a free-agent is by adding to the MLB 40-man roster by 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series. 

So the Cubs really needed to move Garcia up to AAA to find out just how good he really is. He had nothing left to prove at AA. 

FWIW, Robel Garcia was available in the AAA Phase of last December's MLB Rule 5 Draft, but was not selected. (The Cubs moved him from the AAA Iowa reserve list to the AA Tennessee reserve list on 11/20).  

And yet, the DD battery is undefeated. Plus, Caratini is playing pro baseball again so TD’s days are numbered. In the meantime, what better rest could there be for Willy than to skip Yu’s exhausting turns?

[ ]

In reply to by Mike Wellman

14 innings, 7 SB, 3 wild pitches over DD's last 3 starts as a tandum.

yu is so slow to the plate and his stuff doesn't always hit the mark.  i just think it's a bad matchup pairing davis/darvish given the 2 skill sets trying to compliment each other. 

the wild pitches technically aren't taylor's issue, but a more mobile guy could have gotten in front of at least 1-2 of those depeding on how loose you want to be with assuming another catcher could have gotten in front of those pitches.

[ ]

In reply to by Eric S

darvish has mostly been paired with contreras...he pulled the short straw or something when carantini went down.  *shrug*

caratini has worked ham/Q this season.  maybe davis doesn't do well with lefty starters, though he did catch 5 innings of montgomery yesterday.

either way, caratini will hopefully be back very soon.

davis isn't trash, but i dont like how the paring of darvish/davis has been playing out.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Alex Avila (strained quad) said to be close to returning to Diamondbacks which would give them four catchers on the 25. D'backs are looking for a #5 starter and they had to be impresed by what they saw of Tyler Chatwood when he threw against them last month.

Avila is making $4.25M in 2019 and Chatwood gets $12.5M in 2019 and $13M in 2020. It would require some financial offset for 2020, but that could be something that could get done.   

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

darvish is easily the slowest guy to the plate out of the starting crew.  contreras nullifies it.  taylor exacerbates it.

neither are horrible on their own, but in combination they open up an exploitable weakness.

i don't know why they didn't stick taylor with q, ham, or hendricks rather than darvish.

it's not the worst issue with either guy (especially since no catcher will make darvish suddenly not walk everyone while barely being able to put in 5 innings), but it's not helping.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.