2024 Cubs Spring Training
3/17 UPDATE:
The Cubs have optioned RHP Keegan Thompson and 1B Matt Mervis to AAA Iowa.
Also, RHP Cam Sanders, C-INF Bryce Windham, and INF Chase Strumpf have been assigned to Minor League Camp.
So there are now 42 players ACTIVE at Cubs MLB Spring Training (31 on MLB Reserve List and 11 NRI).
3/9 UPDATE:
RHP Chris Clarke, RHP Sam McWilliams, and LHP Brad Wieck have been assigned to Minor League Camp.
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2024 Cubs Minor League Camp Rosters
3/16 UPDATE:
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Happ & Madrigal Are Kept Busy on the Backfields
Anderson Suriel belted an RBI triple and a two-run HR, Christian Olivo doubled twice, stole a base, scored one run, and drove-in another, Yohendrick Pinango drilled a triple and a single, and SP Dom Hambley hurled three innings of no-hit ball with four strikeouts, helping the Hi-A South Bend Cubs defeat the Lo-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans 7-5 on Field # 5, and SP Connor Noland fired three innings of one-hit shutout ball with five strikeouts and Carter Trice drilled a two-run single, as the AA Tennessee Smokies defeated the AAA Iowa Cubs 5-2 on Field # 6, in Cubs Minor League Camp intrasquad game
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Ed Howard Leads the Way at Riverview
Ed Howard and David Avitia each smashed a three-run HR (Howard's a high-flying bomb over the right-centerfield fence, and Avitia's a big fly down the LF line), Yohendrick Pinango singled twice, doubled, and scored a run, Brett Bateman reached base four times (three walks and an HBP), stole a base, and scored a run, and SP Marino Santy hurled three innings of one hit / shutout ball, leading the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) to an 8-3 victory over the Eugene Emeralds (San Francisco Giants Hi-A affiliate) on Field # 6, and Javier Castillo drilled an RBI triple and a sing
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Javier Assad Dominates Smokies at Riverview
SP Javier Assad walked across the street from Sloan Park to the Cubs backfields, and, pitching for the AAA Iowa Cubs squad and facing the AA Tennessee Smokies, hurled five innings (50 pitches - 34 strikes) of one-hit shutout ball with six strikeouts and 7/1 GO/AO, in Cubs Minor League Camp intrasquad squad game action Tuesday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.
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Ben Brown Wows the Crowd at Riverview
Ben Brown fired 3.2 innings of perfect baseball with eight strikeouts (seven swinging), and Jonathon Long (RBI single), Christian Franklin (RBI double), and Jefferson Rojas (RBI single) stroked run-scoring hits, to highlight intrasquad game action at Cubs Minor League Camp Monday afternoon at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.
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Cubs 2024 Rule 5 Draft and Minor League Free-Agent Watch List
3/1 UPDATE:
The Cubs have signed 1B-OF Garrett Cooper to a 2024 minor league contract.
2024 Offseason Update: Bellinger Returns
With the Cubs reportedly agreeing to a 3-year deal with two player opt outs, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins's major moves in the 2024 free agent market have likely come to a close. Bellinger gets some security along with the potential to explore free agency again prior to age 30. The Cubs get a shorter investment and a reunion with one of their top position players from 2023. Bellinger's flexibility to play any outfield spot as well as first base means hardly anyone is really left on the outside looking in--although the likelihood of Pete Crow-Armstrong starting the year in Iowa increases.
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Offseason Update: Questions facing NL Central Teams
Cubs pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in a week. What now appear to be the most urgent questions for each NL Central club?
Let's start with the home team and move down last year's standings.
Offseason Update: Shota Imanaga
1/11/24: The Cubs finalized their deal with Imanaga, settling on four years and an option for the fifth with some additional complexities. Today, they also traded Zyhir Hope and Jackson Ferris for DH/Corner IF Michael Busch and RP Yency Almonte. Busch looks to be competing with Morel, Mervis, and Wisdom for playing time, assuming none of them get traded before Spring Training. Catcher Brian Serven has been DFA'd to make room on the 40-man.
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Recent comments
Cubster (view)
AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.
Arizona Phil (view)
The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24).
However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time).
Arizona Phil (view)
Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.
Arizona Phil (view)
For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024:
* bats or throws left
Angel Cepeda, INF
* Miguel Cruz, P
Yidel Diaz, C
* Albert Gutierrez, 1B
Fraiman Marte, P
Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B)
Derniche Valdez, INF
Edward Vargas, OF
Jeral Vizcaino, P
And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.
Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect.
F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season.
The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher).
Arizona Phil (view)
DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically.
Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).
Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day.
Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will.
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.
The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster
Arizona Phil (view)
Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required.
They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).
If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.
If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option).
Childersb3 (view)
Phil,
Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?
Arizona Phil (view)
In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!
And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).
Arizona Phil (view)
I think the way it is looking right now (to me), if Jameson Taillon starts the season the 15-day IL (very likely), Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Kyle Hendricks, and Jordan Wicks are SP (all locks), Drew Smyly will be the temporary #5 SP, Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski will be the multi-inning bulk guys, and Adbert Alzolay, Julian Merryweather, Hector Neris, Mark Leiter Jr, Luke Little, and Jose Cuas will be the one-inning relievers (although Cuas can throw two innings if needed). Then once Taillon is reinstated, Smyly will replace either Wesneski or Little in the pen (with Wesneski or Little getting optioned to Iowa to make room for Taillon on the 26-man roster).
As far as position players are concerned, Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya are the catchers (locks), Ian Happ (LF), Cody Bellinger (CF), Seiya Suzuki (RF), and Mike Tauchman (4th OF) are the outfielders (locks), and Michael Busch (1B), Nico Hoerner (2B), Dansby Swanson (SS), and Christopher Morel (3B) are the infielders (all locks), with Miles Mastrobuoni (likely but not quite a lock) the back-up 2B-SS-3B-LF, late inning & extra inning PR, and late-inning defensive replacement for Morel when the Cubs are protecting a lead, Garrett Cooper (likely) as the primary RH DH and starts at 1B against tough LHSP and can also play corner OF, and Patrick Wisdom (somewhat likely) as a back-up 1B-3B-LF-RF and RH DH if Cooper is playing 1B, or David Bote (possibly) instead of Wisdom since Bote can play all four infield positions (plus LF) and not just 1B-3B. The Cubs are already paying Bote $5M in 2024 ($3M AAV hit) to play in AAA, so they probably would be fine with adding him back to the 40 and the 26-man roster.
Nick Madrigal will likely be optioned to AAA as soon as he's back from the hamstring injury (and he played in a game at Minor League Camp on Friday), and so he will be at Iowa in case the Morel experiment doesn't work. And and if it doesn't work out, Madrigal would probably get called up and (probably) Wisdom (or Bote, if Bote is on the 26-man roster instead of Wisdom) would be optioned to AAA (Madrigal, Wisdom, and Bote have usable minor league options available, while Cooper and Tauchman do not).
We actually saw something very much like this lineup on Sunday:
TYPICAL PROJECTED CUBS LINEUP:
1. Happ, LF
2. Suzuki, RF
3. Bellinger, LF
4. Morel, 3B
5. Swanson, SS
6. Busch, 1B
7. Hoerner, 2B
8. Cooper/Tauchman, DH
9. Gomes/Amaya, C