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 @ Brewers: Series Thread (Games 139-142)

The Cubs begin an eight-game road trip that pits them against the Brewers and Padres for four games each. Trailing in the division and fending off Wild Card hopefuls behind them, the Cubs will be feeling pressure to at least keep pace. Zobrist and Bote could see additional playing time with Javy and Bryant both nursing injuries. The Cubs enter the series 2.5 behind the Cards. See below for match-ups.


Game 139, Thursday, Sep. 5, 6:10pmCDT
CHC: LHP Jose Quintana (12-8, 3.90 ERA)
MIL: RHP Chase Anderson (6-4, 4.58 ERA)

Quintana earned in a win in 5.2 innings against the Brewers last time around, striking out three and allowing four hits and two walks. He's done a good job suppressing offense from current Brewers with the exception of Ryan Braun, who is 12-43 with five homeruns off the lefty.

The Cubs scored five to serve Anderson a loss in his last start, a four inning affair with two Castellanos homeruns. Recent returness Zobrist and Contreras are among Cubs to have hammered Anderson in his career, 17-37 with four homeruns as a pair. Castellanos has the smooth 2-2 with two homeruns line. Javy should sit this one out and rest his thumb.


Game 140, Friday, Sep. 6, 7:10pmCDT
CHC: LHP Cole Hamels (7-5, 3.69 ERA)
MIL: RHP Zach Davies (8-7, 3.76 ERA)

Spider-Ham's six innings of two-run ball weren't enough in his last start, as he took his first Wrigley loss of the season to these Brewers. Hernan Perez is 10-19 with a homerun off the veteran.

Davies broke a five-game losing striking with a no-decision in his last start. He went 4.2 scoreless innings against the Cubs.


Game 141, Saturday, Sep. 7, 6:10pmCDT
CHC: RHP Yu Darvish (5-6, 4.25 ERA)
MIL: LHP Gio Gonzalez (2-2, 4.14 ERA)

Darvish missed his last turn due to a forearm stray, but before that he pitched eight innings and allowed one earned run in a win against the Mets. Yelich is 3-10 with two homeruns off of him.

Gonzalez could only go three innings against the Cubs in his last start, despite allowing no hits. He surrendered four walks and struck out two in that no-decision. Lucroy is 8-13 and Amora 4-8 off the lefty.


Game 142, Sunday, Sep. 8, 1:10pmCDT
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (9-9, 3.39 ERA)
MIL: RHP Adrian Houser (6-5, 3.45 ERA)

Hendricks pitched well in a win against Seattle despite earning a no-dcision. He allowed one earned run on one walk and three hits in six innings pitched, striking out seven. He's held most Brewers in check, but Travis Shaw is 7-27 with three homeruns off of him.

Houser held the Astros to one run on two walks and five hits in 4.1 innings, walking away with a no-decision. He lost to the Cubs on August 4, surrendering four earned runs in five innings. Current Cubs are 12-42 with a ..929 OPS off of him. Schwarber (2-4 with a homerun), Contreras (2-3 with a triple) and Rizzo (2-4) have led the way in minimal exposure.

Comments

Best Cubs lineup tonight - position player wise at least.  So look out for a no-hitter from Anderson! 😂

AZ Phil - You see a scenario that the Cubs sign Castellanos in the offseason without stripping the front office of the resources to pursue other meaningful acquisitions?  I assume Hamels will not be re-signed unless he’s willing to take a big discount (very doubtful)

Q: How many baseball players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A: C.Kimbrel to the IL with elbow inflamation

hahahahahahahaha

South Bend sweeps Bowling Green tonight and moves to the Division Championship round.  Game 1 Saturday at Four Winds.  A stingy bullpen was key to the series win; it's a deep and interesting mix of old (for this level) and new guys.

zobrist(2nd) / schwarb / cast / rizzo / bryant / caratini / russell(SS) / heyward / ham

baez still has owies.

Wonder who is getting the boot off the 40 man for Hultzen. My money’s on Rosario.

It also means that if Underwood and Hultzen aren’t non-tendered, the 2020 bullpen is full without any signings. And Alec Mills would be a goner too.

[ ]

In reply to by Eric S

Keep in mind that if Taylor Davis gets through waivers and is outrighted he will be a minor league 6YFA post-World Series - BUT - he can be added back to the Cubs MLB 40-man roster anytime during the balance of the MLB regular season or post-season (although another player will have to be dropped from the 40) if a couple of Cubs catchers go down with injuries. (If that were to happen, T. Davis would be a post-2019 minor league 6YFA only if he is not on the 40 as of 5 PM Eastern on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series).   

So Danny Hultzen, Zack Short, Dixon Machado. P. J. Higgins, and Nico Hoerner, or any minor leaguer who was on a Cubs minor league affiliate's reserve list on 8/31 or Taylor Davis (if he makes it through waivers without being claimed) or Mark Zagunis or any player who was on the Cubs MLB 40-man roster at midnight on 8/31 but who was subsequently sent outright to the minors can replace a player on the Cubs MLB Post-Season Eligibility List who is unable to play in the post-season due to injury (at this time that would include all four of the players on the Cubs MLB 60-day IL - Xavier Cedeno, Brandon Morrow, and Allen Webster for sure, and Kendall Graveman as long as he is not reinstated from the 60-day IL in the post-season). And once a post-season eligible player is declared out for the post-season and is replaced by a minor league player, the player cannot be reinstated for the balance of the post-season  

As long as the injury replacement occurs prior to the start of a post-season series, there is no restriction on replacing an injured post-season eligible player with a player who plays the same position. It's only when an injured player is replaced - DURING - a post-season series that a pitcher must replace a plitcher and a postion player must replace a position player. So while all four of the players on the Cubs MLB 60-day IL are pitchers, that doesn't prevent the Cubs from replacing one or more of them with minor league position players.  

Also, any minor league player not on the MLB 40-man roster who is a post-season "injury replacement" must first be added to the 40, and a player cannot be placed on the 60-day IL or transferred to the 60-day IL after the conclusion of the MLB regular season to make room on the 40 for the replaceme t player (and all players on the 10-day IL must be reinstated on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season, so players cannot be transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL during the post-season), and any player placed onto the 60-day IL or transferred to the 60-day IL in September - MUST - be replaced on the club's MLB 40-man roster immediately (decision cannot be deferred until the post-season).  

Graveman retired first 10 last night, 5 on Ks, before tiring between 50-60 pitche-touched 93...3&2/3, 1h, 1w; looks like a keeper...

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

DJL: Graveman's $1.475M "one day" roster bonus only applies if he is reinstated from the IL during the MLB regular season, so it won't cost the Cubs anything additional beyond his $575K base salary if Graveman is reinstated during the post-season (MLB players are not paid salaries once the MLB regular season concludes, instead they get post-season checks for each post-season series played with higher $$$ amounts if they win the series). 

[ ]

In reply to by Eric S

Iowa SS Dixon Machado is an experienced MLB legit shortstop but he's down with a hamstring injury but SS Zack Short (who was promoted from Tennessee to Iowa for the PCL playoffs) was probably going to be added to the 40 post-2019 anyway, so bringing him up to MLB in September isn't that much of a stretch  Same goes for Iowa C-INF P. J. Higgins in case one of the three Cubs MLB catchers goes down over the last three weeks of the MLB regular season. (Higgins is a virtual lock to get added to the 40 post-2019).  

ERIC S: It wouldn't surprise me if the Cubs offer Dixon Machado a 2020 minor league successor contract with a generous salary and an NRI to Spring Training and with a very good chance to make the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster (especially with the new 26-man active list where the 26th player can't be a pitcher), and then either trade or non-tender Addison Russell. 

Maddon REALLY wants Phelps to get to that $5M option next year as opposed to where it’s currently at, $3M. His last 2 appearances were both 1 batter without an out recorded. 8 more over the last 21 games gets him there.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Unbelievable. There is ONE person on that team you do not give the chance to beat you. It’s not Eric Thames!

I can’t decide if I think Schwarber falling on his ass (as usual) cost them a chance at Austin at home.

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

schwarber has done nothing short of busting his ass to be in playing shape for LF for years now...seems like he tries hard.

that said, he'll make a fine DH for someone one day.  he's not much of a fielder anywhere.  i wonder how bad his 1st base D is since he never gets a chance to play there when rizzo is out/resting.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

He’s much better than he was, for sure. I like Schwarber and don’t mean to demean his effort because he was truly abysmal previously and he’s not that anymore. But....

It‘s apparent that it isn‘t something that comes naturally to him. He still makes those head scratching type plays. He would have had a chance to throw out the runner at home, I think. Maybe not, but I know for sure that once he tumbled over himself (which he does with some level of frequency) the game was done.

Are things looking good with Javy out with an injury, Russell a head case in the field and Bote a better choice to start at 3B than a clearly banged up KB?  Not the brand of September baseball I was looking forward to. 

this game got good quickly.

i'm all for the "rally hit russell in the face with a fastball" going forward.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Very nice debut. Provided he can throw on back to back days you gotta think he’s in next years pen. Barring any signings/ trades/ injuries/ horrible ST performance and factoring in out of options players this is what I would guess 2020 pen will be:

Kimbrel, Wick, Ryan, Phelps, Chatwood, Wieck, Underwood, Hultzen

Wick, Ryan, and Wieck have options. Out of options 40 man guys sent packing are Mills, Rosario, Webster

Makes sense for 2020.  What does not make sense is that most of the Cubs minor league affiliates have strong bullpens, while the big club signs free agents liberally in the pen and still has performance issues.  Hultzen may be a special case but I'd rather see the Cubs bring guys up from AAA and AA every time, knowing this has failed and will fail again, than buy guys in their thirties who prove to be in decline (Kintzler) or start to get hurt a lot (Kimbrel?)  I'd like the 2021 Cubs bullpen to be young and homegrown.

3 late games @SD coming up.  10PM+ for us east coast people.

i should quit my job.

day game thursday, then back home for 3 day games vs PIT.

South Bend will play for the Midwest League Championship!  Their formula for success in the division battle was the same as in playoff round one: put a lot of people on base, draw first blood, then ride the bullpen to victory.  In less guarded moments, the SB players have been saying they were the team their opponents did not want to face in a short series.  Very true so far....

Is Maples injured? I can't find any recent stories on him. I'm surprised that he wasn't called up when Iowa's season ended.

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...