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 

 



 

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

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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.