Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

39 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (one slot is open), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL and one player has been DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT (DFA)   

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and eight players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-24-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
* Matt Mervis
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Pete Crow-Armstrong 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 8 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2
* Cody Bellinger, OF  
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 3
Kyle Hendricks, P 
* Drew Smyly, P 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P

DFA: 1 
Garrett Cooper, 1B 
 





Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs vs. Reds (Game 43)

With 18 games remaining, the Cubs are still in 1st place and 2.5 games ahead of their nearest rival, the Cardinals. They welcome the 4th place Reds to Wrigley for a 3-game series before heading out for a brief road trip to Milwaukee. There are 10 games left against the NL central for the Cubs. Cincinnati enters the series a long shot for the division at 5.5 back, but they have the same number of wins as Milwaukee and more than the second-place Cards; they are very much still in the playoff hunt.CHC (24-18): RHP Alec Mills (1-1, 3.90 ERA)
CIN (18-23): RHP Tyler Mahle (1-1, 3.90 ERA)
First pitch 7:15 pm central

Having entered the 2020 off-season as a likely spot-starter, Alec Mills has been a mainstay of the Cubs rotation throughout the first two-thirds of the season. Now that both Quintana and Chatwood are dealing with injuries, there's no indication of his departure any time soon. He opened the season with two strong starts and has allowed 21 earned runs in 24.2 innings since then. He lost to the Pirates last time around. He's 1-0 against Cincinnati in two starts this year, but he  was only able to go three innings in his last start against them.

This will be Mahle's third start of the short season against the Cubs. He's 1-0 in two starts including an 11-strikout game most recently.

Comments

Lefty masher Jose Martinez and his -79 OPS+ as a Cub optioned to South Bend.  Billy Hamilton added to 28 man roster

happ / bryant / rizzo / baez / schwarber / contreras / kipnis(DH) / bote / maybin(RF)

ross is loving maybin since he got here.

Vincente Romo strikes out the side in the bottom 7th against the Cardinals. 7-3 Twins win 1st game of DH. 

As a HAPPY reminder, Romo was a key pitcher in the 9th inning of game 4 of the 2016 NLDS playoffs. He gave up a double to Zobrist.

Top of the 9th, Cubs Batting, Behind 2-5, Giants' Derek Law facing 2-3-4 

Derek Law replaces Matt Moore pitching and batting 9th

t92-50---4,(2-1) CHCKris BryantDerek Law4%7%Single to LF (Ground Ball)

Javier Lopez replaces Derek Law pitching and batting 9th

t92-501--6,(3-2) CHCAnthony RizzoJavier Lopez8%14%Walk; Bryant to 2B

Sergio Romo replaces Javier Lopez pitching and batting 9th

t92-5012-5,(3-1) RCHCBen ZobristSergio Romo21%36%Double to RF (Line Drive); Bryant Scores; Rizzo to 3B

Will Smith replaces Sergio Romo pitching and batting 9thWillson Contreras pinch hits for Chris Coghlan batting 5thChris Coghlan pinch hits for Addison Russell (SS) batting 5th

t93-50-233,(1-1) RRCHCWillson ContrerasWill Smith23%58%Single to CF (Ground Ball); Rizzo Scores; Zobrist Scorest95-501--1,(0-0) OCHCJason HeywardWill Smith-2%56%Bunt Groundout: P-SS/Forceout at 2B; Heyward to 2B/Adv on E6 (throw)

Hunter Strickland replaces Gregor Blanco (LF) pitching and batting 8thGorkys Hernandez replaces Will Smith (P) playing LF batting 9th

t95-51-2-3,(0-2) RCHCJavier BaezHunter Strickland28%84%Single to CF (Ground Ball); Heyward Scores/unERt96-511--2,(0-1) OOCHCDavid RossHunter Strickland-4%81%Ground Ball Double Play: 2B-SS-1B4 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB. Cubs 6, Giants 5.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN201610110.shtml

the mound and RH batter's box is trash...steady/slow rain all night.  no one's slipping around, at least.

You could feel the tension from Underwood in his half inning. Garcia bailed him out and then he got through it. Gotta be a large confidence boost for him. Would be great to see him turn into a high leverage guy next year

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

wouldn't mind seeing a darvish / hendricks / ??? / mills-alzolay-underwood mix with 1 guy working the long relief/emergency start role going into 2021.  i dunno if the team considers underwood starting material anymore, but he does have 3 servicable pitches he mixes up regularly...not crutching on anything specific.  his control has taken a great step forward in 2020 (since his callup in 2019, really) and that might help him get another shot at starting.

also, i hope this team gets a legit 2/3 slot starter rather than letting darvish and hendricks anchor a group of "maybes."

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I think I'd be a bit more comfortable with Yu-Hendricks- FA/trade- FA/trade-Adbert/Mills/Underwood.

The two that aren't in rotation are in 'pen. It gives us a 6th starter too. That is critical next year cause when I look at AAA starters, the only ones that look at all viable are T Miller, Abbott, and Robinson id healthy. Two have never thrown an MLB pitch and the other has thrown less than 100.

All of that said, Underwood getting comfortable at MLB level and potentially using that to jump into rotation is intriguing.

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

My gut says we'll be lucky if 1 of Alzolay, Mills, or Underwood can establish himself as a good back of the rotation guy and one can be a good middle reliever. The Cubs desperately need more good options in front of them for 2021 if they are going to contend. I think a contending team needs 2 really good starters, 4-5 more guys they are pretty happy starting at the MLB level, and another 2 live bodies that can give you 4 innings when called up. Right now, it's not clear whether Alzolay and Underwood will fall into the second category or the third. I kind of like Underwood out of the bullpen better--I think his splitter might play better there.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

As things stand right now and presuming the Cubs do not exercise the 2021 club options on Lester and Descalso but do pick-up Rizzo's option, it's likely that the Cubs will be anywhere from $12M - $19M AAV under the 2021 CBT threshold by the start of Spring Training. And that's if they don't sign any free-agents and don't make any trades.

The available AAV could be reduced if Darvish and/or Hendricks do well in the Cy Young voting. Otherwise the $7M AAV difference has to do with whether the Cubs do or do not tender contracts to eight arbitration-eligible players who are "on the bubble" (the eight do not include Baez, Bryant, Caratini, Contreras, Happ, and Schwarber). 

FREE_AGENT POST-2020:
Andrew Chafin
Tyler Chatwood
Daniel Descalso (club option)
Billy Hamilton
Jeremy Jeffress
Jason Kipnis
Jon Lester (club option)
Cameron Maybin
Jose Quintana
Anthony Rizzo (club option)

SIGNED BEYOND 2020
:
 
Jon Lester - $25M club option for 2021 or else $10M buy-out 
Yu Darvish - $22M each in 2021, $19M in 2022, and $18M in 2023, 2019-21 salaries escalate $2M per season going forward if Darvishj wins Cy Young Award in previous seasdon or $1M per season if 2-5 finish in Cy Young in previous season. - $21M AAV
Jason Heyward - $21M in 2021 and $22M each in 2022-23, plus $20M signing bonus deferred with $5M paid each April 1st 2024-27 - $23M AAV
Anthony Rizzo - $16.5M in 2021 w/$2M buy-out post-2020 & player may void 2021 option if traded - $16.5M AAV
Craig Kimbrel - $16M in 2021 & $16M vesting option in 2022 if 110 GF 2020-21 at least 55 GF in 2021 or else club option with $1M buy-out, $2M buy-out if at least 53 GF in 2021 or $3M buy-out if at least 53 GF in 2020-21 - $13.096M AAV
Kyle Hendricks - $14M each in 2021-23 and $16M vesting option in 2024 if Top 3 in Cy Young 2020 or else club option with $1.5M buy-out, & salaries escalate $3M per season with Top 10 finish in Cy Young 2020-23- $13.875M AAV   
Daniel Descalso - $3.5M club option with $1M buy-out in 2021
David Bote - $1M in 2021, $2.5M in 2022, $4M in 2023, $5.5M in 2024, $7M club option or $1M buy-out in 2025, and $7.6M club option or $3M buy-out in 2026) - $3M AAV
SIGNED PLAYERS 2021 SUB-TOTAL AAV: $102.5M (AAV) presuming Lester and Descalso club options are declined and Rizzo club option is exercised, and AAV sub-total could escalate TBD depending on how Darvish and/or Hendricks finish in 2020 Cy Young voting.   

ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE POST-2020 (estimated 2021 salaries in parenthesis):
Albert Almora - $1.575M in 2020 ($2M in 2021?)
Rex Brothers - $900K in 2020 ($1M in 2021?)
Kris Bryant - $18.6M in 2020 ($23.5M in 2021?)
Javy Baez - $10M in 2020 ($16M in 2021?)
Victor Caratini - $615K in 2020 ($2M in 2021?)
Willson Contreras - $4.5M in 2020 ($9M in 2021?)
Ian Happ - $600K in 2020 ($3M in 2021?)  
Jose Martinez $2M in 2020 ($2.5M in 20211?)
Josh Osich - $850K in 2020 ($1M in 2021?)   
Colin Rea
- $570K in 2020 ($750K in 2021?)
Kyle Ryan$975K in 2020 ($1.25M in 2021?)
Kyle Schwarber- $7.01M in 2020 ($12.5M in 2021?:)
Ryan Tepera - $900K in 2020 ($1.25M in 2021?)  
Dan Winkler - $750K plus $750K in potential performance bonuses in 2020 ($1.25M in 2021?)
PROJECTED ESTIMATED 2020 ARB AAV SUB-TOTAL: $76.5M (or could be $65.5M if Almora, Brothers, Martinez, Osich, Rea, Ryan, Tepera, and Winkler are non-tendered). Also, k
eep in mind that how a player performs in 2020 will not be taken into account if a player eligible for arbitration goes to an arb hearing.   

AUTO-RENEWAL (PRE-ARBITRATION) POST-2020
Jason Adam
Adbert Alzolay  (could be out of minor league options in 2021 - TBD)
Miguel Amaya 
Nico Hoerner
Dillon Maples  (will be out of minor league options in 2021)
Tyson Miller 
Alec Mills (no minor league options left)
James Norwood 
Manuel Rodriguez 
Justin Steele  
Duane Underwood Jr (no minor league options left)
Ildemaro Vargas (no minor league options left)
Rowan Wick
Brad Wieck
ESTIMATED PROJECTED 2021 PRE-ARB SUB-TOTAL AAV: $4.5M??? - $3M (MLB) plus $1.5M (14 minor league splits) - or sub-total AAV could increase to as much as $8.5M if eight arbitration eligible players (listed above) are non-tendered and additional pre-arbitration players are added as their roster replacements. m

ESTIMATED 2021 MLB PLAYER BENEFIT COSTS: $15M (est.)

ESTIMATED PROJECTED 2021 PAYROLL AAV: $198M if no players are non-tendered or could be as low as $191M if Almora, Brothers, Martinezs, Osich, Rea, Ryan, Tepera, and Winkler are non-tendered.   

$210M CBT threshold in 2021

Presuming the Cubs will not go over the CBT threshold again in 2021 (they are about $11M over in 2020), and with $5M needed to be left in the bank to cover salaries for in-season IL roster replacements and potential mid-season trade acquistions  the Cubs might have as little as $7M (or could be as much as $14M if the Cubs non-tender a load of arb-eligible guys) to spend on a free-agent pitcher to replace Lester (and that's without any contract extensions for "core players" who are nearing free-agency). And even less if Darvish an/or Hendricks do well in the Cy Young 

In order to free-up AAV payroll for potential contract extentions for Baez, Rizzo, and maybe Schwarber, it's probably going to be necessary for the Cubs trade Kris Bryant during the off-season. They may not get what they think he's worth in the deal, but his potential; 2021 $23M arb salary will likely keep the Cubs from adding another FA SP and bullpen arms they will need in 2021. So I fully expect Bryant to be traded during the off-season, even though the return might be disappointing.  

still heard nothing official, and he's still on the marquee network's talent page, but mark grace seems to fully be a Fox Sports AZ personality at this point.  he's guest-called a game with bob taking the night off and has been doing post-game and in-game work rather steady.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Miguel Cruz walked six in 1.2 IP in his last start, so I guess he is improving. Wilme Mora also walked six in one of his appearances a week or two ago, and one or two others have walked five. I don't know what would be the most I have ever seen a pitcher throw in a game out here, because the manager / pitching coach usually gets the pitcher out of the game if it gets too ridiculous. 

    As for the attendance, probably about 20 of the 25 were early arrivals for the Savannah Bananas game who came over to Field # 1 to see what was going on, and once they saw all the bases on balls (12 walks by Cubs pitchers and four by Angels pitchers) they ran away screaming. I'm used to it so it didn't bother me that much. 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Jed has added Teheran, Tyranski, Kissaki, and now Straily and Nico Zeglin today.

    Zeglin is 24 yrs old. Pitched well at Long Beach St in '23 and well in some Indy Ball.

    They also added Reilly and Viets in late ST.

    Have to search for MiLB arm depth anywhere you can and at all times!!!

  • Childersb3 (view)

    25 in Attendance!!!

    Phil, is that a backfield record?

    Also, 6 BBs for Cruz in 2 IP. What's the most walks you've seen in one EXT ST outing that you can recall?

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    He has a pulse. Apparently that’s the only requirement at this point.

  • crunch (view)

    cubs sign dan straily...for some reason.  minor league deal.

    welcome back.

    zac rosscup is down in mexico trying to make it happen...maybe they could throw him a contract, too.  junior lake is his teammate.  shore up a bunch of holes with some washups.

  • fullykräusened (view)

    The great thing about going to live sports events is you don't know if you're going to see something historic. Today I went to the Cub game, after putting the liner back in my coat and fishing my Cubs knit hat out of the closet. I needed all that- my seats are in the upper deck, left, so the east wind was in my face. Both teams failed to capitalize on good situations, but both starters did a good job to accomplish this. So, we go to the bottom of the sixth inning. The Cubs tie it up, and then Pete Crow-Armstrong comes up. We all know he would still be in AAA if not for injuries, and future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander absolutely carved up the young fellow up in his first two plate appearances. So this time he hits a fly ball. The wind was blowing in and had suppressed several strong fly balls- including a rocket off Altuve's bat that Canario hauled in (does anybody else remind me of Jorge Soler?) , but the ball kept carrying and carrying. 107mph, legit angle and carry. The crowd went nuts, the dugout went nuts. Maybe, just maybe, I saw the first homer from a long-term Cub.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Which was my original premise. They won the trades but lost their souls. They no longer employ the Cardinal way which had been so successful for so long.

  • crunch (view)

    STL traded away a lot of minor league talent that went on to do nothing in the arenado + goldschmidt trades.  neither guy blocked any of their minor league talent in the pipeline, too.  that's ideal places to add talent.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Natural cycle of baseball. Pitching makes adjustments in approach to counter a hot young rookie. Now it’s time for Busch and his coaches to counter those adjustments. Busch is very good and will figure it out, I think sooner than later.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In 2020, the pandemic year and the year before they acquired Arenado, the Cardinals finished second and were a playoff team. Of the 12 batters with 100 plate appearances, 8 of them were home grown. Every member of the starting rotation (if you include Wainwright) and all but one of the significant relievers were home grown. While there have been a relative handful of very good trades interspersed which have been mentioned, player development had been their predominant pattern for decades - ever since I became an aware fan in the ‘70’s

    The Arenado deal was not a deal made out of dire need or desperation. It was a splashy, headline making deal for a perennial playoff team intended to be the one piece that brought the Cardinals from a very good team to a World Series contender. They have continued to wheel and deal and have been in a slide ever since. I stand by my supposition that that deal marked a notable turning point within the organization. They broke what had been a very successful formula for a very long time.