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

Espinoza Sharp at Sloan

After hurling three perfect innings in his previous start, Manuel Espinoza fired three innings of one-hit shutout ball (and threw 75% strikes), and Pablo Aliendo singled twice and drove-in a run and Cam Balego tripled and scored, in Cubs AZ Instructional League intrasquad game action Wednesday afternoon at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.   

The Giants at Cubs AZIL game was canceled, so the Cubs played an intrasquad game instead.   

The five pitchers who were scheduled to pitch in the AZIL game threw in the intrasquad game, and the game was called after 3-1/2 innings of play after all of the pitchers got their scheduled work. 

It wasn't possible to field two full teams because only the players who were set to play in the AZIL game played in the intrasquad game (the other position players retired to the clubhouse after early BP), so there was no DH used in the game and Alfonso Rivas (who is already an accomplished hitter and really doesn't need any more game ABs) played LF for both squads and did not take an AB (he stood out in LF for the entire game -- that's 90 minutes straight defense in 90-degree heat without a break, folks).  

Also, Ethan Hearn played 1B and Yonathan Perlaza (ex-infielder now playing outfield) temporarily moved back to the infield and played 2B. 

Fireballin' RHP Danis Correa labored through one inning of work while throwing almost all secondary stuff (only a couple of high velo FB) after throwing almost all FB in his previous outing, while RHRP Eduarniel Nunez threw almost 100% FB (only two off-speed pitches) and was sitting 95-96 (T-97). Both Corraa and E. Nunez are 21-year old Dominican power bullpen arms who could advance quickly if they can improve their secondaries and FB command (easier said than done, obviously).    

Here is the box score from the game: 
CUBS SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1. Nelson Velazquez, RF: 0-3 (P-6, F-8, K)
2. Bryce Windham, C: 1-2 (4-3, 1B)
3. Ethan Hearn, 1B: 0-2 (K, 1-3)
4. Andy Weber, SS: 0-2 (K, L-8)
5. Chase Strumpf, 2B: 0-2 (6-3, K) 
6. Rafael Morel, 3B: 0-1 (P-3, HBP)
7. Jacob Wetzel, CF: 0-2 (E-4, 4-6 FC, SB) 
8. Alfonso Rivas, LF: PLAYED DEFENSE ONLY - NO AB

CUBS SQUAD "B" LINEUP:
1. Cam Balego, 3B: 1-3 (K, 3B, P-4, R)
2. Pablo Aliendo, C: 2-2 (1B, 1B, RBI)
3. Felix Stevens, RF: 0-0 (BB, HBP)
4. Matt Mervis, 1B: 0-1 (HBP, L-7)
5. Cole Roederer, CF: 0-2 (5-3 DP, 4-1)
6. Luis Vazquez, SS: 0-2 (K, 6-3)
7. Yonathan Perlaza, 2B: 0-1 (K, BB) 
8. Alfonso Rivas, LF: PLAYED DEFENSE ONLY - NO AB 

CUBS SQUAD "A" PITCHERS
1. Danis Correa: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 GIDP, 1/0 GO/AO, 21 pitches (10 strikes)
2. Chris Clarke: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 19 pitches (10 strikes)
3. Brad Deppermann: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 2/2 GO/AO, 17 pitches (7 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" PITCHERS
1. Manuel Espinoza: 3.0 IP, 1 H, ,0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3/4 GO/AO, 40 pitches (30 strikes) 
2. Eduarniel Nunez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1/0 GO/AO, 18 pitches (9 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" ERRORS: 1 
2B Yonathan Perlaza: E-4 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Pablo Aliendo: 0-1 CS 

ATTENDANCE: N/A 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's

Arizona 
Scoring 
Service 

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

Comments

oscar de la cruz signs a minor league deal with the mets (with spring training invite)...dunno if his starting days will get a chance to continue with the mets, but i wouldn't be shocked to see him working effectively out of the pen.  i was hoping the cubs would retain him.

"Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that players want to keep the universal designated hitter for 2021, but owners want them to agree to keep the expanded playoffs for the 2021 season in exchange."

uggg...no thanks expanded playoffs.  dunno how the players feel about it or if they care...or if they consider it plus because of a bigger chance to get a share of that TV loot on their playoff cut.  it all just seems so watered down...

[ ]

In reply to by bradsbeard

BRADSBEARD: Alfonso Rivas got a lot of reps in LF at Instructs, but his best position is 1B.

It's sort of like when Rafael Palmeiro first came up with the Cubs and he played LF because Mark Grace had to play 1B, but as soon as Palmeiro was traded to Texas the Rangers immediatelty moved him to 1B and left him there. 

I think the best comp for Rivas is probably Victor Caratini, if you forget about Caratini as a catcher and think of him  strictly as a first-baseman (or as a DH).  

Disregarding the obvious differences (Caratini is a switch-hitting catcher who can also play 1B while Rivas is a LH hitting & throwing 1B who can also play LF), both Caratini and Rivas are patient hitters who take walks but also strike out because they are willing to go deep into the count and hit with two strikes, and they both have a smooth LH line-drive stroke and make hard contact with high exit-velo when they do make contact. 

Rivas (in particular) sprays line drives from foul line to foul line, although he doesn't have an elevated launch angle so he doesn't hit many HR (even in BP). But if he played every day Rivas could probably hit 30 or 40 doubles and take maybe 80 or 90 walks over the course of a 162-game season. 

Rivas is a legit prospect. Not Top 10 because he is a bat-first 1B-LF-DH who doesn't hit many HR, but because of his ability to hit doubles and take walks he should be at least in the Top 25.

Rivas will be Rule 5 Draft-eligible for the first time after next season (post-2021), and as things stand right now I would say he is a very good candidate to get added to the 40 this time next year (ESPECIALLY if the Cubs don't sign Rizzo to a contract extension, but still likely to be added even if they do).  

"According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the "belief is" the Red Sox are deciding between Alex Cora and Sam Fuld for their managerial opening."

[ ]

In reply to by Wrigley Rat

Ronny Simon was one of the first five IFA signed by the Cubs in the 2018-19 ISP. 

RHP Richard Gallardo, LHP Joel Machado, and OF Yohendrick Pinango were the hot shot 16-year olds who received substantial bonuses when they were "Signed for Future Service" on the first day of the ISP (7/2), but two older IFA (19-year old RHP Gabriel Jaramillo and 18-year old INF Ronny Simon) were signed a few days later and were placed on DSL active rosters that season.     

And while Gallardo, Machado, Pinango, and Jaramillo were invited to AZ Instructs post-2020, Simon was not (possibly because the Cubs already knew Simon was going to be sent to LAD in November).  

If Sam Fuld gets the BoSox job, Ron Santo will be ordering Seattle Sutton, Acapulco Taco Pies for EVERYONE!

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

i'm actually surprised he's not going the GM route.

when the cubs signed him out of the draft he was rehabbing injury so he got a internship at STATS INC doing video tracking to kill time.  i think his degree is in statistics, too.

he's most likely a guy who's name we'll hear for decades even if he's never more than a regular baseball lifer.

corey black seems have had a nice twitter meltdown over the election.  he's deleted some stuff after the fact, but he's on the "stolen election" bandwagon.

he's also declaring people moving from Cali to AZ need to stop because AZ people don't want them.  c.black is from san diego and not long ago moved to AZ...but well, you know...he's special.

Recent comments

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Close up video shows Steele saying to the Trainer "no it just cramped up"

    Hope so

  • crunch (view)

    agreed and agreed.

    he walked off on his own, but we may not find out for a few days how this will impact the club.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    Looked like a hamstring rather than a knee, not sure if that’s better or worse. 

  • crunch (view)

    steele leaves the game with a hamstring or knee injury.  sigh.

  • crunch (view)

    ...and a madrigal "non-error" leads to a sac fly for a tie game.  nice.

    having a ball clank off your glove, but still getting it count as a hit because it was hit hard is a nice stats gift.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    For sure. This lineup isn’t exactly stacked as is, and subbing out a Cooper or even a Tauchman for Madrigal won’t do it any favors.

  • crunch (view)

    the ESPN bottom graphic taking up 1/8th of the screen sucks.

    i only use ESPN during baseball season and i'm forced to watch a baseball broadcast designed to be broadcast in sports bars and betting parlors where the news/scores of other games is as important as what you're actually tuned in to watch.

  • crunch (view)

    morel triple to start the season....yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    LHP Blake Weiman appears to have been the last cut from the AAA Iowa roster. He is with the Tennessee group at Minor League Camp.

     

  • crunch (view)

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