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 Cruise Past Timber Rattlers at Sloan Park

Chase Strumpf drilled a two-run single and a triple and scored twice, and Yonathan Perlaza drove-in three runs with two run-scoring singles, leading the South Bend Cubs (Hi-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) to an 8-3 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Milwaukee Brewers Hi-A affiliate) in Cactus League Minor League Camp game action Monday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ.  

Cubs 2019 1st round draft pick RHP Ryan Jensen got the start for the Cubs and once again was unable to get through his second inning of work, throwing 34 pitches in just 1.1 IP (only 44% strikes) and walking three. His FB velo was 95-98 and his SL velo was 89-90 in his first inning, but the FB velo was down to 93-95 and the SL velo was down to 87-88 by the time he left the game with one out in the top of the 2nd.

Jensen is a two-pitch pitcher with command issues who has a significant decrease in velo after throwing just one inning, so as of right now he would appear to project as a one-inning power-reliever (and that's only if he can command his pitches for that one inning).    

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only): 
SOUTH BEND LINEUP:
1a. Luis Vazquez, SS: 2-4 (1B, K, 1B, F-9, R)
1b. Jacob Olson, LF: 0-1 (6-3) 
2a. Cole Roederer, DH: 1-4 (2B, K, F-8, F-9, R)
2b. Grayson Byrd, 1B: 0-1 (K)
3a. Chase Strumpf, 3B: 2-3 (1B, 3B, K, 2 R, 2 RBI)
3b. Matt Burch, SS: 1-2 (1B, F-7, R)
4a. Tyler Durna, 1B: 1-3 (1B, K, K)
4b. Flemin Bautista, PH-DH: 1-1 (1B, R)
5a. Nelson Velazquez, RF: 0-1 (HBP, BB, L-9) 
5b. Jake Slaughter, 3B: 0-0 (HBP, R)
6. Yonathan Perlaza, LF-CF: 2-4 (4-6-3 DP, 1B, K, 1B, 3 RBI)
7a. Aramis Ademan, 2B: 0-2 (5-3, K) 
7b. Delvin Zinn, 2B: 0-1 (BB, K, R, 2 SB) 
8a. Darius Hill, CF: 0-2 (K, F-8, F-8 SF, RBI)
8b. Jonathan Sierra, RF: 1-1 (1B, RBI)
9. Jake Washer, C: 1-4 (1B, K, K, K) 

SOUTH BEND PITCHERS
1. Ryan Jensen: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, 3/0 GO/AO, 34 pitches (15 strikes)
2. Adam Morgan: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 19 pitches (13 strikes)
3. Blake Whitney: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, 1/3 GO/AO, 50 pitches (32 strikes)
4. Eury Ramos: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 22 pitches (10 strikes) 
5. Bailey Clark: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1/0 GO/AO, 14 pitches (6 strikes) 
6. Garrett Kelly: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 22 pitches (11 strikes) 

SOUTH BEND ERRORS: NONE 

SOUTH BEND CATCHERS DEFENSE
Jake Washer: 2-6 CS

ATTENDANCE: N/A 

WEATHER: Overcast and very breezy with temperatures in the 70's

Arizona 
Scoring 
Service 

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

Comments

PHIL: With the start of full season ball coming on May 4th, it looks like rosters are coming into focus. Do you know yet if:

1. There are going to be 1 Rookie Mesa team or 2?

2. Will there be unofficial games against other rookie teams or will those be considered offical games?

3. Is there 1 DSL squad or 2 like before?

4. Cristian Hernandez is currently listed on the DSL roster. Is he likely to start the season there?

Thanks, Phil!

[ ]

In reply to by K Dub

K-DUB: As of right now there will be two DSL Cubs teams and two AZL Cubs teams. Whether or not the games will be "official" and when the seasons will start is still TBD.

Right now the 15 MLB organizations operating in Arizona are all over the place as far as when Extended Spring Training games will start (some teams will be starting to play EXST games next week, and others won't start until June).  

Because of CoViD-19 protocols and quarantines, players will probably not move back & forth between the Dominican Academy and Arizona in 2021, so any Cubs Dominican Academy player assigned to Extended Spring Training in Arizona will have to be AZL ready, and I don't know how the Cubs feel about Cristian Hernandez's readiness for AZL, 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Phil,

This might be a big ask, but Baseball America yearly puts out their 2025 (4-5 yrs in future) team lineup, rotation & closer.

1. Do you have thoughts on the 2025 Cubs?

2. Which FA would you extend (if any) -- Bryant, Rizzo and /or Baez? If you were GM.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

PHIL: Thanks so much for your answers (and your being on-going resource for Cubs fans everywhere)! I assume from your current depth chart that Cristian Hernandez is currently working out at the Dominican Academy and is not in Mesa? If so, any idea of the likelihood of that changing once the full season teams ship out?

Very interesting article by BA on the 2021 minor league schedule. Teams will be playing 6-game series' Tuesday through Sunday (everyone has Mondays as an off-day, except one AAA division). So many reasons to like this after reading the article. The few reasons not to like it seem trivial in comparison. My favorite is the likelihood of 6-man rotations with 7 days between starts - allows for an additional SP at each level, a more intense bullpen session between starts, and an easier way to monitor innings over the course of the year! What do you think? https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/like-it-or-not-minor-league-bas…

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • 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...