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 nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-23-2024
 
* 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
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 9 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 1 
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 
 




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Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs @ Pirates: Series Thread (Games 47-49)

Submitted by Charlie on

The Cubs took two out of three from the Cardinals in St. Louis and climbed to 1.5 game out of first place. Meanwhile, the Brewers trail the Cubs by only half a game. The Cubs will have a chance to take on the last place Pirates yet again. The season series stands at five and four in the Cubs' favor heading into the week. The Pirates will be doing their work without Colin Moran, Philip Ervan, and, of course, Ke'Bryan Hayes. The Cubs may miss Willson Contreras, depending on how he recovers from taking a fastball to the wrist from his battery-mate, Kimbrel. Jason Heyward remains on the IL, and team sparkplug Matt Duffy is working around some back pain. See below for the pitching matchups for the series.

Game 47, Tuesday, May 25, 5:35 pm central

CHC: RHP Jake Arrieta (4-4, 4.46 ERA)

PIT: TBA

Arrieta surrendered 7 hits and four earned runs to the Nationals in his last start. Things didn't look all that bad until Juan Soto took him deep in the fifth. Overall, it was still a solid second start after his return from a brief IL stint.

Pittsburgh has not yet announced their starter for this game. 27-year-old righty Cody Ponce is an option. He's been working in AAA so far this season and last appeared on May 19. He made five MLB appearances with the Pirates in 2020, including 2 starts. He took a loss on August 2 of last year, giving up one unearned run on one hit while recording only one out.

Game 48, Wednesday, May 26, 5:35 pm central

CHC: RHP Trevor Williams (2-2, 5.97 ERA)

PIT: RHP Wil Crowe (0-2, 4.91 ERA)

Williams's inconsistent work in May has earned him a quick hook of late. He was pulled with one out to go in the fifth inning during his last start despite allowing only two earned runs and striking out five. He's totalled only 13.1 innings in 4 May starts so far. His strikeout numbers remain promising, but his WHIP is far too high as a result of both too many walks and plenty of hard contact.

Crowe has made one relief appearance and one start against the Cubs so far this year, allowing 3 earned runs in 6.2 innings pitched. He has struggled with his control at times this season, averaging over 4 walks per nine innings.

Game 49, Thursday, May 27, 11:35 pm central

CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 4.74 ERA)

PIT: LHP Tyler Anderson (3-4, 4.73 ERA)

Hendricks earned the win and went 6.2 innings in his last start against St. Louis. His one blemish so far in May was a start against the Pirates in which they blooped and grounder-ed him to the tune of six runs, four earned, while averaging his lowest exit velocities in any single start of the season.

Anderson has already faced the Cubs twice and has split those two games. In his most recent start he allowed 9 earned runs to Atlanta in five innings pitched.

Tags
2021 Gameday Post

Comments

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 05:58 pm

contreras sits...pj higgins gets a chance to improve his 0-7 start.

he's still d2d, but that may change.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 05:00 pm

Cubs place INF Matt Duffy on 10-day IL with lower back strain that he has been battling for a week or more and select contract of 1B-3B Patrick Wisdom from AAA Iowa. To make room for Wisdom on the MLB 40-man roster, RHRP Jason Adam (on AAA Iowa 7-day IL after undergoing surgery for a broken ankle) has been Designated for Assignment. 

The Cubs could have recalled Adam from his Optional Assignment and placed him on their MLB 60-day IL to clear a slot on the 40 for Wisdom, but if they did that Adam would get paid at the MLB rate (pro-rated $595K) instead of his minor league split rate (pro-rated $250K). If the Cubs release Adam, his termination pay is what's left of his 2021 minor league split salary. 

Injured players cannot be outrighted to the minors during the season, so Adam will certainly be placed on Outright Release Waivers and any club can claim him for $1. However, unlike the Cubs, any other MLB club that claims him would be on the hook for his pro-rated MLB salary, because an injured player cannot be optioned to the minors after being claimed off release waivers. 

So Adam will be released, and the Cubs will pay him what's left of his $250K minor league split salary. It's very possible that the Cubs will then offer Adam a new 2021 minor league contract at the AAA minimum ($16,800) so that he can continue his rehab with the Cubs, but if they do, he does not have to sign it. 

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 05:19 pm

sigh...nico goes down hard in the infield and he's in bad pain.

be nice if it was a cramp...it doesn't look like a cramp.  left hamstring...

Submitted by Childersb3 on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 05:56 pm

Phil, do you have any idea if Sergio Alcantara can play in the majors? He played a little for DET last yr. He's hitting for Iowa now. He's young (24). If Nico is out for a while (didn't look good / hamstring strain), with Vargas gone, Sergio reads like the next option. 

We'd have to open up another 40man spot. We're running out of space. Lots of guys already on 60day IL. Probably M. Rodriguez would have to go.

Thoughts?

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 05:36 pm

phew.  i like good kimbrel.

STL down by 4, but it's still early.  if STL loses the cubs will only be 0.5 games out of 1st.

Submitted by Cubster on Tue, 05/25/2021 - 05:54 pm

Hard for me to root for the WSox but they certainly have helped bring the Cardinals back to the pack.

Submitted by Dolorous Jon Lester on Wed, 05/26/2021 - 05:56 am

Cubs sign the player formerly known as Dee Gordon to play in Iowa.

Tommy Birch (Iowa beat writer) now reporting OF Rafael Ortega is getting called up, not Sergio Alcantara. Maybe this means Nico injury isn't as bad as it looked, so they don't want to call up Alcantara and his no options because they don't want to risk losing him.

 If it is Ortega, guess we better prepare for a healthy anti-vax dose of Eric Sogard.

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 05/26/2021 - 05:21 pm

I don't understand why the Cubs signed Strange-Gordon to play at Iowa when they need a 2B and not another LH-hitting back-up corner OF to replace Hoerner on the MLB 26-man active list roster.   

Strange-Gordon was playing every day (mostly at 2B and occasionally at SS or LF) at AAA Nashville as recently as last Friday and was hitting 333/378/500, so it's not like he needs to go to AAA to get into playing shape. 

Even if Sogard plays 2B pretty much every day, Strange-Gordon would seem to have more value on the Cubs MLB 26-man roster right now than a back-up OF. He can play 2B-LF, be the emergency back-up SS, and even PR late in games if you need to try and steal a run.  

Why is he going to AAA??? 

[ ]

Submitted by First.Pitch.120 on Wed, 05/26/2021 - 05:45 pm

Maybe they know Duffy will be back (no pun) sooner, but they are expecting Heyward/Marisnick back later. If that is the case, then they could use another OF on the bench. Pederson, Happ, Martini, Bryant is a bit thin for depth. I was also thinking that maybe they are further evaluating Hoerner before making a decision on Strange-Gordon. 

Submitted by Dolorous Jon Lester on Wed, 05/26/2021 - 05:18 pm

Ortega brought up, S. Miller DFA. Ortega in lineup, Rizzo's back is bugging him again, KB1B.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 05/27/2021 - 05:42 pm

no words for that awesome/stupid play by PIT allowing contreras to score.

some teams deserve last place.

[ ]

Submitted by First.Pitch.120 on Fri, 05/28/2021 - 05:23 am

Some more observations on that play: 

1. Contreras read the play perfectly. On some other angles you see that he hustles to 3rd, makes the turn, & waits.  If shenanigans are happening behind you  & JB is going to be safe at 1B, you don’t want a TOOBLAN between 3B & home for out #3. Willy reads what JB is doing & goes for it.

2. Javy’s suicide drill direction change at home was a pretty impressive physical feat.  He doesn’t get tagged & doesn’t interfere, and there were a lot of people in that real estate

3. After JB slides in to 1B & gets up to run to 2B, he touches 1B again with his left hand as he is standing up just to be sure. His presence of mind is uncanny... or he is Quicksilver from the X-men movies. 

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 05/28/2021 - 05:07 am

The Javy video was the lead in story and shown repeatedly at least 5 times on MSNBC/Morning Joe  this AM at 5am and then 7AM rebroadcast. Ah, little league baseball is fun.

Submitted by Jackstraw on Fri, 05/28/2021 - 05:14 pm

The Orb of Little League that surrounds Javy sometimes envelops others.  At some point I fully expect him to hit the ball over the head of an outfielder who is either looking at bugs in the grass or trying to decide if that cloud looks more like a beagle than a bunny.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 05/28/2021 - 05:27 pm

if they decide to lock him into a long-term contract, once his skills have declined enough that he needs to play the OF they need to get rid of him ASAP.  he'll spend his entire time in the OF looking for 4-leaf clovers in the grass or throwing his own glove up in the air to catch it.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    i have no hard data, but i'm seeing the same thing.

    there used to be some parks where that was rampant (colorado during the todd helton days comes to mind), but i'm seeing it all over the place the past couple seasons.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I’ll spare the details which I’ve stated before but, in short, the Cardinals have lost their sight of their successful identity and strategy over last several dominant decades. From the beginning of the season I saw the Cardinals being in last place or near it again this year, and my prediction is that Mozeliak will be gone after the end of the season.

  • Bill (view)

    I would have kept Cooper rather than Wisdom, but at least I can understand why they did it.  In a team that lacks dominant power hitters, Wisdom can be a dominant power hitter, at least in streaks.  I suppose that there is always the possibility that the streaks longer in both duration and frequency.  I will be content if they essentially make a 100 % DH commitment to Mervis against righties and Wisdom against lefties.  When a regular needs rest, give them total rest, rather than a DH rest.  Do this for at least 2 months, and then re-evaluate at that point.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    This is Cubs adjacent but…


    Jordan Walker just was optioned by the deadbirds. For all the talk of the Cardinals development machine, they’ve really missed on a lot of can’t miss superstars lately. Walker has struggled. Gorman has been okay. They’re already trying to push Carlson out the door. Their pitching system has been so bad they had to go out and sign basically a full rotation over the last two offseasons.

    They’ve still developed a few of those pesky solid players, like Donovan, Edman, and Nootbaar. Their two best prospect to MLB players have been Adolis and Arozarena, neither of which is a cardinal.

    I hope they never figure it out again. Cardinal failure brings me such joy.
     

  • Raisin101 (view)

    Thank you so much! I really appreciate not only all your posts but how eager you are to respond to our questions.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Is it just me or does it seem that official scorers are becoming less likely to call a misplay an error? 

     

    Guess I've hit my cranky old-man phase in life.  "I remember back in the day when an error was an error.  Official scorers have gone soft.  Now where did I put my readers?!!??"

     

    Sidenote, maybe Bellinger should be a little more careful against the Astros.  That was the series last year that a play at wall put him on the IL.   

  • crunch (view)

    i hated the almonte pickup, but he's 9-10 out of 12 for good outings, following a great spring.  hope he can keep it up.

    i already miss cooper, but yeah...the thin OF roster backup the team seems to want to carry probably got wisdom preference over cooper.  i could live without seeing wisdom at 3rd unless it's a blowout, though.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Things I've been wrong about:

    -Tauchman is fine as a 4th OF. I knew that. I just want a better LH DH option and he was really the DH for us until Seiya got hurt. I'm glad Mervis is getting a chance at it. Caissie is coming for that job for sure. But Tauchman continues to be highly useful as a 4th OF with Seiya being hurt

    -I wanted Yency to go to get guys at Iowa a chance. Guys like Palencia and Sanders or RileyT. Maybe even Hodge! But Yency has been better the last two plus weeks. He did hit 96 the other day. He was 93 in Texas to open the season.

    -Leiter has his split working enough. It just needs to stay there

    -I was surprised Jed picked Wisdom over Cooper. I wonder if this happens if Seiya wasn't hurt. Wisdom has more power. Cooper is the better hitter. Jed picked Wisdom and Wisdom had an option left as well.

    -Palencia just doesn't miss enough bats. Similar to ManRod, just two yrs younger. ManRod is killing AAA for TB right now!

    Things I got right so far:

    -Hendricks. Sorry Kyle. You got paid though!

    Jed, you missed there.

    -Smyly. If Jed could've traded him before or during ST, then he should have and saved some cash.

    -Mastro.  Not a LH DH. Pinch runner. Defensive utility. Maybe he's better than Madrigal but didn't get a legit chance to prove it.

    -Luke Little is good. He's had one bad outing. That's it. Needs to get better entering with guys on base. But he needs to stay in MLB.

    -Oh yeah....Morel is doing fine at 3B! He'll get better as well!!

  • crunch (view)

    bellinger "right rib contusion"

  • Childersb3 (view)

    South Bend just lost the lead in the bottom of the 9th on the weirdest scenario, ever.

    It's absolutely pouring rain....men on 1st and 2nd, 1out....JPatterson asks for a new ball, but no time out was called....he throws the old ball toward the dugout (not sure if it rolled out of play).....the ump declares the runners get two bases each so one run scores. Then a single up the middle ties the game.

    The rain was coming down in buckets at this point.

    Just weird

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