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 vs. Marlins: Series Thread (Games 70-72)

The Cubs escaped a rough series in New York with their first-place standing intact. For a change of pace, they'll take on the last place Marlins next. Don't let Miami's record fool you, though. The fish are not far behind the Cubs according to many offensive metrics, grade out slightly ahead in pitching, and are probably better defensively. Wins and losses are the final measure, of course, and the Cubs will have three chances to take home a "W" in this series. See below for the pitching matchups.


Game 70, Friday, June 18, 7:05 pm central

CHC: RHP Zach Davies (4-3, 4.01 ERA)

MIA: RHP Cody Poteet (2-2, 3.75 ERA)  TBD, possibly RHP Zach Thompson (1-1, 2.25 ERA)

Davies has been good going back to the beginning of May and has made two consecutive quality, scoreless starts. Last time out he set a season high for strikeouts with six Ks against the Cardinals.

The Marlins announced Cody Poteet's return from the IL a few hours prior to the game. He hit the IL on June 4 with an MCL strain. He's made five starts in his first MLB season and gotten pretty solid results so far. His minor league numbers suggest he is a pitch-to-contact type, although he is getting almost eight strikeouts per nine innings so far at the major league level. He has a plus changeup to go with a slider, curve, and a 93-ish MPH fastball. He went 2.2 in his last start, allowing three earned runs on four walks and a homerun. The Cubs will be getting their first look on him.

The 27-year-old Thompson has made two starts for the Marlins in 2021. On June 12, he pitched five innings and allowed no earned runs to Atlanta. In the minors, he showed a plus slider and inconsistent command. He's worked mosty out of the bullpen since 2017. Everyone would be getting a first look at him, and Ross may choose to go for the platoon advantage against the 6'7" right-hander.


Game 71, Saturday, June 19, 1:20 pm central

CHC: RHP Jake Arrieta (5-7, 5.14 ERA)

MIA: RHP Pablo López (2-4, 3.12 ERA)

Arrieta has had to struggle through many of his recent starts for a variety of reasons: a hand injury, food poisoning, poor command, and shaky defense. In his last start, he worked five innings but also allowed four earned runs and took the loss to the Cardinals, walking more batters than he struck out. One postiive for him lately is that he has improved his groundball rate, but he could certainly stand to provoke more soft contact.

López has so far improved on a breakout 2020 performance that saw him improve both his strikeout rate and ground ball percentage compare to his debut and sophomore seasons. In his last start, he struggled to follow up a 8-inning victory and was only able to go three innings while allowing four earned runs. He has reverse splits in 2021, but previously in his career lefties fared much better against him.


Game 72, Sunday, June 20, 1:20 pm central

CHC: RHP Alec Mills (2-1, 6.11 ERA)

MIA: TBD, possibly LHP Trevor Rogers (7-3, 1.98 ERA)

Mills took a loss in his second start of the season on June 15, going 4.1 innings as a sub and allowing five earned runs despite six strikeouts. In his previous start, way back on April 13, he went four innings and allowed two earned runs. No Marlins batters have faced him at the MLB level--it's not hard to imagine that he might be able to keep some of these hitters off balance with his pitch mix.

Rogers labored through seven starts in his debut season with Miami, but he's taken a significant step forward in 2021. He's leaning a bit more heavily on his plus changeup and mixing in a middling slider with better results. He's also cut his walk rate by about a third, and his homeruns per fly ball are way down. He significantly underperformed his peripherals in 2020 and is outperforming them in 2021--but even if he finds his mean, he's looking like a decent MLB starter so far. He really hasn't had a bad start in 2021 so far. He's pitched at least five innings in all but his first start of the season and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in all but one start--when he allowed three earned runs. This will be his first time facing the Cubs.

Comments

wow...chris myers calling the cubs game for some reason (boog out for the MIA series).

he is a marquee talent, but he's not been used to call a game as far as i know.

also, zach davies looks like a kid in pajamas in those dark blue "wrigleyville" uniforms.

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

lot of people wanted him when len left.  he's got a long game calling history, but not too much for baseball.  he did host "baseball tonight" for ESPN for a quite a while, so the game isn't a mystery to him.

i find him a bit boring/dry.  some people like that he has that oldschool "announcer voice" thing going on.

im starting to think spending 12.6m of payroll on davies/arrietta while trading darvish away for davies and a slew of kids that dont even make the cubs top 10 prospect list wasn't a good idea.

oh yeah, cubs gave SD money in that deal, too...that's even better.

e.sogard pitching...the highlight of the last 2 games, easy...

3 popouts...threw mid/high 60s batting practice lobs with some sink

he's scoreless through 2ip in his career.  david ross career pitching comps...

I'm pretty sure I've seen enough of Arrieta and Davies to last me the rest of the summer. 

Cubs DFA Stock. Bummer to cut a guy who throws 100. They didnt really give him a chance either.

But don't worry, Kyle Ryan is back, we're saved!

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

To give up on a guy who throws 101 when you don't have to do it is kind of dumb. Granted Stock is 31 and still has command issues, but there is obviously nothing wrong with his arm. Why not just hang onto him into next season and see what happens over the off season and then in Spring Training? 

The Cubs could have transferred David Bote or (especially) Justin Steele to the 60-day IL. Steele has already been on the 10-day IL for 30 days, and he will need a rehab assignment -- which for pitchers can be up to 30 days -- before he is reinstated. 

schwarber has 5HR in the last 2 days (3 games) and 9 homers in his last 10 games.

fire.

also, t.chatwood picked up a spot save for TOR today.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

kinda crazy cubs even matter in 2021 this late in june...also, that the cards are barely playing .500 ball.

cubs were supposed to be "competitive" going into the season, but we were hearing a lot more about who's going to be traded mid-season than how competitive they were/are expected to be.

also, the dbacks are down by 8 runs on their way to their 17th loss in a row.  they've only won 20 games this year.  AZ games are my go-to late night (east coast over here) preferred viewing and it's been some terrible baseball to watch.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.