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 
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Cubs @ Rockies: Series Thread (Games 108-110)

The depleted Chicago Cubs continue their season with a three-game series in Colorado. Can hot-hitting Raphael Ortega give the the B-squad the spark needed to take defeat the Rockies? See below for the mid-week pitching matchups.


Game 108, Tuesday, August 3, 7:40 pm central

CHC: RHP Zach Davies (6-7, 4.39 ERA)

COL: LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 4.52 ERA)

What's less exciting than watching your franchise trade a Cy Young runner up for a junkballer with one remaining year of control? Might it be watching your franchise fail to turn him around in useful trade at the deadline? Possibly it is getting ready to watch that junkballer pitch in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball history.

Kyle Freeland has had a series of disappointing seasons following his breakout 2018, when he pitched over 200 innings and kept his ERA under three despite calling Colorado his home. It is an unfortunately familiar tale for breakout starting pitchers on the Rockies. He's pitched into some hard luck lately, going six and seven innings and allowing one run each while losing both of his last starts.


Game 109, Wednesday, August 4, 7:40 pm central

CHC: RHP Alec Mills (4-4, 4.55 ERA)

COL: RHP Jon Gray (7-6, 3.62 ERA)

Like most of his starts this year, Alec Mill's last start was okay. He went six innings while allowing four runs, three earned, and losing to the Reds. He's never faced the Rockies or pitched in Colorado, so this should be a new and fun experience.

Jon Gray was taken on spot after Kris Bryant in the MLB draft but remains a member of the 4th place Rockies by virtue of having one year of club control remaining. His peripherals don't pop quite as much as they might in other years, but he's still the ace of the staff and is putting up pretty good overall numbers. Most recently he earned a victory in San Diego, going 6.1 and allowing two earned runs.


Game 110, Thursday, August 5, 2:10 pm central

CHC: RHP Jake Arrieta (5-10, 6.20 ERA)

COL: TBD

How long Jake Arrieta remains in the Cubs' rotation probably depends on two things. First, whether he starts hitting his spots with his fastball. Second, how long it takes Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele to get stretched out in the minors. Arrieta gave four innings in his return from his IL break, and he took a loss despite allowing only two earned runs in that time. He and the team have provided no clear narrative explaining his lack of success--or pointing toward a possible solution--and it's becoming difficult to imagine his Cubs' career ending anywhere but a release. That said, a two month hot/warm streak would be a welcome consolation and a decent epilogue to Arrieta's time with the Cubs.

Comments

After the feel-good videos and goodbyes, Jed decided to say the players didn't seem to want to negotiate and place blame at their feet. Rizzo responded today, basically saying "wtf man, shut up, that's a lie."

I haven't really blamed Jed for much of this as I feel mgmt forced his hand but this... definitely a misstep Jed. And it also makes me wonder, the next core, if they don't want to sign below market extensions, are we gonna see a similar tear down?

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

jed shouldn't have aired things out so blatently, even if true.

"I don't know why guys didn't want to sign. I don't know why guys didn't want to even counteroffer, oftentimes. Every one of these guys would say they wanted to stay in Chicago, 'we wanted to be a Cub,' but then we would sit down and do negotiations, that wasn't how they acted."

...dude, no.  keep that to yourself.

beyond that, given the types of trades jed has been making...while i'm sure the ricketts family are sub-plot bad guys in this...it's kinda blindingly obvious jed wants to make his own, unique, "this is what i built" mark on the cubs.  that darvish trade had nothing to do with 2021 or 2022...and a good chunk of what was done with the core last week doesn't have a lot to do with 2022.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Agreed on every point. I think Jed is trying to create "his" team, a fully separate entity than Theo. Probably targeting 2023 or 2024 to return to actual contention.

He absolutely shouldn't have aired that out. He ends up looking like the bad guy. This is a good way to burn those bridges. 

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

"It came down to dollars and cents. His agent and Greg felt he wasn't getting enough money from the Cubs. And I felt we had already reached the maximum dollar. . . . That's where it lay. . . . He turned it down." That's Larry Himes talking about Greg Maddux.

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

A GM or owner saying a player "didn't want to sign" or "didn't want to negotiate" should always be read as "we didn't want to pay them."

That said, a GM or owner can always show more finesse by saying, "I hope we can have productive talks this offseason" or something along those lines. Seems like Jed is trying to burn those bridges.

/With all the player movement in the last week, I wonder if the Cubs are now 85% compliant for vaccinated players.  We know Sogard and Rizzo were not vaccinated and I can assume the players taking their place of the 40 man roster are vaccinated.  It will be an interesting story going forward when all trade noise settles down.

[ ]

In reply to by videographer

while not known as a clubhouse cancer, there's more than a few stories about his "leadership qualities" lacking or otherwise being a bit of a jerk at points in time.  they're mostly rumor, and none of the rumors are awful...

reminded a bit of this justin wilson/rizzo exchange back in 2018...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqCelMPe_74

i would still like to know what the rizzo/contreras thing was about and why rizzo was all up on contreras to the point d.ross had to take him into the clubhouse.  contreras threw his gear down in frustration, ross comes over to deal with contreras, and all of a sudden rizzo is up in the situation for some reason.

delay of game...home plate ump seems to have tweaked his back or something...neet.

a pointless delay of a pointless game.

[ ]

In reply to by Jackstraw

I wonder how much longer David Ross is going to want to manage a team that is three or four years away from contending (and that's if everything breaks just right with trades, #1 draft picks, and top IFA signings, like it did in 2012-14). 

I would think somebody like current Cubs bench coach Andy Green (who managed SD during its rebuild) or Ricky Renteria (ex-Cubs manager who managed the White Sox during their rebuild) would be a more-appropriate choice to shepherd the flock through the coming dark years.  

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.