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 
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

2021 Cubs Arizona Instructional League Roster

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

The Arizona Instructional League (known informally as "Instructs") has been in continuous existence for well over 60 years.

This year, Cubs AZ Instructs will begin on September 20th and conclude on October 16th.

Typically, clubs will assign players from the immediately-preceding draft class and players with experience below Hi-A to Instructs, although occasionally a more-experienced player will be assigned to work on one particular phase of his game or to rehab from an injury. Minor league players acquired in mid-season trades are sometimes assigned to Instructs to help them become familar with the Cubs Nike Performance Center and learn to do things "The Cub Way."  

Clubs with Spring Training homes in Arizona are not required to operate a team in the AZIL, and MLB clubs that do operate an "instructs" team are not required to schedule games against teams from other organizations.

The Cubs have 19 AZIL games scheduled versus the Angels, A's, and Rockies (only) in 2021. (The Brewers, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Mariners are not fielding an AZIL team this year).  
 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2021 CUBS AZ INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE ROSTER (last updated 9-19-2021):

* bats or throws left 
# bats both 

60 PLAYERS 

PITCHERS: 28
Yovanny Cabrera
* Burl Carraway
Dakota Chalmers
Chris Clarke
Bradford Deppermann 
Luis Devers 
Angel Gonzalez-Martinez 
* Drew Gray 
Dominic Hambley 
Porter Hodge 
* Bailey Horn 
* Luke Little 
Michael McAvene 
Koen Moreno 
Eduarniel Nunez 
Nicholas Padilla 
Daniel Palencia 
Eury Ramos 
Sheldon Reed 
Benjamin Rodriguez
Erian Rodriguez 
* Luis Angel Rodriguez 
Frankie Scalzo Jr 
Tyler Schlaffer 
Dauris Valdez 
* Didier Vargas 
Alexander Vizcaino 
* Chase Watkins

CATCHERS: 7 
Pablo Aliendo 
* Moises Ballesteros
* Miguel Fabrizio 
* Ethan Hearn 
# Casey Opitz 
# Malcom Quintero 
* Ronnier Quintero 

INFIELDERS: 15 
* Bryce Ball 
Cristian Hernandez 
Ed Howard IV 
Kevin Made 
* Matt Mervis 
Rafael Morel 
# B. J. Murray 
Christian Olivo 
Miguel Pabon 
# Reggie Preciado
# Pedro Ramirez  
Yeison Santana 
Liam Spence 
James Triantos Jr 
Luis Verdugo 

OUTFIELDERS: 10 
Kevin Alcantara 
* Owen Caissie 
Alexander Canario 
* Parker Chavers 
Christian Franklin 
Frank Hernandez
Peter Matt 
* Ismael Mena 
* Ezequiel Pagan 
Felix Stevens 


INSTRUCTS COORDINATOR: 
Jeremy Farrell 

GAME MANAGER: 
Michael Ryan 

HITTING COORDINATOR: 
Dustin Kelly  

ASSISTANT HITTING COORDINATOR: 
Tom Beyers 

HITTING INSTRUCTORS: 
D'Angelo Jimenez
Don Puente 
Rachel Folden  

INFIELD COORDINATOR: 
Jonathan Mota 

INFIELD INSTRUCTOR: 
Jhonny Bethencourt 

OUTFIELD & BASERUNNING COORDINATOR: 
Doug Dascenzo 

CATCHING INSTRUCTOR:  
Will Remillard  

PITCHING DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR: 
Casey Jacobson 

ASSISTANT PITCHING DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR:  
Carlos Chantres 
Mike Mason

REHAB PITCHING COORDINATOR
Josh Zeid 

PITCHING INSTRUCTORS: 
Tony Cougoule
Armando Gabino 
Danny Hultzen
Clay Mortensen
Doug Willey  

MENTAL SKILLS: 
David DaSilva 
Javier Guerero 

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COORDINATOR: 
Cory Kennedy 

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACHES: 
Cory Chapp 
John Abbott 
Austin Smith 

ATHLETIC TRAINERS: 
Matt Hussey 
Seth Clapp 
Nick Roberts 

Tags
AZ Instructional League
Cubs Minor Leagues

Comments

Submitted by Dolorous Jon Lester on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 09:04 pm

Dakota Chalmers... interesting. He's scheduled to be a MILB FA, correct? Would this be a good sign he has signed a successor deal?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 09:21 pm

DJL: No. Signing a 2022 minor league successor contract would only matter with regard to a player in the Arizona Fall League, because the AFL schedule goes past the date when minor leaguers are declared free-agents. 

AZ Instructs ends on October 16th, which is about two or three weeks before minor league free-agency, so the three guys at Cubs Instructs who are eligible to be free-agehts after the World Series (Dakota Chalmers. Nicholas Padilla, and Eury Ramos) do not need to sign successor contracts in order to play in AZIL games. 

Padilla is rehabbing, but in the case of Chalmers and Ramos the Cubs may be attempting to gather more info before deciding whether to add them to the 40 on 11/19, in case one or both decline to sign a successor contract.   

Along with Luis Lugo and Bryan Hudson, Chalmers and Ramos are probably the post-2021 MLB Rule 9 minor league free-agents the Cubs most do not want to lose if it can be avoided.  

One way a club can induce a player to sign minor league successor contract is by offering the player an NRI to Spring Training and more money than he would have received if he had been on the MLB 40-man roster. The player would also know that he would be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft.

That's actually how the Cubs ended up with Hector Rondon. He was eligible to be a minor league 6YFA post-2012, but signed a 2013 minor league successor contract with the Indians prior to being declared a FA. And then the Cubs selected him in the Rule 5 Draft.   

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 09:01 pm

The Cubs will very likely be splitting the AZIL position players into two 14-man squads (like they did last year), with each squad playng in every other-game, and with the other squad having a Camp Day instructional work-out on a back-field when that squad is not playing in a game. There will also be five combined Camp Days during the course of the four weeks for all players from both squads.  

The pitchers will probably be split into two squads as far as PFPs and other drills are concerned, but each pitcher will pitch in a game or throw a bullpen or a "live" BP whenever the pitcher is scheduled to pitch. So a particular pitcher might pitch in an AZIL game with one squad one time, and then with the other squad the next time. Or he might pitch with the same squad both times.   

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 09/20/2021 - 09:41 am

The top four DSL Cubs position player prospects (SS Cristian Hernandez, C Moises Ballesteros, INF Pedro Ramirez, and OF Frank Hernandez) have been added to the Cubs AZIL roster (see updated roster in post above). 

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 09/20/2021 - 09:59 pm

TIM: They are still assigned to the International Reserve List, even if they are attending AZ Instructs. (That also applies to Minor League Camp and to Extended Spring Training). They can be moved to the Domestic Reserve List if the Cubs need slots on the IRL for international free-agents, but once a player is moved from the IRL to the DRL, the player cannot be moved back to the IRL (and play in the DSL) without consent of the MLB Commissioner. Also, a player cannot remain on the IRL (and play in the DSL) for more than four seasons.

At present, the Cubs 70-man International Reserve List is full, and the 180-man Domestic Reserve List has nine openings. However, the 29 players who are presently on a minor league 60-day IL must be reinstated at 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day after the final game of the World Series (players cannot be carried on the 60-day IL during the off-season), which will increase the number of players on the DRL to 200 (171+29). But... at that exact same moment in time, the DRL limit expands from 180 to 190 players (and will remain 190 until 2022 minor league "full season" Opening Day), and also at that exact same moment in time, all unsigned minor league players eligible to be an MLB Rule 9 6YFA or second contract FA post-2021 are automatically declared free-agents (they don't have to file, it's automatic). And the Cubs have a LOT of minor leaguers eligible to be free-agents.  

One other thing to keep in mind is that there are no longer separate reserve lists for each domestic minor league affiliate. The players are all combined into one pot (known as the "Domestic Reserve List"). However, on 11/19 clubs can assign up to 38 Rule 5 Draft-eligible players to the temporary AAA reserve list, and those players can be selected only in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Then as soon as the Rule 5 Draft is over, the AAA reserve list goes away and players who were temporarily assigned to the AAA reserve list for the Rule 5 Draft go back into the DRL pot.  

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 09/22/2021 - 09:16 pm

The Cubs have added Bryan Serra to their Instructs roster. Serra was signed as a 19-year old infielder out of Venezuela in August 2020, and began the catcher conversion program at Minor League Camp this past April. He will be continuing the process at Instructs.   

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 10/01/2021 - 10:47 pm

LHSP Luis Angel Rodriguez, RHRP Dauris Valdez, RHRP Sheldon Reed, LHRP Didier Vargas, C Casey Opitz, INF Liam Spence, 1B Matt Mervis, and OF Peter Matt were moved-up to AAA Iowa from Instructs after Wednesday's intrasquad game. 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 10/02/2021 - 10:27 am

RHSP Ryan Jensen has been added to the Cubs AZ Instructional League roster. 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 10/04/2021 - 10:45 pm

The Cubs have added INF-OF Brayan Altuve to their AZ Instructs roster.

Altuve signed with the Cubs as a 16-year old IFA catcher out of Venezuela in 2019 ($1M bonus announced in July, contract not finalized until October), but he has not caught an inning in pro ball.

He is, however, an athletic player with plus-speed and plus-power, and so he has moved back & forth between the corner infield and the outfield in search of a position. 

Because the finalizing of his contract was delayed three months (July to October 2019), he will not be Rule 5 Draft eligible until post-2024, instead of post-2023 (if the contract had been signed & filed when it was originally announced in July 2019).  

Recent comments

  • 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

  • crunch (view)

    ...and bellinger is gone in the 7th because of that 2nd blown chance and the wall he bounced off of...

    hopefully his rib cage/shoulder feels better tomorrow, we just got happ back.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil,

    Any thoughts on Y. Rojas' stuff and Y. Melendez's game (I believe I've asked about him before, sorry)?

  • crunch (view)

    wow, things are moving fast.  hopefully it continues.

  • crunch (view)

    morel with 4 clean plays in 4 innings...showed off his 100000000mph arm a couple times.

    cody bellinger not having a good 4th, though...5 run leads are handy when your CF is making your pitcher have a 5-out inning.  2nd blown chance was ruled a hit even though it went in/out of his glove...1st was lost in the lights, also ruled a hit.

  • crunch (view)

    welcome back happ!  double off the wall 1st PA back.

  • crunch (view)

    oh yeah, totally, i was just chiming about why i fan like i fan.

    i would like nothing more than hendricks to keep on hendricks'ing.  guys with his stuff can throw for a long, long time as long as it works.

    he velocity is actually up a minor amount this year.  it's really "damn" when a guy like him not only has gas in the tank, but it's looking like it was years ago.  he added a curve a few years ago and it helped a little bit, but he's throwing it less and less while the fb/change combo are less effective.

  • Alexander Dimm (view)

    CRUNCH—There is no one person in this community I’m talking about.  My remarks were not directed at you or anyone, but at a tone I’ve noticed lately. 

    You have a great, dry sense of humor and there is thought behind your comments.   You and I don’t always agree but I always understand your position.  

    Lastly, and I’ll be quiet, I agree with you on Hendricks.  We can dislike the recent performance but still love the guy.  Lots of questions about his future.
     

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