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

21 Cubs Are Declared Minor League Free-Agents

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

21 Cubs minor leaguers were declared post-2021 MLB Rule 9 (formerly MLB Rule 55) minor league free agents at 5 PM (Eastern) on Sunday 11/7.
CUBS POST-2021 MLB RULE 9 MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENTS:

SIX-YEAR MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENTS
Jose Almonte, RHP 
Abiatal Avelino, INF
Joe Biagini, RHP 
Dakota Chalmers, RHP
Yovanny Cuevas, OF  
Johneshwy Fargas, OF 
Taylor Gushue, C
Mike Hauschild, RHP 
P. J. Higgins, C-INF 
Tyler Ladendorf, INF 
Ryan Lawlor, LHP 
Luis Lugo, LHP 
Dillon Maples, RHP 
Ian Miller, OF
Kohl Stewart, RHP  
Marcus Walden, RHP 
Joe Wieland, RHP 

SECOND CONTRACT MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENTS:
Juan Gamez, RHP (previously released by MIN)
Alex Katz, LHP (previously released by BAL)
Ryan Kellogg, LHP (previously released by CUBS)
Jackson McClelland, RHP (previously released by TOR)

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

Only four of the 16 Cubs 2021 Rule 9 second-contract minor league players were declared free-agents, which means the other twelve are signed for 2022. 

Also, RHRP James Bourque, C Erick Castillo, OF Donnie Dewees, LHSP Ben Holmes, LHRP Bryan Hudson, RHRP Nicholas Padilla, C Tyler Payne, LHSP C. D. Pelham, C Raymond Pena, RHRP Eury Ramos, and RHRP Aneuris Rosario were eligible to be a Rule 9 minor league 6YFA, but each of them signed a 2022 minor league successor contract prior to being declared a 6YFA. Therefore, these players will now be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft, so it is possible that one or more (like maybe Bryan Hudson?) could be added to the Cubs MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) when minor league reserve lists are established on 11/19 in preparation for the 2021 Rule 5 Draft. 

In addition, RHRP Adrian Sampson (who was sent outright to AAA Iowa on Friday) has until the end of today (Monday 11/8) to decide whether to accept his outright assignment and sign a 2022 minor league contract with the Cubs, or elect free-agency.  

A club receives no compensation for losing a minor league free-agent.

A minor league free-agent can sign a major league or minor league contract with any club (including the player's former club) without any restrictions, so it's possible that one or more of the Cubs minor league free-agents will eventually re-sign with the Cubs at some point during the off-season. However, if the Cubs offered a 2022 minor league successor contract to a player prior to the player becoming a free-agent, the club's offer going forward will certainly be less than what the player was offered to sign a minor league successor contract (if a club is willing to increase its offer or even offer the same money after a player declines to sign a successor contract, nobody would ever sign one).  

Tags
Cubs Minor League Free Agents

Comments

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 11/08/2021 - 11:53 am

So the Cubs 190-man off-season Domestic Reserve List now stands at 182, with eight slots are open for free-agents who might be signed to minor league contracts in the coming days & weeks. (It will be 183 with seven slots open if Adrian Sampson accepts his outright assignment today and signs a 2022 minor league contract). 

Submitted by Childersb3 on Mon, 11/08/2021 - 11:02 pm

AzPhil, 

Thoughts on Cubs chances of keeping Chalmers?

I mean, our pitching is lite everywhere. He should stay for the right price shouldn't he?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 11/08/2021 - 11:56 pm

Today's Mesa Solar Sox game was probably the most entertaining and exciting AFL game I can remember.

Most AFL games really drag and despite the pitch clock the pace can get maddingly slow, but this game was different. 

Down 10-0 early, the Solar Sox stormed-back in the middle innings to edge the Scottdale Scorpions 11-10, thanks to five shut-out shut-down innings by Cubs RHP Caleb Kilian (acquired frrom SF in the Kris Bryant trade) in innings 4-8 and a clutch grand slam HR high over the right-centerfield fence by Andy Weber. 

Weber also lofted a high fly triple off the CF wall and scored on a sac fly, and likely AFL MVP Nelson Velazquez lined a double into the LF corner and blooped a single to CF. 

With the ability to play 2B-3B-SS, Weber is definitely staking a claim for a spot on the 40. 

Kilian needed only 51 pitches and five minutes or less per inning to cruise through his five innings of work, featuring a 93-96 T-97-98 FB and a sweeping swing & miss 76-79 MPH CV. This is the best I've seen Kilian throw. An amazing outing in what is an extreme hitter's league.   

SP Ryan Jensen was unable to miss many bats and was tagged pretty good early, despite mixing a 95-98 MPH FB, a hard upper 80's SL/CT, a CH, and a CV.

Kilian clearly knows how to pitch, and no question he is the better SP prospect of the two. Kilian could be ready for MLB sometime in 2022, Jensen probably not so much.  

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 11/09/2021 - 11:00 pm

it would be nice if they'd televise more AFL games again.  i realize it's probably not worth it because of the cost to broadcast and have an announce team, but meh...

MLB.tv has an off-season package, but it's only for the dominican games (spanish language) and none of the other winter leagues.

if it wasn't $25 (or if other leagues were involved) i'd spring for it.

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 11/10/2021 - 11:21 pm

CRUNCH: MLB Network will be televising the AFL "Fall Stars" game this coming Saturday and also the AFL Championship Game the next Saturday.

Cubs RHP Caleb Kilian, OF Nelson Velazquez, and INF Andy Weber have been named to the Fall Starts East roster, and there is a very good chance that Mesa will win the AFL East and play in the Championship game, with Kilian on schedule to start that game (again, presuming the Solar Sox win their division).   

Submitted by videographer on Wed, 11/10/2021 - 11:35 pm

Here is another write up by Baseball America on the AFL on Tuesday: 

Nelson Velazquez, OF, Cubs — Velazquez has turned the Fall League into a combination of Christmas and Groundhog Day. Like clockwork, he gets up, takes quality at-bats, spits on tough offspeed pitches, makes loud contact and hits a ball a very long way. Then he goes home, goes to sleep, wakes up the next morning and does it all over again. This time, the victim was Peoria righthander and Pirates prospect Roansy Contreras, who was on such an upward trajectory this year that he made his big league debut.

In his first at-bat against Contreras, Velazquez worked the count full before getting a 94 mph fastball on the inner half of the plate. For most players, that might lead to a swing and miss or weak contact. Instead, Velazquez pulled his hands in, got the barrel to the ball and drove it some 400 feet down the right field line for a truly impressive combination of hittability and impact. His eight home runs are the the most in the league, and he also tops the circuit in average, RBIs, and slugging percentage. If he can catch Bryson Stott for the RBI crown, he will win both the traditional and sabermetric triple crowns.

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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