Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

37 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (three slots are open)

Last updated 11-17-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 20
Adbert Alzolay 
Michael Arias
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Porter Hodge
* Bailey Horn
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Luis Vazquez
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 7
Kevin Alcantara
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs vs. Diamondbacks: Series Thread (Games 37-40)

The Cubs took two of three from the Pirates to start their homestand. Next, they'll host the D-Backs for four as the season nears the end if it's first quarter. See below for daily matchups.


Game 37, Thursday, May 19, 6:40 pm central

CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (1-3, 5.13 ERA)

ARZ: RHP Zac Gallen (2-0, 1.05 ERA)


Game 38, Friday, May 20, 1:20 pm central

CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (2-3, 4.03 ERA)

ARZ: RHP Humberto Castellanos (2-1, 4.15 ERA)


Game 39, Saturday, May 21, 1:20 pm central

CHC: LHP Justin Steele (1-4, 4.50 ERA)

ARZ: LHP Madison Bumgarner (2-2, 2.29 ERA)


Game 40, Sunday, May 22, 1:20 pm central

CHC: LHP Wade Miley (1-0, 2.70 ERA)

ARZ: RHP Merrill Kelly (3-2, 3.27 ERA)

Comments

Saw CK throw today for 3rd time. He's consistently very good but not dominant. They let him throw 80 pitches today, his most yet, but he couldn't finish the 6th after getting the first 2 hitters. 2 unearned runs thx to an error by Robel Garcia who's en fuego at the plate to the tune of 8 homers in last 9 games. Leads league in OPS and, ironically, wears #7 which is the number on the Brennen Davis jersey shirts they handed out last weekend while BD is back in AZ rehabbing his bad back. Anyway, CK does look pretty polished and IS impressive. I guess his consistency is most impressive to me but they seem to be handling him w/ extreme care. Call up after Hendricks dealt @ deadline?

morel playing 2nd thursday night...should be interesting.  he's only played there 13 times in the minors, but he did play there this off-season in winter league.

Pretty amazing to see the Cubs farm system with a .617 winning percentage. With few exceptions, the hitters are hitting and several pitchers appear to be taking big steps forward. There's improvement at every level. Very exciting. Have to think that changes in player development department are certainly paying off.

These stretches of unwatchable Cubs baseball are tough on me (us). I went last night. The ballpark is still beautiful with green ivy, the weather was beautiful too but the offense was not watchable unless you like scoring opportunities that leave all their runners stranded. 

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

happ, contreras, and suzuki are the only steady guys and were pretty much the only guys expected to be steady.

the rest of the team is contact hitting feast/famine and other team's AAA/bench guys the cubs are giving 400-600 PA.

[ ]

In reply to by George Altman

GEORGE A: Because he is already on the 40 I would expect Nelson Velazquez to be recalled to replace Ian Happ after he is traded, and because they are Rule 5 Draft-eligible post-2022, I would expect Nelson Maldonado (replacing Frank Schwindel as the primary DH) and Darius Hill (replacing Rafael Ortega as the 4th OF) to be selected to the 40 after the trade deadline.

Jared Young and Bryce Ball are also Rule 5 Draft eligible post-2022 and could get called up as well, but they only allow multiple designated hitters in a lineup in Extended Spring Training games. 

[ ]

In reply to by George Altman

GEORGE: Any post-2021 Article XX-B MLB FA who signed a 2022 MLB contract with the Cubs (Simmons, Norris, Smyly, Gomes, Villar, Robertson, Stroman, and Givens) has an automatic full "no trade" right through June 15th, so a Memorial Day sale might be just a bit premature.

However, I do agree that the Cubs will make a concerted effort to trade most if not all of them (plus Contreras, Hendricks, Miley, Happ, Gsellman, and Martin) by the 8/2 Trade Deadline, since post-trade deadline waiver trades are no longer permitted. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

i've already made peace with contreras being traded, but wow...who else loves the game this much?  who else loves the game this much that's been under Cubs club control?  

this guy is a leader and a cheerleader.  he loves it when he does good and he's equally happy when others do well.  him leaving isn't something I'm happy with. 

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

He should be our Yadier (overrated though he is). Willson's the heart of the team. And the stupid, stupid Cubs are going to trade him away for teenagers.

Perhaps we should also think about trading Kilian. Big trade value right now, 6 years of control, on the wrong side of 20. Think of all the teenagers we could get for him! Keep an eye on the 2028 Cubs

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

I hope they extend Contreras, and perhaps Happ.  If not, I certainly hope they trade any of those mentioned above that will become free agents at the end of this season, if they can get anything worthwhile for any of them.  Letting anyone of value, is not be extended, become a free agent is foolish.  Especially the pitchers.  This administration has shown an knack for getting worthwhile pitchers, both starters and relievers, off the scrap heap.

Next year's rotation should have a good start with Stroman, Steele, Thompson and Kilian.  I personally would keep Hendricks if he is signed for another year, but if not, they should be able to bring in someone of equal value this off season.

mark grace (in a suit, ha) doing the post-game show from the Marquee studio.

i wonder if anyone else out there is actively working for 2 teams.  he also does ARZ pre-game/post-game work this season (and last season).

Agreed.

mark grace returns to the marquee booth for a visit...first time since the "dingbat incident"

w.contreras out of the game with a leg injury...didn't look terrible, hopefully he's ready to go tomorrow.

"right hamstring tightness"

i am well over d.ross removing pitchers so f'n early.  it seems to apply to everyone he manages.

steele goes 5ip 1h 2bb 9k, 0r/er with 89 pitches and he's done.

he's been throwing 70-90 pitches all year in his starts.  it's late may and this is his 8th start.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

P. J. Higgins is very likely to remain on the 40 going forward (2022+). He has three minor league option years available, and not only can he catch, he can also play 1B-2B-3B. In addition, he can elect free-agency if he is outrighted (he has been outrighted previously in his career), and the Cubs probably won't want to expose him to waivers because he very likely would get claimed. 

Catcher Miguel Amaya is on the 40 but he is rehabbing from 2021 TJS, and even once he has returned to catching (he is only taking BP so far at EXST) he hasn't played above AA. BTW, Amaya will get a 4th minor league option year in 2023, so he won't be out of minor league options until Spring Training 2024. So the key thing with Amaya is that he has to master AAA by the end of the 2023 season. 

Moises Ballesteros is the Cubs #1 catching prospect right now, but he will be playing in the ACL (rookie ball) in 2022 and that is a long ways away from MLB. So if the Cubs trade Willson Contreras by the 8/2 trade deadline, I suspect the Cubs will want to get a AA or AAA level legit MLB catching prospect back in the deal. The Astros have two good catching prospects, in case (as expected) Houston is where Contreras ends up. Korey Lee is almost certainly an untouchable because he will be the Astros catcher in 2023+, but Yainer Diaz is at AA and so he could be a fit in a Contreras trade.   

Speaking of the Astros as a potential Cubs 2022 trade partner, one thing the Cubs did when they rebuilt the last time (2012-14) is they traded for Jake Arrieta when the Orioles gave up waiting for him to develop into an ace (which of course he did with the Cubs). Forrest Whitley fits that profile with the Astros, so maybe Contreras (plus cash), a veteran bullpen piece (Astros choice), and a second tier prospect for Whitley / Y. Diaz might work?  

nice to see vargas go.

someone take him from the cubs before he gets more chances to see ABs.  he's been around 3 seasons now and i think i've had enough.

he's filled his role, emergency middle IF, etc...but yeah...seen enough.

thompson back to the pen...cuz we don't want to accidently win games by trying to win games.

there's stiff competition from powerhouse losers like CIN and the cubs need to keep their eye on the prize...making fans suffer through 162 games of pure shit so they can have a top-5 draft pick.

Draft Kings presents: Disappointment (tm)

all that aside, i know they need to limit his innings and etc...but yeah...tell us you're trying to punt this season without actually admitting you're punting this season cubs front office...

Keegan Thompson, the Cubs piggyback ace goes to 4-0. Ken Holtzman, National Guard reservist, takes notice.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    it is taking more than a minute for me to get used to craig counsell being the cubs manager.

    he's going to take the field on opening day at wrigley and get massively cheered.

    that is weird.  that's a thing that's happening, though.

    history aside, while i am horrified at the amount of money they're paying him, i welcome his style of management over what d.ross has given the team.  love d.ross and how chill + ready to deliver he kept the team, but he had a serious pitching short-hook problem that exhausted the pen and some very questionable bench/pinch-hitting use.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    FINWE N: If you go by what Counsell did with the Brewers, he is much more likely to go with younger players than Ross was. I think part of it was that Ross was a "veteran players manager," meaning he was well liked and respected by veteran players because he was inclined to play them over younger unproven guys. 

    And that actually might have been OK if the Cubs had been "sellers"at the trade deadline (as they clearly had planned to be before suddenly deciding to go fr it), because Ross would have played the veterans a lot the first four months of the season (which would have maximized their trade value), and then Ross would have had no choice but to play the younger guys the last two months after the veterans were traded. 

    But of course it didn't work out that way. 

    One thing about Craig Counsell that might have attracted Hoyer to him is that Counsel is very "collaborative" as a manager and welcomes and even demands lots of input from the analytics department. In fact I have heard tell that Counsell knows at least as much as the geeks know and that he routinely goes to them for information rather than waiting for it to be offered. So think of Ross as a Chevy pick-up truck, while Counsell is a Tesla. 

  • crunch (view)

    with candelario off the board to the reds, it looks like it's chapman or trade...or another year of gambling cheap on someone like gio urshela or a meh-D donovan solano.

    of course there's also this guy with a rocket arm named morel that could have played a bit more 3rd in 2023 seeing if that could be his thing, but whatever i guess.  i know accuracy isn't a strength with those throws from 3rd, but still, for his cost and a supporting middle-IF that's one of the best in MLB (if not #1) it's not the worst use of a very cheap talent.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    FINWE N: I believe Jeimer Candelario offers more roster flexibility in 2024 and beyond than players like Matt Chapman and/or Rhys Hoskins would, not to mention costing a lot less $$$$ (and signing Chapman would also cost the Cubs a draft pick because Toronto extended a Qualifying Offer to Chapman).  

    Also, I can't help but see visions of Trey Mancini whenever I think about the Cubs signing Rhys Hoskins. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    FINWE N: Time will tell.

    Certainly the Cubs are not exactly flush with lefty relievers in the system. so Adam Laskey was not redundant. 

    As far as Sheldon Reed is concerned, he pitched very well the last month of the season at South Bend and I thought that would have earned him a spot on the Iowa reserve list. 

    I presume the Cubs had good reasons for not assigning Laskey and Reed to the AAA reserve list (thus making them available for selection in the AAA Phase of the Rule 5 Draft), but without knowing who was on the AAA reserve list instead of Laskey and Reed, I can't offer an informed opinion. 

    BTW, the same thing happened last year when I had LHP Luis Angel Rodriguez on the AAA Iowa roster but the Cubs left him off and then he was selected by the Houston Astros in the AAA Phase. I couldn't figure that one out, either. 

  • crunch (view)

    reds snag candelario...

  • Finwe Noldaran (view)

    Arizona P:

    Would Candelario be someone that is able to take a bench role once some of these younger players are coming up and need playing time and latitude?

    So crazy that his career has come full circle like this.......

  • Finwe Noldaran (view)

    Arizona P:

    Do you feel that Counsel will be more apt to play out some of the young guys, rather than mainly sticking with veterans like Dross?

     

  • Finwe Noldaran (view)

    Arizona P:

    Do you think they weren't protected in the AAA phase because the organization feels they're redundant or at lesser value than other players they protected, or was this just poor managment?

  • George Altman (view)

    Even more reason that Jed needs to bring back Bellinger and his LH bat.