Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Garrett Cooper
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Ballesteros and Morfa Launch Cub Comeback at Riverview

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Moises Ballesteros drilled an RBI single in the bottom of the first, singled and scored in the fourth, and belted a game-tying HR over the RF fence in the seventh, Carlos Morfa slugged a solo HR over the LF fence in the seventh and roped a double and scored in the eighth, Reivaj Garcia singled twice, walked, scored two runs, and drove-in three, and the bullpen retired nine of the last ten batters faced, as the Cubs raliied to score eight runs in the final two innings while holding the opposition scoreless, en route to a hard-fought 13-10 victory over the Diamondbacks Red squad in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

This was the third HR hit by Ballesteros in the last eight days, as he is now second on the EXST Cubs in HR with three (Cristian Hernandez has four, plus two more in intrasquad games). Over his last nine Cactus League EXST games (29 PA), Ballesteros is hitting a robust 480/552/960, with three HR, three doubles, four walks, and seven RBI.  

As outstanding as the bullpen was at the end of the game, two Cubs pitchers -- LHP Marino Santy and RHP Gleiber Morales -- combined to issue twelve walks, hit a batter, uncork five wild pitches, and commit two balks, as the D'backs took an early 9-5 lead. 

The Diamondbacks Red squad manager was thrown out of the game after arguing that an RBI double that drove-in a runner from 1st base was actually a ground-rule double that bounced off the warning track and then off the netting beyond the RF fence (and he was right, by the way). He then sat in the bleachers outside the first base side fence, until he was spotted by the base umpire and told to go sit in the bus. It was 105 degrees, so having to sit in an air-conditioned bus wasn't necessarily the worst punishment imaginable!   

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

In EXST Cubs news, catcher Dilan Granadillo is no longer switch-hitting, He is now batting LH-only.   

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only):  

CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Christian Olivo, CF: 2-2 (1B, 1B, R, SB)
1b. Cristian More, CF: 2-3 (6-3, 1B, 2B, SB, R)
2. Pedro Ramirez, 2B-DH: 1-4 (BB, 4-3, 3-U, 5-3, 1B, R, RBI, SB) 
3a. Cristian Hernandez, SS: 0-2 (4-3, L-4 DP) 
3b. Josue Huma, SS: 1-3 (1B, 6-3, F-8, SB) 
4. Moises Ballesteros, DH #1: 3-4 (1B, 1B, K, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) 
5. Frank Hernandez, LF: 1-4 (K, 1B, 4-3, 6-3) 
6. Rafael Morel, 3B: 1-4 (1B, K, K, 5-3) 
7a. Casey Opitz, C: 0-2 (F-7, HBP, 3-U, R)
7b. Dilan Granadillo, C: 0-0 (HBP, R) 
8a. Raino Coran, RF: 0-2 (3-U, 5-U FC, R, RBI) 
8b. Carlos Morfa, RF: 2-2 (HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI) 
9. Reivaj Garcia, DH-2B: 2-3 (5-3, 1B, BB, 1B, 2 R, 3 RBI) 
10. Alejandro Rivero, 1B: 1-4 (5-3, 5-3, 2B, F-7, R, RBI, SB) 

CUBS PITCHERS: 
1. Marino Santy: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 4 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 3 WP, 1 BALK, 1 PO, 0/1 GO/AO, 40 pitches (12 strikes) 
2. Yovanny Cabrera: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 17 pitches (12 strikes) 
3. Gleiber Morales: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R (4 ER), 6 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 1 BALK, 1/1 GO/AO, 48 pitches (17 strikes) 
4. Dominic Hambley: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 3/1 GO/AO, 26 pitches (16 strikes) 
5. Angel Hernandez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 22 pitches (13 strikes)
6. Gregori Montano: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 14 pitches (9 strikes) 

CUBS ERRORS: 1 
SS Cristian Hernandez: E-6 (booted ground ball allowing batter to reach base safely)  

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Casey Opitz: 1-3 CS 

CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:  
1. RF Raino Coran - runner thrown out 9-2 attempting to score from 2nd base on line-drive single to right 
2. LF Frank Hernandez - batter thrown out 7-4 attempting to stretch bloop single down LF line into double 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures 100+ 

ATTENDANCE: 16 

Arizona 
Scoring 
Service 

"Just because it isn't official doesn't mean it didn't happen" 

Tags
2022 Cubs Extended Spring Training
Moises Ballesteros
Carlos Morfa
Reivaj Garcia

Comments

Submitted by tim815 on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 05:48 pm

Carlos Morfa gonna grab a spot in Myrtle Beach when the outfield promotions happen, unless one of the 2021 draft pick outfielders get healthy. Healthy hacks sounding kind of guy.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 05:13 pm

p.crow-armstrong .360/.451/.573

he's started 36 games.  he's had hits in 30 of them...19 of them multiple hit games.

this is getting silly.  find room for him at an upper level.

i mean, dude isn't acuna or franco, but he's not being challenged where he's at and could probably use another level of competition.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 05:42 pm

caisse is a great enough talent he needs everyday ABs.  that said, he may be over his head in south bend.  he doesn't even turn 20 for another month+.

the others and where they may fit...hey, there's a DH.  find a way to get crowe-armstrong ABs while playing CF.  with canairio in AA they can make that work.

i'm just ready for the dude to be challenged.  he may or may not even be up for it, but he's not been a streaky guy.  he's been consistently dominating and he's easily one of the top-3 bats in the minors for the cubs development focus, top-4 depending on one feels about middle IF'r james triantos.  he's not blocked by the only OF'r more important than him in the system, AAA b.davis.

[ ]

Submitted by Childersb3 on Sat, 05/28/2022 - 05:30 pm

That's why every lefty slugger should play 1B and Cr OF in MiLB. Maximize as much of your defensive versatility as possible. Now the Cubs have some 1B doing well, and a couple of them are lefties! But that should take stop Caissie from learning the position a little. Hard to project the 2025 Cubs lineup. 

Submitted by azbobbop on Fri, 05/27/2022 - 05:55 pm

Some of the Iowa and Tennessee guys who will need 40 man protection this year will be moving up once the trade blender starts. That will open space for promotions.

Submitted by DavidP on Sun, 05/29/2022 - 05:28 am

PCA can easily move to CF in South Bend, with Nwogu moving down to MB or over to DH.  The fact that they have not done so indicates that they feel he should stay where he is to work on things not obvious in the stats.  I believe it is better to have top prospects work on weaknesses while at a level where they can still succeed in the stats, rather than have their overall game suffer.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 05/29/2022 - 05:03 am

yeah, all i got is stats, video (limited) and what people are saying.  for all i know 90% of his success is hitting fastballs and he has a 90% whiff-rate on off-speed stuff.  it's just highly unlikely.

pca is 2023-2024 projection at best, and early 2023 would be very advanced prediction.

[ ]

Submitted by DavidP on Mon, 05/30/2022 - 05:39 am

Years ago, Craig - on another board, nicknamed one of the more successful prospects, "Bananas" because all his hits came in bunches.  He would go

4 for 5 

0 for 4 

1 for 5

0 for 5

3 for 5

etc. for much of the season, ending up with fairly good stats, but a great number of games where he really stunk.

After he called this to my attention, over the years I came to the conclusion that some prospects turn out very good numbers over the course of the season by, seemingly, fattening their averages against pitchers that did not have the command or talent to exploit the hitter's weaknesses.  With each promotion, the number of good command pitchers increased, and the number of  bad command pitchers decreased, and the "4 for 5" days decreased, and the "1 for 5" days increased, until the career ended.

 

For those of us that have to rely mostly on stats, there is no way to tell how many fat pitches are going for hits, and how many great pitches are killing the batter.  But the on field evaluators have all that information at their disposal, and thus are in a much better position to determine when a prospect is ready to be promoted.  So I rarely grouse about slow promotions.  The organization has little reason to supress promotions for kids below AA, so I generally assume that they are slow for good reasons. 

Submitted by azbobbop on Sun, 05/29/2022 - 05:07 am

James Triantos started the season by going 4-36 and he has .376 since then. Went through the same slow start last year in Arizona. The kid is a stud.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Mon, 05/30/2022 - 05:09 pm

i dunno where it started, but im glad we've decided to call him "PCA"...crow-armstrong is a stupid amount of letters to type and i already type a lot of stupid things without adding more to the mix.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    happ, right hamstring tightness, day-to-day (hopefully 0 days).

    he will be reevaluated tomorrow.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I guess I'm not looking for that type of AB 

    Just a difference of opinion

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I don’t see Tauchman as a weak link in any position. He simply adds his value in a different way.

    I don’t know that we gain much by putting him in the outfield - Happ, Bellinger and Suzuki and Tauchman all field their positions well. If you’re looking for Taucnman’s kind of AB in a particular game I don’t see why it can’t come from DH.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Tauchman gets a pinch hit RBI single with a liner to RF. This is his spot. He's a solid 4th OF. But he isn't a DH. 

    He takes pitches. Useful. I still believe in having good hitters.

    You don't want your DH to be your weak link (other than your C maybe)

  • crunch (view)

    bit of a hot take here, but i'm gonna say it.

    the 2024 marlins don't seem to be good at doing baseballs.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Phil, will the call up for a double header restart that 15 days on assignment for a pitcher? Like will wesneski’s 15 days start yesterday, or if he’s the 27th man, will that mean 15 days from tomorrow?

    I hope that makes sense. It sounds clearer in my head.

  • Charlie (view)

    Tauchman obviously brings value to the roster as a 4th outfielder who can and should play frequently. Him appearing frequently at DH indicated that the team lacks a valuable DH. 

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally onboard with your thoughts concerning today’s lineup. Not sure about your take on Tauchman though.

    The guy typically doesn’t pound the ball out out of the park, and his BA is quite unimpressive. But he brings something unique to the table that the undisciplined batters of the past didn’t. He always provides a quality at bat and he makes the opposing pitcher work because he has a great eye for the zone and protects the plate with two strikes exceptionally well. In addition to making him a base runner more often than it seems through his walks, that kind of at bat wears a pitcher down both mentally and physically so that the other guys who may hit the ball harder are more apt to take advantage of subsequent mistakes and do their damage.

    I can’t remember a time when the Cubs valued this kind of contribution but this year they have a couple of guys doing it, with Happ being the other. It doesn’t make for gaudy stats but it definitely contributes to winning ball games. I do believe that’s why Tauchman has garnered so much playing time.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Miles Mastrobuoni cannot be recalled until he has spent at least ten days on optional assignment, unless he is recalled to replace a position player who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And for a pitcher it's 15 days on optional assignment before he can be recalled, unless he is replacing a pitcher who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, or Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And a pitcher (or a position player, but almost always it's a pitcher) can be recalled as the 27th man for a doubleheader regardless of how many days he has been on optional assignment, but then he must be sent back down again the next day. 

     

    That's why the Cubs had to wait as long as they did to send Jose Cuas down and recall Keegan Thompson. Thompson needed to spend the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he could be recalled (and he spent EXACTLY the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he was recalled). 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.

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