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 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs vs. Nats: Series Thread (Games 108-110)

The Cubs continue their tour of the bottom portion of the NL East with 3 games against the Soto-less Nats. See below for matchups.


Game 108, Monday, August 8, 7:05 pm central

CHC: RHP Keegan Thompson (8-5, 3.48 ERA)

WSH: RHP Anibal Sanchez (0-4, 7.65 ERA)


Game 109, Tuesday, August 9, 7:05 pm central

CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (3-5, 4.00 ERA)

WSH: RHP Paolo Espino (0-4, 4.20 ERA)


Game 110, Wednesday, August 10, 1:20 pm central

CHC: LHP Justin Steele (4-7, 3.67 ERA)

WSH: RHP Josiah Gray (7-8, 4.92 ERA)

Comments

hoyer announced that heyward will not be with the club next season.  it's been discussed by hoyer/heyward and hoyer wants heyward to prepare to go into the off-season knowing the situation.

I appreciate the heck out of Jason Heyward, the person. And this needs to be done regarding Jason Heyward, the baseball player and current occupant of a 40 man roster slot. Thanks for the leadership and for what you brought to the ball club and for giving me another data point in the mysteries of how one goes from a perennial 5-6 WAR player at age 26 to a barely 2.0 WAR player (in his good years) thereafter. Live well, Jason!

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

If you had asked me in the fall of 2015 if I'd have the Cubs overpay someone to the tune of 8 years and $184M if it guaranteed a World Series win, I'd scream YES, sprain both ankles and pull both hamstrings running to make it happen.  The contract was worth it for Heyward, a leader on and off the field and a player I deeply respect even if his on-field production never matched the earnings.  He never stopped trying, played great defense and made us proud to see him in a Cubs uniform.  Thank you for all you did for the team, Jason.  Best of luck next year.

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

Just a reminder that in the 2015 off season, Heyward had 2 other offers equal or greater than $184M/8 yrs. He was a 5.0.WAR player ($32m+/yr value) at 26 years old signed to an AAV of $23M/yr. 

Epstein did NOT overpay for him.

Obviously, it didn't work out completely to the Cubs benefit. Just quite a bit tired of his Salary constantly being brought up like a 'dig'.

i know some of you guys like the heyward signing, but they gave 23m a year for 8 years to a guy that was hitting 10-15 homers and 30 doubles with a .350 ob% for 3 seasons coming into this contract.

great D is awesome, but it's RF...we're talking about 2 chances a game on average (and that's rounded up).

i didn't like the signing, but i didn't think it would be this much of an anchor.  7 years, 184m, and a slash line of .245/.323/.377 in 2836 trips to the plate (assuming he's mostly done this season with playing time).

amazing it wasn't theo's worst contract.  my vote solidly goes to edwin jackson 4/52m who was a total disaster...and he got cut early, too.  at least heyward had a use even if he was grossly overpaid for that use.

[ ]

In reply to by George Altman

My objection to the Heyward signing (eight years - $184M - partial "no trade:" that would eventually morph into a full "no trade") was that Heyward would block RF for many years when two of the Cubs best prospects at that time (Jorge Soler and Eloy Jimenez) were rightfielders, and I thought the money coud be better spent. 

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I try not to 2nd guess any moves made prior to November 2, 2016.  That being said, paying a premium for defense for someone who doesn't play a premium up the middle defensive position might not be a good strategy going forward. 

Also not sure I would say E-Jax was the worst signing.  If the goal was to tank and collect high draft picks then there were few better contracts than Edwin Jackson.

[ ]

In reply to by DavidP

it's not good.  it's not even average.  he's a below-average guy out there.

i dont think reyes belongs as a regular in LF/RF, but i don't think schwarber belongs in LF at all.  schwarber takes some of the weirdest routes i've seen since adam dunn (who had 0 business playing anything but DH, ever).  dunn is harsh...maybe BAL-era mark trumbo is more fair.

I hope the Cubs bring back Leiter next year.  I just love watching him blow leads, give up home runs and deflate whatever momentum the team is having.

nice game today.

tommorow the 20-games-under-.500 cubs go play in a damn corn field with the 22-games-under-.500 reds.

IT'S CORN TIME, YO.

The record is clear that crunch reacted to the Heyward signings along the lines of "We're spending all this money for a rightfielder who has never had an .800 OPS?" He was right. Yes, he gave The Speech, which helped a bunch of old guys like me to go to our graves having seen the Cubs win a World Series. But as soon as he started to block younger and better players, he had to go. I was glad to acquire him, at least, because, like John Lackey, he wouldn't be with the Cardinals. But, sadly, the time has come.

[ ]

In reply to by fullykräusened

we will always have "the speech"

that whole world series was great...an all-time game 7.  even the thankfully-short rain delay helped make it great.  any time a rain delay adds drama rather than dissapointment, that's a feat.

in the history of game 7 world series games, if that's not in everyone's top-3 i have no idea what they're looking for in a game.

k.thompson has finished his 12th red bull and he's ready to go.

reyes at DH again.  wisdom at 1st again.  morel at 3rd because okay...wish.com mczobrist playing 2nd

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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...