Cubs MLB Roster

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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

 


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Cubs vs. Reds: Series Thread (Games 135-137)

Submitted by Charlie on

The Cubs return to Wrigely for a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, who trail the Cubs in the division by a small margin. See below for daily matchups.

Game 135, Tuesday, September 6, 6:40 pm central

CHC: LHP Wade Miley (1-0, 2.84 ERA)

CIN: RHP Justin Dunn (1-2, 4.63 ERA)

Game 136, Wednesday, September 7, 6:40 pm central

CHC: TBD

CIN: LHP Mike Minor (3-10, 5.98 ERA)

Game 137, Thursday, September 8, 1:20 pm central

CHC: TBD

CIN: RHP Luis Cessa (3-2, 5.18 ERA)

Tags
2022 Series Thread

Comments

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 09/06/2022 - 09:52 pm

i know it's early for everyone, but im kinda stoked about thompson/steele/wesneski.

alzolay and kilian are in the mix, too.

stroman and hendricks are around for another year.

so i guess the cubs can sign aaron judge and trea turner.  maybe arenado will opt out and they can get him, too.  nice.  get it done.

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Submitted by SheffieldCornelia on Wed, 09/07/2022 - 09:02 pm

I'm also loving this pitching depth, but it feels like odds are better that they keep at least one of the young starters who doesn't make the MLB rotation in the MLB pen as a long reliever like they did with Steele and Thompson this year (as long as the guy proves he can handle it), and then stretch that guy out as a starter if someone gets hurt.  Keeps their innings down, avoids chance of overuse injuries, etc.

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 09/06/2022 - 09:30 pm

cubs have 11 walks tonight...at the plate, not pitching...

playing crap teams is a bit of joy in 2022.

nico hits a f'n triple into the left field corner while typing this...left field...wtf...reds f'n suck.

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 09/06/2022 - 09:49 pm

wesneski debut, in relief to start the 5th...ends up with the win on a starter's short-outting workload.

5ip 2h 1bb 8k, 0r, 61 pitches

he didn't give up his first hit until 4.1ip into the game.

it's kinda important to consider 1- it's vs the crappy reds 2- he faced almost all RH hitters.  still, really great outing.

Submitted by JoePepitone on Tue, 09/06/2022 - 09:43 pm

Yeah, that slider was on point. And what was that pitch he had in the upper 80's that looked like it bore into the right handed batters? A cutter? A two-seam fastball? I wasn't watching it live and I'm lost without Gameday to ID some of those non-obvious pitches. 

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Submitted by JoePepitone on Tue, 09/06/2022 - 09:53 pm

Hmmm. His scouting report (via Lance Brozdowski on the Marquee website) says he's got a cutter, sinker & change-up to go along with his four-seam fastball and the slider. So that upper 80's pitch could have been a sinker (two-seam fastball) or a change up. I'm guessing his cutter breaks away from right handers, like the slider, instead of boring into them. 
 

That slider grades out at 147 in Stuff+ ratings. No kidding!

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Submitted by JoePepitone on Wed, 09/07/2022 - 09:26 am

I just got a look at Rob Friedman's Twitter video, "Hayden Weseski, 92mph Two Seamer and 82mph Breaking Ball, Overlay" (posted in an article on the official Cubs.com site) and I think the pitch I was trying to identify was a high 80's two-seamer -- Gameday had the two-seamer in an 88-92mph range last night.  Anyway, that makes it a pretty effective pairing with that high-80's slider, not to mention the low 80's "breaking ball", which Gameday labeled as a curveball.  He gets movement on his pitches, for sure!

Submitted by First.Pitch.120 on Wed, 09/07/2022 - 09:54 am

Re: Trading For Ohtani....

Just noting that according to MLB Pipeline, the LAA org top 30 prospects contains only 5 OF-ers, with org ranks of #14, #17, #18, #21, & #30.

#14 only grades @ 45 & is playing in the Dominican right now as a 17 yr old. 
#17 is another 17-yr-old DSL player.
#18 is a toolsy, power-oriented, K-machine underperforming @ A-ball
#21 was a 1st rd pick in 2018 who just reached AA midseason w/ 80 speed, 60 field, & an OPS below .700 for the past 2 seasons.
#30 came in the Syndergaard deal & could be interesting, but is still in A ball as a 21 year old drafted in 2019

That is some thin-@$$ OF depth... Canario or Caissie would instantly become the best OF prospect in the LAA system & slot in something like 7/8 in LAA's org ranking. Heck, I think that Pinango, Perlaza, or Hill might take that title if traded (no offense to Darius or either of the Y.P.'s).

Not that it would be a 1-for-1, but I do think that the pieces exist (in the right complimenting areas) to make a deal feasible.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 09/07/2022 - 09:29 pm

I would think the Angels would want direct replacements for Ohtani, a DH (Mervis) and a LHSP (Wicks), plus a top OF prospect (probably PCA), and a second pitching prospect like D. J. Herz, AND the Cubs would have to take back 3B Anthony Rendon and pay 100% of what's left of his contract ($38M per year 2023-26 with a $35M AAV hit for the next four seasons). All that for just one year of Ohtani, with the hope (pipedream?) that the Cubs can  MAYBE sign him to a contract extension (10/$500M?) before he hits free-agency. 

However, the Cubs are about $55M under the CBT threshold right now and will get about $35M more in AAV back post-2022 ($45M if Contreras signs elsewhere), so adding Ohtani (and whatever he will get in 2023 through arbitration) and the A. Rendon contract wouldn't break the bank. And then the Cubs would get an additional $60M AAV back post-2023 when the Heyward and Hendricks contracts come off the books. 

If a trade like that happened, the down-to-the-studs rebuild would have to be postponed indefinitely and the Cubs would suddenly become a legit 2023 N. L. Central contender AND an extremely attactive destination for an elite free-agent SS like Correa, Bogaerts, or T. Turner and/or an elite FA SP like Jacob deGrom. The Cubs might even choose ro sign Contreras and Happ to contract extensions. 

So if the Angels are actually willing tp move Ohtani post-2022 and the prospect return from the Cubs is sufficient (not to mention the added benefit of the Cubs relieving the Angels of Rendon's contract), I would make rhat trade in a Disneyland minute.     

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 09/07/2022 - 09:39 pm

BTW, with respect to Anthony Rendon, he has played 155 games (equal to about one full MLB season) for the Angels since signing with them post-2018, and he has hit 252/359/421 (115 OPS+) with 20 HR, 35 doubles, and 90/104 BB/K in 669 PA while playing acceptable defense at 3B, all of which isn't worth $38M per year ($35M AAV) but also isn't necessarily all that bad - IF - he can stay healthy (big IF). It's not like the Cubs have a lot of better options (now or in the near-future) at 3B, and if taking back Rendon would be part of the price to acquire Ohtani, I'd be willing to take a chance on him having a bounce-back year in 2023 (and hopefully beyond). 

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Submitted by crunch on Wed, 09/07/2022 - 09:53 pm

i wonder where the team will upgrade.  CF and 1st are only obvious holes in the lineup (assuming they want morel at 3rd).

a rizzo return to CHI would be a bat upgrade, but he's not much of a 1st baseman anymore.  brandon nimmo is the only CF of interest, but he carries career-long injury risk.

trades open up all kinds of options beyond CF and 1st for upgrades, but that's what's in play right now.  morel is a more natural 2nd than 3rd...for all we know arenado could opt out after the season and suddenly trading madrigal is in play...or a variety of other spit-ball scenerios.

the team has a lot to work with young prospects, mlb-ready players/prospects, and established vets (such as happ) this off-season.

i'm down for whatever it takes to be favorites to win the NL Central going into spring training.

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 09/07/2022 - 09:44 pm

there are so few people at the game you can hear 1/2 dozen different vendors yelling in the stands.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 09/08/2022 - 09:12 pm

mckinstry is the lead off hitter and mark leiter jr is coming in the 9th for a save chance.

i am 100% officially done with the 2022 cubs.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 09/09/2022 - 09:27 pm

pitch clock and banning the shift is a 2023 thing...also bases going from 15" to 18"

15-second clock with bases empty, 20 with runners on, batter 1 time out per PA

2 IF'rs on either side of 2nd base when pitch is released, feet on dirt when pitcher is on the rubber.

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Submitted by crunch on Sat, 09/10/2022 - 09:24 pm

the one i really hate is the man on 2nd in extras.  it screws up a lot of stats and how the game is approached.

stats aren't the most important thing, but this is a game that places a high importance on stats.

yeah, the runner at 2nd doesn't count as an earned run, but so many innings start with an intentional walk to set up force outs...amongst other things that change how the game is played such as starting the inning pitching out of the stretch.

i can't deny that it is a bit more exciting, though.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    i know it's still very early, but i'd like to go into the xmas-to-newyears part of the off-season with something more than...*checks list*...patrick wisdom avoids arbitration with a 1-year deal

    also, steven brault retired and was spotted at the winter meetings with a demo reel and making contacts trying to break into broadcasting (not a joke).  unless he's more optimistic than talented (we already know he can sing) he should make it one day because he seems to be very serious about it.

  • Cubster (view)

    I blame Jason Schmidt’s 3/44

  • Craig A. (view)

    Was all that stuff with the Blue Jays just to squeeze an extra $10 million/yr out of the Dodgers?  It's more than enough to cover his California income taxes!

  • crunch (view)

    unless he pitches into his late-30 that is gonna sting.  a 70m DH...ow.

    it's great to take care of 2 roster spots in 1 player, and i'm sure the team will cut into the pay with the amount of merch/etc he can sell just by being attached to the team....but yeah, i'm not mad the cubs didn't go that extreme.

  • WebAdmin (view)

    Shohei Ohtani to join Dodgers according to ESPN. 10 years for $700 m

  • Cubster (view)

    I'm getting the feeling that Todd Walker might be a Shaw comp. A valuable hit first player but limited albeit not awful on defense. Hopefully, he has more upside. Not a bad floor if Steve Garvey is his ceiling.

  • Wrigley Rat (view)

    AZ Phil - If that's the level of return, I would want NO part of that trade to Cleveland for Clase and Bieber. I have some faith that the Cubs have a strong plan for which prospects they will keep (even if they dangle them in trade talks) and which they will move, because they have plenty of solid prospects they can trade but they shouldn't be trading any of the ones they hope will be future core players. Some guys are redundant, so I hope they choose the right players to keep and the right players to move. It's always important for a team to know its own minor league players better than scouts from other teams (obviously), but I don't think that's always been the case for the Cubs and many other clubs. 

    Cubster - I watched an interview with Carter Hawkins a couple days ago where he said that although Morel hasn't gotten into any Dominican games at 1B, the Cubs did send coaches down with Morel to work on first base skills during practice. So he is developing those skills, whether the Cubs end up using him there or not will probably be dependent on a lot of factors including how those coaches think he looks at the position while training. 

  • tim815 (view)

    He could still play SS at Double-A, but Vazquez, Hoerner, and Swanson are much better defensively, arm strength or not. I'd be good leaving Shaw at SS with McGeary and Ballesteros around, but by the first of June (?), 1B might make sense in DM.

  • crunch (view)

    i have no reason to see a problem, it just seems like it's his most obvious reason to give pause on him at 1st.

    the cubs situation dictates 2nd/SS isn't an option.  his arm dictates 3rd isn't an option.  1st or CF seems to be his best path and he's only played CF in summer ball back in highschool/college...and of course PCA is a better + closer to the bigs CF.

    it's a lot safer to say he's made for 1st than it is he's made for 3rd.  even as a SS his arm is weak, and it's not like his glove is so great he needs to stay in the middle-IF.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    CRUNCH: Steve Garvey (one of Shaw's comps as a hitter) was a 5'10 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Jeff Bagwell (another Shaw comp) was a 6'0 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Carlos Santana (who played 1B for Counsell in Milwaukee last season and is an above-average defensive first-baseman) is 5'11. It's not like Shaw is 5'7 or 5'8. I don't really see the problem. 

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