Cubs MLB Roster

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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

Triantos Goes Full Beast Mode at Instructs

James Triantos belted an RBI triple in the bottom of the first and crushed a tape-measure three-run HR in the 5th, Cristian Hernandez tripled and scored in the first, collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the 2nd, and drilled an RBI double and scored in the 5th, Haydn McGeary blasted a two-run HR, and four pitchers combined to hurl a three-hitter, as the Cubs "Red Squad" battered the Cubs "Blue Squad" 9-2 in AZ Instructional League intasquad game action Tuesday afternoon at Sloan Park In Mesa, AZ. 

Pedro Ramirez singled twice, stole a base, scored a run, and drove-in another, and Ismael Mena tripled and scored to account for the Blue Squad's three hits and two runs.  

The game was pre-planned as a six-inning contest. 

Prior to the game, Nazier Mule and Koen Moreno threw one inning each (twenty pitches) of "live" BP, with Kevin Alcantara, Parker Chavers, and Raino Coran serving as the hitters.   

The AZIL Cubs have played only three games in the last ten days, instead spending most of their time working on ocular training, situational hitting, baserunning drills, fielding practice, cut-off drills, bullpen side sessions, and "live" BP, in addition to matriculating in the Pitch Lab and the Hitting Lab.  

Here is the box score from the game: 
CUBS "BLUE SQUAD" LINEUP
1. Pedro Ramirez, 2B: 2-3 (1B, 1B, F-8, R, RBI, SB) 
2a. Erbin Jaque, CF: 0-2 (K, 6-4 FC, PO) 
2b. David Avitia, C: 0-1 (K) 
3. Moises Ballesteros, C-DH: 0-2 (K, 4-3) 
4. Rafael Morel, 3B: 0-2 (L-4, 6-3)
5. Jefferson Rojas, SS: 0-2 (6-3, 6-3) 
6. Ethan Hearn, DH #1: 0-1 (K, BB, CS)
7. Anderson Suriel, 1B: 0-0 (BB, BB) 
8. Josefrailin Alcantara, RF: 0-2 (6-4 FC, K) 
9. Brayan Altuve, LF: 0-2 (K, L-8)
10. Ismael Mena, DH-CF: 1-2 (3B, 1-3, R) 

CUBS "RED SQUAD" LINEUP:
1. Reggie Preciado, 3B: 1-3 (K, 1B, 6-3, RBI)
2. Cristian Hernandez, SS: 2-2 (3B, L-8 SF, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) 
3a. Andy Garriola, RF: 1-2 (K, 1B) 
3b. Christian Olivo, PH: 1-1 (1B, R, SB)
4. James Triantos, 2B: 2-3 (3B, 5-3, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI) 
5a. Haydn McGeary, 1B: 1-2 (HR, K, R, 2 RBI) 
5b. Frank Hernandez, PH-RF: 0-0 (BB) 
6a. Alexis Hernandez, DH: 0-1 (BB, 6-3, PO) 
6b. Adan Sanchez, C: 0-1 (F-9) 
6c. Carlos Ramos, C: NO AB
7a. Miguel Pabon, C-DH: 1-2 (1B, 4-3)
7b. Malcom Quintero, PH-1B: 0-1 (P-5) 
8. Cristian More, LF: 0-2 (6-4 FC, 4-3, R, SB) 
9. Ke'Shun Collier, CF: 0-1 (HBP, L-7, R) 
10. Yoanis Aleksandrov, DH #2: 0-0 (BB, R) 
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TIME THRU BATTING ORDER 

CUBS "BLUE SQUAD" PITCHERS
1. Michael McAvene: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 26 pitches (16 strikes) 
2. Luis Rujano: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 4/1 GO/AO, 34 pitches (22 strikes) 
3. Eligio Paredes: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 2/3 GO/AO, 33 pitches (17 strikes) 

CUBS "RED SQUAD" PITCHERS
1. Max Bain: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 0/1 GO/AO, 13 pitches (10 strikes) 
2. Yoendris Gonzalez: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 PO, 3/0 GO/AO, 28 pitches (17 strikes) 
3. Carlos Garcia: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 3/1 GO/AO, 34 pitches (17 strikes) 
4. Wilber Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 12 pitches (10 strikes) 

CUBS "BLUE SQUAD" ERRORS: NONE 

CUBS "RED SQUAD" ERRORS: 1 
1B Haydn McGeary: E-3 (missed catch on pick-off attempt allowed runner to advance to 2nd) 

CUBS "BLUE SQUAD" CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. Moises Ballesteros: 0-1 CS, 1 PO
2. David Avitia: 0-1 CS 

CUBS "RED SQUAD" CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. Miguel Pabon: 0-1 CS, 1 PB 
2. Adan Sanchez: 1-1 CS 

ATTENDANCE: 8 (including Cubs PBO Jed Hoyer) 

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's 

Arizona 
Scoring 
Service 

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

Comments

PITCHING REPORTS FROM THE GAME (10/11)  : 

Michael McAvene: 
FB: 92-95, SL: 83-84, CT?: 86-88 
NOTE: Heater was mostly sitting at 95 / FB velo up three ticks from last outing when he threw only two FB (both 92)

Max Bain: 
FB 95-97, SL 83-85, CH: 85-86   
NOTE: He has re-worked (simplified) his delivery and is throwing a much higher percentage of strikes 

Yoendris Gonzalez: 
FB: 93-96, CH 82-83, CV: 78-81 
NOTE: Very "heavy" (high RPM) FB gets mostly weak contact 

Carlos Garcia: 
FB: 91-94, CV 72-75, CH: 86-87 
NOTE: 2S FB gets a lot of ground balls 

Luis Rujano:
FB 92-95, CV 79-82, CT? 88-89 
NOTE: FB velo up a tick or two and threw much higher percentage of strikes than last outing 

Eligio Paredes:
FB: 90-93, CV 75-77 
NOTE: FB got hammered, CV is a swing & miss pitch  

Wilber Rodriguez:
FB: 95-97, SL: 84-86 
NOTE: An older, big, mean, scary RHRP who could move VERY quickly 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

That's awesome news on Bain.

Any of these guys particularly stand out to you, Phil? I'm sure the high profile guys do, like Hernandez, Triantos, Ballesteros, but any slightly more under the radar types we might see either move fast or slowly but surely climb the organization ladder? Either among pitchers or position players?

Hows McGeary's catching, by the way? Noticed he played 1B in this game.

seems wilber rodriguez is 22, almost 23.

that's a long way from the 17 years old he was this off-season (unless that was reported wrong).

how does someone hide a mid-90s fastball til your early 20s?

carlos correa will opt out of his contract with the twins.

he leaves behind 2 player options for 35.1m a year.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Sutter, Rueschel and Burt Hooten.  I remember when they were rookies.  Sutter was amazing with the split-finger fastball (It wasn't a forkball).  If I remember right, Billy Conners taught him the pitch.  He was really the first, or one of the first, guys to come up as a relief pitcher, not as a starter, and become a full time closer.  In my feeble mind, he really changed the game for the better.  RIP Mr. Sutter.  

[ ]

In reply to by Alexander Dimm

Long-time Cubs minor league roving pitching instructor Freddy Martin taught Bruce Sutter the split-finger FB.  Martin liked to teach the pitch whenever he encountered a pitching prospect with exceptionally large hands and long fingers, because those attributes were required for the pitch to be effective. Of course learning how  to throw the pitch was one thing, but commanding it was another matter entirely. Sutter fit the bill on both counts, and quickly became Freddy's star pupil, and it made Freddy famous. Unfortunately, Freddy died from cancer shortly after Sutter reached the big leagues.   

Prior to joining the Cubs as a coach in 1961, Martin spent 25 years (with time out for WWII) pitching in the minor leagues and in Mexico. He was a charter member of the Cubs infamous College of Coaches in 1961, a band of instructors who rotated between the MLB club and the Cubs various minor league affiliates. Even after it was disbanded at the big league level when Leo Durocher became manager post-1965 season, the College of Coaches carried on in the Cubs minor leagues for many years, with baseball "lifers" like Freddy Martin, Buck O'Neil, Elvin Tappe, and Lou Klein (to name just a few) going from affiliate to affiliate year after year to teach apt pupils what they knew about the game.

Many of the members of the College of Coaches were also scouts, and it was not unusual for one of them to sign a prospect and then personally coach the player in the minor leagues, like Buck O'Neil signing Lou Brock off the campus of Southern University and then coaching him as he moved up through the Cubs system to the big league club. (Too bad Buck never had a chance to be "head coach," because if he had, I doubtr the Cubs would have traded Brock).   

Phil Wrigley's College of Coaches (sometimes spelled "Kollege of Koaches" by its detractors) was actually way ahead of its time. While the concept of a rotating head coach and athletic director was dismissed out of hand by veteran MLB players and other MLB clubs, the idea of roving instructors rotating from minor league affiliate  to minor league affiliate is not too different from today's minor league pitching, hitting, infield, outfield, and baserunning instructors and coordinators.   

In addition to the College of Coaches, Phil Wrigley was also behind the creation of the Arizona Instructional League in 1960, designed as a place for the organization's better prospects to go after the conclusion of the minor league season to play games and receive instruction all in one place from the organization's instructors.   

bruce bochy looking to get back into the game.

he met with the rangers GM yesterday.  chris young is the rangers GM, btw...the ex-pitcher...that bochy managed in SD.

Recent comments

  • JoePepitone (view)

    Fighting Ham for Mother Nippon!

  • crunch (view)

    reliever market is f'n crazy.  guys that aren't "lights out" but still good are getting crazy loot.  josh hader gonna get crazy paid if these early contracts are an indication of the market.

    emilio pagan - 2/16m (8m average)

    nick martinez - 2/26m (13m average)

    reynaldo lopez - 3/30m (10m average)

    it also makes me wonder how much j.assad is worth as a trade piece in this market...or how valuable he is to the team to save money.  these swing guy types are going to start making good loot for relievers.  in 2023 there were 5 pitchers in all of MLB that pitched 200+ IP...8 in 2022...4 in 2021.  Pre-COVID you have to go back to the strike shortened 1994 to find less than 10 pitchers with sub-200 IP (Greg Maddux the only guy in 94).

  • crunch (view)

    thomas hatch is going to fight ham in japan.  he was on PIT's 40-man.

  • crunch (view)

    morel played somewhere besides 3rd and SS...he got 8 innings in CF, 2 putouts and an assist.

  • crunch (view)

    ryan flaherty new cubs bench coach.

  • crunch (view)

    bellinger wins comeback player of the year.  the AL winner was liam hendricks and his 5ip before he got tommy john...setting himself up for a 2025 shot at the award.

  • Bill (view)

    I hope that Perlaza goes on to have a successful career.  On most Cubs teams prior to the current administration, he would have been one of their more highly ranked prospects.  As far as the others are concerned, one or more may well go on to be much better than expected, but unfortunately there is no way to tell which one at the present time.  You can't keep everyone.

  • crunch (view)

    s.gray signs with the cards...3/75m

  • Arizona Phil (view)


    Another one of the nine Cubs post-2023 Rule 9 minor league 6YFA has signed, as RHP Carlos Guzman (acquired from the Tigers for Zack McKinstry at the end of Spring Training) signed a 2024 minor league contract with the Mets. 

     

    So RHRP Yovanny Cruz (SD), C-INF P. J. Higgins (CIN), and now Carlos Guzman (NYM) have already signed 2024 minor league contracts with new MLB organizations, and OF Yonathan Perlaza is headed for Korea (Hanhwa Eagles).

  • crunch (view)

    ...and back to 3rd for another game.  at this point i'm gonna hang back and when/if he actually plays 1st then i'll find it notable.  i am glad he's playing a good amount of 3rd, though...give the club one more good look at him there.  shrug