Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus one player is 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 3-28-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# 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 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 1 
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

 



 

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

  • crunch (view)

    steele MRI on friday.  counsell expects an IL stint.

    no current plans for his rotation replacement.

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    I would say also in the bright side column is Busch looked pretty good overall at the plate. Alzolay…man, that hurts but most of the time he’s not giving up a homer to that guy. To me the worst was almonte hanging that pitch to Garcia. He hung another one to the next hitter too and got away with it on an 0-1. 

  • crunch (view)

    amaya blocked like 6-8 of smyly's pitches in the dirt very cleanly...not even an exaggeration, smyly threw a ton of pitches bouncing in tonight.

    neris looking like his old self was a relief (no pun), too.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In looking for bright spots the defense was outstanding tonight. The “stars” are going to need to shine quite a bit brighter than they did tonight offensively though for this to be a successful season.

  • Eric S (view)

    Good baseball game. Hopefully Steele is pitching again in April (but I’m not counting on it). 

  • crunch (view)

    boo.

  • crunch (view)

    smyly to face the 2/3/4 hitters with a man on 2nd in extras.

    this doesn't seem like a 8 million dollar managerial decision.

  • crunch (view)

    i 100% agree with you, but i dunno how jed wants to run things.  the default is delay.  i would choose brown.

    like hellfrozeover says, could be smyly since he's technically fresh and stretched.

    anyway, on a pure talent basis....brown is the best option.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Use pitchers when you believe they're good. Don't plan their clock.

    I'm sorry. I'm simply anti-clock/contract management. Play guys when they show real MLB potential talent.

    If Brown hadn't been hurt with the Lat Strain he would've gotten the call, and not Wick.

    Give him a chance. 

    But Wesneski probably gets it

  • crunch (view)

    alzolay...bro...