Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

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

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

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Well, I finally got around to upgrading the site. Sorry for the delay.

There will undoubtedly be issues, so please be patient and contact me ASAP if you run into any issues.

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Comments

I like some of the features I’ve seen so far, like the headings on the comments that let you track the replies to previous comments. Better than just trying to line up the indents. 

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

I was at the game in October 2020 when Alexander Canario suffered his first shoulder injury. It was the Giants last game of instructs and the injury happened on the very last play of the game! 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/giants-put-slug-cubs-sloan

What's kind of interesting is that the Giants selected Canario to their MLB 40-man roster three weeks later, and what's really unusual about it is that Canario had not yet played above short season ball when he was added to 40! Not to mention the clearly significant left shoulder injury suffered in a game that was attended by a number of scouts. 

However, Canario was one of the Giants Top 5 prospects at the time, and obviously the Giants absolutely did not want to take the chance (no matter how remote) that he might get selected in the Rule 5 Draft.  

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

CUBSTER: The Canario injury sounds really bad. It's the type of injury suffered by a person sitting in the front seat in a head-on high speed car crash, right? 

So I would think there might be a question about whether Canario will be able to walk normally again, much less to be able to play baseball. Or even if he can play baseball, will he be able to run the bases and play defense in the outfield, or will he more likely be expected to become a Franmil Reyes type one dimensional DH?  

So could you please give us your expert opinion about the type of ankle injury suffered by Canario last month in the DWL, with respect to how it might affect a baseball player's sprint speed, ability to make sudden cuts while running the bases, sliding, chasing fly balls in the outfield, and shifting his weight load to provide power when hitting. 

Again, just your general opinion about that type of ankle injury, and how it might impact a 22-year old baseball player.

Thanks. 

Sunday tribune on the Wrigley Draft Kings annex, a 22,000 ft building being added to the RF corner on Addison...

"It’s sort of like attaching a bus shelter to the Picasso" -Paul Sullivan

Similar things were said when they put in the electric scoreboards in left and right field.  Some guys just have to go out of their way to create a controversy.

ian happ wins LF gold glove.

realmuto beats out contreras for C gold glove.

i have never seen someone play LF in wrigley like happ did in 2022.  he played other parks great, too.

 

One small thing I’d like to see restored…on the bottom of the comments, there was a button that allowed you to see the last 50 comments. It would be nice to have back. Beyond that, great job.

The new comments on THIS thread get a little yellow "new" tag on them - which I like.  However, the home page used to accurately state how many new comments there were on that thread and that feature is not working for this particular discussion thread.  The home page also shows "5 new comments" for an older thread that I have already seen the comments for.  So there seems to be a bug for that particular feature.

Just heard a lengthy (hour and a half) Jason Heyward interview on ESPN 1000 on Waddle & Silvy's show, in studio.  Sounds like a really intelligent, well-balanced and philosophical guy.  He tells the truth and isn't afraid of having someone say the truth to him.  He talked about how he appreciated that the Cubs fans were "real" with him -- they let him know when he did something good and also when he didn't play well.  Talked about Maddon's managing in game 7 of the 2016 WS -- criticizes when it's called for and compliments when it's called for, with great respect given.  Called his catch in SF in May of 2016 where he was injured his favorite catch of his whole career.  As always, he was a worthwhile listen.  Very interesting human being.

"According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets are believed to be unlikely to pursue free agents who have received qualifying offers."

this is cubs-relevant because the mets have a hole in the lineup at catcher.  some mets fans are still pissed they didn't snag contreras at the trade deadline.

mervis AFL "Fall Stars Game" MVP

he's got a .291/.344/.655 line with 6 HR through the first half of the AFL season.

dude is making a strong case for not signing a young(ish) 1st baseman to a long-term contract, though an older guy who can also DH (jose abreu, etc) could be on the table.

lou whitaker not on the Contemporary Era HOF Ballot because they're braindead...no kenny lofton...no dwight evans...

Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro, Schilling, Belle, McGriff, Murphy, Mattingly...

schilling might make it even though he's not a good person.  murphy has his 2x MVP and 7x All-Star going for him.  mcgriff has an outside shot.  i dunno how to handicap bonds + clemens chances.

There are a lot of "not a good person"s currently in the HOF. 

Ty Cobb

Hack Wilson

Cap Anson

For that matter, Babe Ruth.

Other than blatant baseball cheating, such as Bonds, I would hate to see a good player left off because of personal disagreements with their non-baseball views or activities.

I personally think that Rose should be in the HOF, unless there is actual proof that gambling affected his on field performance or managing.

[ ]

In reply to by DavidP

many people think we should/could be better in the current era.  that's why cap anson isn't in the somewhat recently created Cubs HOF even though he's the greatest Cubs player and manager of all time.  if not for cap anson, jackie robinson may be in the HOF as one of baseball's greatest players with world class stats rather than being an important milestone in baseball history that didn't get a shot until he was 28.

 

schilling and his muslims/nazis thing was a huge misstep (especially for someone that actively collects nazi memerabelia).  going after gay people and trans people in further rants wasn't a good look, either.  the whole lynching of journalists viewpoint was a thing, too.

 

with on-field baseball merits, alone...he's a no-doubt hall of famer.  he has made nothing easy for him about giving him support after retirement.

The HOF is not the Hall of "better people".  It is to celebrate those that have excelled at the game of baseball over a period of time.  Interjecting your personal views on what constitutes a "good person" negates the purpose of the HOF.

cubs meeting with koudai senga's agent (RH starter, free agent, no posting fee).

mid-90s+ fastball, cutter, slider, and a very advanced forkball (probably advanced because hardly anyone throws one anymore).

hurrah for that and all, but i want to see the bats situation fixed more than anything.

franmil reyes outrighted to AAA.  looks like he's gonna move on from the cubs.  can't imagine him sticking around.

d.bote outrighted to AAA because there's a near-0 chance anyone will pick up his contract.  pretty safe to assume he'll be with the team in the majors next year.

mills, crook, espinoza, wieck, and brault also outrighted.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).