Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus four players are on the 60-DAY IL


28 players are on the MLB ACTIVE LIST, plus eight are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one is on the 10-DAY IL, and three are on the 15-DAY IL


Last updated 9-27-20239
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 14
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Marcus Stroman
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 6
# Jeimer Candelario
Nico Hoerner
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 6
* Cody Bellinger
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

OPTIONED: 8
Keven Alcantara, OF 
Ben Brown, P  
Brennen Davis, OF 
Jeremiah Estrada, P
Caleb Kilian, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Michael Rucker, P
* Jared Young, INF-OF

10-DAY IL: 1
Nick Madrigal, INF

15-DAY IL: 3
Adbert Alzolay, P
Brad Boxberger, P 
Michael Fulmer, P 

60-DAY IL: 4
Nick Burdi, P
Codi Heuer, P
* Brandon Hughes, P
Ethan Roberts, P
 

 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs @ Giants: Series Thread (Games 63-65)

Submitted by Charlie on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 06:23 am

The Cubs were no match for Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani and suffered a sweep in Anaheim as a result. They'll turn northward and try their luck in San Francisco next. The Giants enter the series 32-30 to the Cubs 26-36. See below for matchups.

Game 63, Friday, June 9, 9:15 pm central

SFG: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (4-5, 3.97 ERA)

CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (6-4, 2.39 ERA)

DeSclafani missed the majority of 2022, making only five starts before undergoing a surgery on his ankle. He's returned with velocity and command that match his recent norms and has enjoyed a solid start to the season. His last start was his weakest of the season so far, going only three innings and allowing six runs (five earned) to the Orioles.

Stroman pitched a stinker on May 14, but since has pitched 29 innings over four starts, good for an average of 7.1 per outing. His strikeouts are down a touch compared to April/March. He has continued to elicit a ton of contact on the ground, helping to counteract the occasional walk as well.

Game 64, Saturday, June 10, 6:35 pm central

SFG: TBD

CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (0-2, 4.70 ERA)

Hendricks has made three starts since returning to the active roster and has looked relatively healthy. He has not yet been able to match the low walk rates of his prime, and like last year he is giving up far more contact in the air than he did from 2014-2021. He has kept the ball in the park mostly, although BABIP has not been especially kind to him.

Game 65, Sunday, June 11, 3:05 pm central

SFG: TBD

CHC: RHP Hayden Wesneski (2-2, 4.72 ERA)

Wesneski collected two outs in the fifth inning before being pulled from his last start and was then let down by the bullpen. He collected four strikeouts and walked only one. He gave up another homerun. At 2.08 homeruns per nine innings pitched, he has the 10th worst homerun rate per of any MLB pitcher with a minimum of 40 innings pitched. Lefties have hit 8 of the 11 fastballs he's allowed. A peak at his heat maps show that he's living middle up against lefties with his fastball. If I were Hayden Wesneski, I would simply hit my spots at the bottom of the zone. Problems solved!

Tags
2023 Cubs
San Francisco Giants

Comments

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 06:58 pm

d.ross gambled and won.  it would have been the internet asking for his head if it didn't work.  they've not been too happy with him lately.

bases loaded for p.wisdom who's 1 for 1 with a walk.  he pinch hits hoerner.  hoerner with a 2 RBI single...phew.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 06:21 pm

wtf leiter...turns an out into a run scored and a single because he hesitated to field a 40ft dribbler.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 06/09/2023 - 06:53 pm

alzolay gets his 3rd save.  him and leiter are tied for the team lead...3 saves and we're 1/3rd the way through june.

everyone in the pen has a different role every game...they closing, setup, middle relief, multi-inning...who knows?  i think 1981 is the last time the team had less than 10 saves from anyone (not counting 2020).

alzolay should have been the closer out of spring...just let him take the role.

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 06/10/2023 - 06:13 pm

daaaaaaaamn tauchman out there with the glove.  2.2ip from hendricks so far and 4 outs have been warning track, including 1 very hardcore web gem by tauchman.

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 06/10/2023 - 06:04 pm

hendricks finding a lot more ground ball outs...no hitter through 6 with only 68 pitches thrown (1bb, 2k)

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 06/10/2023 - 06:52 pm

mervis and morel with the offense with a HR each...hendricks with 8 innings of 1 run ball lowering his era/whip to 3.09/1.07

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 06/11/2023 - 06:14 pm

suzuki sitting for a 2nd day...okay, then.  morel in RF...  this "minor thing" and rest looking a bit more suspect...

Submitted by crunch on Mon, 06/12/2023 - 06:18 am

9 games under .500 and there's 2-4 weeks before the cubs have to decide whether to sell off c.bellinger and m.stroman.

stroman has been extremely vocal about wanting a contract extension, but he came out recently saying the team doesn't seem to be interested right now.

hendricks, fulmer, and boxberger (if/when healthy) are likely to be moved, too, but their value isn't exactly great right now...could be a toss-in along with bellinger or stroman, though.

[ ]

Submitted by Charlie on Mon, 06/12/2023 - 06:11 am

I'm really OK with the Cubs choosing either the seller or retainer roles this year, contingent upon them getting extensions done. Unfortunately, this administration's track record on extensions is pretty poor. Bellinger would technically "block" PCA, but I'm not sold on PCA being ready to start next season. And it's not like this roster is so airtight that a strong talent couldn't force it's way on if playing well.

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 06/12/2023 - 06:06 pm

I don't think the Cubs will sign Cody Bellinger to a multi-year contract before he becomes a free-agent post-2023, but it's not because he would block PCA, since Bellinger can play 1B.

However. Bellinger is a Scott Boras client, and the philosophy of the Boras Corporation is that the true market value of a player cannot be determined until he becomes a free-agent, so you don't buy-out free-agent years, although it - IS - OK to buy-out arbitration years because an arbitration salary is always at least a bit below free-agent market value, the next season isn't guaranteed, and a non-tender (the one way for an arbitration-eligible player to get to free-agency) usually follows a bad year (see Cody Bellinger). 

That said, nothing would preclude Bellinger from hitting free-agency and then coming back to the Cubs - AS LONG AS - the Cubs offer the most money and outbid other interested clubs (like Carlos Correa eventually re-signing with the Twins last off-season, or Aroldis Chapman going back to the Yankees in 2017 after helping the Cubs win the World Series). But that would be true even if the Cubs trade Bellinger at the trade deadline. As with all Boras clients, Bellinger will go where the money is (just like Kris Bryant did when he signed with the Rockies), and if the Cubs outbid everybody else next off-season, Bellinger could get traded at the TDL and still return to the Cubs in 2024 (not likely, but also not impossible). And if Bellinger does leave via free-agency, the Cubs can extend him a QO (which he will not accept, since his 2024 mutual option is for $25M) and get a comp draft pick if he signs elsewhere. 

So the Cubs probably won't trade Bellinger at the TDL - IF - they believe they have a legit shot at the N. L. Central. They will just make him a QO post-2023 and (worst case) get a 2024 comp draft pick. But if the Cubs don't see a pathway to the N. L. Central on 8/1, then Bellinger definitely gets traded at the TDL, since the Cubs almost certainly will not be able to sign him to a contract extension before he hits free-agency.   

As far as Marcus Stroman is concerned, Stroman received a Qualifying Offer when he was with the Mets (and he actually accepted it!) so he can't get another one. So if the Cubs can't sign Stroman to an extension and he opts out, the Cubs won't even get a comp draft pick for him because they cannot extend him a QO. The only way the Cubs will be able to get any kind of player value back for Stroman if he doesn't sign a contract extension and opts out is if he is traded at the Trade Deadline. So those are basically the two choices. Contract extension, or trade on or sometime before the TDL. (And obviously we don't know what Stroman actually wants in terms of money and years, and how much the Cubs think he's worth long-term). 

From the Cubs POV, the strength of their farm system right now is clearly starting pitchers (B. Brown, Wicks, Horton, and Hodge), outfielders (PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, Canario, N. Velazquez, B. Davis, and Pagan), middle infielders (J. Rojas, C. Hernandez, Triantos, Howard, and Made), and DH (Mervis, Perlaza, McGeary, and Ballesteros), and while there is no guarantee that any one prospect (even a very good one) will develop into a significant major league position player or pitcher, the immediate short-term plan (2023 and into 2024) should be to look at other areas beside SP and OF to improve via trades and/or free-agency (most especially 1B, 3B, and catcher), as well as looking to acquire young bullpen arms with multiple years of club control (like when the Marlins traded J. J. Bleday to Oakland for A.J. Puk). 

As far as an immediate magic bullet, there isn't one right now, although getting Bellinger and Steele back should help. If the Cubs are just as good without Bellinger as they are with him, there would have been no point in signing him. In fact, Bellinger was a candidate to be Comeback Player of the Year prior to his knee injury, and Steele was emerging as a Cy Young contender. They could not be adequately replaced.   

Otherwise, the fungible elements of the bullpen should be moved/exchanged ASAP. Bullpens are notoriously fluid, and so "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titantic" actually is what you do when a bullpen isn't getting the job done. You give minor leaguers a chance they might not otherwise have gotten, and if one doesn't work out, try somebody else. Make waiver claims. Just keep things moving until you get the bullpen in order. It's kind of like the WOPR computer trying to get the nuclear launch codes in WarGames. You keep trying different combinations until you get a launch. Keep things moving. Don't double-down on bullpen failure. Move on. 

And Hayden Wesneski is exactly - NOT - the type of pitcher you would want in a bullpen. Besides the extreme splits (he can't get LH hitters out), he just gives up too many home runs (which can kill a team in the late innings -- see Michael Fulmer). Walks are bad, but for a relief pitcher, the worst thing that can happen is a HR (that is not necessarily true for a SP, BTW, because a SP can allow multiple runs over multiple innings and still keep his team in the game). 

Also, now is the time to cut loose Patrick Wisdom, and it's not because of impending free-agency (he is under club control via arbitration through 2026). If he was actually a "three true outcome" guy (lots of walks, lots of strikeouts, and lots of home runs), that would be one thing, but he is the dreaded "two true outcome" hitter (lots of strikeouts and lots of HR, but not a lot of walks). Even if he was a Gold Glove caliber defender at 3B (which he is not), that offensive profile just doesn't work, especially on the 2023 Cubs. 

Meanwhile, Yonathan Perlaza is one of the best pure hitters in the Cubs system. He isn't one of the Cubs Top 15 prospects because his defense is sub-standard, but he is a switch-hitter with no clear dominant side, he makes hard contact, steals bases, takes walks, and doesn't strike out too much. Unfortunately at the big league level Perlaza is essentially a DH who can play corner OF in a pinch (and probably 2B or 3B in an extreme emergency), but the thing is, the Cubs actually need a DH! They need hitters.

Perlaza is eligible to be a Rule 9 minor league free-agent post-2023. He was also eligible to be a minor league 6YFA post-2022, but he signed a 2023 minor league successor contract prior to becoming a free-agent after the Cubs offered him "40-man roster money" (actually a bit more) and an NRI to MLB Spring Training 

However, agents normally advise their clients not to sign a minor league successor contract two years in a row (unless the player is a Crash Davis-type organizational guy) because it gives the impression that the player is complacent and/or afraid to bet on himself, and that is a really bad look as far as character is concerned.

Also, while signing a successor contract keeps the player under club control for another season, the player also becomes eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft (that's how the Cubs got Hector Rondon), and in the case of Perlaza, getting selected in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft would be fairly likely if he were to sign a successor contract, and since he is MLB-ready, the Cubs very likely wouldn't get him back. 

[ ]

Submitted by Childersb3 on Mon, 06/12/2023 - 06:18 pm

Phil is the Cubs voice of reason .

And he referenced War Games in baseball terms. Genius!!!!

Morel should get 3B. Madrigal and Wisdom can go. 

Perlaza gets DH

Mervis or Belli get 1B

PCA should get CF

Amaya should get 3 Catcher starts per week, minimum.

Call up all the velo arms in Iowa.

Take some risks!!

Thanks AZ Phil 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Mon, 06/12/2023 - 06:13 pm

One thing to keep in mind is that starting this coming Friday (6/16), a post-2022 MLB Article XX-B free-agent who signed a major league contract can be traded without restriction. 

All post-2022 Article XX-B free-agents who signed a major league contract received an automatic "no trade" through 6/15. So Barnhart, Boxberger, Fulmer, Mancini, and Smyly can be traded (or placed on Outright Assignment Waivers in case somebody might want to assume the contract) starting on Friday. (Swanson and Taillon also were post-2022 Article XX-B free-agents, but they have contractual "no trade" rights -- Swanson "full" and Taillon "partial" -- beyond the automatic Article XX-B "no trade" the others have). 

BTW, Cody Bellinger does not have automatic Article XX-B "no trade" rights through 6/15 because he was not an Article XX-B free-agent post-2022 (he was a non-tendered FA post-2022), although he will qualify as an Article XX-B free-agent post-2023 because he will have accrued in excess of six years of MLB Service Time (he was at 5+160 through 2022, so he was twelve days short). 

Recent comments

  • crunch 09/28/2023 - 09:07 am (view)

    one thing people aren't too open about is his ego.  it's huge.  hopefully it doesn't get in his way.

    that said, i've not heard that his ego has caused any teammate issues and with people that have "strong egos" that's a big deal.  having a big ego isn't necessarily a terrible thing if you're still coachable and it doesn't make your workplace toxic.

    i honestly think the PCA we see now is the PCA we're getting...only with less instances of being asked to bunt.  he's a better hitter than his numbers, obviously.  i dunno what he will change with his approach at the plate, though.

    hopefully his game will mature, especially learning when to let one fall in front of him and when to not to try to make a miracle throw.  he takes pride in his defense, and he should, but a highlight reel shouldn't be an every-game goal.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 09/28/2023 - 09:35 am (view)

    I agree. Of course he has the offseason to work on things and he’s super young, but at the moment I don’t see an MLB level player in April 2024. Hopefully he takes this experience and gets more figured out and can come up and contribute sometime next year. There’s a lot of talent there but he doesn’t look ready for this level yet.

  • Charlie 09/28/2023 - 09:44 am (view)

    I'll be curious to see him at a time when the team isn't desperate for every little edge. What would he look like debuting for a team that already sealed their fate for the season? I think he'd still be struggling at the plate, but his other tools might show up.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 09/28/2023 - 09:09 am (view)

    Yup. Unless he plays a key role in a World Series run or pulls an Addison Russell or something, that Will unfortunately be his lasting Cub memory.

    Brant Brown was a solid player. No one remembers how important he was to the ‘98 miracle team.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 09/28/2023 - 09:07 am (view)

    He looks terribly overmatched at the moment in almost every way.

  • Charlie 09/28/2023 - 09:55 am (view)

    He appears to be playing with desperation at this point.

  • crunch 09/27/2023 - 09:12 pm (view)

    i know this 2023 ATL team is one of the best teams of all time, like easy top 5 by any metric...but these 2 losses stung.

  • crunch 09/27/2023 - 09:50 pm (view)

    PCA with -another- overly aggressive play he didn't make that punishes the team.

  • crunch 09/27/2023 - 09:38 pm (view)

    "here's a helmet that fits." - cubs staff

    "naw." - PCA

  • crunch 09/27/2023 - 09:01 pm (view)

    cubs out here forgetting how to play D again...

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