Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# 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 

 



 

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We To Meet Again, Mr 500?

GAME 68 PREVIEW CHICAGO CUBS (34-33) at MILWAUKEE BREWERS (31-37) Miller Park, 7:05pm CT, TV: FSN, CSN
SP Tomo Ohka SP Greg Maddux
SS #Neifi Perez CF Brady Clark
CF *Corey Patterson 3B Jeff Cirillo
1B Derrek Lee 1B *Lyle Overbay
RF *Jeromy Burnitz LF Carlos Lee
3B Aramis Ramirez SS Bill Hall
2B *Todd Walker 2B Rickie Weeks
LF *Todd Hollandsworth RF *Geoff Jenkins
C Henry Blanco C Damien Miller
Pitcher's spot Pitcher's spot
Losing six of seven is a good way to find yourself too close to Mr 500 than is comfortable with a payroll this sizeable. The Cubs now have four against the Brewers to put this right before they head over to US Cellular Field this weekend to wrap up interleague play for the year. Meanwhile, it's becoming quite obvious that Dusty Baker neither reads The Cub Reporter nor thinks along similar lines. It may be the thinking part that's giving him the trouble there. Neifi and Corey continue atop the order, and doubtless they'll do their absolute best to sabotage Derrek Lee's already improbable triple crown bid from there tonight as always. Keep your eyes on the second base prize that is Rickie Weeks. He's a kid that's got a lot of talent but strikes out an unhealthy rate. Sound familiar? Meanwhile, note Lyle Overbay's sub-.300 average! Tomo Ohka was acquired by the Brewers from the Nationals for Junior Spivey. Ohka's peripherals say the only way his current 2.86 ERA is going is up, up, up and away! It'll be nice to see the pitchers batting again. I know I don't fit the traditionalist bill, but I really abhore the designated hitter. Besides missing out on the comedy value of pitchers hitting, it just seems wrong that a player should be allowed to play only half the game. It also makes the game so less tactical. Hey, Dusty, have you considered managing in the AL? Sorry, that's two cheap shots at Dusty in this post already, but I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with him. Don't forget to drop into the Parachat for in-game discussion! And go Cubs!

Comments

Again, I think a lot of the critism of Dusty on TCR is beyond ridiculous (mostly from users, not mods). But then I see Dusty keep those two at the top of the lineup and just shake my head. It just lacks logic to me, when someone is hitting about .000 in his last 6 games or so, give him a little rest, take a little pressure off of him and move him down the order. With Patterson, I think Dusty feels he'll see some good pitches ahead of Lee, so he won't continue to swing at junk...but when the pitcher knows he doesn't need to worry about walking Patterson, he'll give him junk too. I also don't like seeing Blanco in the lineup again...I said I thought he was catching Maddux a lot recently on top of Zambrano, but was told I was crazy...if he is going to catch both, that's 40% of our games where we play a guy batting .150 instead of .300. We can;t afford that. Our 3-7 hitters better do some damage, because 8,9,1,2 is a gaping black hole.

DLEE!! brenly just said "image what kinda numbers lee would have if patterson and neifi would take some walks" is he reading TCR? oh and not to mention, ARAM!!!

Did CPat rob Lee (the bad guy one) of a HR? Gameday had his ball beyond the centerfield wall.

Fun Fact for the Day: Patterson, Perez, Macias and Wilson have a sum total of 586 at bats and a sum total of 24 walks. And two of them bat 1-2 in the lineup. And Dusty wonders why the offense is sputtering.

Beginning with the June 8th game against the Blue Jays, the Neifi/Kpat 1-2 order has netted one walk between them in 10 games. The one time this duo was not penciled into the starting linup as 1-2, Hairston batted 2nd ... and proceded to net his 7th caught stealing attempt.

The Brewers starter on Tuesday, Victor Santos, is 2-6 with a 2.87 ERA. I don't see how that happens. It's happened to Clemen's this season some but heck, he is back up to 5-3. I still feel bad for Clement last year when the offense wouldn't do anything for him (at least before his late season meltdown when he took care of the losing all by himself). Anyway, hopefully we can make Santos ERA look a little uglier after Tuesdays game.

Come on now. Those walks are evil. Do nothing but clog the bases.

anyone else stoked...even though he may be a bit "not in peak condition"...that jerome f'n williams is playing tonite in a cubs uniform? sure..he's not all that..he's not the next clemens or koufax or even close..but, he's a very servicable 2/3 spot rotation pitcher on a lotta teams when he's clicking. we know he's overweight, his velocity is still gaining (and has gained since he was traded to the cubs just 3 or so starts), and his sinker is working. cubs sucked up loot taking on most of hawkin's tab, but hey...williams, and a bonus of mr. aardvark... mitre's coming of age, williams on board...rusch with a contract-out clause if he's not a starter in 06. should be a fun few weeks while hendry runs around figuring out how many of those he can keep around while getting what he needs.

I am definitely looking forward to watching Williams work. I hope he lives up to his potential for us. THAT IS ALL. GO CUBS.

I went up to MIL for the game last night. Couple of notes: - I would estimate that over 50% of the fans there were Cubs fans. - Maddux was pretty good and more than kept us in the game. Of course the one long ball was really his only problem last night. Win #311...hello to Mr. Seaver. - Everytime Lee steps to the plate you expect him to get on. As Yost showed last night, I think teams are going to start to IBB him more. The new Mr. Bonds? - Neifi and Corey both got 2 hits....finally!!! - The bullpen is the most unreliable bunch of crap I have ever seen. Everytime a new releiver came in, it seemed like I was more worried than the last. - Weurtz looked HORRIBLE, Remmmy did a GREAT job striking out Overbay and Lee to get out of the jam in the 7th, but they looked bad in the 8th. - Great move (no brainer I guess though as everyone else sucked and he had no other choice)by Dusty to bring in Dempster in the 8th in that jam. I HATE when closers come in the 8th, but Dempster had not pitched in forever and this was a game that the Cubs really needed to win. - Saving the best for last....What a play by Neifi Perez in the 8th inning. The Defensive play of the year so far for the Cubs. Very, very possibly saved the game. It was amazing he got to it, then amazing he got the ball to Walker so fast and even more amazing they were able to turn the DP. If Neifi doesn't get to that ball it is 5-5, with 1 out men on 1st and 2nd. Hopefully we can look back on that play as a start of another good streak. Don't look now but JB was almost at .300 last night. He was in the dumps just 2 weeks ago, good comeback. Like I said yesterday, I am no where as worried about the offense as I am the pitching (mostly relief pitching). If the starters go their 7 IP and give up nore more than 3-4 runs and the bullpen can hold their own, the offense will score enough runs to win lots of games. With Wood and Prior coming back in the next week or so, hopefully they can pitch well and take inning away from the bullpen.

the bullpen has been muddled and ineffective for the last few years...when is Rothschild's contract up? I tremble to think of what Mike Maddux would do with the talent of this Cubs' staff...

Wuertz is definitely getting cooked. Hats off to Dempster for looking so sharp last night after not pitching in a game for over a week.

Fanzone: "Wuertz is becoming over used." How so?? In June (20 days old), he has a total of 8 IP in 9 appearences. He is "supposedly" our 2nd best bullpen guy, so he should be used more than others. But that is not a lot of work. Now his last 4 appearences he has looked very bad, even if he hasn't given up many runs. Here is his line: 3.0 IP, 6.00 ERA, 8 hits, 2 ER, 5 BB His WHIP is now 1.50 on the year. That is a VERY dangersous number and has been lucky to only have his ERA at 3.58 (example is Remmy bailing him out last night). Him being our setup man shows how dangerously flammable this bullpen really is. Like I stated before, hopefull Wood and Prior can help the starting pitching go deeper in games, so we can use the bullpen less and less. They seem to do better when they only have to be used for no more than 6 outs.

Interesting to see someone blame Rothschild for the bullpen problems. Seems to me he's working with what's he's given. Plus, if you want to blame him, then how about giving him some credit for Rusch, Weurtz, Mitre, Wellemyer and how well they've done?

Out of Wuertz' 9 appearances this month, 4 have come in the last 5 games. During this stretch, he did not appear on two straight days as Friday was an offday and he did not pitch in Sat's blowout.

Before they do anyhting outside the organization to bolster the bullpen, the Cubs should give Jermaine Van Buren a shot. Yes, I know he's not on the 40-man rosyer, but there are several DFA candidates: 1. Richard Lewis (who couldn't even hit .200 in AAA, before being sent back to AA for the third year in a row, so he should be able to pass through waivers without being claimed, and it's no great loss if he does get claimed by another club); 2. Cliff Bartosh (who has little value--even as a LOOGY, such that there is a good chance he also would clear waivers if the Cubs tried to send him to AAA outright); 3. John Koronka (who obviously does not have the talent to pitch in the majors); and 4. Joe Borowski (who is still owed about $1.3 mil this year, but who is also pretty clearly washed-up and is too dangerous to be used in a meaningful situation). So there are plenty of candidates to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Jermaine Van Buren. And should it be necessary to option Van Buren back to Iowa for some reason before September 1st, it's no big deal that his option clock will have started, since he's no "spring chicken" (he turns 25 next week). For those of you not familiar with Jermaine Van Buren, he was signed by the Colorado Rockies after the Rockies drafted him in the 2nd Round of the 1998 Draft out of a Mississippi high school, but he struggled in "Lo-A" ball for five seasons (1998-2002) before getting released. He then signed with an independent club in Texas (the Fort Worth Cats of the Central League) in 2003, and it was there that he turned his career around. The Cubs purchased his contract from Ft. Worth prior to the 2004 season, and he has pitched well at various stops (Lansing, West Tenn, and Iowa) in the Cubs system over the past year and a half. He is currently the closer at Iowa. Like Brandon Sing and David Kelton, Jermaine Van Buren will be a six-year minor league free-agent after this season if he is not added to the Cubs 40-man roster within ten days after the end of the regular MLB season, so the Cubs might as well bring him up right now.

I have always felt that instead of going around looking for proven veterans for bare minimum salary (people like Macias and Wilson), it is better to get your AAA and AA guys on the 40 man rosters more time in the majors. I don't mean they should be brought up and get their clocks started without USING them; but to get them in and start getting them meaningful playing time. Same with the relief pitchers. Most relievers are failed starters anyway. They have 1-2 out pitches that can be utilised for 1 inning. Get people who have high K/BB ratio from the minors and put them in spots that are now being used by people like Bartosh and Borowski. It is unfathomable that these two stiffs are getting more use than a better pitcher like Wellemeyer. Dusty's insistence on 'proven veterans' will doom us again if he canot recognise what is in front of his face. Bartosh and Borowski are cooked. Remlinger cannot get out lefties. Corey is not a front of the order batter. Neifi is regressing to his career mean. I would rather have Walker and Barrett bat 1 and 2 than the black hole that is Neifi and Corey.

J Burnitz is quietly having season where he is on pace to hit roughly: J Burnitz .300 30 100 A Ramirez .300 36 100 D Lee .400 45 160 M Barrett .290 20 80 N Perez .285 15 60 Maddux is just about on pace to win 15 games. 15-9

Reds just fired manager Dave Miley. He was 125-164 since he took over in July of 2003. Interin manager will be Jerry Narron.

Bluewater Boats, are you suggesting that statistics can give us a ballpark idea of how certain players will be doing at the end of the year? Cause I'm quite certain that you've told us before that stats can't tell us anything about the future.

Let's face it. Corey Patterson will never see another good pitch again until he stops swinging at the really bad ones.

10 man- Has anybody thought about checking Cpat's eyes? I know its the song of the truly desperate, but I've seen him get good pitches and he takes them for strikes. Maybe a pair of those evil looking red contact lenses might help? Otherwise everyone who's ever seen this kid's potential is completely whacked.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.