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 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Back-to-Back Jaxx

SOUTHERN LEAGUE (AA) NORTHERN DIVISION PLAYOFFS GAME 2 THREAD (JAXX LEAD BEST-OF-FIVE SERIES 1-0) [PARACHAT] CAROLINA MUDCATS (77-57) @ WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX (83-56) PRINGLES PARK, 6:35 pm CDT, RADIO: Dixie 1310 WDXI
The Jaxx made a good start to the Southern League playoffs last night, winning the opening game of the series 3-0 (recap, boxscore, play-by-play) on the back of Renyel Pinto's fine pitching and multi-hit games from Eric Patterson, Casey McGehee, Brandon Sing and Jose Reyes, who is not the Mets' shortstop. Last season Renyel Pinto won the Southern League Pitcher of the Year title, but this year it was not to be. Why's that? Because, keeping it in the family, it was tonight's Jaxx starter, Ricky Nolasco, that took home the prize, leaving poor Pinto this year had to settle just for being named the best left-hander in the league. Yes, indeed, it would seem that the Jaxx have orchestrated something of a monopoly over the pitching prizes. Tonight the team's line up thus...
Ricky Nolasco, RHP
14-3, 2.89 ERA
173/46 K/BB, 13 HR in 161.2 IP
Nick Ungs, RHP
7-5, 3.68 ERA
79/34 K/BB, 8 HR in 120.0 IP
2B *Frank Moore 2B *Eric Patterson
LF James Shanks SS Ryan Theriot
RF Juan Carlos Muniz 3B Casey McGehee
C Jason Hill 1B #Matt Craig
CF Reggie Abercrombie LF Brandon Sing
1B Angel Molina CF *Buck Coats
3B #Drew Niles RF *Adam Greenberg
SS Rex Rundgren C #Jose Reyes
P Nick Ungs P Ricky Nolasco
What a year Ricky Nolasco has enjoyed...
IPHHRBBKERA
161.215113461732.89
His 14 victories set a new Jaxx record and were good enough to tie him for first in the league (with Sean Tracey of the White Sox), and though he fell just 6 strikeouts short of breaking the franchise record that Pinto set last year, he led the league in that category too. He finished third in the league in ERA, though the two ahead of him (one of them Pinto) pitched significantly less innings. It is worth bearing in mind though that though Nolasco is just 22, he was repeating the league after a 2004 stint at Iowa went quite horribly wrong (let's just say he allowed 68 hits in 40.2 innings). Like Pinto, he found the transition from the pitcher friendly Southern League to the much more hitter orientated Pacific Coast League very difficult. And, like Pinto, it's a hurdle that he's almost certainly going to have to navigate before he makes the big leagues. A sinkerballer, and therefore often talked about in the same breath as Sergio Mitre, the comparison perhaps doesn't quite ring true. Nolasco's low-90s sinker induces a lot of groundballs, but it's not as good a pitch as Mitre's. Nolasco though definately showcases the better off-speed stuff, with a good curveball and changeup. Mitre's breaking pitches on the other hand are much more fringy, though that sinker, when it's on, is remarkable. Opposing Nolasco tonight is Nick Ungs, who earlier this year threw a no-hitter against the Jaxx. The Mudcats actually bested the Jaxx 9-7 in the regular season, though that was largely because they went 8-2 at home. If the Jaxx have their way, the Mudcats won't be able to take the series back to Carolina. Somewhat ironically, both teams are playing this series without their most talented player. While the Jaxx have lost outfielder Felix Pie to injury (for half the season no less), the Mudcats last week were robbed of their stud prospect outfielder by the Florida Marlins. Jeremy Hermida only went on to become just the second player in history to hit a grand slam in his first Major League plate appearance. The rest of the series looks like this... Game 3, Friday, 5.05pm CDT, Carolina Mudcats @ West Tenn Diamond Jaxx Game 4, Sunday, 2.00pm EDT, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx @ Carolina Mudcats Game 5, Monday, 7.15pm EDT, West Tenn Diamond Jaxx @ Carolina Mudcats Games 4 and 5 will only be played if necessary. The series winner will then play either the Birmingham Barons (CWS) or the Jacksonville Suns (LAD) for the Southern League title in a five game series starting a week today. Go to the games if you can, or listen via the Radio (Dixie 1310 AM WDXI, and there's an online feed at WDXI.com). And go Jaxx!

Comments

Eric Pat doubles to lead off the bottom of the first. Nolasco walked one, but didn't give up any runs in the top of the inning.

I love this broadcaster...strikeouts on curveballs are uncle charley's, double plays are ham and eggers. bottom 3, no score.

John Hill, I saw this article at espn.com and thought of you. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2155868&CMP=OTC-DT9705204233 Also your too tough on Nolasco. Yes he was horrible at AAA last year but 21 is also pretty young for AAA. I mean how many guys other than Felix Hernadez (before his call-up) are at AAA before their 22nd birthday? Also his K rate is better than Mitre's at AA. High GB and K rate make him the perfect money ball pitcher. If his AAA problems were because of age and he can get psat that he will be a solid 2 or 3 pitcher in the show.

I heard the ham and eggers last night for the first time, never heard a DP described like that. Amusing..

Actually, Nolasco had a 147:146 GB:FB ratio this season.

1-0 Jaxx...WOO!!! 4th inning RBI Fielder Choice for Brandon Sing, McGehee scored.

I counted them up using the box scores when I was figuring out his DIPS. Sadly, I forgot to count up HBP which was needed in the formula and haven't gone back to count that up. He's the only one I've looked at.

the ever-elusive search for splits on minor leaguers continue.. thanks anyway ienpw

IENPW, Thanks for the info. I assumed from his stuff that he would have had a 3 to 1 rate GBtoFB. I wish they would post stats like that on the team's web site or milb.com.

what is the Groundball/Flyball ratio ranges that we should consider good, versus outstanding, versus Hall of Fame?

I don't know if it's that simple, cubster. Currently Brandon Webb leads all of baseball with a 4.33 G/F ratio but no one would even consider him an All-Star. Top 10: 1. Webb 4.33 2. Westbrook 3.32 3. Lowe 3.01 4. Mulder 2.75 5. Hudson 2.68 6. Burnett 2.68 7. Halladay 2.60 8. Wright 2.01 9. Carpenter 1.99 10. Maddux 1.86 It's not really a who's who, you know? For comparision some of the worse: 1. John Patterson 0.61 (RFK must be heaven for pitchers) 2. Elarton 0.65 3. Milton 0.67 4. C. Young 0.69 5. C. Lee 0.75 6. Pedro 0.82 7. Arroyo 0.83 8. Wakefield 0.85 9. R. Hernandez 0.87 10. B. Sheets 0.87 Your actually more likely to give up a hit on a groundball than a flyball, although the likelihood to score a run is reduced.

For one you don't have to have a good GB:FB to go to the Hall. Randy Johnson's career is 1.20. Prior's

chad billingsley is throwing a no-no for the dodgers affiliate in the other southern league playoff game right now...Through 6 I believe... and I have no problem ruining it by mentioning it..

I guess I can't use a carrot for less than. His career GB:FB is less than 1.

Adam uses his speed to lead off the 5th with a bunt single. Too bad the next batter hit into a double play. At least Corey's brother was watching from the bench to see how it's done. We don't expect dusty to be teaching that tricky stuff up north. L'Chiam

Did I just hear that right? Ryan Theriot was named the Jaxx MVP for the season? Not Brandon Sing?

Thanks for the GB:FB commentary. I understand that a high ratio means nothing except you probably don't want a low ratio in a small HR friendly ballpark. I just wasn't sure what the range was to sort out whether 1:1 was considered a GB pitcher or a FB pitcher. It seems that under 1.0 is a FB pitcher over 2.0 is a GB pitcher and 1-2 is a middler. Some extrapolations might be interesting, like seeing if the high ratio pitchers also are the ones leading the league in getting double plays (seems intuitive unless the infield defense sucks). The Billingsley no-no is going into the 8th

Personally, I'd say anything over 1.50 is a GB pitcher. I consider Zambrano a GB pitcher even though he's been at 1.6 the last 2 seasons.

Haha. Billingsley was taken out but the no-no is through 8.

Nolasco gets out of a jam in the 8th. Still a shutout. 2 punchouts and the inning ends on a flyball. 1-0 now bottom 8th.

11 K's for Nolasco so far through 8. First 2 batters got on in the eight, Nolasco struck out the next two and got the last batter to pop up. 1-0 through 7 1/2 innings. GO jaxx!!

Nolasco 116 pitches thru 8 innings. This kid is gonna fit right in. Shipman in for the save Isn't Aardsma pitching in late innings too?

shipman has been their closer since talley haines got promoted to AAA, so far the jaxx seem to like to go searles then shipman, hmmm??

It's certainly ironic that Nolasco had a 10:3 K:BB today after I said he was nuetral in it. Oh well. One thing I noticed as that for the most part he gave up more GBs than FBs consistenly. Like 9 GBs and 5 FBs. Then every 4th or so start he'd have a game where he would give up 12 FB and just 2 GB. There could be several explanations. And also, those starts unsurprisingly correlated with some of his worst starts.

The 9th sounded very Cub familiar: Groundball out. One out double off the wall. Close groundout with a big argument (blown call by ump based on the play by play description). Eric Pat 1-4-3. 2 outs. Single to center ties the game (Dennis Anderson on a 3-2 pitch). Blown save-Andy Shipman. Fielders choice end the inning. bottom 9, 1-1 ah, reminds me of the days of LaTroy 9th innings. and Cubs vs. Giants...can this be baseball symmetry?

Chris Resop pitching (southern league leading closer) bottom 9th: Leadoff Strikeout Eric Pat. Ryan Theriot-Triple, high off the OF wall. Casey McGehee-intentional walk. Aaron Sisk ph for Shipman-intentional walk #2. Brandon Sing up one out...infield in. Strikes out on high fastball, 2-2 count. Buck Coates-infield single!!! Jaxx Win!!! Jaxx Win!! this was fun stuff. Aardsma was in the bullpen for the 10th. Their going BONKERS in Pringles Park.

CUBS WIN!!! IN DUSTY WE TRUSTY!!!!!! The real Cubs that is...

Dusty- Thanks for your concern. I knew I came to TCR for some reason. it is al the thoughtful posters who come here more to go after other posters than to actually talk about teh Cubs. Thanks!!

Only you Manny..only you....I thought you came for the witty banter and my rapier-like wit? Manny, don't go holier than thou on us...you have done your fair share of poster-bashing in the past. Not as much as some, but still... IN DUSTY WE....aw..crap!

Adam Dunn.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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.