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

Lawton Steroid User

According to multiple sources, Deadspin.com is reporting that Matt Lawton is the "AL outfielder from a playoff team" that tested positive for steroids. Rumors have been floating about for quite awhile now. Apparently he's in the appeals process at the moment, which is why you haven't heard anything from MLB yet. Also from Deadspin.com, they have been rating the best blogs out there for most of the major sports franchises. I was trying to keep my eye out for their take on the Cubbies blogs, but those sneaky devils posted it way back on October 3rd, which is a national mourning day for Cubs fans everywhere, so I missed it apparently. Anyway, we finished first:
1. The Cub Reporter. Part of the consistently excellent All-Baseball network, this immensely popular Cubs site covers everything you might possibly want to know and more. Smart, and able to resist Cub Fan Fatigue.
So, um, yeah, Cool!!! We'd like to thank....[orchestra warming up in the background already]. Hey wait!!! All-baseball.com was all over their rankings: Boston: 3rd place for Fire Brand of the American League Chicago White Sox: 2nd place for Exile in Wrigleyville San Diego Padres: 2nd place for Ducksnorts Kansas City Royals: 1st place for Kauffman Confidential So win, place or show, congrats to all who were mentioned by Deadspin. And look, we get a fancy graphic to display as well, what more could a blog ask for?

Comments

Guardado off the market, Mariners exercised 2006 option.

Rob, first place in anything is worth a beer, so PayPal gets another $6 from me, assuming this is roughly the price of a beer at Wrigley?

Anyway, we finished first: 1. The Cub Reporter. Part of the consistently excellent All-Baseball network, this immensely popular Cubs site covers everything you might possibly want to know and more. Smart, and able to resist Cub Fan Fatigue. Congrats to Rob, AZ Phil and the entire TCR crew and all us Cub fan contributors. This is quite the BASEBALL MITsVAH!

Thanks for the donation, Dave! The way the accounts are set up, that money goes into, uh, my personal checking account. So. Brent, John, Rob, I owe you each a buck-fifty.

I'm willing to double Dave's donation if it helps us land B.J. Ryan.. who's with me??? You can keep the $1.50 Christian as long as it go towards bringing back the Rachel Wacholder ads. :) Thnx for the donation Dave!

Derrek Lee gold glove ...to go with silver slugger.

2005 NL GG Winners (Defensive Win Shares in parenthesis + rank, WS leader if applicable) -- C - Mike Matheny (11.1, 1st) 1b - Derrek Lee (3.0, 1st) 2b - Luis Castillo (6.0, 3rd - C. Counsell, 6.9) SS - Omar Vizquel (6.3, 5th - R. Furcal, 8.1) 3b - Mike Lowell (4.2, 4th - D. Wright, 4.8) OF - Bobby Abreu (3.7, 15th), A. Jones (5.8, 4th), J. Edmonds (5.5, 5th) (Beltan 7.2, B. Clark 7.2, W. Taveras 6.6) P - G. Maddux (no calculations for pitchers fielding) Abreu seems to be the NL version of J. Varitek, otherwise not too far off at all by WS standards. Vizquel got a reputation award.

I was reading over at Ivy Chat and was reminded of another Dusty tactic that I completly forgot about. Incentives in contracts. Veterans have them, younger players usually don't. And Dusty since he "owes" to us fans and is such a great "players" manager will do everthing in his power to get players their incentives. As pointed out by Chuck....Holly had incentives for AB's which is a another reason why he continued to be trotted out. Hawkins had incentives for saves so Baker was hell bent on getting that for him. I did a little back checking and Perez had performance bonuses as well. So yet another reason why he got so many AB's and was played everyday. Dusty has to get his player's paid, he doesn't give a rats ass about putting the best player on the field. Rusch has incentives in his contracts for games started so that automatically puts him ahead of Williams in the rotation who has none.

Dusty has to get his player's paid, he doesn't give a rats ass about putting the best player on the field. Gregg Maddux owes him bigtime!!

You really think Maddux should have been removed from the rotation?

Must have been a joke due to the huge $9M extension. Clearly Maddux earned it like he has for a decade & a half.

No, I was OBVIeffingOUSLY referring to the fact that thanks to Dusty, a pitcher who has watched his skills dip precipitously the last three years was able to exceed 400 innings pitched over the last two (even led the team in IP last season) and as a result has automatically vested a nine million dollar contract to pitch even more mediocre baseball for the Cubs in 2006.

I don't have a problem with Maddux getting his innings. He is a hall of famer you don't dis-respect a hall of famer like that. If he is healthy enough to go out and do what you signed him for then you owe him every cent of that contract. Maddux has earned it, Macias, Holly, Perez, they haven't earned a damn thing in their career except a reputation of being lousy ball players.

maddux rarely pitches more than 90 pitches anyway. he's still a decent pitcher...except for his horrible long-ball problem the past couple years. besides...until late last season the pen was a disaster...and no it wasnt because of hawkins 10 innings or rusch not starting or whatever. it was a combined effort suckfest except for the dumpster who arrived in the pen after a month. bleh...anytime april-july i'd honestly rather see almost anyone who wasnt falling apart out ther over almost anyone in the pen.

MLBPA or Maddux or somebody definitely would have taken some kind of action had the Cubs pushed him to the pen. There has to be something they could have pursued under whatever version of "team must act in good faith with regards to incentives" clause is in the CBA. That we have an average pitcher playing for superstar money next year is the result of a bogus starry-eyed contract, and we shouldn't blame Dusty Baker when that happens.

Well, you can bet your ass on Maddux making 33 starts and pitching over 200 innings in 2006. You can also count on him winning 12-15 games. Maybe a couple more if he has a better bullpen finishing off games. $9mm is big bucks, but you can't count on anyone else in the rotation doing the above. If you take away his worst few starts this year, it drops his ERA well below 4.00 and he had 20 quality starts in 35 games. It's not like he got bombed every time out... just every 4th time.

Anyone know what Cory patterson is doing this winter? Is he playing? Packing his things for the inpending trade or what?

"You can keep the $1.50 Christian as long as it go towards bringing back the Rachel Wacholder ads. :)" AMEN

SCOTT G F: Corey is out here in Mesa "working on his swing & his approach to hitting" at the Fitch Park facility with AA West Tenn batting guru Von Joshua, who apparently has more cred as a "hitting instructor" than either Gene Clines (the Cubs so-called "Hitting Instructor"), Pat Listach (AAA Iowa's so-called "Hitting Instructor"), or Dave Keller (the Cubs so-called "Roving Hitting Instructor"). Hey, here's a thought. If Tribune Company would like to save a couple grand, why not get rid of the Cubs "Hitting Instructor" position, Iowa's "Hitting Instructor" position, and West Tenn's "Hitting Instructor" position, and just have a "Roving Hitting Instructor" (like maybe Von Joshua) who works with any player in the organization who wants and needs help? Which brings me to Phil Wrigley's "College of Cosches." The reason the "College of Coaches" was a misguided concept was because it assumed (and what happens when you assume?) that the Cubs and Cub minor league teams could rotate the "Head Coach" during the season without having an adverse affect on leadership, discipline, or team morale. What WAS good about the College of Coaches was hiring coaches who were TEACHERS & INSTRUCTORS instead of the manager's CRONIES, and these TEACHERS & INSTRUCTORS were assigned to "rove" and work throughout the organization as one-on-one TEACHERS & INSTRUCTORS (with players and pitchers in need of help with certain aspects of their game) instead of as the manager's flunky, drinking buddy and/or gim rummy pigeon, or as a spy for the GM.

Lawton's a cheater, but I do respect him for at least admitting it and not trying a lame Palmeiro style defense: "I made a terrible and foolish mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life," Lawton said in a statement that he read over the telephone to The Associated Press. "I take full responsibility for my actions and did not appeal my suspension. I apologize to the fans, the game, my family and all those people that I let down. I am truly sorry and deeply regret my terrible lapse in judgment." Link

Congrats on finishing first at Deadspin, guys. The accolades are well deserved.

My wife and I live in the St. Louis area, and so getting up to Wrigley is usually only once or twice a year, but we something about touring the field on an off-day. I'm sure many have been through it, what are your thoughts? Is it worth it?

I took the tour and it is terrific. You see the locker room, broadcast booth, security room, go on the field, in the dugouts. Highly recomended.

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.