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 seven are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two are on the 10-DAY IL, and three are on the 15-DAY IL


Last updated 9-22-20239
 
* 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
Nico Hoerner
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom
* Jared Young

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

OPTIONED: 7
Keven Alcantara, OF 
Ben Brown, P  
Brennen Davis, OF 
Jeremiah Estrada, P
Caleb Kilian, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Michael Rucker, P

10-DAY IL: 2
Jeimer Candelario, 1B
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

Free Matt Murton

I've been informed that indeed, the Cubs brass do read this website and have promoted Matt Murton. No word on who is getting sent down. Kidding about the Cubs brass reading this website, but our pal Steve Holley at Inside the Ivy is the one giving me the news and he's with the team currently in New Orleans. We can only assume it's Eric Patterson being sent down.


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Comments

Yay. Welcome back Orange Guy. One down, Mumia and Tibet to go.

Murton is not in tonight's line-up for Iowa---Vitters got called up to Peoria today

Watching the Brewers-Reds game here in Madison. Sheets left mid-game with a sore tricep. Was pinch hit for in the 6th after only giving up 2 hits through 5. He then left the dugout for the clubhouse.

[ ]

In reply to by carlosrubi

Well Vitters is a first round pick whether he 'deserved' a callup to A ball or not, they have some millions invested in him so I'm sure he will get plenty of chances at every level in the minors.

[ ]

In reply to by Jeff_Pico

Yeah, but he's also an eighteen-year-old who doesn't need to be rushed through the minors when we've got a third baseman set for years. If he needs to spend half of 2008 in EXST, then leave him there. I haven't seen a single article that says that the Cubs are completely sure he's ready to face A-ball pitching.

[ ]

In reply to by Raisin101

Regardless of whether or not Vitters deserves and/or will benefit from the call-up, Peoria now has two legitimate right-handed hitting prospects--Vitters and Donaldson. When they have games where the put it together, those guys could be dangerous in a-ball. Of course, there will likely be a number of games in which one or both of them looks absolutely lost. Tony Thomas is off to a nice start in Daytona, though he's struck out a lot. Keeping track of Iowa Cubs games isn't nearly as much fun this year as it was last. No Hoff-power so far, no Fontenot, no Pie, no Soto, no Marmol, no Marshall. Gallagher can only play once every five games--who else can I get excited about? Well, I am still a fan of Josh Kroeger's potential, though he's getting old to be talking about potential. Jake Fox seems like an unusual minor league figure to me. What does one do in the minors to prepare for a career as a right-handed pinch-hitter, emergency corner outfielder/infielder, and emergency-emergency catcher?

Levine implied the same thing on his MJH spot with Murt. They just did not feel Epat was going to be of much use with 3 out of the next 5 verus lefties.

Eh, they looked at Fontenot and Patterson (since a lefty bat would be nice) but neither looked good. So it's DeRo back to 2B with Murton headed to LF.

[ ]

In reply to by RowdyYates

I wouldn't count on Murton being the everyday LF until Soriano returns, I think we will see all kinds of different lineups with Derosa, Fontenot, Murton, Johnson and Pie. Maybe even a Ward sighting in Right and Fuku in center.

latest Steve Holley update... http://cubs.scout.com/2/747641.html METAIRIE, La. -- Cubs outfielder Matt Murton was a late scratch from the initial starting lineup in Friday's game between Class AAA Iowa and New Orleans -- a move that might indicate Murton is headed to Chicago. The lineup change was announced roughly one hour before the scheduled 7:05 p.m. (CT) start. Iowa manager Pat Listach declined to say whether Murton will be recalled by Chicago, but the outfielder was not in uniform for Friday's Iowa Cubs game at New Orleans. Through 13 games, Murton batted .317 (13-for-41) for Iowa.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

well I wouldn't lie to you guys and Steve gives me all kind of info that he tells me I can't run. In this case, he explicitly said I could run it and be sure to give him credit.

He then sent me an email 20 minutes later, that he talked to Listach who wouldn't confirm it, but certainly didn't deny it either...something along the lines of "maybe so".

Murton will be in Chicago tomorrow.... 

Tribune reporting that Reed Johnson gets its shot at leadoff on Saturday v. Gorzelanny.

[ ]

In reply to by Cubnut

I'll guess the lineup

CF Johnson 

SS THeriot

1B Lee

3B Ramirez

RF Fuku

2B DeRosa

C Soto

LF Murton

I'd put theriot 8th, Murton 2nd, but Theriot's had a few nice games in a row and I'm guessing that's the lineup Lou will go with.

Murton vs Duke

10/22 .455/.500/.682  (2 2b, 1 HR)

vs Gorzelanny

4/10 .400/.500/.600 (2 2b) 

 

the cubs already hinted at this move when Epat got called up and looking at the schedule: Pirates, Mets, Rockies, Nats...all those teams have a few lefties in the rotation, although I'm unsure how it's going to play out after the Pirates series.

when do we get to start beating up on the Giants?

Does anyone think that EPatt being called up was the last straw for Matt, and he's a nice guy and everything but why else would he keep those photos of Lou and Dusty if he wasn't going to use them?

Richie Sexson up with a man on and two outs...already homered twice tonight. Nails a hanging slider to center that Torii Hunter brings back into the park for the Angels win. Fun stuff. Might of hit right at the top of the wall, but really damn impressive...

Todd Wellemeyer pitched over 100 innings for the first time in his career Friday night and moved to 2-0 after a seven inning, four hit performance. Wellemeyer allowed only one run and struck out six. His ERA sits at 3.24. Granted, he was facing the Giants, but Wellemeyer looked great. He kept the ball down and worked ahead all night. Of the 107 pitches he threw, 72 were strikes. He has suddenly become a very nice-looking option in NL-only leagues. Especially because he'll face the Pirates next time out.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I'm not really surprised Wellemyer has had a nice stretch, he always had good stuff but walked too many people, his career walks per 9 innings is about 5 but this year he's got it down to about 3.. if he can keep up that kind of reduction he might be a different pitcher, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

March 28, 2006: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Florida Marlins for Lincoln Holdzkom (minors) and Zach McCormack (minors). June 9, 2006: Selected off waivers by the Kansas City Royals from the Florida Marlins. May 15, 2007: Selected off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals from the Kansas City Royals. ...as I recall Wellemeyer was traded by the Cubs because he was out of options.

The pesky redhead returns! He's been jab, jab, jabbing @ Iowa [13 singles, 10 bb's, zero rbi's]& is ready to start throwing haymakers in Chicago...good luck, 'pesky', AKA, 'le petit orange'...

I like that Murton too but I just wish that he could learn to be a better outfielder. I don't expect much but Murton has got to understand that his future will depend on him having the ability to play the outfield well left field and right field. In addition, it wouldn't hurt if he could try on a first baseman's glove and see if he could make himself a bit more valuable. A weak hitting poor fielding left fielder will only get him so far.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil 09/24/2023 - 09:09 pm (view)

    With two more HR on Sunday versus Houston, Nelson Velazquez now has 17 HR in 49 MLB games this season (pro-rates out to 56 HR in 162 games). 

  • crunch 09/24/2023 - 09:52 pm (view)

    cubs win...so do MIA and CIN,.  ARZ is close to winning (up by 6 in the 8th).  total wash of a day.

    off day tomorrow then it's the last week of baseball...not an easy one vs MIL and ATL.  last-week drama...

  • crunch 09/24/2023 - 09:47 pm (view)

    merryweather puts the first couple guys on with 0 outs...and smyly is up in the pen.  back end of the pen situation is a mess.

  • crunch 09/24/2023 - 09:31 pm (view)

    "Coming into the game, they were 0-819 when trailing by nine runs or more."  damn.

  • Charlie 09/24/2023 - 09:48 am (view)

    I wonder how many pitchers have missed this much time in a relatively short span with recurring forearm issues and not had it lead to surgery.

  • Cubster 09/24/2023 - 09:34 am (view)

    Historic win for Pirates...

    https://www.mlb.com/news/pirates-mount-historic-rally-to-beat-reds?part…

  • Arizona Phil 09/23/2023 - 09:02 pm (view)

    The deadline for trading players on an MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) and players who were outrighted to the minors after signing a 2023 MLB contract was August 1st, but trades involving players on a minor league reserve list are prohibited beginning at 12 PM (Eastern) on the 7th day prior to the originally-scheduled conclusion of the 2023 MLB regular season (Sunday 9/24) through the last day of the MLB regular season (including a day on which a regular season game is played after the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season).   
     

  • Arizona Phil 09/24/2023 - 09:41 am (view)

    jdrnym: 

    As you know, the abbreviation "DFA" stands for "Designated for Assignment." 

    There are three types of assignments: 

    1. Trade Assignment (when a player is traded from one MLB club to another)
    2. Outright Assignment (when a player is sent to the club's minor league Domestic Reserve List after Outright Assignment Waivers have been secured).
    3. Optional Assignment (when a player is optioned to the minors, subject to being recalled at a later time). 

    So when a player is Designated for Assignment, the player can either be traded, outrighted to the minors, or optioned to the minors. 

    Normally a player is not Designated for Assignment and then optioned to the minors, because the club could just option the player to the minors immediately without a DFA.

    Back in the day It was not that unusual for a player to be Designated for Assignment so that Optional Assignment Waivers could be secured (Optional Assignment Waivers were required before certain players could be optioned to the minors, and just like the old Trade Assignment Waivers, Optional Assignment Waivers were revocable if a player was claimed).

    https://www.thecubreporter.com/why-player-designated-assignment-and-the…

    Optional Assignment Waivers were eliminated in 2016 and Trade Assignment Waivers were eliminated in 2021, so all revocable waivers have been eliminated. What's left are Outright Assignment Waivers and Outright Release Waivers, and both are irrevocable (cannot be withdrawn) once requested.  

    With the new five option limit whereby a player can be optioned to the minors no more than five times in a given season before Outright Assignment Waivers must be secured (and it - IS - Outright Assignment Waivers that must be secured, even though it is for the purpose of an Optional Assignment), it now might be necessary for a club to DFA a player to clear a spot on the MLB 26-man roster (MLB 28-man roster in September) for another player and to allow for the two days (actually 47 hours) required to run a player through waivers. After the two day "Waiver Claiming Period" concludes (and presuming the player isn't claimed), the player can be returned to the MLB 40-man roster and optioned to the minors (even after being Designated for Assignment). But for that to happen, the player can - NOT - be replaced on the MLB 40-man roster by another player after being Designated for Assignment.  

    However, in the case of Jordan Luplow, he had - NOT - been optioned to the minors five times in the 2023 season prior to be optioned to AAA St. Paul on 9/18, so the Twins did not need to DFA Luplow in order to secure Outright Assignment Waivers so that he could be optioned to the minors a sixth time. But because he was Designated for Assignment and not replaced on the 40 by another player after the DFA, the Twins could return him to the 40 and option him to the minors even after he was Designated for Assignment, because an Optional Assignment is one of the three types of assignments.

    So Luplow was Designated for Assignment even though he didn't need to be, and then the Twins returned him to their MLB 40-man roster and optioned him to the minors a couple of days later (which they can do, since Luplow wasn't replaced on the 40 by another player after he was Designated for Assignment). What the Twins did (DFA Luplow and then return him to the 40 and option him to the minors a couple of days later) was within the rules. It's just very odd and doesn't make a lot of sense. 

    So I will offer what I believe is the most logical reason the Twins did this:  

    The Twins DFA'd Luplow because they intended to reinstate Chris Paddack from the 60-day IL, but then Carlos Correa suddenly needed to go on the 10-day IL and they recalled Trevor Larnach to replace Correa, but then they probably decided they should keep Luplow on the 40-man roster, too (and on Optional Assignment to AAA), and didn't want to risk losing him off waivers or by him electing free-agency after being outrighted. Luplow has Article XX-D rights (he has been outrighted to the minors previously in his career, so he would had the right to elect free-agency after he was outrighted). Clearly the Twins felt they might need Luplow's RH bat after losing Correa and with Royce Lewis having left a game with a hamstring injury that led to an IL assignment. And that meant that Paddack would remain on his minor league rehab assignment a few extra days, but the Twins will need him in the post-season, not now. 

    Also, if Luplow was outrighted instead of being optioned, he would no longer be automatically eligible to play in the post-season (except as a possible injury replacement).

    Not only did Carlos Correa go on the IL, Royce Lewis went on the IL, too, two days after Correa went on the IL and two days after Luplow was optioned to AAA, so the Twins did in fact end up needing Luplow after all, and recalled him just a couple of days after he was optioned to replace Lewis on the MLB 28-man roster. (So both Larnach and Luplow were recalled within a couple of days of each other, replacing Correa and Lewis on the Twins MLB 28-man roster).  

    So that's all I've got. That is the only thing that makes sense. The Twins DFA'd Luplow because they had intended to replace him on the 40 with another player (probably Paddack) and hoped that they would be able to run him through waivers and that he wouldn't get claimed and that he would accept an Outright Assignment, but then they suddenly changed their minds because of the injury to Correa and the possibility that Lewis might also have to go on the IL (which did, in fact, happen the next day). Also, with the injuries to Correa and Lewis, the Twins wanted Luplow to remain automatically post-season eligible, which would not be the case if he was outrighted.  

    Again, the Twins were able to return Luplow to the 40 and option him to AAA because he hadn't been replaced on the 40 by another player after he was Designated for Assignment. 

  • crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:00 pm (view)

    CIN out here blowing a 9-0 lead they built through 3 innings.  9-9 tie in the 7th.

  • crunch 09/23/2023 - 09:05 pm (view)

    boxburger 10d IL, k.thompson back up.  it's his right forearm (again).