Cubs MLB Roster

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40-Man Roster Info

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

Last updated 10-2-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 22
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Brad Boxberger
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Tyler Duffey 
Jeremiah Estrada
Shane Greene
Kyle Hendricks
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Marcus Stroman
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
# Jeimer Candelario
Nico Hoerner
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom
* Jared Young

OUTFIELDERS: 8
Kevin Alcantara
* Cody Bellinger
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

60-DAY IL: 6
Nick Burdi, P
Michael Fulmer, P 
Codi Heuer, P
* Brandon Hughes, P
Nick Madrigal, INF
Ethan Roberts, P
 

 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs vs. Brewers: Series Thread (Games 1-3)

Submitted by Charlie on Thu, 03/30/2023 - 03:27 am

The Chicago Cubs open the 2023 with a three-game series at Wrigley Field. Bring your mittens and balaclavas. See below for the daily matchups, such as they stand. Updates to come as the Cubs announce their starters for games two and three. [Updates made March 31.]

Game 1, March 30, 1:20 pm central

CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, -.-- ERA)

MIL: RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, -.-- ERA)

Stroman had a somewhat disappointing 2022, posting 6-7 record and 3.50 ERA for the season, but finished strong along with the rest of the Cubs' pitching staff. He warmed up for competitive play pitching for Puerto Rico in the WBC--unlike his Brewers' counterpart, who sat out the international competition in favor of staying with his teams' camp. Burnes was stellar again in 2022, despite not matching his otherworldly 2021 performance. He'll surely be hoping to put a good foot forward in another campaign towards Cy Young votes. Dansby Swanson is expected to make his debut in a Cubs' uniform having signed a seven-year contract, and Nico Hoerner is fresh off an extension that bought out one of his free agent years. Former MVP and rebound hopeful Cody Bellinger will likely get a nice pop from the crowd when he is announced in center field as well.

Game 2, April 1, 1:20 pm central

CHC: LHP Justin Steele (0-0, -.--)

MIL: RHP Brandon Woodruff (0-0, -.--)

The 27-year-old Steele had something of a breakthrough in 2022, starting 24 games and recording 3.18 ERA. Steele showed an improved command of the zone and combined solid strikeout numbers with a ground ball percentage just over fifty percent--a reliable recipe for success as long as he maintains those components.

The Brewers will rely on veteran Brandon Woodruff to continue a string of dominant if not always durable seasons dating back to 2019, the first season that Woodruff was able to break into double digit starts in the majors. Cubs fans are familiar with Woodruff's overpowering arsenal, but he will face lineup with significant turnover.

Game 3, April 2, 1:20 pm central

CHC: RHP Jameson Taillon (0-0, -.--)

MIL: LHP Eric Lauer (0-0, -.--)

Taillon joins a crew of veteran free agents making their Cubs debuts at Wrigley. He comes in with a career 51-35 record and 3.84 ERA. Most of the chatter about him this spring training, however, has focused on his addition of a sweeper. He'll finally get a chance to show it off outside of the dry Arizona air.

Eric Lauer matched his season high in starts and slightly past his highest innings per season in 2022. He went 2-0 against the 2022 Cubs and collected 30 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched--his highest marks for both strikeouts and innings pitched against any team in 2022. He'll be missing two contributors that success this time around, however; Frank Schwindel and Seiya Suzuki are a collective 1-14 with 4 strikeouts against him. Schwindel is now with the NPB, and Suzuki will surely get a few more cracks out Lauer after he returns from his current IL stint.

Tags
2023 Series Thread
Dansby Swanson
Cody Bellinger
Nico Hoerner
Marcus Stroman
Milwaukee Brewers

Comments

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/30/2023 - 03:05 am

hoerner - swanson - happ - bellinger - mancini (DH) - gomes - hosmer - wisdom - mastro (RF)

im not sure how neifi perez jr and jason heyward jr are going to be setting the table for this team, but it seems to be what they're going with for now...

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/30/2023 - 03:08 pm

heyward = swanson...hoerner = neifi...it's snarky b/s about their bats.

to be fair...heyward was paid big to hit like he does and handle 1-2 putouts a game in RF.  what swanson does is -way- more impactful with his glove/arm.  hoerner the leadoff man, though...hmmm...pass.  i don't mind him in the lineup, but the top of the lineup?  i dunno...

hey, both guys can feel free to make an idiot out of me and i'll be cheering it on in a dunce hat.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 03/30/2023 - 03:26 pm

gomes is clanking the hell out of a lot stroman pitches considering we're only about 15 pitches into the season....passed ball or not, he needs to stop them

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 04/02/2023 - 04:06 pm

if anyone has a good reason f'n madrigal is playing 3rd base in the bigs and eating a roster space while bote is in AAA playing all over the infield and not being challenged with the bat or glove i'd like to hear it.

[ ]

Submitted by Dolorous Jon Lester on Sun, 04/02/2023 - 04:33 pm

My guess is: Because while Madrigal hasn’t shown anything, he’s still young enough that a turnaround is possible. David Bote has proven himself to be a quad-A player.

His service time in relation to being able to dump his contract in AAA and save his 40 man roster spot in the offseason for someone actually worthy of it also likely plays a factor. Generally I’m almost never going to defend the roster and service time manipulation nonsense, but in Bote’s case I will make an exception.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 04/02/2023 - 04:53 pm

my big issue isn't madrigal existing as much as it is the club being 3 games into the season and he's started at 3rd twice.

the freedom of being able to stash bote in AAA without a 40-man roster hit is worth something, but im not sure it outweighs giving madrigal a lot of playing time to maybe hit a bunch of singles.

once suzuki gets back in RF it will probably be a bit better as far as getting madrigal back on the bench moreso than finding starts.

[ ]

Submitted by Dolorous Jon Lester on Mon, 04/03/2023 - 04:53 am

I agree with you on that… once Seiya is back, fewer starts for Madrigal should follow. And that’s a good thing. I also kinda think Madrigal could do with some Iowa time, so maybe Seiya’s return pushes Madrigal there?

I’m just tired of watching Bote flail away helplessly at mlb high fastballs. He’s fooled me several times now, and I’ve just come to the conclusion he’s a quad A depth piece at best.

Recent comments

  • Childersb3 10/03/2023 - 10:46 pm (view)

    I understand this is a cost saving and control idea. But I wouldn't be happy giving up ONKC or Alcantara for Hayes and/or Bednar.

    I'm not saying they aren't good players. They are. They've never been "tested" with playing for a good team, but that isn't their fault. They produce good results. But not Jaguar and Big Red.

    Canario won't get to play for the Cubs, just like Velazquez, so he should probably go. Same for Mervis and Vazquez. Wesneski can get better but Bednar would certainly help us.

    But not to big power hitting OFs that are 21 yrs old and younger at AA already. I'm still holding out hope for the ONKC-PCA-Jag left to right OF. I'm just not giving up on that.

    Hayes for Morel kind of stings. I'd love for Morel to get a full year at 3B. Even if he failed there miserably, I'd like to give him a shot.

    Phil always comes up with common sense angles. This trade idea fills needs for sure and fills them with cost saving effective players.

    I'm thinking Morel goes to NYM for Alonso.

    We'll see what Jed cooks up.

  • Arizona Phil 10/03/2023 - 10:18 pm (view)

    It used to be that teams did not want to trade within their own division for PR reasons, but I don't see that with Ben Cherington in Pittsburgh or with Hoyer / Hawkins in Chicago, so the Cubs might target Pirates 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes and closer David Bednar.

    Hayes is a Gold Glove defender, a decent enough hitter (105 OPS+ in 2023), and he's under control at a VERY reasonable price ($8.75M AAV) through 2029 (with a club option for 2030). 

    Bednar is first-time salary arbitration-eligible post-2023 and under control through 2026. 

    One thing about the Cubs is that they can afford to overpay (which is what they would have to do to get both Hayes and Bednar) with a package consisting of a decent young MLB position player to replace Hayes in the lineup (like Christopher Morel, who could play LF in Pittsburgh) and prospects like outfielders Alexander Canario, Owen Caissie, or Kevin Alcantara (Pirates pick one, leaving the other two for the Cubs), a power-hitting 1B-DH like Matt Mervis or Haydn McGeary (Pirates pick one, leaving the other one for the Cubs), SS Luis Vazquez (who is MLB-ready but will never play SS in Chicago), 3B B. J. Murray (who could replace Hayes at the hot corner in Pittsburgh by 2025 if not sometime in 2024, and he obviously would be blocked in Chicago if the Cubs get Hayes), and an MLB-ready SP like Hayden Wesneski. 

  • crunch 10/03/2023 - 10:02 pm (view)

    boog and glanville calling the PHI@MIL game on ESPN2.

  • crunch 10/03/2023 - 10:59 pm (view)

    bellinger is my #1 want, but i fear he's the #1 want of many teams and will get crazy money + years, with the years being the big sting.  they need to replace bellinger's production if they don't get him no matter what position(s) played.

  • George Altman 10/03/2023 - 10:40 pm (view)

    I hope their top priorities are Bellinger, 2 RPs better than Fulmer/Boxberger (ideally 1 LH), and a 3B (Chapman my 1st Choice). That will put them right up to $237-257M AAV limit, but I don't see a playoff berth doing anything less.

    If they really want Alonso, Morel would be a good opening piece of that offer. 

    Unfortunately, Stroman will opt in ($23.7M) and Smyly ($11.5M) will be back. Steele, Taillon, Assad, Wicks will be rotation pieces. Would love a SP2 FA but don't see how they keep an effective offense and improve their bullpen while adding that.

  • crunch 10/03/2023 - 10:03 pm (view)

    i cannot imagine getting a legit 3rd, whether signing or via trade, isn't the highest priority for the team.  it's almost obvious they don't see morel there.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 10/03/2023 - 10:19 pm (view)

    I’m just hoping they have an actual 3B next year so we don’t need to worry about the M boys, Bote, and P Whiffy eating all the 3B at bats next year.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 10/03/2023 - 10:13 pm (view)

    Willson was a OF/3B when we signed him too.

    On a less successful but still got to the show note, PJ Higgins was another college IF converted to C

  • crunch 10/03/2023 - 10:03 pm (view)

    truth...and personally, i'd give him ABs (especially at 3rd) over the 2 singles-hitting-ceiling guys that got the shot.  i'm sure he can cover the ob% and defense while surpassing the power of anything masterboney and madrigal brought to the team.

    i don't view bote as a solution at 3rd, but i find it hard to believe he couldn't outperform either of the main options they had there for a huge chunk of this season.

  • KingKongvsGodzilla 10/03/2023 - 10:47 pm (view)

    Color me impressed by this assignment for Trice right out of the draft as a convert. Seems worth following after the success of Caratini

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