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

Dos Cabezas RBI Better Than Uno

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 10:00 pm

Yaniel Cabezas lined a walk-off bases-loaded RBI single into the LF corner with one out in the bottom of the 9th, as the Cubs rallied for two runs in the final frame to edge the Giants 3-2 in AZ Instructional League action this afternoon at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa.  

Down 2-1, the EXTREMELY patient Garrett Schlecht led off the bottom of the 9th for the Cubs by drawing a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Rubi Silva then laid down what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt, but it turned out to be a bunt single as the Giants third-baseman could not make a play. Danny Lockhart followed by laying down another bunt, and this time the ball was fielded by the third-baseman, but the throw to 1st base ticked-off the second-baseman’s glove and into RF foul territory, allowing Schlecht to score from 2nd base with the tying run, Silva to advance to 3rd, and Lockhart to take 2nd base. The Giants opted to pitch to hot-hitting (429/551/857) Micah Gibbs, but he drew a walk anyway, loading the bases with no outs. Neftali Rosario then struck out swinging with the bases loaded, leaving it up to Yaniel Cabezas. And Cabezas came through, hammering a line-drive into the LF corner to score Silva from 3rd base and give the Cubs the victory.

Cabezas drove-in the first Cubs run as well, ripping an opposite-field RBI single over the second-baseman’s head with one out in the bottom of the 4th, driving-in Micah Gibbs from 3rd base. Gibbs had reached base on a lead-off triple (near HR) off the right-centerfield fence.

The 22-year old Cabezas was a Cuban defector who signed with the Cubs last December for a reported $500K bonus. Cabezas played on the Cuban Junior National Team and for Los Vaqueros de La Habana (Serie Nacional) with fellow Cubs minor leaguer 2B-OF Rubi Silva. Cabezas and Silva defected together, and both players signed with the Cubs on the same day (12-15-2010), with Silva getting a reported $1M bonus.

While Silva had a good first year in the U. S. (he hit 285/305/392 combined between Peoria & Daytona, and he was 4th in the MWL in triples), Cabezas struggled at the plate with the AZL Cubs and at Boise (combined 202/284/260). However, Cabezas did hit a team-leading 356/402/520 with a team-leading 17 RBI in 82 PA with the EXST Cubs in April & May prior to the start of the short-season leagues in June, and was arguably the EXST Cubs MVP. (Cabezas also threw out 27% of opposing base-stealers in 44 games behind the plate with AZL Cubs & Boise).

Cabezas is currently hitting 348/423/391 and playing solid defense behind the plate at Instructs (which is approximately equivalent to Boise), and despite his offensive struggles with the AZL Cubs and the Boise Hawks in 2011, I think it is likely that he will be the #1 catcher at Peoria on Opening Day 2012.  

RHP Dillon Maples (Cubs 2011 14th round draft pick - $2.5M bonus) made his second Instructs appearance, throwing two shutout innings (28 pitches - 15 strikes). He allowed a single and a double, and he hit a batter (and almost hit two more). He was behind on almost every hitter, and the outs he did get were mainly ground balls on low-90's two-seamers (and he did not rack up any strike outs). He also benefitted from a CS. But at least he looked better than he did in his pro debut last week, when he walked three and couldn't retire the side before reaching his pitch limit.

Ex-Cubs Shawon Dunston, Sr and Lee Smith were at the game today (both are serving as instructors with the Giants), so Shawon Sr got a chance to see his son play (although Shawon Jr is presently buried deep in a 1-25 slump). 

Here is the abridged box score (Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Rubi Silva, 2B: 2-4 (4-3, 1B, 5-3, 1B, R)
2. Danny Lockhart, 3B: 0-3 (L-1, 6-3, 4-3, SH-E4)
3. Micah Gibbs, 1B: 1-2 (BB, 3B, 1-4-3, BB, R)
4. Neftali Rosario, DH-C: 0-4 (K, K, 6-3, K)
5. Yaniel Cabezas, C-DH: 2-4 (K, 1B, 4-3, 1B, 2 RBI)
6. Shawon Dunston, Jr, LF: 0-2 (4-3, 1-3 SH, 3-1)
7. Trey Martin, CF: 0-3 (6-3, K, F-7)
8. Justin Marra, DH #2: 1-3 (1B, P-4, L-1)
9. Carlos Penalver, SS: 1-3 (6-4-3 DP, 1B, F-8)
10. Garrett Schlecht, RF: 1-2 (1B, F-8, BB, R)

PITCHERS:
1. Zac Rosscup: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 21 pitches (10 strikes), 0/1 GO/FO
2. Dillon Maples: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 28 pitches (15 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
3. Matt Spencer: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 30 pitches (18 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
4. Amaury Paulino: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 22 pitches (13 strikes), 0/1 GO/FO
5. Felix Pena: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 23 pitches (18 strikes), 2/1 GO/FO
6. Scott Weismann: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 13 pitches (9 strikes)

ERRORS: 2
1. SS Carlos Penalver - E-6 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely)
2. C Neftali Rosario - E-2 (dropped pop foul fly)

CATCHERS DEFENSE
1. Yaniel Cabezas: 1-3 CS
2. Neftali Rosario: 1 E (see above)

ATTENDANCE: 21

WEATHER: Sunny with a gentle breeze, and with temperatures in the 80’s

Tags
Cubs Minor Leaguers
Micah Gibbs
Yaniel Cabezas
Rubi Silva
Dillon Maples
AZ Instructional League

Comments

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:09 am

Submitted by toonsterwu on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 1:00am. Any velocity readings on Paulino? The line looks really nice - did the stuff match up with it? ==================================== TOONSTER: I don't have any velo readings on Amaury Paulino from yesterday, but he got lots of swings & misses with his fastball and breaking ball. Yesterday was Paulino's first decent Instructs outing after three poor ones: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 2 K 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K 1.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP After struggling at EXST, Paulino spent most of the Summer on the AZL Cubs 60-day DL, before getting reactivated on August 20th. 2011 has been pretty much a lost season for Paulino, so finishing strong should be good for his confidence going into next season.

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:59 am

Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 8:34am. Hey Phil, Any thoughts on who might be the most exciting player at instructs this year? ================================ CHARLIE: Certainly it's Dan Vogelbach. When he comes up to the plate everybody stops talking and watches him hit. You never know when he's going to drop a tape-measure bomb. The more I see of Vogelbach, the more I think of John Kruk, although Vogelbach has more pure power than Kruk did in his playing days. Vogelbach seems a really good-natured kid, nothing seems to bother him. I guess he knows that he can silence any teasing he might get by just dropping the head of his bat on a pitch.

Submitted by Koyies Bansaw on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:48 am

Just wondering, what are your thoughts on Rosscup and Weismann? Any chance they could make it to Chicago, or are they just organizational guys?

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:55 am

Submitted by Koyies Bansaw on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 8:48am. Just wondering, what are your thoughts on Rosscup and Weismann? Any chance they could make it to Chicago, or are they just organizational guys? ================================== K-BANSAW: Zac Rosscup probably has a better chance of making it to Chicago than Scott Weismann. When healthy, Rosscup is a control guy with three solid pitches (a 90 MPH sinker, a curve, and a change-up) who throws strikes and keeps the ball down (he had not surrendered a HR in 80+ IP in pro ball prior to this season). I would compare him to Chris Rusin. Scott Weismann was a rotation starter at Clemson until mid-season 2011 (he and Cubs LHP Casey Harman were rotation starters on the Clemson Tigers CWS team in 2010) when he was moved to closer, and he really took to the job. He throws a low 90's sinker, a slider, and a cutter, and while he might be used as a closer or set-up guy at Peoria and Daytona, he probably projects as a middle-reliever at the upper levels.

Submitted by Justin Tyme on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:09 am

What does Spencer hit on radar gun? Listened to Smokies broadcast one night when he did mopup/blowout duty and announcer said stadium gun showed 99. Likely inaccurate, but he threw in low 90's as 18 year old at high school near here. Can he help as pitcher?

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:14 am

Submitted by Justin Tyme on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:09am. What does Spencer hit on radar gun? Listened to Smokies broadcast one night when he did mopup/blowout duty and announcer said stadium gun showed 99. Likely inaccurate, but he threw in low 90's as 18 year old at high school near here. Can he help as pitcher? ==================================== JUSTIN: I don't have velo readings on Spencer, but he definitely throws hard (sort of like Wild Thing in Major League). The problem is he has a lot of difficulty controling his fastball. His curve ball is actually a much better pitch, because at least he can throw it for strikes.

Submitted by Newport on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:14 pm

I don't know if this us 3/44, but Pete Gammons says the Astros are moving to the AL. I always thought it was bullshit having 6 teams in the NL Central. This certainly can't hurt the Cubs chances of making it to the promise land, even though the Astros are turrible.

[ ]

Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:27 pm

This certainly can't hurt the Cubs chances of making it to the promise land Couldn't it? Doesn't the extreme suckitude of one (or more *ahem Pirates) team in the division increase the chances of winning the Wild Card? If it happens, I'll miss watching games played in that park. I'll also miss Cubs domination of the shitty-ass Astros lineup. Wood's 20-k game and Zambrano's no-hitter both came against the Astros. Even Ryan O'Malley managed 8 innings of shutout ball against them in 2006 and had casual fans around the net campaigning for him to have a rotation spot in 07.

[ ]

Submitted by The Real Neal on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:39 pm

Yeah, too remember that shitty-ass Astros lineup that Wood dominated. This was a team that only won 102 games and lead the league in runs scored. They only made the playoff six times (and as noted the WS once with 6x2nd place non playoff finishes) since the NL Central started. They're definitely much worse than our beloved Cubs (4 playoffs, no WS and no additional 2nd place finishes).

[ ]

Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 10:05 pm

Yeah, the Wood case was different. The shitty Astro offenses I'm remembering are mostly the last 3-4 years. And the Astros are not the perennial losers that the Pirates have been. The only way the Astros not being in the division could even hurt the Cubs slightly is in the short term--as their franchise rebuilds--and that's only in the sense that having a couple teams to beat up on slightly improves a team's chances for the Wild Card. Zambrano did seem to love to face the Astros, especially in Houston. But Zambrano is probably gone, too.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil 10/03/2023 - 10:16 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 bat-first 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 (Pirares pick one, leaving 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

  • Dolorous Jon Lester 10/03/2023 - 10:33 pm (view)

    Bote always has great spring trainings.

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