Cubs MLB Roster

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37 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (three slots are open)

Last updated 11-17-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 20
Adbert Alzolay 
Michael Arias
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Porter Hodge
* Bailey Horn
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Luis Vazquez
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 7
Kevin Alcantara
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

 


Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Martarano & Loux See Game Action at Riverview Park

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

It wasn't a Cactus League Extended Spring Training game, but the Cubs did play an intrasquad game this morning on Field #6 at Mesa CubTown at Riverview Park.

Some of you may notice that when there is an EXST intrasquad game or a Cactus League EXST split squad doubleheader, that (with the exception of the pitchers and catchers, who move back & forth between the squads) one squad (Squad "A") is essentially the proto-Euguene Emeralds, and the other one (Squad "B") is essentially the proto-AZL Cubs. The squad rosters change slightly every now & then, but what you see now is probably pretty close to what will likely be the case next month when the two teams are officially separated.

Three position players assigned to Squad "B" -- 3B-1B Wladimir Galindo (left wrist injury),  IF-OF Carlos Jimenez (left elbow injury from HBP yesterday), and 1B-C Miguel Rico (left knee injury) -- are out indefinitely, so the AZL Cubs may have to "run short" for a while at the start of the AZL season. (Rico is being converted to catcher, but also plays 1st base).

RHP Barret Loux (on Iowa Cubs 7-day DL with a right triceps strain) made his first game appearance in a month, getting the start for Squad "B" in the intrasquad game. While he did throw 3.2 IP (44 pitches) and allowed no runs, he also surrendered five hits (and a walk), struck out only one, and his fastball velocity topped out at 86 MPH.

The 26-year old Loux was the 1st round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010, but then was declared a free-agent by MLB after the D'backs reduced their original bonus offer after a post-draft physical showed a pre-existing shoulder problem. (The Loux Case was one of the factors that led to draft slotting in the 2012 CBA).

So Loux signed with the Texas Rangers in November 2010 after being declared a free-agent, and then was traded to the Cubs as the PTBNL in the Geovany Soto deal post-2012. He made it through the 2011-13 seasons OK, but then he had shoulder surgery post-2013 and TJS at the start of last season, so he has been through the sports medicine wars over the past couple of years. He made a fairly rapid recovery from the 2014 TJS, however, and actually was a member of the Iowa Cubs starting rotation at the begining of the 2015 season, before being shut-down last month.

18-year old RHP Austyn Willis (Cubs 2014 18th round draft pick - Barstow HS - Barstow, CA) started the intraquad game for Squad "A", and had a lot of difficulty throwing strikes in his three innings of work (61 pitches - only 28 strikes). For a guy who is 6'6, Willis does not throw especially hard (his fastball tops out at 89 MPH), but he usually is able to spot his fastball effectively and throw all of his pitches (including his curve and change-up) for strikes, with the stamina to throw multiple innings. At 6'6 205, Willis has the size & frame scouts call "projectable," because it is presumed that he will add velocity as he matures and fills-out. Along with Carson Sands, Justin Steele, Jose Paulino, and Oscar de la Cruz, Willis is being primed to be one of the rotation starters at Eugene when the Northwest League season commences next month.  

6'7 RHRP Scott Frazier (Cubs 2013 6th round draft pick - Pepperdine) threw an inning in the game (12 pitches - 7 strikes) and retired the side uneventfully (4-3, BB, 4-6 FC, K), although the Squad "A" lineup was adjusted so that he only had to face left-handed hitters (something the Cubs can't do in a Cactus League EXST game). His fastball velocity usually sits at 95-97 MPH and has touched 98-99 previously this Spring, but he apparently has dialed it down a bit, because he threw only 96 (max) today, working mostly at 94-95.

Boise State's Joey Martarano saw his first game action of 2015, serving as a DH for Squad "B." He was hitless in four plate appearances, but he did reach base on an HBP and scored a run his first time up. He ran through a "stop sign" as he rounded third and headed home, but when you've got a 6'4 235 D-1 college linebacker coming through, you just have to get out of the way and let him roll. I half-expected him to tackle the catcher at home plate, but he did not. Martarano projects to be the first-baseman and sometimes DH for the AZL Cubs once the AZL season starts next month.

Here is the abridged box score from today's intrasquad game: 

SQUAD "A" LINEUP:
1a. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 1-2 (1B, P-4) 
1b. Calvin Graves, PH-DH: 0-2 (K, P-3)
NOTE: GRAVES & GUTIERREZ SWITCHED SLOTS FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
2. Frandy de la Rosa, 2B: 1-5 (E-4, 1B, K, F-7, K)
NOTE: DE LA ROSA AND GRAVES SWITCHED SLOTS FIFTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
3. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 0-3 (P-4, F-8 DP, BB, 6-3, PO)
4. Kevin Encarnacion, DH #1: 1-4 (1B, F-9, 4-1, 4-3)
5. Adonis Paula, 3B: 1-3 (K, 1B, K)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
6. Yohan Matos, C: 0-3 (6-3, 5-3, F-8) 
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
7. Ho-Young Son, SS: 1-3 (F-9, L-9, 1B)  
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
8. Ricardo Marcano, LF: 1-1 (BB, 1B, BB, BB, 2 R, SB)
9. Roney Alcala, 1B: 1-4 (6-3, K, 1B, 4-6 FC, RBI)
10. Danny Gutierrez, DH-CF: 2-3 (1B, 3B, K, RBI, CS)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER

SQUAD "B" LINEUP: 
1. Robert Garcia, RF: 0-3 (K, 4-3, BB, 6-3, R)
2. Roberto Caro, CF: 0-3 (1-3, F-9, BB, 6-3, CS)
3. Carlos Sepulveda, 2B: 2-3 (BB, 1B, 1B, K, 2 RBI, 2 SB)
4. Alberto Mineo, C: 1-2 (P-6, BB, BB, 2B) 
5. Joey Martarano, DH #1: 0-3 (HBP, 5-3, 6-3, F-9, R)
6. Jose Paniagua, 1B: 1-3 (2B, 5-3, F-7, RBI, PO)
7. Varonex Cuevas, 3B: 1-2 (BB, F-7, 1B)
8. Jenner Emeterio, LF: 0-3 (P-4, 1-3, 6-3 DP)
9. Andruw Monasterio, SS: 0-3 (6-3, L-8, K)
10. Jhonny Pereda, DH #2: 0-2 (BB, E-4, K, R)

CUBS SQUAD "A"  PITCHERS:
1. Austyn Willis: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 PO, 4/3 GO/FO, 61 pitches (28 strikes) 
2. Corbin Hoffner: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 2/2 GO/FO, 38 pitches (18 strikes) 
3. Pedro Araujo: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 3/1 GO/FO, 25 pitches (15 strikes) 
4. Greyfer Eregua: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 19 pitches (12 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" PITCHERS: 
1. Barret Loux: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 3/5 GO/FO, 44 pitches (30 strikes)
2. Sam Wilson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 PO, 1/1 GO/FO, 34 pitches (21 strikes) 
3. Jordan Brink: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 0/2 GO/FO, 17 pitches (8 strikes) 
4. Alexander Santana: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 15 pitches (10 strikes)
5. Scott Frazier: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2/0 GO/FO, 12 pitches (7 strikes) 

CUBS SQUAD "A" ERRORS: 1 
2B Frandy de la Rosa: E-4 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely) 

CUBS SQUAD "B" ERRORS: 
2B Carlos Sepulveda: E-4 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CUBS SQUAD "A" CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Yohan Matos: 1-3 CS 

CUBS SQUAD "B" CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Alberto Mineo: 1-2 CS 

CUBS SQUAD "A" OUTFIELD ASSISTS: NONE 

CUBS SQUAD "B" OUTFIELD ASSISTS: 2 
1. CF Roberto Caro - threw out runnner (Frandy de la Rosa) 8-4 trying to advance to 2nd base on fly ou 
2. LF Jenner Emeterio - threw out batter (Ho-Young Son) 7-4 trying to stretch single into double

WEATHER: Sunny withy temperatures in the 80's

ATTENDANCE: 6

Tags
Cubs Extended Spring Training
Barret Loux
Austyn Willis
Joey Martarano
Scott Frazier

Comments

Submitted by K Dub on Sat, 05/23/2015 - 05:21 pm

AZPhil: First off, thank you for the recaps you provide. I've been reading them for years and the first hand accounts, stats and scouting reports on the more obscure prospects is stuff you just can't get anywhere else. Thank you. Now for a question. LHP Jose Paulino, one of my deep sleeper favs, is listed as being Rule 5 eligible this coming fall. However he's been in the organization only 3 seasons and was younger than 18 when he signed. The rules state: "A minor league player who was 18 or younger on the June 5th immediately prior to signing his first contract is eligible for selection starting with the 5th Rule 5 Draft after he signs..." Why is Paulino eligible after what will be only his 4th season?

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 05/24/2015 - 05:40 am

K-DUB: Jose Paulino signed his first contract on 7-20-2011 at age 16, so he absolutely, positively will be elgible for selection in the December 2015 Rule 5 Draft, because he was 18 or younger on the June 5th prior to signing his first contract, and the December 2015 Rule 5 Draft it is the 5th Rule 5 Draft after his signing date. 

Because he was only 16 when he signed with the Cubs, Paulino was "Signed for Future Service," meaning he could not play until he turned 17 (his birthday is 4-9-1995). So he did not (could not) make his debut with the DSL Cubs when he signed in 2011. He had to wait until the 2012 season. But the important date to remember as far as Rule 5 eligibility is concerned is his signing date (7-20-2011), not when he made his minor league game debut (2012). 

This applies to a lot of international players who sign when they are 16, including Mark Malave and Ricardo Marcano (like Paulino, both are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time post-2015), and it's why Jeffrey Baez was Rule 5 Draft eligible post-2014, and why Gioskar Amaya and Marco Hernandez were Rule 5 Draft eligible post-2013, when it might not have made sense (logically) that they could be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft that soon.  

An interersting exception is LHP Carlos Rodriguez, who (like Paulino, Malave, and Marcano) was 16 when he signed in 2011, but he signed later than the others (on 8-28-2011), which was AFTER the conclusion of the minor league season of the minor league club to which he was first assigned (DSL Cubs), so therefore 2012 (rather than 2011) is considered his "first season" for Rule 5 Draft eligibility purposes, and so he won't be Rule 5 Draft eligible for the first time until post-2016, even though it might appear at first glance that Rodriguez's situation is no different than the other three (except it is). 
 
Just as a further point of infornmation, while 16 year olds cannot play in the DSL, VSL, AZL, et al, they CAN attend Instructs and Extended Spring Training and play in AZIL and EXST games. 

BTW, an effect of a player being "Signed for Future Service" is that it delays minor league free-agency by a year (if it ever gets to that point). So although Paulino signed his first contract in 2011, his first season as far as minor league free-agency eligiblility is concerned was the 2012 season, so Paulino won't be eligible to be a minor league free-agent until after the 2018 season (presuming he hasn't been released or added to an MLB 40-man roster by that time). So for Paulino (and Malave and Marcano), the 2011 season does count for Rule 5 Draft eligibility purposes, but it does not count toward eventual minor league free-agency eligibility. 

One more thing. I believe the Rule 5 Draft rules should be changed, making players who are 15 or 16 on the June 5th immediately prior to signing their first pro contract and who are "Signed for Future Service" (as was the case with Jose Paulino, Ricardo Marcano, Mark Malave, Jeffrey Baez, Marco Hernandez, and Gioskar Amaya) Rule 5 Draft eligible starting with the 6th Rule 5 Draft after signing, rather than with the 5th one, because they aren't eligible to play in games the year they sign (again, other than Instructs or Extended Spring Training games).   

Submitted by billybucks on Sat, 05/23/2015 - 05:02 pm

Something about the desert -- once again, we get a 2-run lead and blow it in the bottom half of the inning. Crap.

Submitted by billybucks on Sat, 05/23/2015 - 05:18 pm

...and, we need to stop giving up home run to guys who never hit home runs. What the hell is going on out there?

Submitted by Old and Blue on Sun, 05/24/2015 - 05:27 am

It looks like there is a bit of a strategy on the part of teams to focus on low sliders to get Cubs' hitters out. Last night we saw how that looks in a game. Some guys were swinging at that wicked low slider Burgos throws and missing badly, or the ump was calling it for Burgos. Other times it seems that Cubs hitters are adjusting a bit, and focusing on that low pitch and beginning to add it to their suite of "hittable pitches". Rizzo reached down and pulled a hard liner foul just before he hit his home run, and his home run looked to me to be a slider that was *just* starting to break down as he mashed it. Fowler got one, too, to start off the festivities, but that one didn't seem to break. But he was ready for it. Soler, too, seemed to hit a breaking, low slider. I think I saw Byrant get one, too. I read somewhere that Mallee (excuse the spelling if it's wrong) has been preaching to the guys to wait for their pitch. That's what I mean by adding that pitch to their repertoire of hittable pitches. Of course, some of them have always swung at low sliders, but a lot of them have been taking them for strikes. Some of the ones who've been taking them for strikes seem to now be going after a few more of them. Last night it seemed like Rizzo bent his knees to go after that one he hit foul before he cranked his HR. Either way, that dude is amazing to watch at the plate. Each at bat is just artistry.

Submitted by Cubster on Sun, 05/24/2015 - 05:49 am

Just saw the replay of the Junior Lake strikeout with Soler on 3rd, Coughlin on 2nd (after the Soler game tying double) when he breaks his bat over his knee. Big Z needs to give him some lessons to perfect his technique. He swung at ball four well below the strike zone but I sense he's a little better at not automatically swinging at bad pitches this year.

Recent comments

  • Childersb3 (view)

    AZ Phil, do you think Shaw can be a consistent .290-.300/25-30HR/90-100RBI hitter?
    Those HR totals are probably unrealistic but I'll keep them there for now.

  • crunch (view)

    i know it's still very early, but i'd like to go into the xmas-to-newyears part of the off-season with something more than...*checks list*...patrick wisdom avoids arbitration with a 1-year deal

    also, steven brault retired and was spotted at the winter meetings with a demo reel and making contacts trying to break into broadcasting (not a joke).  unless he's more optimistic than talented (we already know he can sing) he should make it one day because he seems to be very serious about it.

  • Cubster (view)

    I blame Jason Schmidt’s 3/44

  • Craig A. (view)

    Was all that stuff with the Blue Jays just to squeeze an extra $10 million/yr out of the Dodgers?  It's more than enough to cover his California income taxes!

  • crunch (view)

    unless he pitches into his late-30 that is gonna sting.  a 70m DH...ow.

    it's great to take care of 2 roster spots in 1 player, and i'm sure the team will cut into the pay with the amount of merch/etc he can sell just by being attached to the team....but yeah, i'm not mad the cubs didn't go that extreme.

  • WebAdmin (view)

    Shohei Ohtani to join Dodgers according to ESPN. 10 years for $700 m

  • Cubster (view)

    I'm getting the feeling that Todd Walker might be a Shaw comp. A valuable hit first player but limited albeit not awful on defense. Hopefully, he has more upside. Not a bad floor if Steve Garvey is his ceiling.

  • Wrigley Rat (view)

    AZ Phil - If that's the level of return, I would want NO part of that trade to Cleveland for Clase and Bieber. I have some faith that the Cubs have a strong plan for which prospects they will keep (even if they dangle them in trade talks) and which they will move, because they have plenty of solid prospects they can trade but they shouldn't be trading any of the ones they hope will be future core players. Some guys are redundant, so I hope they choose the right players to keep and the right players to move. It's always important for a team to know its own minor league players better than scouts from other teams (obviously), but I don't think that's always been the case for the Cubs and many other clubs. 

    Cubster - I watched an interview with Carter Hawkins a couple days ago where he said that although Morel hasn't gotten into any Dominican games at 1B, the Cubs did send coaches down with Morel to work on first base skills during practice. So he is developing those skills, whether the Cubs end up using him there or not will probably be dependent on a lot of factors including how those coaches think he looks at the position while training. 

  • tim815 (view)

    He could still play SS at Double-A, but Vazquez, Hoerner, and Swanson are much better defensively, arm strength or not. I'd be good leaving Shaw at SS with McGeary and Ballesteros around, but by the first of June (?), 1B might make sense in DM.

  • crunch (view)

    i have no reason to see a problem, it just seems like it's his most obvious reason to give pause on him at 1st.

    the cubs situation dictates 2nd/SS isn't an option.  his arm dictates 3rd isn't an option.  1st or CF seems to be his best path and he's only played CF in summer ball back in highschool/college...and of course PCA is a better + closer to the bigs CF.

    it's a lot safer to say he's made for 1st than it is he's made for 3rd.  even as a SS his arm is weak, and it's not like his glove is so great he needs to stay in the middle-IF.

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