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

Senzel Can't Be Stopped or Contained

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Blake Trahan lofted a sacrifice fly to left with one out in the 7th to tie the game and Daniel Sweet followed with a two-out RBI single to give his team a 3-2 lead, and Nick Senzel (Reds 2016 1st round draft pick - 2nd overall pick in the draft) provided an insurance run with a gargantuan home run over the scoreboard in right-centerfield leading off the bottom of the 8th, as the Reds rallied late and then held-on to edge the Angels/Cubs co-op squad 4-3 in AZ Advanced Instructional League game action Tuesday afternoon on Field #1 at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, AZ.  

Brendon Sanger (Angels) and Alberto Mineo (Cubs) belted solo home runs and Mineo also doubled and scored on a Jason Vosler (Cubs) two-out RBI single to account for the three Angels/Cubs runs.  

Although they lost the game, Angels/Cubs pitchers (actually they were all Cubs pitchers) fanned 14 Reds in the game (11 swinging). 

Nick Senzel continues to wow scouts & spectators alike with his awesome power to all fields. Reds fans didn't have a whole lot to cheer about this past season, but I would expect the University of Tennessee product to make the Riverfront Stadium scene sooner rather than later, providing misery to Cubs pitchers (and to all opposing pitchers) for years to come. He could be the next great young stud MLB third-baseman, following in the footsteps of Josh Donaldson, Nolan Arenado, and Kris Bryant. 

The Reds starting lineup featured four players who will be playing for the Peoria Javelinas in Arizona Fall League beginning next week, including SS Zach Vincej (singled and scored), CF Brian O'Grady, 1B Chad Wallach (RBI double), and 3B Brandon Dixon. Wallach is the son of long-time MLB third-baseman Tim Wallach (Expos, Dodgers, Angels).  

Here is the box scoere from the game (Cubs players highlighted in bold and underlined):

ANGELS/CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Donnie Dewees, CF: 0-3 (L-8, 4-3, K)
1b. Brennon Lund, CF: 0-1 (K)
2. Carlos Sepulveda, 2B: 0-4 (P-3, P-6, 3-U, P-6)
3. Christian Villanueva, DH #1: 1-3 (BB, 1B, F-8, P-4, PO) 
4a. Matt Thaiss, 1B: 0-2 (P-5, F-9)
4b. Alberto Mineo, 1B: 2-2 (2B, HR, 2 R, RBI)
5a. P. J. Higgins, C: 0-1 (BB, F-9, CS)
5b. Ian Rice, C: 1-2 (F-8, 1B)
6a. Hutton Moyer, SS: 1-2 (P-4, 1B)
6b. Connor Justus, SS: 1-1 (HBP, 1B) 
7. Jason Vosler, 3B: 1-3 (BB, 5-4-3 DP, 1B, 6-4-3 DP, RBI)
8. Eddy Julio Martinez, RF: 0-2 (L-4, 6-3, BB)
9. Brendon Sanger, LF: 1-2 (BB, HR, F-7, R, RBI)
10a. Jose Briceno, DH #2: 0-2 (P-6, F-7)
10b. Jared Walsh, PH: 0-1 (K) 

REDS LINEUP: 
1a. Zach Vincej, SS: 1-2 (4-3, 1B, R)
1b. Blake Trahan, PH-SS-DH: 0-1 (P-3, F-7 SF, RBI)
1c. Mitch Trees, PH: 0-1 (K) 
2a. Brian O'Grady, CF: 0-2 (K, K)
2b. Daniel Sweet, PH-LF: 1-2 (F-7, 1B, RBI) 
3a. Chad Wallach, 1B: 1-2 (6-3, 2B, RBI)
3b. Gavin LaValley, 1B: 0-2 (L-9, 4-3)
4a. Brandon Dixon, 3B: 0-2 (4-3, K)
4b. Nick Senzel, 3B: 1-2 (K, HR, R, RBI)
5a. James Vasquez, DH: 0-0 (BB, BB)
5b. Alfredo Rodriguez, PH-DH-SS: 1-2 (2B, F-9)
6a. T. J. Friedl, LF: 0-2 (K, 3-6 FC)
6b. Aristides Aquino, RF: 0-2 (L-8, K)
7. Jose Siri, RF-CF: 1-4 (1B, F-8, K, K)
8a. Cassidy Brown, C: 0-2 (K, K)
8b. Chris Okey, C: 0-1 (BB, 6-3, R)
9a. Brantley Bell, 2B: 0-2 (K, K)
9b. John Sansone, 2B: 1-2 (1B, K, R)
 
ANGELS/CUBS PITCHERS: 
1. Oscar de la Cruz: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 3/0 GO/AO, 35 pitches (21 strikes) 
2. Justin Steele: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1/1 GO/AO, 41 pitches (27 strikes) 
3. Kyle Miller: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/4 GO/AO, 34 pitches (19 strikes) 
4. Manuel Rondon: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1/1 GO/AO, 0/4 GO/AO, 19 pitches (11 strikes) 
5. Tommy Nance: 1.0 IP,  1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 0/1 GO/AO, 15 pitches (10 strikes) 
6. James Norwood: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 12 pitches (9 strikes) 

REDS PITCHERS:
1. Braulio Ortiz: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 0 K, 1 PO, 1/6 GO/AO, 50 pitches (22 strikes) 
2. Lucas Benenati: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 1 GIDP, 3/4 GO/AO, 40 pitches (24 strikes) 
3. Jesse Strickland: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HBP, 0/3 GO/AO, 22 pitches (10 strikes)
4. Patrick Riehl: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 13 pitches (8 strikes)
5. Joel Kuhnel: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 1 GIDP, 1/1 GO/AO, 13 pitches (9 strikes)

ANGELS/CUBS ERRORS: NONE 

REDS ERRORS: NONE 

REDS CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Cassidy Brown: 1-1 CS 

ATTENDANCE: 7 

WEATHER: Sunny & a bit breezy with temperatures in the 90's 

Tags
AZ Advanced Instructional League
Alberto Mineo
Jason Vosler

Comments

Submitted by The E-Man on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:32 am

Thanks PHIL. Indeed the Reds after making the Playoffs with Dusty, have embraced the SUCK model. With Senzel and RHP Robert Stephenson, plus OF Jesse Winkler, they should be very competitive soon enough. I should also say that the times I have seen the Brewers at Wrigley this year, they have some very nice young talent that should make an impact the next 3-5 years as well.

Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:29 am

Article up at Cubs MLB.com site today breaking down Cubs defensive efficiency ratings: http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/204934024/anthony-rizzo-cubs-defense… Leads me to wonder, should the Cubs start Baez at 2B and Zobrist in LF for game 1? It not only gives you better overall infield defense, but it also allows the Ross-Baez combo to be an additional deterrent to the running game. Or do you sit Baez in favor of getting Coghlan's lefty bat in LF?

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Submitted by The E-Man on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:38 am

HUGE proponent that KB/Addy/Baez/Rizz is what I want to start for me in the Playoffs. The margin for error is SO slim, and with runs even more difficult to come by (with a sometimes-RISP-challenged team), I feel ya on having Zobrist in the OF. Soler is a butcher in the OF and with Lester on the mound I want the absolutely the best 8 guys I can muster.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:15 pm

from rotoworld

Should the Mets win the Wild Card Game against the Giants on Wednesday, Bartolo Colon or Robert Gsellman would start Game 1 of the NLDS. Colon is an option to pitch out of the bullpen during the Wild Card Game. Should the Mets not need him in that capacity on Wednesday, though, he would start the first game of the NLDS (assuming a victory). Gsellman would start Game 1 if Colon is used out of the bullpen in relief of Noah Syndergaard during Wednesday's winner-take-all contest against Madison Bumgarner and friends.

Submitted by Rob G. on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:35 pm

Bochy put Ninja and Cueto on the Wild Card roster, mentions Ninja has bullpen experience. I mean, if I had that hot mess of a bullpen, I'd certainly rather throw either of those 2 guys before just about anyone else.

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:23 pm

really grown to love the 1-game WC sudden-death game. it weakens the entry of the WC team as opposed to the older version where they started on the same pitcher use as division champs. plus, it's like having 2 "Game 7" games to kick off the playoffs. i hope we're done with playoff expansion with adding more teams, though. i don't want the post-season saturated.

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:12 pm

uh oh... 3r HR in the top 9th with 1 out for SF...double-sided shutout over. looking a lot like SF is going to get a chance to extend their "even numbered year" streak.

[ ]

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:52 am

That's what happens when you use your closer in a non-save situation. Actually, it's standard procedure for the home team to use its closer in the ninth inning of a tie game, since there will never be a save situation in that particular game (except for the visitors).

Submitted by billybucks on Wed, 10/05/2016 - 10:08 pm

LEAVE NO DOUBT! Make sure they remember -- FOREVER! -- the year they played the Chicago Cubs!

Submitted by Rob Richardson on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:34 am

The Cubs should watch last nights game to see how not to play the Giants. You need to get to their bull pen, so allowing Madbomb to only pitch 14 pitches to get through 2 innings is not a great approach.

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Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:34 am

I didn't see, did Madbum even throw > 100 pitches last night? It didn't seem like it. The Mets were doing things like rolling over the first pitch into a double play. Weak. I think the Cubs and Giants are evenly-matched teams in many ways, so I expect this divisional series to be a very good matchup. Whoever wins has a very good chance at advancing to the W.S.

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Submitted by Rob Richardson on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:41 am

He made 119 pitches, and I disagree the Cubs and Giants are evenly-matched. That said in a short series where the Giants will have two very good pitchers making three of the five starts anything can happen so I get your point. The Cubs offense needs to force the Giants starters out of the game early by driving up their pitch counts, and they need to avoid turning average or below average players into heroes.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:43 pm

The Giants have some good starters, arguably better than the Cubs this year if you take out the defensive equation. But on every other level the Cubs are the better team.

The Cubs need to force long AB's and get into the bullpen, everyone knows this. That being said, they can't be so driven for long AB's to miss hittable pitches early in the count.

But for a match-up for the Cubs pitchers, the Giants were definitely the best lineup to face. Apparently Nunez is hurt, so the running game won't be much of an issue for Lester or Arrieta(although they have Span and Pagan too who are okay). And they reallly don't have a lot of home run hitters and putting the ball in play is exactly what this Cubs team and defense is designed for...

Saw a tweet this morning that teams that won 15 or more games that matched up in the playoffs saw the better team winning 9 out of 10 match-ups. The only loser was 2001 Mariners versus the Yankees.

I think the Cubs win this in 4. And I've decided I'd rather face the Dodgers (Kershaw, HIll and Maeda) then the Nats (Scherzer, Roark and Strasburg) because #1) Cubs have killed lefties all year and #2) losing to Dusty Baker would be the epitome of Cubbery.

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Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Fri, 10/07/2016 - 10:13 am

"I disagree the Cubs and Giants are evenly-matched." So do I. The Giants have one guy (Belt) with a higher OPS than Zobrist and Fowler, let alone our big boys. Russell would lead them easily in HR and RBI. What they are, really, is a bunch of Zobrists and Fowlers. Not that that's easy to beat, but they're not like us.

Submitted by The E-Man on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:58 am

I thought this morning (for once) - for those thinking, "Oh shit, they have to face the Even-Year Giants & their pitching" - but then I thought, "SHIT! They are playing the Cubs now!" Anyway, b/c they were in cruise control for so long, we forget that this is really a very, very good team. We'll see if they can sustain this soon enough. #Cubswin

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:53 pm

my meaningless predictions...

  • Cubs over Giants
  • Dodgers over Nationals
  • Blue Jays over Rangers
  • Indians over Red Sox

 

  • Blue Jays over Indians
  • Cubs over Dodgers

 

  • Cubs over Blue Jays

There's really no rhyme or reason other than it always seems a WC gets to World Series these days and hell if I'm picking the Giants. Also think the Red Sox pitching is crap, they may get past Indians because of injuries, but I'm not jumping on their bandwagon.

Submitted by Brick on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:08 pm

Thanks for posting stuff today. I should be working, but I'm agonizing and I need content to insert into my eyes and ears. I don't know how long I'll survive this postseason.

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Submitted by Charlie on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:10 pm

That is a really nice piece of sports journalism, and here's what I like most about it: It undercuts the inaccurate caricature of Hendricks as "The Professor." (Well, it does reinforce it a little when it talks about why Hendricks can make that in-season adjustment.) He may be a white kid with mediocre velocity who went to an Ivy League school, but his pitching performances in 2014 and 2015 were neither cerebral nor crafty. He was a two-pitch starter who relied on raw stuff and throwing strikes to be effective. Now he's a got a pitch mix that gives him more strategic options. He's learned more of his craft this year.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:32 pm

There was Bobby Hill and there was Eric Patterson and now there is Arismendy Alcantara

@mlbtraderumors Reds Claim Arismendy Alcantara, Designate Patrick Kivlehan

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:47 pm

it's crazy what a couple of clankers off the glove and a badly played fly ball can do to an inning. 5 runs scored off 2 clankers and 1 badly played ball all after 2 outs. plus, ham threw a zillion pitches in the 3rd (42 pitches). no errors, and those clankers were off hard hit balls, but that was a 6 out inning.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:48 pm

anyone know why Carlos Gomez is in LF and Ian Desmond is in CF? Team seniority or is Gomez hurt?

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Submitted by crunch on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:02 pm

gomez barely played CF in his short time with the TEX team, plus he came to TEX from HOU after playing some questionable D there. that said, ian desmond settled out as an average-at-best type defender in CF after starting his tenure there playing some flashy CF...him tracking that ball he totally missed was a hell of a time for that average style to turn into crap.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/06/2016 - 10:10 pm

figuring it's some BS like well Desmond played there before you got here. Gomez's issues in Houston all seemed to be mental gaffes from what I read and he seems to be back on track in Texas. The statcast replay they just showed had Desmond tracking it quite well and alligator-arming it near the wall that he wasn't actually that close to...oof.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    CRUNCH: Steve Garvey (one of Shaw's comps as a hitter) was a 5'10 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Jeff Bagwell (another Shaw comp) was a 6'0 right-handed throwing first-baseman with a rag arm. Carlos Santana (who played 1B for Counsell in Milwaukee last season and is an above-average defensive first-baseman) is 5'11. It's not like Shaw is 5'7 or 5'8. I don't really see the problem. 

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