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

2022 Cubs Extended Spring Training

Who'll Stop the Raino?

Raino Coran belted an RBI double and scored in the first, singled, stole second, and scored a run in the third, and walked, stole another base, and scored another run in the eighth, Rafael Morel drilled a two-run single in the first, walked in the sixth, and walked and scored in the eighth, and Pedro Ramirez singled twice and knocked-in a run for the "Blue" squad, but Ronnier Quintero laced a two-out two run single in the bottom of the fifth for the "Red" squad that broke a 4-4 tie, as the Cubs "Red" squad rallied to defeat the Cubs "Blue" squad 8-6 in Extended Spring Training intrasquad game action Thursday night on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game was pre-planned as an eight-inning contest. 

Here is the box score from the game:        

Cubs No-Hit D'backs at Riverview

Cristian Hernandez singled twice, stole two bases, scored the first run of the game, and drove-in the last one, Raino Coran singled twice and knocked-in a run, and Michael Arias, Yovanny Cruz, Dominic Hambley, Elian Almanzar, Yovanny Cabrera, and Alfredo Zarraga combined to hurl a no-run / no-hit game with 15 strikeouts, as the Cubs blanked the Diamondbacks Black squad 2-0 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Wednesday night on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

Cabrera and Zarraga combined to strike out eight of the last ten men they faced. 

EXST Cubs top pitching prospect Michael Arias saw his first game action in more than three weeks, and threw a 1-2-3 nine-pitch 1st inning to get things started. Arias suffered a lower-body injury in a game at Sloan Park on May 10th when he attempted to cover home plate on a bases loaded wild pitch and stepped awkwardly coming off the mound.  

Cubs catcher Dilan Granadillo replaced starting catcher Moises Ballesteros behind the plate in the top of the 7th inning, but had to leave the game in the 8th after getting hit on the hand with a foul tip.    

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

Luke Weaver & Associates Stymie Cub Bats at Salt River Fields

Johan Benitez drilled a single in the third, belted an RBI triple and scored in the fifth, and collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the eighth, and SP Luke Weaver (on Arizona Diamondbacks MLB 60-day IL with right elbow inflammation) threw two shutout innings and combined with three relievers on a five-hitter, as the Diamondbacks Red squad defeated the Cubs 5-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Whirlwind Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, east of Scottsdale, AZ. 

RHP Yovanny Cruz (on Hi-A South Bend 7-day IL) made his first game appearance since undergoing TJS a year ago, and worked a nine-pitch 1-2-3 inning (4-3, K-swinging, 4-3). Because it was such a short, easy inning, Cruz went out to the bullpen and threw an additional 15 pitches after the inning was over. All set to be in the South Bend starting rotation at the end of Minor League Camp 2021, his season was sidetracked less than a week before Opening Day.  

RHP Zac Leigh (on South Bend 7-day IL since Minor League Camp with a right shoulder issue) blasted his 95-98 MPH FB past D'back hitters, this time mixing it with a slurvy breaking ball that he can throw for strikes (he threw only FB in his last outing).   

RHP Joel Sierra had a 1-2-3 inning, finishing it up with an ascending 98-99-100 MPH FB trilogy (strikeout - swinging) that sucked the air right out of the park.  

Casey Opitz (on Myrtle Beach 7-day IL since Opening Day) is back to switch-hitting again, going 2-2 with two singles and a walk in the game. He caught all nine innings in extreme heat, and looks to be about ready to go to Myrtle Beach. He is considered to be the best defensive catcher in the Cubs organization. Casey is the younger brother of ex-Cubs minor league infielder Jake Opitz (who was a manager in the Rockies system for a few years after he retired).   

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

Ballesteros and Morfa Launch Cub Comeback at Riverview

Moises Ballesteros drilled an RBI single in the bottom of the first, singled and scored in the fourth, and belted a game-tying HR over the RF fence in the seventh, Carlos Morfa slugged a solo HR over the LF fence in the seventh and roped a double and scored in the eighth, Reivaj Garcia singled twice, walked, scored two runs, and drove-in three, and the bullpen retired nine of the last ten batters faced, as the Cubs raliied to score eight runs in the final two innings while holding the opposition scoreless, en route to a hard-fought 13-10 victory over the Diamondbacks Red squad in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

This was the third HR hit by Ballesteros in the last eight days, as he is now second on the EXST Cubs in HR with three (Cristian Hernandez has four, plus two more in intrasquad games). Over his last nine Cactus League EXST games (29 PA), Ballesteros is hitting a robust 480/552/960, with three HR, three doubles, four walks, and seven RBI.  

As outstanding as the bullpen was at the end of the game, two Cubs pitchers -- LHP Marino Santy and RHP Gleiber Morales -- combined to issue twelve walks, hit a batter, uncork five wild pitches, and commit two balks, as the D'backs took an early 9-5 lead. 

The Diamondbacks Red squad manager was thrown out of the game after arguing that an RBI double that drove-in a runner from 1st base was actually a ground-rule double that bounced off the warning track and then off the netting beyond the RF fence (and he was right, by the way). He then sat in the bleachers outside the first base side fence, until he was spotted by the base umpire and told to go sit in the bus. It was 105 degrees, so having to sit in an air-conditioned bus wasn't necessarily the worst punishment imaginable!   

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

In EXST Cubs news, catcher Dilan Granadillo is no longer switch-hitting, He is now batting LH-only.   

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

Cristian Hernandez Leads the Blue Charge at Riverview

Cristian Hernandez, Frank Hernandez, and Rafael Morel stroked consecutive RBI singles to highlight a three-run first inning for the Cubs "Blue" squad, and Miguel Pabon belted a solo HR over the left-centerfield fence to account for the lone run posted by the Cubs "Red" squad, as the "Blue" squad defeated the "Red" squad 3-1 in an Extended Spring Training four-inning intrasquad game played Thursday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

Because all three pitchers who threw in the game were scheduled to work two innings, the "Red" team got an extra AB over what they ordinarily would have received, but they lost anyway 

Here is the box score frrom the game: 

Rockies Rock Cubs Boat at Riverview

Luis Paredes drilled an RBI double, singled twice, walked,and scored a run, Francisco Garcia doubled and scored, laced an RBI single, and collected another RBI on a bases-loaded walk, Cuba Bess slugged a solo HR, and SP Luis Urena (ex-MIA) and six reiievers combined to hurl a five-hit shutout, as the Rockies blanked the Cubs 9-0 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Tuesday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

South Bend RHP Zac Leigh continued his EXST rehab with a scoreless 1-2-3 nine-pitch inning, throwing nothing but his high octane 95-98 MPH FB. 

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHRP Angel Gonzalez (2020 NDFA - Puerto Rico) has been moved up to Myrtle Beach. Gonzalez features a 96-98 MPH FB that was up to 99 in his final EXST outing last week and a 87-89 MPH SL, and was projected to be the EXST Cubs closer if he hadn't been moved-up to the Pelicans.  

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

Cub Bats Go Nuts at Fitch Park

Cristian Hernandez blasted an opposite-field two-run HR over the RF fence in the third, singled and scored in the sixth, and drilled an RBI single in the eighth, Alejandro Rivero blooped an RBI double and scored in the second and belted an opposite-field two-run triple and scored in the fifth, Raino Coran hammered an RBI double into the LF corner and scored in the fourth and crushed a lead-off double off the LF fence and scored in the eighth, Brayan Altuve roped an RBI double and scored in the second and singled and scored in the fourth, Christian Olivo singled, stole a base, and scored a run in the third and cracked an RBI single in the fourth, and Dilan Granadillo laced two RBI singles, leading an 18-hit attack as the Cubs uploaded a 15-4 pasting of the Athletics in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Monday morning on Field #4 at the Lew Wolff Training Complex at Fitch Park in Mesa, AZ.    

Nelson Beltran slugged a two-run HR in the bottom of the third and made a spectacular HR saving catch by leaping high and reaching over the LF fence to take back what would have been a Frank Hernandez four-bagger in the top of the seventh, and Lester Madden and Ramon Martinez ripped RBI doubles for the A's in a losing couse.  

The game was called after eight innings of play. 

With today's HR, Cristian Hernandez has now hit six home runs in 23 EXST games, including four in 19 Cactus League EXST games, and two in four EXST intrasquad games. Javier Baez holds the all-time EXST Cubs HR record. He hit eight in 26 Cactus League EXST games 2012. 

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

Cubs Bats Are Double-iscious at Riverview

Frank Hernandez, Dilan Granadillo, and Alejandro Rivero drilled RBI doubles and Moises Ballesteros singled twice, drew a walk, and scored a run, leading the Cubs to a 6-3 victory over the Angels in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Saturday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.

The game was pre-planned as an eight-inning affair.

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

Ballesteros Goes Deep for Second Day in A Row, Whilst Coran Moonshot Bringeth Raino

Moises Ballesteros blasted an opposite-field solo HR over the LF fence leading off the bottom of the second inning (his second HR in two days), Raino Coran crushed a mammoth solo HR just to the left of the CF Batter's Eye leading off the bottom of the third and walked and scored in the fifth, Christian Olivo singled twice, stole three bases, scored a run, and drove-in another, Anderson Suriel blooped an RBI double in the second and singled, stole a base, and scored a run in the fifth, SP Marino Santy hurled three innings of one-hit / one-run ball, and Alfredo Zarraga struck out the side 1-2-3 to pick-up the save, as the Cubs cruised past the Athletics 6-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training game action Friday morning on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ.   

Cristian Hernandez belted a double into the right-centerfield alley his first time up, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. He struck out (swinging) in his other two PA. 

The game was pre-planned as an eight-inning contest. 

The Cubs are now 10-8-2 through their first twenty Cactus League EXST games, and contrary to what you may read elsewhere on the internet, EXST games - ARE - real (they're just not official and there are some goofy rules variances), the games - ARE - televised (albeit closed circuit to the Cubs Player Development Department), the Cubs - DO - keep game stats internally just like they do at Myrtle Beach, South Bend, Tennessee, and Iowa (they just don't release them to the media), and the players really - ARE - trying to win (just listen to the players on the bench howling back & forth throughout the game... so much so that the Giants players who were not in the game last Tuesday at Papago Park were kicked out of the ballpark by the home plate umpire for arguing every single ball / strike call!).   

In EXST roster news, LHRP C. D. Pelham has completed his EXST rehab and has rejoined AA Tennessee. 

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

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).