Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
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

Game Recap

World Series Game 7 Recap: Chicago Cubs 8, Cleveland Indians 7 (10)

YOUR WORLD CHAMPION CHICAGO CUBS

Box Score, Play Log, Game Graphs

W - Chapman (2-0), all of us.

L - Shaw (2-1)

S - Montgomery (1), my faith that sometimes things work out.

 

Things to Take from This Game:

1. Cubs get to Kluber, Miller

Fowler got things started right with a leadoff home run. Kluber consistently left the breaking stuff up in the zone, and struck out no one in four innings. A Russell sacrifice fly and Contreras double plated two more in the fourth.

2. Baez, Ross, atone for defensive miscues

Baez made a couple of errors of youth and enthusiasm, first throwing away a grounder he went to his knee for, and then missing on an attempted barehand turn of a double play. But he made up for it by chasing Kluber from the game with a solo home run at the top of the fifth. Similarly, David Ross entered the game with Jon Lester, and had a throwing error and then let a wild pitch clang off his facemask that scored two runs. He promptly homered off of Andrew Miller.

3. Hendricks solid, Lester heroic.

Hendricks was functional if not especially dominant, but got the quick hook from Maddon after he walked Santana with two outs and no on in the fifth. Lester suffered from a squibber, a wild pitch, and some rough defense from Ross to give up two runs with two outs in the fifth, but then settled down and pitched masterful relief. Maddon pulled him with two outs in the eighth and one one, bringing in Chapman. Guyer promptly doubled to bring the game to 6-4. And then....

4.Rajai F'ing Davis

With 4 outs to go and Cleveland at a 3.5% Win Expectancy, Davis golfed a home run out down the left field line, tying the game at 6.

(We somehow survived that, and then, with 1 out to go in the bottom of the 10th and a 4.5% Win Expectancy, Davis again tormented us with a lined single to center to bring Cleveland to within a run, at 8-7. However....)

5. The 10th...

After a rain delay postponed the start of the tenth, Schwarber singled, Bryant hit a sacrifice fly to advance the pinch-runner Almora, Rizzo got an IBB, and then a go-ahead RBI double by Zobrist and RBI single by Montero gave us an 8-6 lead.  Carl Edwards Jr. and Mike Montgomery nail down the save, in a nail-biter, as we hang on to win 8-7.  A 10th-inning, Game 7, World Series victory on a rally started by a guy who missed the entire season from game 3 to the start of the world series, and saved by a couple of untested young relievers. But perhaps most indicative of what this year has been all about, eight different Cubs drove in an RBI, in a true team effort. After the game is over we learn the players called a meeting during the rain delay. David Ross gets carried off the field on Rizzo's and Heyward's shoulders, after the preliminary on-field celebrations.

 

All your best-team-in-the-world details, below...

 

Game 172 (NLCS Game 6) Recap: Cubs 5, Dodgers 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

 

Box Score, Play Log, Game Graphs

W - Hendricks (1-1), patient Cubs fans.

L - Kershaw (1-1), insufferable talk of curses.

 

Things to Take from This Game

 

1. Kyle Hendricks, Cy Young Worthy.

We saw Peak Kyle tonight, with masterful, easy dominance working an 89-90 fastball all over and keeping the changeup darting. He was backed up by our usual, superior defense, save one harmless error from Baez, who more than made up for it on other plays, including the game-ending double-play turn.

2. Leadoff XBH and two-strike RBI.

The Cubs led off the first and second with doubles, and the fourth with a home run. They drove in several runs on two-strike pitches from Kershaw.  This was a dominating offensive performance against Kershaw, being able both to jump on him early in the count, and also to work counts.  Kershaw struggled to put anyone away.

3. Vintage Cubs.

Tonight, the Cubs were the superior defensive team, with the superior starting pitching, a relentless offense and a valuable home-field advantage. It was a game worthy of the time capsule for representing what we've been about this magical year.

Game 146 Recap: Cubs 4 Brewers 5

Not Tonight

Box Score, Play Log, Game Graphs

W - Nelson (8-14), Clubhouse attendants who don't want to clean up after champagne parties

L - Grimm (1-1 ), Dummies who stay up late when they should be preparing to teach tomorrow.

S - Thornburg (10)

Things to Take from This Game

 1. Montgomery looks good.

Mike Montgomery pitched a fine 6 innings with just 1 earned run, two more coming in unearned, walking one and striking out seven.  For a sixth starter in September it was an encouraging audition for the post-season, or 2017. He even knocked in a run with a single back up the middle, for his first career hit.

 2.  Russell with some yips.

Hopefully it's just a one-off thing, but Russell sailed throws high, wide-right, and wide-left tonight, for two errors. One of them resulted in two runs. Stay tuned.

3.  Soler hit a ball very hard.

Soler's laser-beam 2-run HR and a couple of Heyward doubles down each line were the offensive highlights of the night.

 

The deflating details, below

This is Your 2011 Cubs

via Rotoworld...

Marmol entered a 3-1 game and allowed the six runs on five hits and a walk before being yanked having recorded just one out. The last time a Cubs pitcher allowed six runs in the ninth inning with Chicago leading entering the frame came in 1911.

Also it seems that Q-Ball doesn't have the respect of everyone in the clubhouse...a response to Z breaking a bat over his leg last night.

‘‘I don’t like that,’’ Quade said. ‘‘I’m glad he’s OK. I get his frustration, but he can do something else. I cringe because he can hurt himself.’’

‘‘I work hard. My legs are strong,’’ said Zambrano, who was upset at himself because he missed a hanging breaking ball he thought he should have hit. ‘‘It’s nothing to worry about. If you want to see how I can break bats over my legs, come back tomorrow and watch me lift weights.’’

But what about the manager’s concern?

‘‘What manager?’’ Zambrano said.

Don't forget that Dempster was picked over Z for Opening Day and Dempster couldn't have been more vocal about wanting Q-Ball to get the manager gig. It could be nothing, could be something....

Ninja Jae-Kuk Ryu's Cardinals!

A nice night for the Golden Boy last night as he throws 5.2 shutout innings against the fading Cardinals to further deter their playoffs hopes. Samardzija did give up six hits and four walks against just one strikeout, so he was constantly working out trouble, but he got 8 groundballs and two timely(as if they are never not timely for a pitcher) double plays by Pedro Feliz to help the cause.

Mike Quade and Geovany Soto came away impressed.

Game #63 recap: Cubs 1, White Sox 0, Lilly Almost

Addendum: In cycling through Cub no-hit history, ESPN's Jon Miller mentioned that the Cubs have not been on the short end of a no-hitter since Sandy Koufax tossed a perfect game against the Cubs back in 1965. That was the game that saw Cub loser Bob Hendley allow the Dodgers just one hit. Joe Morgan intoned that he heard the ninth inning of that game on the radio as he and his Houston Astro teammates drove into the city from the L.A. airport; they were scheduled to play the Dodgers the next night. Morgan said he specifically remembered Koufax striking out Ernie Banks in the 9th to preserve the perfect game. Would it surprise you to know that Morgan was wrong? Nope. Didn't surprise me either.

 


 

The Cubs held on to beat the White Sox, 1-0, Sunday night at Wrigley Field. The game saw Ted Lilly and Gavin Floyd locked up in a double no-hit duel until Alfonso Soriano collected the game's first hit, a double inside the leftfield line with two out in the Cubs seventh. Chad Tracy then followed with a sharp ground-ball single that plated Soriano with the game's only run.

You Are Now Free to Vomit: Cubs End Homestand with Loss to (Gulp!) Astros

The Cubs squandered another superb start, this one by Ryan Dempster, and lost 3-2 to the Astros in 10 innings Sunday afternoon. To make matters worse, the bullpen culprits on this day were the Cubs' two relief studs so far this young season, Carlos Marmol, who surrendered the tying run in the 9th, and Sean Marshall, who took the loss after allowing a double by Jason Michaels and a sacrifice fly by Pedro Feliz in the 10th.

Game 1 Recap: Cubs 5, Braves 16

I Returned to TCR to recap THIS?!?!

 

Box Score, Play Log, Game Graphs, Photos

 

W-  Lowe (1-0), calls for instant replay, people making their team or career debuts

L- Zambrano (0-1), dignity. 3 hours of my life

 

Things to Take from This Game

1.  Not So Good: Zambrano, Samardzija

Zambrano got knicked by a series of softly hit singles before giving up a 3-run home run to Neo Heyward.  Some throwing mistakes and a McCann homer in the second chased Zambrano from the game, having given up 8.   The fourth reliever in, Samardzija, walked three in a one third of an inning.

2.  Good:  Byrd, Marshall, Russell.

Byrd gave the Cubs a very early and short-lived lead with a 3-run homer in the first.  Marshall and Russell gave the Cubs a chance to get back in the game with a Ramirez 2-run Homer, as they pitched 4 and 2/3 of scoreless relief, before turning things over to Samardzija, Berg, and Grabow

3.  McLouth Lies like a Dog.  And Fakes It.  And Just Isn't Very Nice. 

Down 8-5 with Ramirez on 1st, Byrd smoked a liner to left center.  McLouth made a diving catch with the ball popping out on contact with the ground.  But McLouth faked the catch, threw it in, and the umpires, missing the call, declared Ramirez doubled off of first.   We went from having the tying run at the plate with no outs, to no on and two outs.  After Soriano predictbly ended the inning; it was all downhill from there.


 

The gory details, below

 

Game 99 Recap: Cubs 12, Astros 0

Just Need an Better Extra-Point Kicker.
W - Wells (7-4), pitching to contact, GIDP chances
L - Hampton (6-8), pitching badly to contact

Things to Take from This Game
1.  The batters hit well.
Hampton didn't have much control or stuff today, giving up 9 runs in 4 innings.  The game was over after the first, which saw the first nine batters either get hits or advance a runner on a sacrifice, resulting in  six runs.  No one on the team had more than two hits, and only Soriano got to three RBI, courtesy of the home run in the first.  Among the hitters only Fukudome, who replaced Johnson early in the game for reasons yet unknown, failed to get on base. (Update: As Cubster reports in the second and thirty-eighth comments, Johnson has a fracture in his foot.)

 

2.  The batters don't hit Wells.
Randy Wells only had one strikeout, on a generous check swing call.  But the Astros didn't hit much of anything hard, recording just six singles.  The Cubs seemingly had a GIDP opportunity in every inning and converted four of them.

 

3.  First! (s)
The game featured Wells' longest outing in the majors to date, eight innings, and in consecutive at bats, the first major league homer and triple for Blanco and Hoffpauir.  Mitch Atkins made his major league debut in the ninth, pitching a scoreless inning.  It's also my first game linking to the awesome FanGraph's Game Graph pages, too.  Oh yeah: we might regain first place, depending on the Cards' game tonight.

 

The nothing-to-complain-about details, below.

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