Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Brett Jackson Makes A List and Other Cubs Minutiae

The rush of major league prospect rankings are about to make their way out and MLB/MILB.com and Jonathon Mayo is the first out of the gate. OF Brett Jackson is the only Cub and is listed as the #46 best prospect in all of baseball. Just traded Cub, Chris Archer, finished one spot below Jackson at #47. You can always view past rankings at Wiklifield, where you can discover such things as Starlin Castro being rated #22 last season.  From the video clip on Jackson they had this to say...

"Each tool may not wow you, but he can do a little bit of everything and has the potential to be a 20/20 type player in the future."

In other news, if you care to call it that, the Cubs signed Todd Wellemeyer to an $800K non-guaranteed deal with another $400K in incentives. Hendry must be on a contract quota or something.

Clay Rapada ended up where you'd expect an ex-Cub minor leaguer to end up.

In Bruce Levine's weekly chat, he says the Cubs may add a veteran middle infielder with Orlando Cabrera, Julio Lugo and Chirstian Guzman being named. He calls out the two Jackson's (Brett and Jay) as the most likely call-ups in 2011.

Comments

that he'll be somewhere else in 2011 http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110123&content_id=16…
I really don't care, to tell you the truth," he said about the need to make the 25-man roster. "I'm very, very excited with how things are going and me being down there [in Arizona] since early November. How I'm working out, how I'm throwing the ball, how I'm throwing off the mound already, I'm very, very excited.
kidding around, seems to be working hard this offseason and counting on Mark Riggins to keep him on the team.

I don't understand the comment, "I'm throwing off the mound already...". Did he have some type of injury I don't remember? Do they not throw off a mound in winter when they initially start throwing? Can someone explain?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

a little birdy told me they ranked #20th and would be top 10 before the trade. Something about still having the most prospects in the 100-150 range other then the Royals. A lot of average to just above average potential major leaguers at the moment. -correction- a lot of players that could be above average or better and what he calls high floor players.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

if you agree with that assessment, what does that mean for the Cubs? my take, make some more Matt Garza like trades (or Aramis Ramirez or Derrek Lee if you will), trading away depth for your potential young All-star talent. Instead of overpaying for over 30 guys on the free agent market, target arbitration and near FA players that teams are looking to move. At least you get them younger and at a better point in their career path. also, if Hendry doesn't trade them all away, the Cubs should be better able to withstand injuries with a constant pipeline of talent that could replace ineffective or injured players.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Even if we put the debate on Garza's merit aside, how many more trades like that can we expect to make? The current 25 man roster isn't a championship caliber team. Say we made one more trade like that, picking up Billy Butler for the Jackson twins, Castillo and Dollis, and don't sign Pena - are we now the favorites or even one of the favorites in the NL central? The team needs a major boost, like adding 10 to 14 WAR. The best way to do that, in my mind is replace the Byrd's, Bakers and Fukudome's with guys who are pre-arb produce at similar levels, and then make one or two astute moves in free agency. Maybe for 2013 only two of those four guys are average ML starters - but they're doing it for less than a million bucks combined, while we're paying Garza $11 million for maybe one more win. Doing that two or three times, doesn't seem to help the overall problem. There's also the other issue, that I don't think we get these guys to sign at "hometown discounts"... when they get traded from Pittsburgh or Florida because the team doesn't want to sign them long term - they're going to come to the Cubs with a "time to get paid" mindset.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Billy Butler? Really? Lol.... Ok..so you think that this trade would be made? Wouldn't the Jacksons, and Castillo all be rated ahead of Chirinos and Guyer? I agree that making a series of trades like this is no way to build a team, but the Cubs gave up a good pitching prospect, a SS who is 2-3 years away, and may or my not develop any power/and still be blocked by Castro, a guy who may just have had a career year in AA...at age 24..who hit 70 points above his career average in 1042 PA's, and a 26 year old Catcher converted from the infield..who has 55 at bats in AAA, and was behind Castillo on the depth chart. Basically, the Cubs gave upa good pitching prospect, and a 19 year old SS with little power, for Matt Garza, a MLB starting pitcher who will turn 27 this season, and is a the very least, a solid #3 start...maybe a #2. Ok.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Fine Neal...Fine. If Guyer repeats his success, Archer makes the Rays rotation, Chirinos sticks as a backup catcher, and Hak Ju Lee is the starting SS in 2013, it will be a failed trade. Also possible, Garza pitches well for the Cubs 2011-2013....Archer becomes a bullpen arm for a very deep pitching staff in Tampa Bay...Guyer struggles in AAA, and becomes a tweener...a little power...a little speed, not enough of them to be a starting OF.... Chirinos becomes Crash Davis....touring AA and AAA until he becomes a coach, and Hak-Ju Lee doesn't hit enough to get out of AAA except as a defensive replacement. Again..I will freaking repeat: as has always been my assertion...I like Garza, I just don't understand the move this season, with so many holes on this team. I did not want to give up Archer, or even Lee. But Chirinos, and Guyer? A little old to get real excited about AA success, but could possibly become a 4th/5th OF type and a backup catcher. Maybe.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

A player drafted out of college being 24 is not old for AA. Guyer's production was rather stellar and I am not sure why people discount it so significantly...it was really the first year he was truly healthy and he got better as the year went on. I don't like the trade because I don't like trading prospects with huge upside...Guyer has speed, hit .340+ at a high level and showed at least significant xb hit power if not chance for 20 hrs. Archer has #1 starter potential and Lee has lead-off hitter/40 sb potential. That said, if we received a star for these players, that would be understandable. I wouldn't complain if we received someone who could make a difference...instead we received someone who appears his ceiling is being a #2. And people here justify it by downgrading the value of our prospects traded, which is just attempts to retain hope. If the trade was so wise, why did the Rays make the trade? And if you state that it was because they are not in contention, then you are stating we shouldn't have done the trade. If you are stating that they can replace Garza with their own talent and more cheaply, then perhaps we should have looked to deal for a better (or cheaper) player.

[ ]

In reply to by springs

guyer is neat, but prospect vs. MLB expectation is what i'm personally dealing with. for instance...castro is neat, but at the end of the day we got a guy who's upside is production vs. cost. he's a contact hitting low-power guy who should be cheap for 3-4 years. after that...unless the power shows... *shrug* guyer, if he can stay at CF, is interesting. a team that needs a roaming LF/RF/CF type he's interesting, too. as a regular he's a guy with doubles power who isn't very exciting at LF or RF unless the team can make up for it elsewhere. he's not going to take walks. he's gonna go up there and swing. he looks like a good #2 or 7/8 hitter as it stands if he can find a place to be a starter.

Jeff Samardzija says in the interview that he doesn't know where he will be in 2011. Well, since he is out of minor league options, he can't be optioned to the minors, and since he has "no trade" rights, he can't be traded or placed on Outright Waivers without waiving the NTC in advance. So if Samardzija does not waive his NTC, the only way the Cubs can remove him from the 25-man roster in 2011 is by Outright Release, and then the Cubs would be on the hook for The Shark's $2.8M salary (minus the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary should he sign a major league contract with another MLB club). The Cubs will be able to change all of this after the 2011 season, however. The Cubs hold a $3M club option for 2012 that they are almost certain to decline (it could have been a mutual option if Samardzija was eligible for salary arbitration post-2011, but he won't have enough MLB service time to be eligible). Once the Cubs decline their 2012 club option, Samardzija reverts to being an "auto renewal" player without "no trade" rights, and the Cubs can either auto-renew him and sign him for 2012 with a maximum 20% pay cut from 2011 (meaning he would get no less than $2.24M if he is automatically renewed), or they can outright him to the minors (and it's unlikely that he would get claimed, because the claiming club would be stuck with paying Samardzija at least $2.24M in 2012), or he could get non-tendered on 12/2, which would have the effect of making Samardzija a free-agent, although the Cubs would be able to re-sign him to a major league or minor league contract without worrying about the 20% cut rule. So in a way, you could say Samardzija is a "Super Rule 5 Player" in 2011, because not only can't the Cubs option him to the minors, they can't even outright him unless he gives his approval (waives his NTC) in advance. Samardzija really has the Cubs by the balls.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat on Wed, 01/26/2011 - 3:20pm. >>Samardzija really has the Cubs by the balls.<< I don't get this statement. Based on your explanation, the Shark has the Cubs on the hook for $2.8MM this year, but that's it. If they release him, that's all they owe. And if he signs a major league contract elsewhere, they get $400K of that money back. If he isn't good enough to make the Cubs middle relief corps, then what's wrong with cutting him if the cost is only $2.4MM? Heck, some teams release guys that are owed three or four times that money. ============================================= JIM H: Of course the Cubs could release Samardzija and eat $2.4M if he signs a major league deal with another club (or somewhere close to $2.8M if he signs a minor league deal elsewhere), and the Cubs have certainly eaten larger contracts in the past. But because of the money he's making and his NTC, Samardzija has a lot more Spring Training "roster leverage" than most players with his level of experience and MLB service time, more than the typical Rule 5 player (like David Patton in 2009 for instance). The Cubs might ultimately decide to release The Shark, but I highly doubt they would do so coming out of Spring Training, even if he gets crushed in Cactus League outings. Or he might surprise a lot of people and turn out to be really good. He did pitch fairly well out of the Cubs bullpen when he first got called up in 2008, and new Cubs pitching coach Mark Riggins thinks that's how he will be used in 2011. And you don't have to be Carlos Marmol to be the 12th man on the staff.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

We paid more than Texas for Garza. Texas, in case you didn't see, actually is contending for a championship. We are not. Perhaps Garza is good, but we overpaid for him and we aren't winning a championship. With all due respect, you are not looking at this trade in any perspective of where the Cubs currently stand. And somehow, because a minor league pitcher doesn't have great control, he isn't a good prospect? Sometimes that is true and sometimes they are Randy Johnson. Teams close to a championship should trade potential #1s with control issues for #2-3 starters to help them. Teams competing for 4th place should'nt make this trade -- if they should, then why did the Rays do the trade?

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

A SS has to hit more than 1 hr a year, period. They don't have to be juicers and hit 30 hr's, but these single hitting SS's are everywhere. Every team has a bunch of those guys in the minors. Maybe not with Lee's talent, but until Lee turns that potential into production, he's still just a singles hitting SS. I'll trade a guy like that for a proven, productive, and mind you, cheap, young, and team controlled starting pitcher every day of the year. And as for Archer, if he has to be moved to the bullpen (as some of these scouts/analysts are suggesting), even if he becomes a very good closer, that's still a no-brainer trade. SP's who give you 200 quality ip's are worth more than elite closers. How many teams have you seen win the world series or make it deep in the playoffs with average SP? Not many. How many make it deep with an average closer? A ton. Unless Lee and Archer both become proven, big time players, and not one year wonder's, the Cubs should be the winners in this trade easy.

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

Ozzie Smith slugged .328 over 19 seasons. Vizquel slugged .354 over 22 seasons. Lee slugged .351 last year. Vizquel committed 25 errors, mostly in AA, at age 21, the earliest season BR has defensive records for. Smith was a perennial all star, a hall of famer, a magician. No one is comparing Lee to Smith; but there's no reason Lee couldn't become a perennial GG like Omar Vizquel, maybe a little better hitter, maybe not as good a glove--who knows? The reason I'm not crying about trading Lee is that I don't think he could have taken SS away from Castro. But they might have waited a couple of years and gotten more for him.

Manny signed for 1/2M, Vlad wanted 2/16M and is now down to 1/8M that still no one wants to pay.

Rotoworld's assessment of...got everything in there but "and he's ugly too"
the 34-year-old is going to have to turn elsewhere. He doesn't have good range, he doesn't have a good arm, he doesn't hit anything but singles and now he's pretty old. Someone will give him a non-roster invitation to spring camp, but will be a shock if he makes a big league roster.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.