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

Spoiler Alert --- Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

I know many of you probably watched today's game on WGN, but for those of you who didn't, or for those of you who did but weren't paying attention....

Reed Johnson slugged a two-run PH home run in the bottom of th 4th to break a 2-2 tie, and the Cubs defeated the Padres 5-3 at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park before a Cactus League record crowd of 13,262 in hot & sunny Mesa.

box score

Iowa Cubs RHP Mitch Atkins got the start today, and went two innings. Pitching under no presssure (Atkins was optioned to AAA earlier this week), the young right-hander labored through two innings of work (52 pitches - 30 strikes), allowing two unearned runs.

Atkins should have been out of the 1st inning 1-2-3, but a two-out bobble by second-baseman Mike Fontenot allowed Chase Headley (that's Headley, not Hedy) to reach base, and then Mongo (Kyle Blanks) launched a two-run HR over the LF fence. Atkins walked the next two batters after the long ball, but escaped further damage, although he did need 36 pitches (while throwing only half for strikes) to complete the inning.

Atkins had an easier second frame (16 pitches - 12 strikes), finishing strong with two strikeouts (Chris Burke called & David Eckstein swinging).

The Cubs scored a run in the bottom of the 1st off Padres starter RHP Kevin Correia (ex-SF). Alfonso Soriano led-off with a single, but was thrown out (easily) trying steal (Soriano got a bad jump off 1st, and he seemed to be favoring one leg while he was running). Ryan Theriot drew a one-out walk, and advanced to 2nd on a ground out. Milton Bradley then lined a two-out single to CF to score The Riot, and took second on an E-8 bobble  by Padres CF Emil Brown. Aramis Ramirez followed that with an infield single to short, but Bradley ran through 3rd base coach Mike Quade's "stop" sign and was caught drop-dead cold just a few feet past 3rd base (made a third out at third base again) as SS Everth Cabrera threw behind Bradley. (And this was not the first brain cramp by Bradley on the bases this Spring, either). Like I've said before, this is going to be a long year...

This is the point in Spring Training when Cubs Manager Lou Piniella likes to have his relievers try to throw more than one inning in a game at least one time, so Carlos Marmol relieved Atkins and worked the third and fourth innings (six up, six down - 24 pitches - 4/1 GO/FO). Marmol only threw 13 strikes, but nobody hit the ball hard off him in either inning.

The Cubs tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd when Soriano singled (again), and advanced to 3rd on a beautiful hit & run single by Theriot, who punched the ball right to the spot just vacated by 2nd baseman David Eckstein (who broke to 2nd base to cover). Micah Hoffpauir then roped an L-7 SF (Hoffpauir's MLB-leading 18th Spring Training RBI) that was hit so hard it almost went over Headley's head(ley) to score Soriano.

The Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the 4th, when, with two outs, Sam Fuld walked and PH Reed Johnson (batting for Marmol) followed with what would prove to be the game-winning HR. 

Kevin Gregg worked the 5th inning and into the 6th (1.1 IP, 28 pitches total), allowing just a two-out single in the 5th. Esteban German mishandled a grounder and then made a bad throw to 1st base for an error (I guess you could call it either a fielding error or a throwing error--take your pick) to start the 6th, but Gregg struck out the next batter, Emil Brown. Piniella then brought in lefty reliever Jason Waddell to face lefty-swinging Chris Snelling, and the Australian ripped a line-drive that was certainly headed for the RF corner. But somehow, someway,1st baseman Micah Hoffpauir caught the ball with a leaping stab, doubling off Kyle Blanks at 1st base forr an unassisted inning-ending DP (and next time you come by, bring my stomach!).

Waddell came back out for the top of the 7th, but got yanked after walking lead-off hitter Nick Hundley on five pitches. Angel Guzman was then brought into the game, and had his best outing of 2009, retiring all six men he faced (22 pitches- 15 strikes), on three easy ground balls and three strikeouts (Brett Dowdy, Matt Antonelli, and Chase Headley). When Gooz trusts his stuff and throws strikes, he gets outs. .  

The Cubs scored their final run in the bottom of the 7th, when Theriot led off with a single, and then PR Andres Blanco advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch, before scoring on a two-out RBI single chopped through the infield by Esteban German.

Kevin Hart had struck out nine of the last 11 men he had faced coming into today's game, but struggled with his command in the 9th while trying to get the save. Hart hit the first two batters he faced (Drew Macias and Chad Huffman) to bring the tying run to the plate, but the right-hander recovered to get a 4-6-3 DP (thanks to a strong relay throw to first by DP middleman Andres Blanco). Everth Cabrera then grounded a triple into the RF corner to drive-in Macias from third, but Hart got Dowdy for the final out of the game on a pop-up to short RF that was caught by So Taguchi while battling the afternoon sun. 

Four Cubs had two hits each today, including Ryan Theriot (who also reached base a third time with a walk), Alfonso Soriano, Milton Bradley, and Aramis Ramirez, and eagle-eye Sam Fuld walked twice while playing a stellar CF.   

The Cubs travel out to Camelback Ranch tomorrow for a Cactus League game with the cross-town rival White Sox (and with the White Sox now based on the west side of Phoenix, the Cubs and the Sox are actually "cross-town" rivals out here, too!) 

Comments

Off topic - I'm looking to sign up for a new credit card with benefits, and I was wondering if anyone here on TCR owns a Cubs credit card. I was just looking to find out what perks you get with that card.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).