Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players are on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2 
Seiya Suzuki, OF
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 2
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Release the Hounds! Friday Night Foxhunt...

Submitted by Mike Wellman on

Ahh, opening night at the ballpark. The aromas of the stadium grills. The energy of the gathering crowd. The intense greenness of the diamond. The excitement in the PA announcer's voice. The flowers in the restrooms!?

Even the national anthem singer last night at Principal Park in Des Moines couldn't wait to get the Iowa Cubs' home season started. She zipped through a snappy rendition in a minute or so and away we went.

Alas, once the game was put in the hands of professional ballplayers it ground nearly to a halt right out of the blocks.

A nearly 40-minute first inning saw both starting pitchers walk in a run and get paid a visit from their respective dugouts on the mound.

When the I-Cubs finally got to hit, leadoff man Sam Fuld popped one foul down the third baseline and headed for first. A hustling batboy sprinted from the home team's dugout and grabbed at Fuld's bat, by then in the grip of Round Rock's catcher. Only the catcher wouldn't let go. The confused batboy looked up at him pleadingly and the catcher pointed his attention to the stands where the ball had landed. Fuld was on his way back to the batter's box and wasn't yet done with his bat.

The first inning might never have ended had the sizzling Jake Fox not swung at the first pitch he saw and grounded into a fielder's choice that broke up an otherwise monotonous, if profitable, stretch of four straight walks by Round Rock's impostorous southpaw hurler.

Later on Fox would fire a run scoring single and launch a towering solo homer to maintain his per game RBI average at precisely two and the I-Cubs eased to an 8-3 win in front of an unusually large and comfortable opening night crowd of nearly ten grand.

By the second inning the renewed joy of baseball had already worn off for many and the scoreboard was inviting children to the playground under the first base grandstands. Such are the times we live in.

First game kinks were fairly minimal. There were a few pitches clocking in on the scoreboard radar screen at 50 mph, but the whole operation was otherwise in mid-season form.

I'll be back there tonight to have a look at the Notre Dame receiver turned thrower. If, that is, I can keep myself out of the playground. Tonight's promo is an earmuff giveaway; they shouldn't be necessary if the weather holds. Tomorrow afternoon is Samardzija jersey-shirt day. I'll check to see if they spell it right...MW

Tags
Iowa Cubs update

Comments

Submitted by Mike Wellman on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:08 pm

A little elaboration [had to hurry this morning to my son's ballgame; he knocked in the gamewinner in a seesaw 18-17 comedy of errors]: Fuld had a hustling triple to the right-field corner & is the kind of ballplayer I enjoy watching & rooting for...Bobby Scales stroked three doubles, is a switch-hitter and seems prospective...Randy Wells shrugged off his uneven first inning and lasted another four during which he fanned six and walked no more...Fox wears #50, tucks his pants @ Ruthian length & really looks menacing @ the plate right now - his manager [Bobby Dickerson] says, "there isn't a fastball he can't turn around..."

Submitted by The Joe on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:40 pm

Ok, I'm in Seattle. I can't expect Fox to show the Cubs game out here...of course it's also blacked out so I can't watch it online either. That makes total fucking sense. But, what pisses me off is that there's also a Dodgers/Rockies game and a D-Bags/Giants game. But wait, which game are they broadcasting here? Yankees/Indians. What the mother fuck? I hate MLB, I hate Fox and I hate fucking Joe Buck. Fuck all. [EDIT] Yes, Joe Buck, thanks for that analysis: "No one likes to see their ERA at over 28". Nothing like mailing in your knowledge of baseball.

Submitted by navigator on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:06 pm

...at least temporarily, in a tie with 15 after hitting his second home run today in a record setting 20-2 romp (and still playing) vs the NY Yankees. (insert second guessing Hendry here)

[ ]

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:56 pm

I know it's early and some guys (MB, Soto) haven't gotten going yet, but it really seems like this team is nowhere near as good as last year's. We really miss DeRosa's power/versatility. The bullpen has been pretty brutal so far. The starting pitching has been very inconsistent, and for as much depth as we supposedly had I have no idea who our 6th starter will be when Harden gets injured. Give them credit for winning more often than they're losing so far, but unless the bullpen starts throwing strikes and Bradley starts hitting (and stays on the field) I'm really nervous that we'll be looking up at STL at the end of the year.

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Submitted by Ryno on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:39 pm

Yeah, it's way too early, bro. This team has thunder unmatched in the league besides maybe the Cards or Dodgers. I was a huge Derosa fan and I'm totally with you on that, but if you look at his numbers year to year '08 is way out of whack. I don't think he'll be able to repeat. The bullpen definitely is troubling and as long as you have the likes of Neil Cotts out there, it will continue to be troubling; Neil Cotts is not a good pitcher. The team needs a LOOGY that can throw strikes in a bad way. Give Cotts another week or so, but if he doesn't start nailing things down I'm cool with seeing if Waddell or Papelbon can step up. It's not like they'll be able to do much worse.

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Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:17 pm

I agree that DeRo probably won't quite get to his numbers from 2008, but I'd say he's very likely to hit 12-18 homers with a .350+ OBP. Not an elite slugger by any stretch, but a good bat with decent power who can play a lot of different positions well. Fontenot might be able to put up similar numbers, but the problem is Aaron Miles. When Rammy goes down with his annual 15-20 game injury we're replacing his bat with Miles. Last year, DeRo just slid over and Fonty came in put up good offensive numbers. It just feels like our bench is incredibly weak this year. I love the Hoffpauir addition, but with Miles and Gathright we're really struggling to come up with decent pinch hitters late in the game. I also think we need a much more versatile 25th man than Gathright. He's way too one-dimensional to take up a roster spot. And the point I made in my original post about not knowing who our 6th starter would be is a legitimate concern, I think. Last year, Marshall was a very capable 6th man. This year, he's in the rotation and our 6th man is who? Kevin Hart? Please no.

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Submitted by artskoe on Sun, 04/19/2009 - 04:38 am

Yes, well, the Fox guys were handing the Indians their 2009 rings already after 12 games. Give the AL hurlers some time to adjust to DeRo, just as KC did to Hamilton last night. Looks like Josh already misses MB. As far as Hendry, have you looked at what Pie and Isturis are doing in Baltimore? Kudos, JH! BTW, Brian Roberts is still tearing it up at leadoff. Let's start some trade talk rumors! Miles hit with 2 outs, RISP was a big lift. Miles is moving in. Sorry, Font. Bullpen: If they Start throwing strikes, the "out of option" guys will be switching to Padres uni's. Not that we can't take it all WITH these guys. Gooozzz has experience but doesn't, if you know what I mean. And Marmol clunking Pujols was, to me, in the Spirit of Championship Baseball. Carlos The Matador standing tall in front of the menacing horns! Great wins last 2! Don't let them get up today!

Submitted by navigator on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:15 pm

Lou is handling the bullpen like it consists of Marmol, Marmol, Marmol and maybe Gregg.

Submitted by Little Nate Lewis on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:45 pm

BTW.... Soriano takes a lot of shit on here (and other places) for his D, but he deserves some credit for turning that double play late in the game today. That was a huge play.

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Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat on Sat, 04/18/2009 - 04:39 pm

Sori doesn't have a particularly strong arm, but it's deadly accurate, he's been at the top of the league in outfield assists (adjusted for games missed due to injury) ever since he was moved to the OF. If only he knew how to go back on a ball hit over his head, he'd actually be a pretty damn good defensive OF. Mini-rant: when Gathright came up, both Pujols and Barden were playing back, behind the bags. Why doesn't Lou have Joey drop a drag bunt in that situation down one of the lines? If he keeps it fair, he'd definitely beat it out and the Cubs win. Mini-rant 2: Neal Cotts. Go away. Yeah, there'd be no lefty in the pen, but I'd rather have a RH reliever that can throw strikes than a deadbeat who keeps his job just because he's LH. Send him to Iowa, recall Chad Fox, and have Hendry start looking for a lefty middle reliever via trade.

Submitted by The Real Neal on Sun, 04/19/2009 - 04:26 am

I hadn't seen it mentioned, but nice clutch performance by Gregg in bailing out Marmol, and not a bad job by Marmol in the previous inning against the heart of the lineup.

Submitted by hellfrozeover on Sun, 04/19/2009 - 04:02 pm

Agreed, Gregg looked great out there. Nice to see him finally look dominant instead of average. If he can pitch like that 9 times out of 10, I think he'll be perfectly fine.

Recent comments

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
    I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
    I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
    That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
    I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
    We'll find out soon enough!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Teheran minor league deal is done, per MLB.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Based on Phil’s sound analysis it sounds like a no brainer for Almonte to be placed on waivers as today’s roster move. We shall see.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I suspect Counsell/Hottovy will use the piggy-back extensively, with Taillon and Hendricks pitching as the "pig" (and with a very short leash) and some combo of Wicks, Brown, and Wesneski (whichever two do not start) as the "backers."  

    Keep in mind that Keegan Thompson has a minor league option available, and if Yency Almonte is not outrighted by 4/26 he cannot be sent to the minors without his consent after that date. Almonte is out of minor league options, so I am talking about him getting outrighted to the minors if he is not claimed off waivers, and if he is claimed off waivers, the Cubs save the pro-rated portion of his $1.9M salary, which helps lower the Cubs 2024 AAV.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Totally agree. The 26 man roster very rarely consists of the 13 best position players and 13 best pitchers.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Based on what Jed has done in the past, I’d say the plan is to

    -give Hendricks another few starts
    -give Taillon some runway ot get his season underway

    -Mix and match in the bullpen and see what sticks

    Jed usually doesn’t do a whole lot of waiver wire plays in-season, at least early in the season. He only reallly did that after he blew up the rosters in 21 and 22 because they needed bodies (guys like Schwindel, Fargas, etc).

    I think he’s a little handcuffed by a full 40 man in that he can’t really maneuver much with giving anyone showing ability at AAA (R Thompson/ Sanders/ Edwards etc). Brewer has the most tenuous grip there, and we will see what kind of chance he gets. Other than his spot, there isn’t a ton of 40 man wiggle room.

    I’m very curious to see what happens with Brown now that Taillon returns. Bullpen? Wicks to Iowa? 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Pro teams have to play their "big money" guys if they are healthy and not "locker room" issues.
    The Cubs wanted to deal JHey off well before they bought him out. They just didn't want to pay him to play for someone else for that long. Jed did give him 20+mil to play for LAD last yr.
    Jed might also let Kyle walk at some point this year. Similar scenario to JHey, except Jed thought Kyle was going to be good/solid in '24!!
    You'd think Smyly is in the same book as well. Same with Neris (he's a 1yr vet RP, so he's not really in this convo too much).
    That's ~35mil between those three and those three are going to get opportunities until at least late June) over younger guys even if their performance is "iffy".
    But, Jed is going to play Taillon a lot. They have to try and justify that contract and hope a veteran works out.
    So, Taillon, Imanaga, and Hendricks are locks for the rest of April and probably May.
    Assad, Brown and Wicks handle the last spots until Steele is ready.
    Now, you're question has real merit when Steele comes back. That will interesting if Brown is still good and Hendricks is still bad. But Taillon is entirely safe as long as he's healthy.

    And the bullpen moves were "money" based as well. Smyly has actually been okay. But he hasn't been clearly better than Little. Little had one bad outing. But Smyly makes 9mil. If they needed another RHRP and one of Little and Smyly had to go, it was going to Little. But that doesn't mean Smyly is one of the best 13 arms for the team. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: I think there was an issue with Luke Little coming into a game with men on base. He seems to need a "clean" inning to be dominant. So he is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AAA. Same goes for Michael Arias. He needs to come into a "clean" inning, and is a future closer and needs to be used in that role at AA. Porter Hodge is a more versatile pitcher, a better version of Keegan Thompson (multi-inning RP). But Little, Arias, and Hodge (probably in that order) are the Cubs top three RP prospects (all three are Cubs Top 15 prospects).

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    So, let’s do a little war gaming. Taillon is back for tonight’s game. He pitched two rehab games, just a few innings each, and not especially sharp. Let’s face it, he hasn’t been lights out since the Cubs gave him the big contract. In other words, as flat out bad as Hendricks has been, the chances of Taillon being the savior don’t look exactly promising.

    If Taillon is equally ineffective or perhaps even worse, what’s the next move? Winning teams can often find a way to work around a dud fifth starter - kinda. Two dud starters make things much more difficult.

    I believe the biggest reason for the recent bullpen moves was dissatisfaction with the recent blowing of big leads and the recognition that the bullpen wasn’t all it was thought to be. In other words, they are exploring alternate options and configurations. If similar juggling becomes necessary (even more so than it already is), what kind of reasonable maneuvering do we think could be explored?

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Cubdom needs to prepare themselves for Wicks to be sent to Iowa for Taillon to come up.
    Ben Brown has 4 appearances. Wicks has 4 appearances.
    Ben has 16.1 IP.  Wicks has 17 IP
    Ben was a 1.1 WHIP.  Wicks has a 1.7 WHIP. Wicks does have significantly more SOs. 
    Ben has been better, though.
    I love Wicks. I think he's a fighter and his stuff has improved.
    But, Jed isn't ditching Hendricks just yet. He should. But he won't.
    Hendricks should go to the IL and Taillon-Imanaga-Assad-Wicks-Brown should be the rotation.
    Wont' happen though.

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