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, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-18-2024
 
* 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
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 
* Justin Steele, P   

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




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Vizcaino DFA'd

Submitted by Rob G. on

As had been rumored, the Cubs have gone and designated Luis Vizcaino for assignment and promoted Jeff Samardzija. Vizcaino has 72 hours to clear waivers and then the Cubs have 7 days to trade or release him. Vizcaino is owed $3.5M for 2009, some of which has already been paid by the Cubs, plus he had a $4M option for 2010 with a $500K buyout, which I believe the Cubs are still responsible for.

Muskat's article suggests that Jim Hendry was trying to deal Vizcaino - possibly to the Washington Nationals - but he was unable to finalize anything, so they decided to DFA him instead. Which makes me ask, what's the fucking rush? A Trib article that Cubnut linked to in the previous post  that I can't seem to get to work now, suggested Vizcaino got in Lou's doghouse by showing up late on Opening Day, but that's hardly enough to burn $4M. As far as I know, Jeff Samardzija bobblehead day wasn't scheduled yet, so I don't know why he needed to be called up by April 23rd at the expense of Vizcaino. And you know, Vizcaino hasn't sucked so far, say like one Neal Cotts. A matter of fact, you could say he's been good with 3.2 IP, 3 K's, 0 BB's and 0 ER. And let's not even get into the Cubs burning over $5M between Vizcaino and Gaudin (if they don't find someone to take Vizcaino's contract) and then crying poor all offseason on why they didn't want to resign Kerry Wood and had to move Mark DeRosa and Jason Marquis.

But, the Cubs and Hendry have 10 days still to do something with Vizcaino so I'll save flying off the handle until the final end game is clear, but at the moment this series of moves sure looks like some of the most serious roster blundering since the day they resigned Neifi Perez.

 

The other bit of news is that Milton Bradley will sit until he's 100% and when he comes back he'll be batting 6th in the lineup. Anyone who watched the game last night could see that Bradley was still favoring his groin, so probably the right move, although the Cubs probably should have just DL'd him from the beginning to start saving themselves from that third year option that is contingent on days on the disabled list. With Bradley struggling and Micah Hoffpauir hitting, probably not a big deal in the short term. I'll be curious how this will affect the lineup though.

 

Tags
Cubs Roster Moves
Jeff Samardzija
Luis Vizcaino

Comments

Submitted by Charlie on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:20 pm

Interesting lineup change today. Fukudome, the hot hand, gets to bat 3rd, and Theriot and his .400+ OBP bumps all the way from 8th to 2nd. Soriano Theriot Fukudome Lee Ramirez Hoffpauir Soto Fontenot Zambrano Hopefully we get effective Zambrano today.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:27 pm

Taveras, Dickerson, Votto, Encarnacion, Bruce, Phillips, Hernandez, Gonzalez, Harang for the Reds

Shouldn't Soto get a day off today?

Lou said Bradley would bat 6th on his return, so I'm guessing he just slots where Hoffpauir is hitting and that'll be the lineup for awhile.

Submitted by Cubnut on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:20 pm

Have to wonder if any DL decisions regarding Bradley, now or in the future, automatically become contentious because of their potential impact on that option year. Not saying Bradley would necessarily raise a stink, but I'm sure his agent would be on the phone if Bradley felt he could tough it out and the Cubs wanted to DL him anyway.

This afternoon's lineup by way of Wittenmyer/Twitter: sori, riot, fuku, lee, rami, hoffp, soto, font, z

 

Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:20 pm

DL'ing monopoly guy seems to be the popular move, but I disagree. All you gain by DL'ing him is a roster spot so you can bring up some scrub from Iowa. I say let him sit day-to-day, who knows, maybe he'll clobber a game winner one of these days. Plus, it would be a good time for him to serve his 2-game suspension as long as he's active. And the Cubs, geesh, throwing money around like Timothy Geithner. Still Vizcaino represents the past, Samardjiza is the future... ... yea that was sarcasm.

Submitted by navigator on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:22 pm

"Bradley was unavailable after Piniella's remarks. A Cubs spokesman said Bradley had no comment" -- Sullivan Apparently Milton missed the part of Lou's nice chat where he suggested MB talk to the media.

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Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:25 pm

I guess he should just do his thing and talk to the media, but to be honest, I don't really give a shit if he does or not. He's a ball player, not the mayor. I think the media thing is blown out of proportion.

Submitted by blibli5 on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:29 pm

So now it looks like, what, we got zippo for Marquis except giving away millions to a guy who won't be around for even one month? Man, I know a lot of people felt Marquis was nothing but he was not all that bad as a # 5 starter. Hendry obviously has had the touch with some moves but this has to rank as one of his top ten worse moves.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:45 pm

if a deal can't be worked out in the 10-day window, the Cubs will be on the hook for Vizcaino's salary minus whatever he signs for with another team (chances are the league minimum). If that's how it goes down, the Cubs will have saved a grand total of $1M plus the pro-rated league minimum on the deal.

[ ]

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:20 pm

technically it's $9.875 for Marquis and $875K to the Rockies plus the $4M they owe Vizcaino, but still $5M in savings on the deal.

But you're right, I was assuming they'd need to spend money to replace Vizcaino, but at the moment, it's on someone they're already paying.

Submitted by Thisistheyear on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:47 pm

Wasn't there talk of giving Soriano and Theriot the day off today? At least Soto, day game after a night game.

Submitted by billybucks on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:58 pm

Top ten favorite memories from the Luis Vizcaino era? So many to choose from, it's hard to know where to start. Beyond bizarre. Cotts has been a disaster (but not a surprise), they send Shark to Iowa to stretch out as a starter, Vizcaino has a 0.00 ERA --- so the logical move in April is to cut Vizcaino and move Shark to middle relief, where he will get inconsistent work, and keep Cotts because any lefty is a good lefty. Oh, I get it. No, wait, I don't.

[ ]

Submitted by John Beasley on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:43 pm

Are you really surprised? He showed up out of shape and seemingly out of touch with his role on the team. We're talking about a guy who's been inconsistent his entire career. I wish we had the cash to just work him into a platoon situation so they can try to give him some months off here and there..

Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:41 pm

Lordy, they're talking about the bat issue again... geez... Probably because of the ump who got smacked with the bat and had to be taken to the hospital. Well if it was anything like the umps we've seen in the past week or so he probably got hit with the bat because his eyes were closed or he was drunk or something. Bleh... Want a safe sport? Go golf.

Submitted by mannytrillo on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:57 pm

Is today April Fools Day? I mean Hendry can't be serious can he? I know, I know I hate Hendry so anything I say is biased. But when he does stupid shit like this it is obvious why so many people don't like him as a GM. He releases a guy who has a 0.00 ERA making $3.5MM while keeping a guy who has a 3.33 WHIP and .354 BAA only making $1.1MM. Why cry poor the past 6 months, but then throw like $10MM down the shitter releasing/trading players? This seriously makes ZERO sense. There has to be some part of the story we are not hearing as it makes no sense to release Vizcaino over Cotts. What a fucking joke!!!

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Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:19 pm

Len and Bob alluded to some "tardiness issues" during the telecast today, which leads me to believe it wasn't a one time thing on opening day. Seems like the Cubs are trying to go the ATL route and make sure everyone in the organization does things the right way (although signing MB would seem to contradict that theory). Anyway, all of these issues will become insignificant once half our starting lineup gets out of their current slumps (Bradley, Soto, Fontenot, Lee).

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:43 pm

The Cubs are almost unbearable to watch right now.

Submitted by Rob Richardson on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:58 pm

Did Theriot get thrown out on a strike steal or a botched hit and run?

[ ]

Submitted by WISCGRAD on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:02 pm

Straight steal, he had a great jump and had it stolen if not for the fact that it ended up being a high fastball on Hernandez's throwing side. He was standing up to catch it and then threw a perfectly placed ball to second. Any other pitch he would have been safe. But it was a total rally killer regardless.

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:22 pm

Wow, Neal Cotts is a fucking bum. Can we just throw at Votto's head every time he's up? The dude kills us.

Submitted by mannytrillo on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:23 pm

Cotts just gave up HR to Votto...HA HA HA HA HA Neal FUCKING Cotts Amazing...Absolutely...Amazing!!!

Submitted by navigator on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:29 pm

I see Vizcaino is available. Maybe Hendry can deal Cotts for him....

Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:29 pm

I think The Joe was kidding, but it's true, I'd rather see Cotts make the guy earn runs over walking them on base. Of course better yet, I'd prefer to just not see Cotts pitch at all. I'm willing to cut him some slack, though, because he's white.

Submitted by Jace on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:52 pm

Yeah, sure is great to have this guy back... More gas for the fire!!!

Submitted by mannytrillo on Thu, 04/23/2009 - 04:56 pm

You really can't make this shit up. The Cubs decide to release Vizcaino, keep Cotts and bring up Samardick. Cotts gives up a HR to a lefty and Samardick gives up 4 hits and 2 runs in an inning. And sometimes I wonder why this organization hasn't won a title in 101 years now.

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    happ, right hamstring tightness, day-to-day (hopefully 0 days).

    he will be reevaluated tomorrow.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I guess I'm not looking for that type of AB 

    Just a difference of opinion

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    I don’t see Tauchman as a weak link in any position. He simply adds his value in a different way.

    I don’t know that we gain much by putting him in the outfield - Happ, Bellinger and Suzuki and Tauchman all field their positions well. If you’re looking for Taucnman’s kind of AB in a particular game I don’t see why it can’t come from DH.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Tauchman gets a pinch hit RBI single with a liner to RF. This is his spot. He's a solid 4th OF. But he isn't a DH. 

    He takes pitches. Useful. I still believe in having good hitters.

    You don't want your DH to be your weak link (other than your C maybe)

  • crunch (view)

    bit of a hot take here, but i'm gonna say it.

    the 2024 marlins don't seem to be good at doing baseballs.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Phil, will the call up for a double header restart that 15 days on assignment for a pitcher? Like will wesneski’s 15 days start yesterday, or if he’s the 27th man, will that mean 15 days from tomorrow?

    I hope that makes sense. It sounds clearer in my head.

  • Charlie (view)

    Tauchman obviously brings value to the roster as a 4th outfielder who can and should play frequently. Him appearing frequently at DH indicated that the team lacks a valuable DH. 

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Totally onboard with your thoughts concerning today’s lineup. Not sure about your take on Tauchman though.

    The guy typically doesn’t pound the ball out out of the park, and his BA is quite unimpressive. But he brings something unique to the table that the undisciplined batters of the past didn’t. He always provides a quality at bat and he makes the opposing pitcher work because he has a great eye for the zone and protects the plate with two strikes exceptionally well. In addition to making him a base runner more often than it seems through his walks, that kind of at bat wears a pitcher down both mentally and physically so that the other guys who may hit the ball harder are more apt to take advantage of subsequent mistakes and do their damage.

    I can’t remember a time when the Cubs valued this kind of contribution but this year they have a couple of guys doing it, with Happ being the other. It doesn’t make for gaudy stats but it definitely contributes to winning ball games. I do believe that’s why Tauchman has garnered so much playing time.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Miles Mastrobuoni cannot be recalled until he has spent at least ten days on optional assignment, unless he is recalled to replace a position player who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And for a pitcher it's 15 days on optional assignment before he can be recalled, unless he is replacing a pitcher who is placed on an MLB inactive list (IL, Paternity, or Bereavement / Family Medical). 

     

    And a pitcher (or a position player, but almost always it's a pitcher) can be recalled as the 27th man for a doubleheader regardless of how many days he has been on optional assignment, but then he must be sent back down again the next day. 

     

    That's why the Cubs had to wait as long as they did to send Jose Cuas down and recall Keegan Thompson. Thompson needed to spend the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he could be recalled (and he spent EXACTLY the first 15 days of the MLB regular season on optional assignment before he was recalled). 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Indeed they do TJW!

    For the record I’m not in favor of solely building a team through paying big to free agents. But I’m also of the mind that when you develop really good players, get them signed to extensions that buy out a couple years of free agency, including with team options. And supplement the home grown players with free agent splashes or using excess prospects to trade for stars under team control for a few years. Sort of what Atlanta does, basically. Everyone talks about the dodgers but I feel that Atlanta is the peak organization at the current moment.

    That said, the constant roster churn is very Rays- ish. What they do is incredible, but it’s extremely hard to do which is why they’re the only ones frequently successful that employ that strategy. I definitely do not want to see a large market team like ours follow that model closely. But I don’t think free agent frenzies is always the answer. It’s really only the Dodgers that play in that realm. I could see an argument for the Mets too. The Yankees don’t really operate like that anymore since the elder Steinbrenner passed. Though I would say the reigning champions built a good deal of that team through free agent spending.

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