Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

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

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

Last updated 4-12-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
* 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 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 3
Julian Merryweather, P
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

TCR Friday Notes

Submitted by Rob G. on

I'll ease back into TCR with some links...

- Geovany Soto will be back in the lineup tonight just in time for some Coors Field inflated hitting. Way to pick your spots Geo...

- A rather crucial 7-game swing here for the Cubs...4 at Colorado and then 3 at home versus Philly. The Rockies are a game behind the Giants in the wild card and one ahead of the Cubs. Pitching matchups for this weekend are: Zambrano vs U. Jimenez (3.76 ERA), Dempster vs. Marquis (3.49), Wells vs. Hammell (4.62) and Gorzelanny vs. De La Rosa (5.00 ERA, although 5-0 with a 2.50 ERA in July, but then got crushed in his first August start against Philly).

- Here's a great Dusty-ism, except it's from Hendry.

"I can't say enough about Hill," general manager Jim Hendry said. "He really saved us."

- Carlos Marmol leads all of baseball with a 8.48 BB/9 rate and at least 50 innings pitched (52 currently). I went back to 1995 and only found 2 other instances of a walk rate above 8 per nine innings and at least 50 innings pitched, John Rocker in 2000 (53 IP) and Stephen Randolph in 2004 (81.2 IP). Not a good career choice for Marmol...

When I think of control-challenged relievers that played for the Cubs, my mind always wanders to Mitch Williams. His career worst (using the 50 IP cut-off) was 7.79 BB/9 in 108.1 IP for the Rangers in 1987. In his 2 years with the Cubs, he walked 5.84 in 1989 (a career best) and 6.78 per nine innings.

- The Cubs signed their 6th round pick, LHP Brooks Raley to a $750K bonus, and inked their first 12 picks to date. The deadline is August 17th.

- Julio Castillo, the Cub farmhand that was indicted for throwing at a fan during a brawl last year, ended up getting 30 days of jail time and three years probation. As far as I know, he's still a member of the Cubs organization, although I'm sure Arizona Phil would know better.

-  Kevin Hart made his first start for the Pirates last night, going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs, 1 BB, 9 H, and 5 K's.

- Chad Gaudin has been traded from the Padres to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later...he could replace another ex-Cub in Sergio Mitre in the rotation.

Tags
Friday Notes

Comments

Submitted by Ryno on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:50 am

So the Cubs can't hit a sleepy 84 MPH Justin Lehr fastball, but they'll probably clobber Jimenez' 98 MPH fastball... What a silly game.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:30 pm

Yes, Julio "Animal" Castillo is still a member of the Cubs organization (he is technically on the Boise Reserve List). He was at Fitch Park throwing bullpen side-sessions & sim games for about three months before going to Dayton for the trial. What his ultimate future with the Cubs will be, I don't know, but he does throw in the mid-90's...

Castillo is the man-child from the jungles of Hispanola (near the Dominican Republic-Haiti border) who caught a rat at the Peoria Sports Complex a couple of years ago and kept the rodent as a pet in his motel room while he spent the summer pitching for the AZL Cubs.

Submitted by navigator on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:33 pm

I was surprised to see that Milton Bradley is on a pace to appear in 134 games this year. But, what are the chances? That would be the second highest total in his career (2004 - 141 is tops) and he averages 90-100 games per season. Time may be running out. Uncle Milty has appeared in 88 games already.

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:49 pm

Re Hill: I don't like watching him come to the plate either, but maybe catching is mostly about catching, and maybe there's more to catching than the usual stats. If a catcher has workable ideas about how to get a hitter out, it could show up in the final score. By my count, the Cubs are 55-30 in games that Hill has started, going back to 2007 when he took over for Michael Barrett. When you consider that Hill weakens the team's offense when he plays, it's even more remarkable. After 2007, people mostly dismissed Hill's team-related success as lucky timing, but now it has happened again.

[ ]

Submitted by big_lowitzki on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:00 pm

After 2007, people mostly dismissed Hill's team-related success as lucky timing, but now it has happened again. Who knew that, in addition to adding 5 mph to a pitcher's fastball, Koyie Hill would also make Soriano hit better, Bradley hit better, ARam get healthy, Fukudome to come out of his slump, etc? He really does have super powers, eh? The Cubs haven't been winning more games (since Soto went on the DL) because of Hill. They are winning games because they are scoring more runs. And Hill has had very, very little to do with that.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:55 pm

In addition to signing LHP-OF Brooks Raley (6th round pick out of Texas A&M) for Supplemental 1st round money (he received nearly $250K more than 2nd round pick D. J. LeMahieu got), the Cubs also recently signed left-handed hitting slugging catcher Sergio Burruel (19th round pick out of Trevor Browne HS - Phoenix, AZ) to an above-slot bonus, and Burruel made his pro debut (as DH) last night for the AZL Cubs (he walked and crushed a double in four PA).

LHP Aaron Kirk (3rd round pick out of Owasso HS - Owasso, OK) made his pro debut Wednesday night, threw one inning, and struck out the side. He has plus-velocity.

The Cubs have now signed 29 of their 50 selections from the 2009 Rule 4 Draft, including their first 12 picks and 14 of their top 15, although two of the players who signed (17th round pick RHP B. J. Dail and 23rd rounder OF Jeffrey Pruitt) subsequently had their contracts voided.  

The AZL season is over on August 28th but the Boise season doesn't end for another ten days after that, so expect several AZL Cubs to get promoted to Boise on August 29th.

[ ]

Submitted by The Real Neal on Sat, 08/08/2009 - 08:16 pm

That's a steal for Raley. A really impressive coup for the Cubs scouting department to get that guy. For about 2/3rds of the season he was the best pitcher in the country (though never the best prospect of course). Oh yeah, and he projects to be a Darrin Erstad type in center field and with the bat. Any word on what the Cubs are wanting to do with him, Phil? Or rather what he wants to do?

Submitted by Paul Noce on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:20 pm

The people at the Sporting News apparently don't follow baseball very closely. Their MLB home page has a picture of Carlos Zambrano and the blurb underneath reads: "Victor Zambrano and the Cubs try to figure out how to win on the road as they head to Colorado in a key series for both contenders. That's just one of several intriguing matchups this weekend, Ryan Fagan says." http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/ Update: it took them a few hours but they finally fixed it.

Submitted by Paul Noce on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:14 pm

Scary note for the Cubs: Of the next 31 games the Cardinals play, only 3 are against a team currently over .500 (Dodgers). CRAP

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:34 pm

Anyone want to take a flyer on the Giambino as a LH bat off the bench? He's only hitting .193 this year, but has 40 RBIs to go along with 11 HRs. Could he be this year's Jim Edmonds (although mostly as a PH)?

[ ]

Submitted by Paul Noce on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:51 pm

No thanks. He's an admitted steroid freak, and if you want to overlook that he can't play any position and he can't hit. So what value does he have? Why Oakland gave him almost $6 million guaranteed between this year and next year's buyout is beyond me. He sucks.

[ ]

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:32 pm

Giambi's dislikable? I always kinda figured him to be a fun, beer-drinking, party guy. Also, he grows one helluva mustache. Anyway, he doesn't really fit anywhere on the Cubs, but even at .193 he's got more RBIs than Bradley. Shit, just last year he hit 32 HRs and had an OPS+ of 128.

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:42 pm

file this under fun with the rule 5 draft: Pirates place Donald Veal back to the DL with a sprained left index finger file this under McFail ain't doin' us any favors: Gregg Zaun from the O's to the Rays for cash considerations file this under I'm selective when type and pasting: Brewers recalled RHP Jesus... (that outta help their pitching staff)

[ ]

Submitted by John Beasley on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:24 pm

Normally the Dodgers couldn't get anybody through waivers at this point, but in this case, I can see why nobody got in their way. Maybe the Mets? That's about my only reasonable guess, if they think he can really help them the next four years or whatever he has left.

[ ]

Submitted by Paul Noce on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:34 pm

I'll guess it's the Giants. But you can't count the Royals out, their GM seems to make some questionable financial moves as well, but the Giants are starved for offense and they talked about trading for Rios a while back.

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:10 pm

.. you don't have that problem with a robe --- can't be correct, wasn't he a lefty?

Submitted by Chad on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:32 pm

So the whole thing about Donald Veal and how the pirates might be stashing him on the dl (or not for that matter) made me think of something. Often a young player like David Patton may be coerced into playing along with a fake injury in order to stay with the team. If I'm him I would do the same, you get to stay on a first place team and have a future with a club like hte Cubs (in this case, i'm considering it a good thing). But let's take a guy like Donald Veal. He was Cub but then gets Rule 5'd to the Gulag. If they are trying to stash him even though he's not really hurt, couldn't he file a grievance with the union? (this presumes that he'd rather be a Cub, as of course anyone would)

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:12 pm

you'll be hard pressed to find a coach in highschool or college that would want a LH catcher...the curve stops there many times. from the "throwing to 3rd thing" to worries about RH hitters (way more of them than lefty hitters) being able to sneak signs easier...there's plenty of excuses to go around.

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:17 pm

.. you don't have that problem with a robe --- he can pitch, and catch all at the same time even with a catchers glove on his right hand. dos equis XX

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:23 pm

if that saw went any deeper, Koyie Hill might have been your most recent mlb left handed catcher...

[ ]

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:09 pm

I think it would be such a valuable skill to be an ambidextrous quarterback so you could roll out to either side and throw on the run. I hope this guy makes the majors. Would be really cool to watch.

Submitted by The E-Man on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:25 pm

The Hoff sent down to AAA, as some of you had desired, to make room for "Oblique-Man"

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 08:13 pm

Submitted by Cubster on Fri, 08/07/2009 - 1:42pm.
file this under fun with the rule 5 draft: Pirates place Donald Veal back to the DL with a sprained left index finger

===========================================

CUBSTER: Donald Veal has spent 85 days on the Pirates 25-man roster in 2009, so five more days on the Active Roster (and presumably he will be reactivated after rosters expand on 9/1) and the Rule 5 restrictions will be lifted for 2010, so that the Pirates can option Veal to the minors in 2010, 2011, and 2012 (if they wish).

David Patton has already spent 90+ days on the Cubs 25-man Active List in 2009, so he could just go home for the rest of the year because he has spent enough time on the Cubs 25-man roster for his Rule 5 restrictions to be lifted next season. (If a Rule 5 player spends less than 90 days on an MLB Active List in the season following selection in the Rule 5 Draft, the Rule 5 restrictions continue into the next season until the player has accrued 90 days of MLB Service Time).

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    i was blown away confused/pissed when it was announced the cubs were trading for y.almonte.

    i was thrilled when m.busch was announced as part of the trade.

    it's really weird to have the "you gotta take this payroll guy, too" (1.9m) part of the trade leak before the main piece.

    the cubs didn't get a deal given what they gave up, but i was very happy to have a guy like busch in the fold with so much club control.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Have to admit I was initially disappointed the Cubs traded away the upside of Jackson Ferris but Busch is making a believer out of me.  If I still lived in midwest guessing we would have invented some drink special named a Busch Bomb at the local drinking establishment to celebrate his homers.  

  • Cubster (view)

    per Tribune: Suzuki MRI results pending from yesterday so we should get a timetable for return later today.

  • crunch (view)

    suzuki says he injured his oblique running to 1st, not swinging.  okay.  it's gonna be that kind of 2024 cubs year, huh?

    i would say that's good news compared to screwing it up swinging, but i'm not familiar with the recovery time of people screwing up their oblique by running.

    right side is at least different from his left side oblique injury last year.

  • crunch (view)

    5 IN A ROW!

    hack wilson, ryne sandberg, sammy sosa, christopher morel, and michael busch.

  • Cubster (view)

    A bit more Jewish take on one of my favorite Cubs, Kenny Holtzman. His 9-0 season while serving in the National Guard and being available to pitch on weekends was one of my coolest teen recollections. 

    https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388554

  • Cubster (view)

    Suzuki out with oblique strain. Canario indeed is called up. No word on Morel so that might be a red herring (or a red digit).

    AZ lineup is posted but Counsell is always late to post his lineup.

  • crunch (view)

    You have to C it! (tm)

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Best hitter: IL with oblique strain

    Second best hitter: hasn’t looked the same since jamming his right hand during a swing

    Third best hitter: playing through a sore hammy

    Best pitcher: IL after one start 

    Second best RP: IL after 1.5 weeks

    Noice 

  • crunch (view)

    suzuki 10d IL.

    right oblique strain.  ow.  that's generally more than a 10d thing.

Click HERE for the last 50 comments