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

That's What You Get For Having Two First Names

Kevin Gregg has been relieved of closing duties according to Lou Piniella.

"I think we're going to make some changes as far as what we're going to do in late innings," Piniella said. "We'll have some more tomorrow."

That "more" will either be Carlos Marmol or Angel Guzman most likely, and I'm sure Lou will go with experience and name Marmol the new closer. Instead of losing by home runs, it'll be by walking in runs. I know I feel better.

The Cardinals won last night leaving the Cubs six back in the division. You might as well kiss that train good-bye. Never say never and all, but it would take a NY Mets-like collapse at this point and I don't see it happening. Of course, I doubt the Mets did either. The Braves and Giants won and the Cubs dropped a half game to the idol Rockies leaving them four back and in 5th place in the wild card. What's the August equivelant of June Swoon? August Ambivelance?

Comments

When you fucking walk David-fucking-Eckstein you absolutley get what you deserve. Gregg should be DFAed; he does nothing for us in a set-up role and we clearly should have no interest in bringing him back at any price / role next season. Maybe someone will claim him and we'll at least get the salary relief the rest of the season. I know the 2005 Cubs are supposed to be the baseline for team hate, but this squad is certainly up there. Soriano goes without need for comment, but between Gregg's ridiculous comments about becoming a "premier closer" this year in Spring Training, Miles' general ineptitude, and Lou's clueless management this has been a miserable season to say the least. For a team that should have clearly been out-of-sight of the competition in the division race at the AS break, they really have found a creative bunch of ways to basically throw the season away.

giving credit to little cubster for this rant... Problem: Lou giving his roster rest when it's not needed. Why does he take Jeff Baker out of the lineup when his bat clearly has heated up and after they had a sunday rain-out? Result: Fontenot left 7 men on base. Doink.

Who was it that wrote the article about Zambrano and kept using the word "we" to our annoyance? I ask because I came across an amusing Mark Twain quote today... "Only the president, editors, and people with tapeworm have the right to use the editorial 'we'." Mark Twain I lol'ed.

~cue "My Way" playing in background~ So we have arrived to the point of the season where even our Cubbie blinders can no longer block the sun like brightness of the shiny turd that is the Cubs 2009 season. We can be thankful that they have not dragged us to the final week like their doppleganger the 2004 Cubs, great on paper terrible in practice. If the Ricketts family can do one thing when they take over this team in 2013(hopefully) they will blow up every aspect of this organization from Crain Kenney down to the beer vendor who would not sell me a beer back in June in the sixth inning.(Overserved my ass) Screw Hendry Screw Lou Screw Soriano Screw Z Screw Bradley Screw Miles Screw Esther Screw Heilmann Screw Rothschild Screw Farney And most importantly, let us not forget screw Michael Barrett. As I fall from the ledge and I look up to the sky,I'm hoping some day this team will reward us. And with this faith I hope before I crash through the pavement that my fat ass crushes Kevin Gregg or one of his relatives. See ya in the funny pages. Peace and Chicken Grease.

Who is surprised that: - Gregg, who led the league in blown saves last year, has blown a lot of saves this year? - Bradley, who has a history of being a selfish prick, is a selfish prick? - Fontentot, who has never been an everyday player, sucks as an everyday player? He reminds me of a backup NBA center who gets 3 rebounds per game in 10 minutes against the other team's backup, and some team signs him expecting 12 rebounds per game in 40 minutes. Who, other than Hendry, is really surpised? The injuries and Sori/Marmol/Soto (when healthy) have been surprises, but the 3 above were easily foreseen. Lee, K-Fuk and Theriot are about as expected.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

I actually think Lee, K-Fuk, and Theriot have exceeded expectations this year (although Theriot's OPS+ is still only 96). Unfortunately, everyone else you mentioned has performed so far below expectations that we find ourselves in this predicament. Also, our best player has missed a huge chunk of the season. That never helps. What really sucks is the only places we can really improve in the offseason are the bullpen and 2B. Those would certainly help, but we're essentially stuck (either by contract or choice)at the positions where an upgrade would really help (RF, LF, C, Ace SP).

What really sucks is the only places we can really improve in the offseason are the bullpen and 2B. --- a new owner asap would be nice, I know it's a cliche but change starts at the top.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

Ryno, I know you said "spare me the stats," but I'm going to give them to you anyway because I'd love to help support your point. Bradley has managed a 104 OPS+ this year, so he's essentially a league-average hitter. That wouldn't be so bad if he weren't: 1) Playing a premium offensive position 2) Injury prone 3) A misanthrope who never fails to play the victim We all have different thresholds of tolerance for these things, but for me, I need an OPS+ of at least 135 to put up with all the bullshit he brings to the table. Edit: One more thing - he's getting out-slugged by Ryan Theriot. Should we add Bradley to the Scrap Pack?

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

Ah, love the reference. What a program, with its cutting-edge 'animation' - real mouths superimposed over static drawn faces. (Cue the music for the Kinks' song "Low Budget") Except for the motion of the creepy mouths, the drawn portion changes at about a 5 seconds per frame rate. Makes South Park look like a frickin' Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) animation festival. I showed my teen-aged kids about 3 minutes of a Clutch Cargo episode on YouTube. They were so repelled by the images that I can get my way now just by threatening to show it to them again.

Yikes, it occurs to me that without Gregg's 6 blown saves, the Cubs are tied for first and ahead in the loss column. Sure, you very rarely find a perfect closer, but it just goes to show you how important a good closer is.

but it just goes to show you how important a good closer is. --- I agree, the Phils rode Lidge's perfect season to the WS last year and Ryan Franklin is 30 out of 32 for saves this year. These blown saves are tough on the psyche of everyone involved... especially me.

Probably stuck this offseason. If it were me I'd. Offer arbitration to Harden Grabow DFA Miles Get Aramis' shoulder fixed RIGHT NOW rather than letting it linger into 2010 Look for some scrapheap options to invite to camp for middle relief and middle infield. Collect the draft picks and spend HEAVILY on the draft and in Latin America next summer. This roster is probably still good enough to win 85-90 games next year with the current cast. But the window is closing and it's time to add some assets to the ML system. If not were going to look like Baltimore post 1997. They haven't won anything since.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

I 100% agree on offering arbitration to those two guys, but it's just not Hendry's MO. You can't offer Harden a 4-5 year deal, but it would be awful to lose him for nothing. The risk of getting him back on a 1 year deal for $10 million (my very rough guess as to how much he'd get in arb) isn't so bad. If he doesn't accept, then we at least get something for him in the draft. I assume Hendry will work out a deal with Grabow before it ever gets to arbitration. If Miles is on the Cubs next year, I swear I'm going to get some wire cutters, sneak in through the knothole, and drop a big, fat turd on home plate.

Submitted by Ryno on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 7:48am.
I don't think you gain much by replacing the closer at this point.

The Cubs don't catch the St. Louis Cardinals in September.

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

RYNO: Even if the Cubs are out of contention for both the N. L. Central crown and the Wild Card (and I don't think they are... at least not quite yet, anyway), what the Cubs would gain by replacing Kevin Gregg with Angel Guzman (for instance) now would be an opportunity to find out if Gooz has the chops to pitch the 9th.

Guzman does have the lowest OPP OPS among Cubs relievers, and he would probably be the one reliever now on the staff who would give Uncle Lou the least stomach upset in preparation for the post-game meal.

Personally, I believe Guzman does have the personality, temperament  and stuff needed to be a closer, but I would be concerned about whether he is durable enough to pitch two or three days in a row without losing something off his stuff on the second and third day.

Or depending on whether he has cleared waivers or can clear waivers (and the Cubs are now in a position to win a waiver claim on just about anybody they want, since there aren't many contending teams behind them in the standings), Padres closer Heath Bell could be a Cubs trade target. It would probably cost the Cubs two of their Top 5 prospects (Cashner, Vitters, J. Jackson, Castro, and/or Carpenter) plus an MLB-ready reliever (somebody like Jeff Stevens), but Hendry just might be willing to pull the trigger on such a deal because the Cubs would be getting a proven MLB closer not only for 2009, but also for 2010 and 2011 (Bell can't be a FA until after the 2011 season).

Hendry has shown he's not shy about trading prospects for more-established guys, especially if he can control the player he gets beyond just the season he makes the trade.

Submitted by Doug Dascenzo on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 12:53pm.
If Miles is on the Cubs next year, I swear I'm going to get some wire cutters, sneak in through the knothole, and drop a big, fat turd on home plate.

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

DOUG D: I don't want to get your hopes up, but Andres Blanco is eligible to come off the DL today (he's been on a minor league rehab at Iowa for several days), and so the Cubs could DFA Aaron Miles and reactivate Blanco without having play without a back-up SS. Not that Blanco is any kind of a difference-maker, but at least he's not Miles. .

Presuming Miles were to get DFA's and then get released and then sign with another club (like STL) for the pro-rated MLB minimum, the Cubs would be on the hook for his entire remaining salary covering the rest of the season plus next year minus the pro-rated MLB minimum salary, meaning the Cubs would have to pay Miles about $3M to go away (and they have done that before, most recently with Luis Vizcaino earlier this season), while saving about $500K in payroll that they currently have allocated to Miles over the next couple of years, and that $500K would pay Andres Blanco's salary next season (presuming Blanco remains with the team next year).

It does seem like the Cubs lose whenever Aaron Miles is on the Active Roster. I'm not saying he's bad luck, but it's kind of like in Poltergeist II whenever that preacher (Reverend Kane) comes around and it immediately starts raining. The main difference is, Julian Beck (who played Kane) was terminally ill with cancer when he made the movie (and he looked like it, too), whereas Miles is a cancer.  

Perhaps we forget that as one of the "Golden Young Arms" with great potential, Gooz has been on the DL like every year in his career (using exaggeration, Real Neal). As stated above- isn't durability a concern?

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

Mathematically it's not over, but the likelihood they pull this off now is extremely small and getting smaller every day.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

I'd be all for trying Gooz as the closer, but that's really just robbing Peter to pay Paul since we'd be losing one of our only effective setup guys, and presumably replacing him with Kevin "The Goggled Howry" Gregg. Anyway, we've all known in our hearts since sometime in May that this team wasn't going to do it this year. At this point, I'd rather Lou find out who should be a part of next year's team than keep trotting the same guys out there on their inevitable march toward a .500 season. Fuck it, let's see if Fox can play 2B. Let's see what Fuld does as the regular CFer and move Fuku back to RF. Shut down Aramis before he does any more damage to his shoulder.

The season's over and has been for weeks. This team has no consistency other than sucking and bad fundamentals. I didn't like trading for Gregg last offseason, but if he's going to be held accountable for blowing so many saves lately, why isn't Hendry being held accountable for adding Gregg and the other horrible moves? Hendry should be fired now, not after the season.

Submitted by The E-Man on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 1:22pm.

Perhaps we forget that as one of the "Golden Young Arms" with great potential, Gooz has been on the DL like every year in his career (using exaggeration, Real Neal). As stated above- isn't durability a concern?

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

E-MAN: Without looking up the stats, it seems like Angel Guzman is at his best throwing every-other day or maybe every third day, although when he does that he can throw two innings per appearance. While that work pattern does have value and Gooz has helped the Cubs this year (a lot), unfortunately closers often have to throw two or three or sometimes even four days in a row, and be just as good on the last day as the first day.

Carlos Marmol probably benefits by throwing more often (but only one inning at a time), so it's possible he would be better suited than Guzman to be a closer, but not if he can't keep from walking (and hitting) the world.

It's kind of a dilemma.

So I think Hendry will probably try to make a deal for a closer, and (presuming he is available and has cleared waivers or can clear waivers) Heath Bell would probably be the best bet among the closers on the also-rans, even if the Cubs have to pay a heavy price to get him.

Or if the Cubs want to go more cut-rate, Diamondbacks closer Chad Qualls is probably available, and he won't be a FA until after next season. Except  he's not that much of an upgrade over Gregg, although Qualls does (like Gregg) throw strikes but (unlike Gregg) he doesn't give up the long-ball as much (but then nobody does).

Reds closer Francisco Cordero is probably available, too, but he's scheduled to make $12M in both 2010 and 2011, plus a $12M club option (or $1M buy-out) in 2012. And if Hendry wouldn't give Kerry Wood that kind of money long-term, I doubt that he'd be interested in acquiring Cordero, either 

I wouldn't waist any decent prospects on a closer for this year. This year is over, we shouldn't get desperate to try and salvage it. As for Harden, there a lot of stupid teams out there, but I don't think anyone will give him a 3 plus year deal. Maybe we can get him with a low base and incentives. If he likes being here, he may be interested, but he probably would have to go through free agency to see what market he has.

Marmol just needs to work on his walks, other than that his pitching is fantastic. Remember he is young in pitching years, he was a former catcher. Marmol can strike out people, doesn't give up alot of hits and keeps the ball in the park. Since 2007 hitters have only batted like .150 against him.

Mathematically the season's not over (though it's pretty close), but considering how hapless the Cubs have been all season long (particularly of late) and how strong the Cardinals have looked (again, of late especially, then, well, yes ... it's over. I've always been one of the stronger Hendry supporters around here, but I've about had it. I understand he's been pretty handcuffed with the ownership situation, but he made this bed, damnit, and it's his own fault if it's no fun to sleep in. Sinking so much payroll into a middling offense is just not any kind of recipe for success. And, truth be told, he's really not done anything close to a decent job in building or rebuilding the farm system as GM. That's not to even mention his ridiculous method of roster and prospect management. So, after long advocating restraint, I can't back Hendry anymore. Although I think he had some good ideas (and some terrible ones), it's time for him to go. Unfortunately, it likely will be 2013 before Ricketts gets ahold of this team.

I think the Cardinals planted Miles on our team to be a spy and destroy our chances... I think Lou screwed up last night by keeping Fox in left and not doing a double switch when Fuld pinch hit. Fuld may have caught that ball... Guzman has given up 6 dingers in the same amount of innings as Gregg. You know the Cubs aren't giving up on the season-they're getting everyone back for their September push. They won't make it and we all know it but I don't see them white flagging it just yet.

Recent comments

  • 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).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.