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

The Untouchables

The Yankees get Curtis Granderson, the White Sox land Jake Peavy, the Cardinals traded for Matt Holliday, the Phillies are in on Roy Halladay, the Mets acquired Johan Santana and Cubs fans get....

(Click on the image for the full size version)

This was all Real Neal's idea, I just cleaned up the Photoshop. Happy weekend everyone!

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

The idea was actually inspired by a comment 'Chuck' made this week. And Rob's taking too little credit, I sent him a MS Paint thing I threw together in 10 minutes on lunch break - with none of the editing. I think it's very nicely done.

Again no time to read, but am i the only one so pissed i can't see straight that NOTHING happened at the meetings??

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Well if the Cubs are only willing to pay 4-5 million they got laughed out of any serious meeting about trading Bradley. If they really want to move him, they are delusional in thinking that people actually want Bradleys lovely attitude, Iron-Man like playing ability, and all-star numbers. No one is gonna touch Bradley with a ten foot pole unless the Cubs make it a non-risk for a franchise. Because his new team will want to be able to cut Bradley at anytime and owe him nothing. The Cubs paid for the risk, and they will pay for that risk to another team.

[ ]

In reply to by MikeC

well that 4-5m isn't just some "you pay all of this, give me prospects"...they're probably willing to take on someone else's overpriced junk to help reach that 4-5m mark. they'll probably have to cough up 6-7m, though...working it in around that 7m a year mark for the team taking on bradley.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I'd be willing to leave my wife and kids and head down to Chicago to be Bradley's best friend for 6 months if that's what it will take. I'll hold his hand, coddle him and tell him what he wants to hear. Any butt-sex will have to be done by another TCR regular, though. Any volunteers? Seriously, these are all grown-ass men. Let's let bygones be bygones and have Bradley out in RF next season. It will have been 6 months by Spring Training, so why can't we just call it growing pains and work this out? I think it beats trading for some piece of crap like Carlos Silva, who is not going to help us ever. Everyone needs to get in a room, suck it up and apologize, and see if we can mend fences. Perhaps if we don't look so absolutely desperate to move Bradley, someone will have a tad more to offer. I hate being an eternal optimist...

[ ]

In reply to by Ahone Ahtwo Ahthree

hell, i wouldn't mind him staying. a lot of fans probably won't, though. that's a huge problem with shifting him. bradley lets people get to him and the fans seem to love trying to get to him. guy put in one hell of a home performance last season only to get his ass ridden like it more important than the game on the field. manny can "be manny" in BOS/LA with people bitching at him because he could care less. bradley for some f'n reason does care. that's why bradley can probably never play in BOS/NYY/NYM and a few other teams for starters...not to mention the other teams he wore out his welcome with. hendry seems to really want to work something out where he can shift bradley and put a somewhat comparable player on the field. he needs the loot to do it. whatever...meh.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Again Crunch, it's not like fans don't see the absolute craptastic season he had on the road. baseball-reference's comps to Bradley? Jeffrey Hammonds Ivan Calderon Ben Grieve Marty Cordova Ellis Valentine Ron Northey Todd Hollandsworth...BWHAAAHAAAAAAAA!!! Alexis Rios Eric Byrnes Chet Laabs Fans were quick to jump on him, and yes, unfairly at times. However, Bradley stunk. Period.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

What I'm hearing, Crunch, is that Jimbo is going to have to eat the balance of what Bradley is owed. TB wants the Cubs to take Burrell and send the difference to them for 2011. That's pretty much any other trade partners will also demand.

[ ]

In reply to by artskoe

Jeez guys. Pitchers and Catchers (and injured players) are allowed to report on February 18th. Since it's December 12th today, that is more like TWO months, not three! It's about 65-70 days depending on what date the Cubs specifically pick.

LOU LOU LOU!! You can reform, redo, reconcile and push the reset button for MB. Lou, start now, call him and meet with him, you and Rudy. SHOW the baseball world you are a WORLD CLASS manager, a WORLD CLASS organization and OUR guy is capable of Comeback player of the year. I beg you, LOU...we all knew you would not be another Dusty. We have faith in you LOU. Make love to Mrs Lou, and after, while you are smiling...give Milton a call. Gravitas, Lou. You are strong. You are the Notre Dame Kelly of da Cubbies. If Lou can't do it, nobody can. Have some Juicy Fruit, watch "It Happens Every Spring" and help him become an all-star, MVP, and Dempster's roomie on the road. We truly Love you, Father Lou. Put the WGN booth in RF so no one can shout bad things to Milt. Come up with a new nickname for him: Brad, or just call him by his number, like Ocho Cinco. SELL him on his On Base Percentage. It's gonna happen. I can feel it, Lou. You can do eet...We love you, Lou. L-o-v-e, it's a wonderful thing. Love, Pollyanna

Apparently the Padres are giving away Kevin Corriea this weekend. Hendry should get in on that to add his bullpen arm or 4th starter.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=4734430 I don't care if he never gets hurt for the rest of his career. This guy cannot throw 200 innings in a season when it takes him 20 pitches to go through an average inning. Obviously has great stuff, but all this talk about him becoming Texas' ace in a joke, in my mind. The dude got up for 26 games last year and only logged more than 6 IP on five occasions. Nevermind the injuries, THIS is why he can never be an ace.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

If I was Harden I'd look into seeing if there was a way to condition myself into being a closer (although the walks are a problem for closers). I read somewhere it takes him about 12 hours to warm up for a start so he'd need to figure out a way to fix that. The guy was fun to watch when he had a good game, especially the year before last, but it was frustrating seeing his name in there and knowing he'd go six on a good day.

[ ]

In reply to by artskoe

There was a great article going over how the Texas pitching coach and Nolan Ryan don't believe in pitch counts, and how pitchers today are babied more. They have set out to condition their top prospects and make their pitchers work deeper into games. I think at the time of the article Texas was leading teams in average IP by their starters, and complete games. And Harden will likely be put into that system to make him more durable. Nolan Ryan and Maddux will be drooling over testing their philosophy of creating more resilent pitchers on him.

Calling somebody untouchable is a marketing ploy. Saltalamacchia was untouchable until they traded him. The Braves knew what they were doing, too, just as the Yankees probably did with Austin Jackson. In theory, it's the player's own organization that understands his strengths and weaknesses. The Cards traded supposedly their best prospect for Holliday, but he was a marginal third baseman who will probably have to get in a long line to play left field somewhere, just like the guy the Brewers traded for Sabathia. I don't recall the Cubs turning down offers for Samardzija. Untouched is not the same as untouchable. Nor as far as I know did the Cubs refuse to trade Cashner for Granderson. If Cashner is considered untouchable right now, he won't be for long if he doesn't start missing more bats. But the Cubs should pretend he's untouchable for as long as they can get away with it. Four or five Cubs should be untouchable because of their youth: Castro, Lee, both Jacksons and LeMahieu. You just don't know what you have yet. You don't sell a stock when it is rising every day. edit: I would also hang on to Vitters for a while, since Wilken doesn't draft too many 40-HR types.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Samardzija has a NTC - when they gave him that, it essentially made him "untouchable". The Cubs wouldn't trade Vitters in the Peavy deal, Hill for Tejada, Pie for Santana or Castro for Granderson. It's rumors that you hear from sportswriters that label players "untouchable", it's not a marketing ploy. Explain how excluding Vitters fro a Peavy trade made the Cubs money.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Hill for Tejada: I remember Prior for Tejada, and I find this from late December 2005:
According to reports on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Bruce Levine is reporting the trade that would send Mark Prior, Corey Patterson and Rich Hill to the Orioles for Miguel Tejada is on the table and the Cubs are waiting for a reply from the Orioles.
It's true that leading up to the 2008 season, the Cubs did not want to trade Hill, but he was going to be in the starting rotation. Pie for Santana: That's a new one on me. I'd like to see a mention of a trade for Santana that the Cubs nixed because of Pie. There are some vague rumors in November '07. Pie hit .215 for Piniella in '07. He did start the following season in center but didn't last long. Maybe Pie was untouchable a year or two earlier than that, but the Cubs needed a CF--they still do--and they thought he was ready. Summing up: Pie and Hill were untouchable in the brief period when trading them would have opened a hole in the active roster. Samardzija was untouchable in the sense of having an NTC--maybe a prerequisite for signing him--but not in the sense of anybody else wanting him or trying to pry him away from the Cubs. Castro should be untouchable. The Cubs need a shortstop. Trade Castro if you think Lee will be better, but it will be at least another season before you can come to a firm opinion about Lee. Trade the lesser of two guys when you have duplicates, like the Braves with McCann and Saltalamacchia. As for Vitters, like I said, he's the only power prospect in the org. Wilken doesn't like to draft 1B-LF-DH types, and there aren't too many power prospects up the middle.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

I don't recall anything about Santana and Pie, my recollection was the Cubs didn't pursue it much because they thought Santana wanted spring training in Florida. Pie did hold up the Brian Roberts deal though.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

So, summing up, everyone in the picture was untouchable with the possible exception of Cashner - but in Cashner's case the first off-season he's eligible for being traded on the Cubs aren't looking to take on payroll. It was the Orioles insistence on including Hill that killed the Tejada/Bedard trade, regardless of what Levine says.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

My recollection, for what it's worth, is that it was originally Prior for Tejada. The Orioles asked for Hill, the Cubs said fine, throw in Bedard. The O's said no. (That more or less agrees with Levine.) Rob is right, though, that the Cubs could have had Roberts if they were willing to include Pie in the deal. That would have been a good trade, obviously. I was opposed to it at the time. In retrospect, for an untouchable, Pie was always high-maintenance. He always had dedicated hitting coaches, baserunning coaches, etc. His only tools that weren't works-in-progress were catching and throwing.

College pitcher Jordan Reid tweeted yesterday that he worked out at USC with Tom House, a few other pros and scouts and...Mark Prior.

k.johnson and r.church non-tendered by the braves because jim hendry is the worst GM in history and couldn't find a trade for anything rather than letting them walk. what a loser.

Johnny Gomes non-tendered. Can cries of collusion be far behind? And will they be justified?

I've seen him pitch dominantly before, but since it was against the Cubs, I guess I shouldn't be too excited.

All this hand wringing over not getting a platoon cf is making me sick. How much did the Yanks pay for him? They sent a strikeout-prone cf and a sore armed pitcher and a couple loogies. They did not give up much of anything. The Cubs could have been in it if they had a cf to offer back, and no, Sam Fuld was not the guy they wanted. Enough already.

The non-tenders are interesting. How about a Gomes/Church outfield platoon? Both guys kill against the favorable pitching side, Gomes has nearly a 900 career OPS against LHP, Church is over 800 OPS against RHP. Can Gomes play CF? I'm sure he can play RF, so I guess you could always leave Fukudome in center in that case. Not sure why the Cubs tendered Fontenot, he ain't worth no $2MM. Kelly Johnson looks like a better option to me for the same $$, he can't hit the ball out of the park like Fontenot but he brings better defense, speed and plate discipline to the equation. A Johnson/Baker platoon at 2B could be workable. Eh, who I am kidding. Fat Man is busy obsessing over Milton Bradley, so nothing will get done and the Cubs will trot the same sorry group of underachievers out there again next year.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

You can get away with playing Gomes in a corner outfield spot, but his best position is probably DH. Imagine Jake Fox with more outfield experience, and that's pretty much Gomes.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

Gomes is a liability at best in the OF, more of a DH option but better than Jake Fox in the OF. He is on my list of cheap fixes for the OF that have the ability to put up big numbers. I want him on the Cubs and maybe even starting in RF. There is no doubt he kills LHP, but he has legit power against RHP as well the only mystery is where his average will be. But an inexpensive power option for a team with budget problems, he pretty much needs to be a must have player. I would take a flyer on Church as well, another cheap option that can probably produce more than anything from our minors. A Soriano, Fuku, Gomes, Church OF would be alot better than getting Pat Burrell or flipping him for Luis Castillo for 2nd.

[ ]

In reply to by MikeC

We should be looking at whatever cheap fixes we can find at this point... your moves sure make sense to me. And what's with all the spam? Rob, do you go in and clean these up post by post, because I haven't seen too many. What is the world coming to?

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat on Sat, 12/12/2009 - 6:24pm. Not sure why the Cubs tendered Fontenot, he ain't worth no $2MM. Kelly Johnson looks like a better option to me for the same $$, he can't hit the ball out of the park like Fontenot but he brings better defense, speed and plate discipline to the equation. A Johnson/Baker platoon at 2B could be workable. ============================== JIM H: As a "Super Two" with mediocre numbers, Fontenot will be lucky to get $1M. The only Cubs arb-eligbles who should get more than $1.2M are Marmol and Theriot, and neither is likely to get more than $2M. I would say it will probably end up like this: Theriot - $2M Marmol - $2M Guzman - $1.125M Marshall - $1.125M Baker - $1M Fontenot - $1M Gorzelanny - $1M K. Hill - $750K Cotts - Non-tendered with minor league contract offer ($150K while he rehabs, with a pro-rated $900K major salary if he gets added to the 40-man roster).

Brian Anderson was non-tendered by Boston...just another inexpensive option who plays good defense in CF and might finally get it one day offensively

Matt Capps non-tendered, certainly be a guy I wouldn't mind the Cubs grabbing along with Kelly Johnson. But since they tendered Fontenot, that looks unlikely.

Jose Arenando (misspell) was non-tendred by the Angels, I know he is going to have TJS after the new year but this would be a good buy-low injury case.

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.