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

Fitch Parking

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

As most of you know, Cubs pitchers and catchers have reported to Fitch Park, and a number of infielders and outfielders are also in camp.

The pitchers are presently working in four groups, with the four groups rotating periodically from the batting cage, to the ten pac (pitch and catch), to Field #2 for PFP (Pitchers Fielding Practice), and to Field #3 for pick-off drills. A loud blaring horn alerts the pitchers when it's time to move to another location. 

GROUP 1:
Andrew Cashner
Ryan Dempster
John Gaub
Tom Gorzelanny
Sean Marshall
Carlos Silva
Carlos Zambrano

GROUP 2:
Mitch Atkins
Casey Coleman
J. R. Mathes
Mike Parisi
David Patton
Jeff Stevens 

GROUP 3:
Justin Berg
Esmailin Caridad
Rafael Dolis
John Grabow
Carlos Marmol
Jeff Samardzija
Randy Wells

GROUP 4:
Thomas Diamond
Jeff Kennard
Marcos Mateo
Blake Parker
Vince Perkins
James Russell

Jeff Gray (strained groin), Angel Guzman (knee surgery rehab), and Ted Lilly (shoulder surgery rehab and a sore knee) did not participate in drills today.

And Carlos Silva is hopelessly out of shape, barely able to move, although he is participating in PFP & pick-off drills. I suspect Silva might end up spending much of the next two seasons on the 60-day DL. 

The seven catchers in camp (Geovany Soto, Welington Castillo, Koyie Hill, Robinson Chirinos, Steve Clevenger, Blake Lalli, and Chris Robinson) spend most of their morning catching pitchers throwing in the ten pac pit (six or seven pitchers throw simultaneously), and then after the pitchers have completed their work, the catchers break up into two groups and take BP (with coaches throwing) on Field #3 (Soto, K. Hill, W. Castillo, and Chirinos) and Field #2 (Clevenger Lalli, and Robinson). So far, Geovany Soto has been the Star of Camp, hitting a number of balls out onto 8th Street in BP. He also has lost a lot of weight and looks to be in great shape

Meanwhile, the non-catcher position players who have arrived take BP and fielding practice on Field #1. Non-Roster Invitee 1B-OF Bryan Lahair (ex-SEA) has been wowing Fitch Park onlookers with prodigious BP power demonstrations, and NRI 1B-3B Chad Tracy (ex-AZ) looks to finally be 100% healthy after battling knee problems (including microfracture surgery) the last couple of years. Tracy has been taking lots of grounders at both 1B and 3B and shows good mobility. (Tracy is also one of the best pinch-hitters in baseball). New hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo has been spending a lot of time working with "pet project" Andres Blanco.

In addition to the big league coaching staff in camp, a number of minor league managers and coaches and Spring Training instructors are also present, including Special Instructor Billy Williams, Special Instructor Greg Maddux, Minor League Field Coordinator Dave Bialas, Latin American Field Coordinator Carmelo Martinez, Minor League Hitting Coordinator Dave Keller, Minor League Pitching Coordinator Mark Riggins, Minor League Infield & Bunting Instructor Franklin Font, Minor League Outfield & Baserunning Instructor Bobby Dernier, Minor League Catching Instructor Marty Pevey, Iowa Manager Ryne Sandberg, Iowa Pitching Coach Mike Mason, Iowa Hitting Coach Von Joshua, Tennessee Manager Bill Dancy, Tennessee Pitching Coach Dennis Lewallyn, Tennessee hitting coach Tom Beyers, and Fitch Park Rehab Pitching Coach Brad Kelley.

And veteran SK Wyverns (KBO - South Korea) reliever Woong-Chun Cho is a Special Guest Spring Training Instructor at Fitch Park. (The Cubs might be checking him out to see if they want to hire him as a full-time minor league coach, since the Cubs have signed a lot of the best young players out of South Korea the past couple of years).

Also, note that there has been one late Spring Training number change, as NRI 1B-OF Kevin Millar has been assigned #15, bumping Bobby Scales to #19. Otherwise the Spring Training numbers remain the same as they have been for the past few weeks (see right side-bar).

Tags
Cubs Spring Training

Comments

Submitted by Stevens on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:29 pm

Excellent. Has Maddux taken on any "pet projects", AZPhil?

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:40 pm

Submitted by Stevens on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 2:29pm. Excellent. Has Maddux taken on any "pet projects", AZPhil? ==================================== STEVENS: Not that I've noticed, but he probably will. Although I wonder if he will contuinue to wait for guys to approach him before he offers advice, or if he will take the initiative and approach them without being asked first. BTW, I would LOVE to see Mad Dog be the Cubs Minor League Pitching Coordinator (not that he would necessarily want the job), with Mark Riggins moving up to be Cubs Pitching Coach. Riggins is a smart cookie.

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Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 02:12 am

Interesting idea about Riggins. Welcome to the Dump-LR club, Cousin, at any rate. I just don't think Maddux will want to go near the minor leagues. He's no Sandberg. He may just want to get in line ahead of Randy Bush.

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Submitted by crunch on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:05 pm

milton bradley bad...carlos silva and kevin millar good. 2010 offseason here we come. SEA gets a LF who can play RF in a pinch (i think ichiro's got that job down, imo)...we get a DL roster spot holder and a couple million in payroll flexibility over the next 2 years.

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Submitted by crunch on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:27 pm

well, they do got a guy in RF named ichiro. that's what LF is about...nothing's changed about his arm this offseason. they got a .350+ ob% guy with pop who can play both corners in milton. we got one of the worst pitchers in the game and 2m bucks extra to spend on a 140m roster. cute.

Submitted by ruz on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:37 pm

So happy to be getting on-the-scene reports from Arizona Phil again! I have to say I like the possibility of Tracy as a lefty off the bench. Of course, that assumes that the last two years were an aberration rather than a trend. But we're allowed to think like that in Februrary, right?

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:33 pm

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 3:48pm. Phil, on the video at cubs.com it showed what looked like some covered batting cages...did you notice if they built them as was rumored earlier in the offseason? or have these been there for awhile? =============================================================== ROB G: These are the same covered batting cages they've had at Fitch Park since it was renovated in the mid-1990's. The Mesa City Council allocated funds (about $700K) to build a new batting cages complex at Fitch (to be used mainly by minor leaguers), but decided to wait to begin construction until the Cubs made a commitment to stay in Mesa. I don't know why they're waiting now, though, unless Mesa thinks they still might lose the Cubs. But the Cubs are not going to be at Fitch Park past 2011 even if they remain in Mesa, so the $700K cage complex probably won't be used by the Cubs for more than a couple of seasons (and actually only one Spring Training), which never made much sense to me. That is, unless the City of Mesa is serious when they say they believe they can entice another MLB club to take the Cubs place at Fitch/HoHoKam in 2012. Personally, I suspect offering the Cubs new Fitch Park batting cages was just an attempt by the Mesa City Council to show the Cubs that the city was serious about wanting the Cubs to stay in Mesa. They never really expected that the Cubs would ultimately require the cages to be built as a pre-requisite for the Cubs staying in Mesa long-term.

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Submitted by crunch on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:08 pm

for future reference feel free to delete stuff like that if it crosses a line you don't want crossed...or add a warning like you did. i'll try to be less shitty in the future and a lot more clear about what i'm posting.

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Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:59 pm

made my head spin... also don't necessarily trust Pitch F/x on some of their pitch identities...but assuming all that is accurate. the charts from the catcher's point of view? doesn't the cutter move inside on lefties, so what's the point of reference on the vertical line? release point? middle of the plate? wouldn't it have been easier to break out the slash lines against each pitch and swing and miss rates than whatever rv100 and rv100e? I'm sure the math is all wonderful and I read the explanation, but it sure would have made it a lot easier to understand.

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Submitted by Old and Blue on Sat, 02/20/2010 - 02:53 am

To go with his new attitude, Zambrano said he plans to ditch the cut fastball from his repertoire. He hasn't displayed enough control of it to keep throwing it regularly so he decided to go back to what made him successful in the past.
http://bit.ly/c2cwgm

Submitted by The E-Man on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:33 pm

Now if you told me Joe West was retiring, I would throw a party. Don't get me started on "umpires".

Submitted by The E-Man on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:38 pm

Hi AZ PHIL: Thanks again, sir! So, can we expect to see Soto attempting stolen bases this year, PHIL? lol Seriously, can you notice better footwork or more zip on his throws due to the weight loss? And, do you still feel that Castillo still has the "arm" edge on Gio?

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Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:45 pm

Submitted by The E-Man on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 7:38pm. Hi AZ PHIL: Thanks again, sir! So, can we expect to see Soto attempting stolen bases this year, PHIL? lol Seriously, can you notice better footwork or more zip on his throws due to the weight loss? And, do you still feel that Castillo still has the "arm" edge on Gio? ====================================== E-MAN: I haven't seen Soto make any throws in anger yet (that is, to try and catch a base-runner trying to steal a base). We'll probably have to wait for Cactus League games to see how he looks. As for Welington Castillo, he absolutely has the #1 best arm among catchers in the Cubs organization (44% CS in 2009). His big problem is that he still needs work on his receiving, although he showed improvement in 2009 (cut his PB in half). He needs to show more improvement in 2010, though. But he's only 22. I can tell you that Castillo is better than Soto was at that age.

Submitted by Charlie on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:09 pm

Sounds like terrible news for Micah Hoffpauir, especially with LaHair showing off power too. Jaramillo spending time on Blanco's hitting lends a little more credence (along with AZ Phil's comments in the previous thread) to the theory that Blanco still has some offensive upside beyond being a .250/.300/.320 guy. What OBP would he have to manage to equal Theriot's overall value? .330? .340? (Guess that depends a bit on what Theriot hits.) Too early to start believing that Soto will return to his .280/.360 20+ HR form?

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 02/19/2010 - 02:30 pm

cj wilson (TEX) is being a little outspoken this spring... "It's no secret I don't think I should be limited to the set-up role. I have too many weapons," said Wilson. "Here is the reality. It is real simple. There are not very many guys that have the stuff that I do that would be willing to sign here if they were free agents. There is no experienced pitcher that has my stuff that would sign here, historically." ...way to say you really really really really want to be that 5th starter, dude.

Recent comments

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • 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?

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