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

Cubs Trounce Angels at Diablo Park

Bobby Wagner crushed a three-run HR off the Angels clubhouse beyond the RF fence, Charles Thomas ripped a two-run double, and Austin Kirk threw four shutout innings, leading the EXST Cubs to a 10-3 thrashing of the EXST Angels in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action at Diablo Park Field #3 at the Tempe Buttes this morning.

A 19-year old 6'1 LHP out of Owasso HS - Owasso, OK, Kirk (the Cubs 3rd round draft pick in 2009) allowed just two hits and a walk in his four innings of work, lowering his EXST ERA to 3.95 and his EXST WHIP to 1.39. He induced a timely inning-ending 5-4-3 GIDP to get out of the 2nd inning, and used a nifty pick-off move to erase a runner in the 3rd.

Here is today’s abridged box score (EXST Cubs players only):

LINEUP:
1. Runey Davis, CF: 2-5 (5-3, 1B, 1B, K, P-4, R, RBI)
2. Arismendy Alcantara, 2B: 0-5 (5-3, 4-3, E-4, E-1, 5-3, 2 R, SB)
3. Jesus Morelli, RF: 1-4 (HBP, F-8, 1B, F-8, 5-3, R, RBI)
4. Charles Thomas, DH #1: 1-4 (4-U FC, 6-3, 2B, F-9, R, 2 RBI)
5. Brandon May, 3B: 2-3 (2B, F-9, BB, 1B, 2 R, RBI)
6. Bobby Wagner, 1B: 1-4 (6-3, F-9, HR, K, R, 3 RBI)
7. Albert Hernandez, DH #2: 1-3 (1B, BB, 5-3, K, R)
8. Carlos Romero, C: 0-3 (BB, 5-3, 1-3, F-8, R)
9. Wes Darvill, SS: 0-3 (BB, F-8, 4-3, E-4, RBI)
10. Cody Shields, LF: 0-3 (F-9 SF, 3-U, K, K, RBI)

PITCHERS:
1. Austin Kirk – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 PO, 1 GIDP, 5/5 GO/FO, 59 pitches (39 strikes)
2. Tzu-An Wang – 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1/2 GO/FO, 22 pitches (11 strikes)
3. Carlos Rojas – 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1/1 GO/FO, 28 pitches (19 strikes)
4. Danny Keefe - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 19 pitches (13 strikes)
5. Yohan Gonzalez – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 23 pitches (15 strikes)

ERRORS: (1)
SS Wes Darvill E-6 (throwing error allowed batter to reach base safely – did not score)

ATTENDANCE: 10

WEATHER: sunny & cloudless with temperatures in the 80’s

 

Comments

AZ Phil - What do you think of the minor league promotions? Cashner to AAA seems very understandable given his recent dominance. Castro to MLB seems questionable, to say the least - how does it affect his service clock? The Vitters promotion is the one I'm most curious about. I've never seen (in the stat lines or in video) him tearing it up. How did he earn the promotion? Thanks Phil

[ ]

In reply to by Jumbo

Submitted by Jumbo on Fri, 05/07/2010 - 4:04pm. AZ Phil - What do you think of the minor league promotions? Cashner to AAA seems very understandable given his recent dominance. Castro to MLB seems questionable, to say the least - how does it affect his service clock? The Vitters promotion is the one I'm most curious about. I've never seen (in the stat lines or in video) him tearing it up. How did he earn the promotion? Thanks Phil ===================================================== Jumbo: The Castro promotion (with Theriot moving to 2B) was inevitable but I was surprised it happened this soon. Although hot-shot young prospects like Castro often go directly from AA to the big leagues without ever playing AAA, I really thought Castro would spend some time at AAA this season just so he could see some veteran-type pitchers before he hit The Show maybe in September. As far as Castro's service clock, he gets a 4th minor league option (as of now anyway) because he has accrued only one "full season" through the 2009 season. (A "full season" is defined as spending at least 90 days on the active list of an MLB and/or full-season minor league team or teams, or at least 60 days spent on the active list of an MLB and/or full-season minor league team or teams followed by time spent on the Disabled List where the total time accrued is at least 90 days). As far as possible Super Two status for Castro is concerned, the amount of MLB Service Time needed to qualify as a "Super Two" varies from season-to-season (it was 2+139 post-2009), so if Castro stays in MLB and doesn't get sent back to the minors, he will accrue 149 days of MLB ST in 2010, meaning he will be at 2+149 by the end of the 2012 season, and a player with 2+149 MLB ST ALWAYS has qualified as a "Super Two." If the Cubs wanted to avoid that with Castro, they should have waited another month before bringing him up. Apparently it's not a big deal to Hendry. I agree that the Cashner promotion was a no-brainer. He dominated AA and now he'll have a chance to face more-experienced hitters in the PCL. I still believe he will end up in the bullpen as the Cubs 8th inning set-up guy before the end of the season (he was the #1 closer in college baseball at TCU in 2008), but the Cubs apparently believe he can be a top of the rotation starter. I was a bit surprised that Vitters got promoted to AA at this time. If anything I thought he might have started the season at AA, but once he was assigned to Daytona during Minor League Camp I figured he'd stay there for at least half a season or until he caught fire. He's done OK at Daytona and has made some progress, so hopefully he won't struggle at AA. The Cubs have been more aggressive over the past couple of years in promoting players and sometimes having the better prospects jump a level. I think this is because of the new ownership's desire to develop players from within. That also might mean that Hendry will not trade prospects as willingly as he has in the past.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Submitted by Charlie on Fri, 05/07/2010 - 9:40pm. Phil, Any thoughts on Hak-Ju Lee, Ryan Flaherty, or Kyler Burke so far this season? Is it too early to comment on their performances? ============================================== CHARLIE: Ryan Flaherty was probably pushed too far to start the season at AA Tennessee. Daytona is probably where he belongs right now, although he had a good Minor League Camp and actually earned the Opening Day roster slot at Tennessee. Kyler Burke spent all or parts of three seasons in the Midwest League before he finally mastered the level and won the Cubs 2009 Minor League Player of the Year Award. So coming into the 2010 season there was some question about whether he would be able to adjust to Daytona right away or if it might take him some time as it did at Peoria. So we'll have to wait and see where he's at in September, although his start has been disappointing. I wouldn't worry much about Hak-Ju Lee. He's still very young (19) and just 18 months removed from TJS, so there are bound to be some speed bumps along the way. But he's running the bases very well and his hitting should come around.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

The Cubs have been more aggressive over the past couple of years in promoting players and sometimes having the better prospects jump a level. I think this is because of the new ownership's desire to develop players from within. That also might mean that Hendry will not trade prospects as willingly as he has in the past. ========= Do you think this aggressive philosophy has been an effort to purge the system of the career minor leaguers that had been occupying the organization? It seems like moving guys up to AAA to simultaneously rid the organization of DuBois would be the goal. Or is it a different approach to handling prospects altogether?

[ ]

In reply to by Jumbo

Submitted by Jumbo on Sat, 05/08/2010 - 4:36am. Do you think this aggressive philosophy has been an effort to purge the system of the career minor leaguers that had been occupying the organization? It seems like moving guys up to AAA to simultaneously rid the organization of DuBois would be the goal. Or is it a different approach to handling prospects altogether? ============================= JUMBO: I don't think being more aggressive with promoting the better prospects means the Cubs are trying to avoid signing minor league free-agents to fill holes at AAA or that the Cubs are trying minimize the number of organizational players on minor league rosters. What I do think it means is that the Cubs are now more-willing to let a player temporarily "flunk" a level and get demoted without worrying about whether the player will react negatively to that failure, instead using a failure and the way the player handles it (or doesn't handle it) as a test to help determine the character of the player. In the past the Cubs might have been a bit more inclined to move players more slowly or deliberately so as to not risk damaging the player's psyche, but also to allow a plasyer to put together a really good full year at one level. The one thing the Cubs probably do not want to do is let a player perhaps lose a bit of his edge by getting too comfortable at a certain level.

STARLIN CASTRO IS THE BEST BALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME. INO WHAT YOU ARE THINKING THOUGH, WHAT ABOUT HEYWARD? RIGHT? PROBLEM IS CASTRO IS HEYWARD TIMES 5. YEA.

AZ Phil: Routine day off for Chen or has his arm been hurting again? I know you said that he hurt himself and need surgery a while back and was just wondering if that was the case for today. Is he a player that goes to Boise or stays for AZL? Thanks as always.

[ ]

In reply to by W Flag

Submitted by W Flag on Fri, 05/07/2010 - 10:53pm. AZ Phil: Routine day off for Chen or has his arm been hurting again? I know you said that he hurt himself and need surgery a while back and was just wondering if that was the case for today. Is he a player that goes to Boise or stays for AZL? Thanks as always. =============================== W FLAG: Just a routine Camp Day today for Ping-Chieh Chen. He hasn't had surgery (at least not yet). I'm not sure whether Chen will go to Boise or stay with the other two Taiwanese players (the two Wangs) at AZL Cubs. As well as he has hit so far at EXST, Chen will have to play defense (probably 2B) if he wants to go to Boise. The Cubs won't send him there just to be a DH.

Viva Revolution!

I just sort of liked that Castro popped an opposite field homer, even if it probably would have been a fly out in a lot of parks. And the triple he hit looked like a slider that actually was cutting down. It's possible we'll get a good six weeks out of this kid offensively before they figure out something to get him out on --- unless he's the first rookie in my lifetime of watching baseball -- other than that rat bastard Pujols maybe -- who doesn't have an exploitable weakness. This at least adds some fun. This season was getting really depressing.

Bringing up Castro was Pinella/Hendry's second attempt to shake up the team, change the vibe, whatever. First was moving Z to the bullpen. If the Cubs had gotten on a tear after Z went to the pen (even if it had nothing to do with his personal performance) Castro would still be in Tenn. Give it 20 games and if the Cubs are still plodding along the next move will be to bring up Cashner and put him in the pen. 20 games after that and it's still the same crap and Lou will be gone.

ATL Heyward (groin) could hit disabled list CHC Cubs prospect Castro has HR, 6 RBI in debut ...and the torch is passed. we sat through some great times watching HOF'r jason heyward apply his craft...a player the likes of which we never thought we'd see again. then comes castro. a new era of baseball is upon us. this is the biggest thing to happen to baseball since the invention of the bat.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

Submitted by The E-Man on Sat, 05/08/2010 - 12:25pm. AZ PHIL: Any Chris Carpenter sightings/news lately? I know he has been struggling with recent arm troubles. Thanks. ==================================================== E-MAN: I haven't heard that Chris Carpenter will be coming back to Fitch Park. He made his most-recent start for AA Tennessee two days ago without any reported physical set-backs, and he has now made all four of his scheduled starts for the Smokies. He apparently got lit-up pretty good on Thursday, though, so he quite possibly is not yet 100% on his game. I was a bit surprised that he made only one rehab game appearance at EXST before getting moved up to Tennessee, but he probably was getting cabin fever down here.

Anyway, there's a different smell here. Scan these comments, notice ROOKIE from AA got forced into Lou's lineup, and you see what GETTING RID OF THE TRIB has done! I say Yee-Ha! Thanks Tom.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • 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.