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, twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, one player is on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 3-28-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
* 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: 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 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 1 
Jameson Taillon, P 

60-DAY IL: 1 
Caleb Kilian, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cashner Sails Against the Wind

My wife and I went to the I-Cub game tonight with friends. Free general admission for a donation to an organization that provides those in need with the "basic essentials." We got in for a can of shaving cream, a couple bars of soap, a toothbrush and a disposable razor.

It was a beautiful night with a breeze whipping out of the south @ 20-25 mph. A misty spray from the grounds crew hosing down the infield carried all the way to our seats behind the Iowa bullpen down the third baseline. My buddy and I agreed that a slugfest was in store.

I was surprised when Andrew Cashner came out and started throwing long toss. He was supposed to start tomorrow with an extra day of rest as a result of the team's off day earlier in the week. I didn't have a notebook or a pen or anything to make notes with plus I felt sorry for anybody having to pitch in the hitter-friendly conditions.

Well, Iowa won 1-0 in the Madduxian time of 1:52, the team's 11th win in 12 tries! The game proceeded so briskly that an extended intermission was required before the post-game fireworks show could launch - it wasn't dark enough yet! 

Cashner retired the first 13 hitters he faced. He left after seven innings, 95 pitches, no walks, seven strikeouts and one hit batsman. He's now won all three of his Triple A starts and sports a glittering ERA of 0.95.

His fastball was at the knees or lower all night and clocking in the mid-90's.

Why did he pitch tonight? Maybe Oneri Fleita can answer that one. I thought I saw him on the field walking toward the team's clubhouse after the game ended. No doubt he was on his way to filing a glowing report on what he'd just seen in Des Moines.

I've seen headshots of Cashner before and watched him throw a couple of innings on TV in spring training. But in person he reminded me some of Jeff Weaver - blonde and lanky; hard-throwing.

In the managerial department the Iowa skipper ran the team out of a possible insurance run that wasn't needed after all when he wheeled Matt Camp around third with one out in the bottom of the 8th to try and score on Jim Adduci's single to center. Camp was out before he could even consider whether or not to slide. Adduci, by the way, made the play of the game when he leaped at the wall to snag a blast with the tying run on base and two outs in the top of the 7th. He also fielded the first hit off Cashner in the 5th when it came off the wall in left-center and held the hitter to a single. Those were the only two hard hit balls by either team all night.

Now I can go to a couple of graduation parties tomorrow afternoon instead of the ballpark. I may have just come from one tonight.

Comments

Great report, MW. If Cashner is going to the big leagues then where does he end up? Bullpen is still the biggest need for the team, as they have 6 starters already and Gorzo didn't break anything in his hand. Would Zambrano destroy the city Godzilla style if Cashner took Gorz's spot in the rotation and Z stayed in the pen? I realize that they are keeping Cashner on the SP track, so I don't know how they could call up their 7th starter when the bullpen is still shit. I thought Jackson was going to come up to the bullpen, but maybe the Howry signing changes that? Is Jackson still working out of the pen in Iowa? Great news on the game you were able to watch - but I don't see where they can put him now if they call him up.

Fun fact...cubs are 5-0 when Starlin Castro bats 2nd...so if Castro bats 2nd and Silva pitches Add the 5 mph to Silva's pitches if Koyie Hill catches... Hmmmm.

Thanks Mike! I am on the fence on what to do with Cashner. In the long-run, he needs to be a starter. At this pace, he should start 2011 in the rotation. He is still relatively new to starting in his career, and I hate to take him out of that groove because of our dire bullpen need in the majors. I guess is all depends on what direction the big league club is headed: If we are contending, we probably need to bring him up for the 'Pen. If not, we leave him in Iowa for now, and probably start him if we trade away starting pitching ahead of the deadline, which if we are out of it we absolutely should be doing. IF this club can't win the division, Lilly (with permission) and Silva should be on the block, with Cashner filling a rotation slot.

Look Ma, no ARam... CarrieMuskat: #cubs sun lineup 2b riot, ss castro, 1b lee, cf byrd, lf sori, rf nady, 3b baker, dh soto, c hill whats not to hate (Castro in the 2 hole?...obviously in a lineup kind of way)

I have a bad feeling we're going to have a Homer Howry sighting today. Hope the Koyie 5 mph effect leads to a Silva complete game.

Grabow in to be a loogy vs Hamilton... Another failure. Where's Lou's DOGHOUSE? And Howry is warming up... Maybe the threat of Howry will straighten out Grabow?

This probably doesn't mean much but here's an 8 round mock draft http://www.draftsite.com/mlb/ 1 Dylan Covey RHP, Maranatha HS 2 Marcus Littlewood, SS, Pine View HS 3 Dixon Anderson, RHP, California 4 Tommy Medica, C/OF, Santa Clara 5 Luke Jackson, RHP, Calvary HS 6 Daniel Bibona, LHP, UC Irvine 7 Jordan Cooper, RHP, Wichita St 8 Austin Southall, OF, UC Prep (HS)

They should just let Marshall and Gorz pitch innings 6-8 on alternate days. Fuck the rest of the bullpen. Fuck em right in the ear.

CarrieMuskat: X-rays Sunday of #Cubs Aramis Ramirez's left thumb were negative but he will sit for few days to heal mild sprain/bruise --- hopefully they dont have to play the retroactive to the DL game and waste roster space

It's hard to read that without reading "recently deceased".

I just read that at one point today Howry had gone 36 consecutive pitches without retiring a batter!

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

I kinda like this Castro kid. Seems like whenever the opposing pitcher tries to fool him with breaking stuff down and away -- I guess they all think he's Shawon Dunston -- he just lays off the pitch. And when they don't go out far enough he reaches out and belts it to right field. Lots of times for fouls but that's okay. I haven't seen him pull the ball at all yet but I have not seen him a lot of his ABs. So I wonder if he's vulnerable to some inside stuff. But even if he is that's harder to pull off as a pitcher and easier to make a mistake on. The Rangers broadcasters this weekend had this discussion: playbyplay guy: "He's had 5 strikeouts in 45 at bats. 20 year olds aren't supposed to be able to do that." color guy: "20 year olds aren't supposed to be in the major leagues." He's now got 6 strikeouts in 60 at bats. Not sure how many PAs. Apparently he hasn't received the manual yet on how to be a true Cubs rookie. It'll be interesting to see where he is two months from now as the scouts and teams try to fish for weaknesses. In the meantime, I like him in the 2 hole until/if they figure him out.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

He pulled the ball some in Spring Training. He's not Theriot at the plate--he's got much quicker hands and seems to have the ability to adjust with them very easily to pitches up, down, in and out, and he takes a pretty aggressive swing every now and then. At some point pitchers will try busting him up and in with fastballs. I think that if he can lay off the ball out of the zone, he might cash in some of the ones in the zone for a few doubles and maybe a homerun--but probably more top spin liners to left. I'm very encouraged by Castro at the plate as well.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Clearly he had some jitters in his first few games, but he's making plays now and making things happen defensively. With the bat, I don't think we'll know what he's really made of until he has a rough patch and we can see what kind of adjustments he makes. I agree with what you all are saying, though... he has a nice swing and fast hands. I think as long as he keeps his head screwed on he'll be alright.

Recent comments

  • hellfrozeover (view)

    I would say also in the bright side column is Busch looked pretty good overall at the plate. Alzolay…man, that hurts but most of the time he’s not giving up a homer to that guy. To me the worst was almonte hanging that pitch to Garcia. He hung another one to the next hitter too and got away with it on an 0-1. 

  • crunch (view)

    amaya blocked like 6-8 of smyly's pitches in the dirt very cleanly...not even an exaggeration, smyly threw a ton of pitches bouncing in tonight.

    neris looking like his old self was a relief (no pun), too.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    In looking for bright spots the defense was outstanding tonight. The “stars” are going to need to shine quite a bit brighter than they did tonight offensively though for this to be a successful season.

  • Eric S (view)

    Good baseball game. Hopefully Steele is pitching again in April (but I’m not counting on it). 

  • crunch (view)

    boo.

  • crunch (view)

    smyly to face the 2/3/4 hitters with a man on 2nd in extras.

    this doesn't seem like a 8 million dollar managerial decision.

  • crunch (view)

    i 100% agree with you, but i dunno how jed wants to run things.  the default is delay.  i would choose brown.

    like hellfrozeover says, could be smyly since he's technically fresh and stretched.

    anyway, on a pure talent basis....brown is the best option.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Use pitchers when you believe they're good. Don't plan their clock.

    I'm sorry. I'm simply anti-clock/contract management. Play guys when they show real MLB potential talent.

    If Brown hadn't been hurt with the Lat Strain he would've gotten the call, and not Wick.

    Give him a chance. 

    But Wesneski probably gets it

  • crunch (view)

    alzolay...bro...

  • crunch (view)

    wow.  what a blown call.  go cubs, i guess.