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

CSI Randy Wells and John Grabow's Magical Mystery Knee

A collective cheer can be heard in that state of mind known as Wrigleyville...

UPDATE: (tweet from Gordon Wittenmeyer) Grabow to DL, Cashner called up.


I wrote this piece before the update. Sometimes things just make sense.

Randy Wells, aka Buzz Lightyear "To Infinity and Beyond" (5 runs and no outs is an ERA of ∞) gets a DO-OVER. After Randy Wells failed on just about all of the 16 pitches (and 5 runs) he threw in the first inning 'bullpen' tryout on friday vs the Cardinals. He gets to show management that he actually can once again go deep into a game with a quick return to the first inning on the holiday-day game against the Pirates. His competition for that bullpen spot, Tom Gorzellany won the battle to the bullpen. Gorz matched Wells with five quick runs vs the Dodgers on Wednesday's game which was so disappointing that Com-Ed pulled the plug on the Wrigley light grid.

Wells also is returning to the scene of the crime from May 6th, his other ugly outing. As we recall, he also gave up 5 first inning runs in the first on two walks, two singles and two doubles. Lou didn't have quite the quick hook that day as Wells stayed in to give up two more runs in the 2nd inning in what was to be an 11-1 blowout to the Buccos.

Oh, oh Domino. Tom Gorzellany will be in the pen, ready to pitch mop up in the first few innings if history should repeat itself. Gorz, the newest long reliever supplants big Z in the bullpen. Zambrano is supposed to start Wednesday in Pittsburgh, although Z never did get stretched out in a game even as the opportunity presented itself in Wells "oopsie" friday.

With all the roster shuffling soon to occur, the questions are who goes away when Andrew Cashner arrives this week and why isn't Cashner coming today? Is it management indecision or can't they get the radiologist who read John Grabow's MRI  to review it again to see that there IS something wrong, very wrong.

From today's Sun-Times:

Grabow already has undergone an MRI on his left knee after experiencing discomfort, but no injury was found.

Grabow did get a cortisone injection ito his left knee on May 9th. I'd say it didn't help and based on his stats, he was 0-2 with a 9.26 ERA before the shot and now 8.1 innings later it's higher at 9.45.

Cortisone is a potent anti-inflammatory and when injected into a joint, it works by calming down the swollen joint lining (synovium) of the knee. If the knee has damage to the articular cartilage (chondromalacia or if more extensive, osteoarthritis) that worn area can lead to inflammation. If he has a meniscus tear (the shock absorbing C-ring of cartilage) that too can lead to inflammation. If there is something structurally torn that can be smoothed off or trimmed arthroscopically it can help, although in the big picture it might just be temporary, if Andre Dawson's knees are used for perspective.

Jeff Russell's kid has pitched well and doesn't deserve to visit Ryno in Iowa. In 19 games his ERA is 2.33 and WHIP 1.03. Even in his lone bad outing against Arizona where he gave up 5 runs, only one was earned and he's had 13 appearances where he didn't allow a run (including the long relief outing vs StL on friday of 4 innings when Wells didn't get an out). Grabow, in 23 appearances HAS been scored on in 13 of them.

Bob Howry spot is secure (for now). You know, it's that veteran presence in the bullpen management seems to crave. On Memorial Day, it's just not right to let a veteran go.

Jeff Stevens (we hardly knew ya) could go back on the Des Moines shuttle but if he does go it makes the bullpen leading to Carlos Marmol lean to the left with 4 leftys (Grabow, Marshall, Gorz and Russell) and 2 rightys (Howry and Cashner). So Stevens should stay.

Grabow sticks out of that pack like a sore thumb...

...sort of like, Aramis Ramirez, he of the donut grip and padded bat, now that's a sad story for another day.

Lou Piniella has promised lineup changes too. Did Tyler Colvin's mom get sharper pins for her voodoo Piniella doll or does that mean (yawn) Xavier Nady in "Louspeak".

Comments

Bob Howry spot is secure (for now). You know, it's that veteran presence in the bullpen management seems to crave. On Memorial Day, it's just not right to let a veteran go.

Well-done, sir.

As I mentioned on Twitter, if the Cubs showed the same get-it-done resourcefulness in other aspects of their operation that they consistently demonstrate when it comes to finding ways to shift dead weight onto the Disabled List, we could be counting our World Series rings by now.

lineup from Wittenmeyer (Mr. Information: his hair is on fire or he got a strong cup of Java in the hotel)... Fukudome, Byrd, DLee, ARam, Fontenot(2B), Soriano, Soto, Castro and Wells. (Tyler Colvin's Amazonian grandpa adding curare poison to the voodoo needle as I type) http://tinyurl.com/24ghud6 and Theriot takes his first walk...to the bench.

The Daily Herald says CASHNER IS available today. GRABOW is on the DL with a "sprained" knee. And (need this changed on the roster list to the right) GUZMAN has been transferred to the 60 Day DL.

Brenly complaining that Soriano had to slide into third for the triple. If he would have hustled, according to Brenly, he wouldn't have had to slide. I get irked at Soriano when he doesn't hustle, but complaining because he slid safely into third for a triple rather than being able to stand up is a little nit picky in my opinion.

4 games under .500, 1-6 vs Pittsburgh. to quote Yoda: "ugly offensive club the cubs are" The offense is very much like last year, I don't quite understand why but it feels similar. Mostly no ability to drive in runs with any consistency. Soriano K's in the 9th on a high inside fastball that would have been ball 4. Earlier they get the first two on base with 3-4-5 up and don't get the lead runner past 2nd. They are gettiing harder and harder to watch and it just might mean many will get the summer to do other stuff. I hope June brings a change as May really sucked eggs. Cashner debut was nice but since he was brought in just after the lead was blown, it didn't feel like there was any impact. Can't blame the pitching though, it's all about a horrific offense.

you just can't expect to win when Ohlendorf takes the mound against you... the horror.

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I think if you had ranked players by how much the team could ill afford to have them miss significant time, Steele would be right at the top of the list.

  • crunch (view)

    steele MRI on friday.  counsell expects an IL stint.

    no current plans for his rotation replacement.

  • 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