Cubs MLB Roster

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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

DJ Spins the Biggest Hit

Up from Minor League Camp (Fitch Park) to provide some back-up insurance on the bench, D. J. Lemahieu slugged a pinch-hit two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give a Cubs split squad a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Cactus League action at Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in warm & sunny Mesa, AZ, this afternoon.

box score (Mesa)

The Cubs 2nd round pick in 2009 out of College World Series Champion LSU, Lemahieu comes into the 2011 season looking like a body-builder, having added about 25 pounds (mostly muscle) to his 6'4 frame at the Cubs off-season strength & conditioning program at Fitch Park (AKA "Camp Colvin"). He is regarded by most scouts and other observers as the Cubs best hitting prospect, but he has been doing it with an arm-locked opposite-field line-drive stroke that did not produce home runs. He worked extensively with Cubs minor league hitting coach Barbaro Garbey at AZ Instructs post-2009 on learning how to elevate his swing a bit and "turn on the ball," but he was mostly unable to replicate the training at Daytona in 2010, hitting 314/346/386 but with only two HR in 600 PA. (Somehow he managed 73 RBI, though).   

Lemahieu has played 2B-SS-3B in his short pro career (2010 was his first full season), and while he looks most-comfortable at SS, he has also almost-certainly outgrown the position. Scouts projected him long-term as a 2B or (even more-likely) a 3B in pro ball, but questioned if he could develop the HR power expected of a third-baseman. Granted today is just one game (and a Spring Training game to boot), but the HR Lemahieu hit today was probably not something you would have seen last year or anytime previous in his career. 

Ryan Dempster got the start for the Cubs today, and pitched very well, going four innings (46 pitches - 31 strikes, 4/4 GO/FO), allowing just one run on three hits and no walks. Manager Mike Quade has already named Dempster as the Cubs Opening Day starting pitcher, and he is obviously the most-advanced of the Cubs starters so far. He probably could easily have pitched a fifth inning today. Dempster's only bump in the road was an Aaron Miles lead-off triple to CF in the 3rd, with Miles eventually scoring on a ground out.

The Cubs got on the board first in the bottom of the 1st inning against Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley, as lead-off man Kosuke Fukudome reached second base on a double-error by SS Justin Sellers, and then scored on an RBI double by Marlon Byrd  (Sellers was acquired by the Cubs from OAK in the Michael Wuertz deal, only to be dealt to the Dodgers at the end of Minor League Camp in 2009 before ever having a chance to play in a regular season game in the Cubs system).  

The Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 4th, as Byrd doubled again (his 4th double in two days), and scored on a Jeff Baker two-out line-drive RBI single that knocked Billingsley out of the game.

Carlos Marmol threw a shutout 5th (striking out the side), but the Dodgers tied it up in the 6th against Thomas Diamond, as Gabe Kapler ripped a lead-off double, and scored one out later on a Dioner Navarro SF.

The Cubs came back to take the lead again in the bottom of the 7th, as Steve Clevenger raked an opposite-field PH double over the left-fielder's head, and scored a moment later on a Fukudome line-drive RBI single to right-center.  

But then the Dodgers tied it up (again) in the 8th against Jeff Stevens, as the right-hander labored through his one inning of work, allowing a walk, a single, and a Marcus Thames game-tying RBI double along the way.

Marcos Mateo pitched a 1-2-3 9th and Esmailin Caridad threw a 1-2-3 10th (and both looked very good), setting things up for some home team heroics. 

Lou Montanez worked a lead-off walk in the 10th, and then (with the Dodgers expecting a bunt) Lemahieu put an exclamation point on the day's festivities, turning a Luis Vasquez offering into crowd-pleasing walk-off dinger.  

Meanwhile, the other squad of Cubs was getting royally blanked in Goodyear by a Reds split squad, losing 10-0 on a combined two-hit shutout. 

box score (Goodyear)

I wasn't at this game, but from the box score it's fairly obvious that Casey Coleman had a poor outing (allowing three runs on four hits in 2.0 IP), and top pitching prospect Trey McNutt--making his Cactus League debut--allowed three walks, a double, and a home run (and a WP), getting only two outs (both strikeouts) before being relieved. 

Starting pitcher Todd Wellemeyer didn't pitch much better than Coleman, but he only allowed one run in his two innings, apparently thanks in part to a CS. 

The Cubs play only one game tomorrow, facing the Angels in Mesa.

Comments

[ ]

In reply to by George Altman

Submitted by George Altman on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 4:53pm. Phil, along that same line do you see the Cubs (1) picking up ARam's option for 2012; (2) Vitters ready for 3B in 2012; or (3) Lemahieu (with HR power developing) a more realistic in-house option for 3B? ================================================= GEORGE A: You're asking a good question, but I have no idea what the Cubs will do. I guess if Aramis Ramirez reverts to pre-2010 form and stays healthy, I would think the Cubs will probably pick up his option for 2012, unless they need the $16M in 2012 salary to help pay for Albert Pujols. But if Ramirez does not revert to pre-2010 form, I don't think he'll be back even if the Cubs don't need to divert $16M to Pujols. If Aramis Ramirez does not return in 2012, the Cubs could just muddle along like they did for about 30 years after Ron Santo was traded, but as far as in-house options are concerned, I would say Lemahieu will be played at both 2B and 3B at AA in 2011, and then will play wherever he is needed once he reaches MLB (2B, 3B, 1B, maybe super-sub 1B-2B-3B-LF-RF). Defensively he's a similar player to Jeff Baker, and also like Baker, Lemahieu murders LHP but sometimes will struggle vs RHP. The big issue with Lemahieu is HR power, whether he can sustain a power stroke in addition to being the best young hitter in the organization. Josh Vitters might remain at 3B, or he could move to 1B. He has the actions of a third-baseman and is capable of making all the plays there, it's just that he sometimes gets lazy, especially with his throws. But whether he plays 3B or 1B, he must hit (and hit HR) to get to the big leagues. Marquez Smith is probably more of a stop-gap until Lemahieu or Vitters emerges at 3B, but then Casey McGehee did not project as an everyday 3B until he grabbed the job in Milwaukee and wouldn't let it go, so...

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Submitted by The Real Neal on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 9:56am. Phil, what have you seen out of Lemahieu in BP? ========================== REAL NEAL: D. J. Lemahieu is a lot of fun to watch in BP because he has plus-bat speed and tries to rifle everything up the middle, the way players are taught to take BP. No question Lemahieu is the Cubs best pure hitting prospect. With his new found strength & power, though, I expect Lemahieu to explore "turning on the ball" when he gets an inside pitch he can handle, just as Ryne Sandberg did when he was taught a pull-power stroke by Jim Frey in 1984. In fact, Ryne Sandberg might be an apt comparison to make with Lemahieu, not in terms of speed or defense, but just as far as Lemahieu being the same type of hitter Sandberg was early in his career, with the possibility that he might be able to develop some HR power later (like maybe starting this season).

Playoff Odds from BP: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/ Cardinals still the favorites - though I sort of like the Reds. Other than Votto and Arroyo, it's hard to find guys on their team that aren't likely to repeat what they did last year.

callis on twitter sez: See him as more useful bench piece than regular. Can hit the fastball. @carl9730: Have you formed much of an opinion on Marquez Smith? #Cubs Pena 1/14 with 5 K's so far...keep getting your reps in Colvin.

And Welington Castillo throws a perfect strike to nail the runner on a hit and run. Goodbye KHill.

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

angels are running like hell this spring...they're looking like they're gonna make speed a huge part of 2011 unless they're just checking out how fast their guys are. 17sb 2cs for the team this spring...well, 3cs now.

In 2010, the story around Cubs camp seemed to be that early season slumps by Ramirez and Derrek Lee were tied into neither veteran working with Jaramillo. "I always worked with Rudy," Ramirez said. "I don't know who came up with the idea that I didn't. But my work is different from some of the other guys who work with Rudy as well. Guys like Marlon and Soriano hit every day in the cage. I hit maybe 3-4 times a week in the cage in early spring training. "I just go there to fine tune things. But Rudy is there for me all the time. We work on a lot of things, but he's not the type to change you. He helps you stay within your own swing." http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/3390/cubs-responding-to-…

M. Ramirez clears the bases, Cubs lead 13-12 in the eighth and the Cubs should have more, they ran themselves out of a couple runs BUT.... Jeff "Not Ready for Primetime" Samardzija summarily gives up a home run in the ninth to blow the save.

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.