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

Cub Bats Go Silent at Talking Stick

Five Colorado pitchers combined to throw a five-hit shutout, and Jordan Pacheco crushed a pinch-hit three-run home run, leading a Rockies split squad to a 4-0 whitewashing of the Cubs in afternoon Cactus League action at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort on Salt River Maricopa-Pima Indian Community land located east of Scottsdale today.

box score

The Cubs got their lead-off hitter on base in four separate  innings, but could not get the big hit when they needed it.

Geovany Soto reached on a ground rule (fan interference) double leading off the top of the second, but failed to advance to third on a ground-out bouncer over the pitcher's head that would have allowed him to score on another ground out later in the inning.

Starlin Castro singled to lead-off the 4th, but was left stranded at 1st base when the next three Cubs hitters went down in order. (And Castro was totally perplexed by Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa's delivery, to the extent that he kept returning to 1st base every time De La Rosa threw the ball home).

Facing RHP Clay Mortensen, Kosuke Fukudome walked to lead-off the top of the 5th, and then Blake DeWitt followed with a line-drive single to right-center that sent Kosuke scampering to 3rd. But Scott Moore and PH Max Ramirez both struck out swinging (although M. Ramirez launched a 400-ft foul ball that drifted just outside the LF foul pole), and Fernando Perez grounded out sharply to 3rd (nice diving stop & throw by Rockies 3B Thomas Field, who robbed Perez of an RBI).  

And finally Jim Adduci led off the 8th with a pinch-hit single up through the box (deflected by the pitcher), but Reed Johnson popped out, Matt Camp struck out, and Lou Montanez popped out to end the inning. 

Bobby Scales also singled with two outs in the 7th.

And that was the extent of the Cubs offense.   

Carlos Zambrano was the Cubs starting pitcher today, and he labored through his three innings. Although he worked fast and didn't walk anybody, he did throw 61 pitches (41 for strikes), including a 25-pitch 1st inning. He allowed one run (earned) on five hits (all singles), but one of the hits was a pop-up to LF that Tyler Colvin misplayed into a single. (Colvin initially broke back, then tried to recover, spinning his wheels as he tried to go forward, as the ball dropped safely in front of him). Colvin has struggled with his outfield defense throughout Spring Training.

While Zambrano did not allow any extra base hits and none of the singles he surrendered were hit particulary hard, he only had one strikeout (he couldn't put hitters away once he got two strikes, as the Rockies hitters kept fouling balls off) and he had trouble keeping the ball down, the second time in a row this has happened. It almost looks like he is either short-arming the ball (even more than usual), or maybe his back is bothering him. But he doesn't look quite right.   

Sean Marshall threw a shutout 4th inning and looked good, except he essentially needed to get four outs because the Cubs infield once again could not turn a routine 6-4-3 DP. (Blake DeWitt's relay throw to 1st was off-line, and 1B Scott Moore missed the batter-runner with the tag). 

Veteran RHP Braden Looper (battling for the 5th starter's job) was next, and he breezed through the 5th & 6th (16 pitches total - 12 strikes), retiring all six men he faced. But then it was as if he hit a wall when he came out to pitch his third inning (the bottom of the 7th), as he was unable to throw strikes, could not control his breaking ball, and lost some velocity on his fastball. It was this inning where (off Looper) Rockies PH Jordan Pacheco hammered his three-run jack. For the day Looper threw 35 pitches (20 strikes), but it looks like if he throws anything more than about 15-20 pitches, he's gassed.  

Burly RHP Robert Coello (recently acquired from the Boston Red Sox for minor league 2B Tony Thomas) pitched the 8th inning, and once again he had absolutely nasty stuff, was almost impossible to hit (he racked up two strikeouts), and he had a lot of trouble throwing strikes (24 pitches - 14 strikes in 1.0 IP). He did throw seven straight strikes after receiving a visit to the mound from new Cubs pitching coach Mark Riggins, however.

Today was my first time inside Salt River Fields (it just opened last month), and it is a magnificent faciility conveniently located between two freeway off-ramps. The main stadium is very nice (comfortable chair-seats, informative scoreboard, steeply-sloped outfield lawn seating, concession stands with grills, rest rooms located right behind the grand stand, and lots of shaded seating). The grounds are shared by the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks (both teams moved their Spring Training operation and Minor League HQ up to Maricopa County from Tucson after last season), with the Rockies practice fields, ticket office, and clubhouse located on the south end of the property, and the D'backs' fields, ticket office, and clubhouse on the north side. Each team's roomy two-story clubhouse includes a fitness center and plenty of office space and meeting rooms. The two teams share the main stadium (one team is home each day). Each side of the shared complex features ten batting cages, four full fields, and a half-field that can be used for bunting drills, baserunning instruction, and Pitchers Fielding Practice. Elevated walkways have been constructed above and next to the batting cages and back fields, providing outstanding views for the fans. 

Most all of the Cub brass was at today's game and gave the facility a close inspection, probably to help gather some ideas for the new Cubs Spring Training & Minor League complex that will be constructed at Riverview Park in Mesa (at 8th Street & Dobson Road) over the next couple of years.      

Comments

As AZ PHIL has been giving nice updates, including those on Vitter's progress (or lack thereof), he mentioned recently that it is possible that A-Ram might just end up with the Cubs again next year. Of course a lot of this depends on how both the above players do this year. I was curious who was a free agent next year in case Vitters does not pan out, and the Cubs do not have any viable internal candidate. Here is the list of 3B via MLB Trade Rumors: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/03/2012-mlb-free-agents.html It is truly the "Old Man's Club". Blech. I hope Vitters can get his shit together or another player can rise to the occasion. If not, we are potentially looking at another post-Santo to prime A-Ram era again.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/3400/perezs-speed-an-ass… Headline:"Perez's speed an asset to Cubs" okay, dazzle me with how this will help the cubs win games and how the lack of it has hurt the team recently.
The Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants tied for the fewest stolen bases in the Major Leagues last season with 55.
well that's a poor start...
The last real base-running threat that the Cubs featured in their lineup was outfielder Juan Pierre during the 2006 season. That season, Pierre stole 58 bases for a horrendous North Side team that Dusty Baker managed to 96 losses.
Fantastic, point out that when they did have a stealing threat, they still sucked. I feel Levine didn't do very well in debate club in high school. further down...
Since 2000, the Cubs have had only three players steal more than 30 bases in a season (Eric Young had 54 in 2000, Corey Patterson stole 32 in 2004 and Pierre’s 2006 season.)
Well if you're goal was to convince me that a basestealing threat does very little to help the team win, by all means, job well done.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Lollercoasters. Well done, Rob. That reminds me of when I edit ESL 'argument' papers for friends. "This is what I believe...now I'll throw in whatever information I can find even if it disproves my argument".

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I'm no debater but it seems to me that Perez might have won a game with his speed just this past Monday. Perez walked with one out in the ninth, stole second, took third on a fly to center and scored on a two-out single. Statistically, it would be hard to prove who or what won the game. Possibly it was someone who saw a lot of pitches in an at-bat in the fifth inning. But after Perez scored, the game was over and the Cubs were ahead.

how bad Vince Naimoli was as an owner http://deadspin.com/5779887/the-devil-in-tampa-remembering-the-penny+pi…
One of the Devil Rays' biggest Naimolified public relations disasters involved the St. Petersburg High School band. The team invited the band to perform the national anthem—only to have the appearance canceled after band members were told at the last minute they would have to pay to get into the ballpark.
talks about how Naimoli thought email was a fad and refused to buy it for the Rays as well..

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

But does that outweigh the fact that Marlon Byrd is a thoroughly average hitter, even when he has a decent year (for him)? He makes a fair amount of contact, and that's about all he has going for him--he isn't even fast. Soto gets on base and has more power than Byrd. Byrd is just fine 6-8 and acceptable as a #2 hitter if you want someone in the second spot who can put the bat on the ball and hit it to the right side (of course, Castro is fine for that too, and probably runs better). Byrd is just very overrated by the Cubs front office and by Quade. He looks like a linebacker, he's got a big smile, and he likes to talk to the press (while saying all the right things), but that doesn't make him a cleanup hitter. [OT: He also likes sentence fragments quite a bit. Somebody needs to tell him to pull that particular stylistic tic back a little bit on his blog.]

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

I think the formula the Cubs are following is that your #3 hitter is the best combination of speed and power (and contact) in the lineup. Byrd used to be a speed guy in the minors and he still gets around the bases pretty well. I feel like I've seen him slide safely into home half a dozen times. His best statistical number last season was probably the 84 runs he scored. He comes up a little short in the power department but he did have 39 doubles, so those muscles are not completely wasted. He's not the perfect #3, but hey, on a team of #6 hitters (Jim Bowden's description of the Cubs last week) you have to fill the other lineup slots. I expect Castro to hit third eventually, not this year.

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.