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

Reds Long Balls Doom Cubs at Fitch Park

Carlos Sanchez, Steven Selsky, and Brennan May hit back-to-back-to back home runs in the top of the 8th to put the game away, as the AZL Reds throttled the AZL Cubs 9-1 in Arizona League action at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa this morning. 

Selsky (the Reds 2011 33rd round draft pick out of the University of Arizona) also clubbed a solo HR off the LF foul pole to give the Reds a 1-0 lead in the top of the 2nd.  

The game was a battle for the AZL Wild Card lead, as the Cubs and Reds came into the game tied in the AZL Wild Card standings. (The three division winners and the second-place team with the best record will qualify for the AZL playoffs). By winning today, the Reds take a one-game lead over the Cubs with ten games left to play (and the Reds own the tie-breaker, having defeated the Cubs three out of four times).   

box score

A number of the Cubs recent signees were in attendance at Fitch Park today (and 1B Rock Shoulders and OF John Andreoli were in uniform, although they did not play), getting a chance to partake in what is Arizona League baseball.

Cubs 2010 #1 draft pick RHP Hayden Simpson (Southern Arkansas U.) got the start for the AZL Cubs, and threw two innings (38 pitches - 22 strikes), allowing one run (the Selsky solo HR leading off the top of the 2nd), a two-out single in the second, and a four-pitch walk with one out in the top of the 1st. He did not strike out any Reds hitters, but he did induce a "room-service" 4-6-3 DP to end the top of the 1st inning. Simpson threw all of his pitches (fastball, curve, and change), but struggled to command his fastball.

Cubs 2010 8th round draft pick LHP Cam Greahouse (Gulf Coast CC) followed Simpson to the mound, and he REALLY struggled to throw strikes. Greathouse worked 1.2 IP (50 pitches - only 25 strikes), laboring through every AB, eventually allowing three runs on three hits, five walks, and two WP. Reds lead-off hitter Brandon Dailey stole three bases off Greathouse (he wasn't paying much attention to the runner, so catcher Neftali Rosario had no chance), although he did manage to pick another baserunner off or the outing would have been even worse than it was.

Greathouse had a fine debut season last year (4-2 with a 2.75 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, allowing just 34 hits and only one HR, with 11/50 BB/K in 44.1 IP combined between Mesa and Boise), and he followed that with a solid Minor League Camp this past March that earned him a spot in the Peoria Chiefs 2011 Opening Day starting rotation. But things have gotten increasingly ugly for Greathouse ever since, as he got demoted to Boise in June after going 4-5 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.63 WHIP with 53 BB allowed in just 57.1 IP at Peoria, and then was sent down to Mesa (AZL Cubs) from Boise after going 0-5 with a 7.58 ERA and 2.32 WHIP, allowing 25 BB in just 19 IP in the NWL. No question Greathouse is a major mess right now.

Another pitcher who has struggled with his control this season is Cubs 2010 16th round draft pick RHP Ryan Hartman (Mt. Zion HS - Mt. Zion IL), and he continued to have problems locating the strike zone today. He walked the bases loaded with one out in the 6th before being pulled out of the game, eventually being charged with two runs in 1.2 IP of work (44 pitches but only 22 strikes).  

27-year old Cuban defector RHP Yoannis Negrin (first name sometimes mistakenly spelled "Yoanner") followed Greathouse and Hartman, and displayed the polish and guile one would expect out of a pitcher with extensive experience in the Serie Nacional (the Cuban Major League). Negrin is a little guy and a short-armer (he throws like an infielder) who varies his arm angle from 3/4 to sidearm, throwing just about every pitch in the book. In just 1.2 IP I saw a four seam cutter, a two-seam sinker, a slider, a round-house curve, and a change-up, and I think I saw a srewball, too. Negrin lives on the edges of the plate--nibble, nibble, nibble--but never gives the batter much to hit. I doubt that he will be in Mesa much longer (he is WAY too advanced for rookie ball), but then again it might be gertting kind of late in the season for a promotion to Daytona or Tennessee.     

And finally, AZL Cubs RHP Rafael Diplan did something I have never seen a pitcher do in my 30 years watching baseball at Fitch Park, not even in batting practice. He somehow managed to allow back-to-back-to back home runs.

With the large dimensions of the fields and the 20-ft high OF fence, it is very difficult for even a major leaguer (much less a minor leaguer who has not yet reached physical maturity) to hit a ball over the fence at any of the Fitch Park fields. But for three hitters (and three rookie ball hitters to boot) to do it in successive at-bats is just plain unbelievable.

While the Reds scored nine times, the Cubs offense was mostly quiet today, scoring just one run on seven hits. DH Brian Inoa did reach base four times (three walks and a single), but did not score. The Cubs plated their only run in the bottom of the 5th, as supersub Gregori Gonzalez (who played 3B today) smashed a ball off the left-centerfield fence for a lead-off triple, scoring later in the inning on a 6-4-3 DP.

The Cubs ran themselves out of a couple of other innings, as runners made the third out at 3rd base twice. Brian Inoa made the third out at 3rd base in the bottom of the 2nd trying advance from 2nd to 3rd on a third-strike ball in the dirt, and Garrett Schlecht (in just his second pro game) was thrown out (easily) at 3rd base by Steven Selsky trying to advance from 1st to 3rd on a bloop single that fell in front of the Reds LF with two outs in the bottom of the 7th. 

I guess it should have been a precursor of things to come when Schlecht batted out of order in the bottom of the 2nd (he was supposed to hit 8th--after Trey Martin, but batted 7th--after Neftali Rosario--instead). As it turned out it didn't matter, because Schlecht struck out (and Inoa was thrown out at 3rd to end the inning), and Cubs manager Juan "Pee-Pee" Cabreja (who was probably too busy coaching 3rd base to realize the goof at the time it happened) caught the mistake before the next half-inning, as #9 hitter Gregori Gonzalez led-off the bottom of the 3rd and Martin-Schlecht hit 7-8 the rest of the game. But what the mistake did do was cheat Trey Martin out of what should have been his first AB of the game.  

Comments

With any luck, he'll retire tonight. Nice Symmetry, though: The worst closer in MLB blows a 3-run lead to the worst team in MLB.

AP--With the polish you speak of and being 27, and seeing him in person, how quickly do you think Negrin will move through the system? Where do you see his ceiling?

[ ]

In reply to by Tony S.

Submitted by Tony S. on Tue, 08/16/2011 - 9:16pm. AP--With the polish you speak of and being 27, and seeing him in person, how quickly do you think Negrin will move through the system? Where do you see his ceiling? =============================================== TONY S: I would say AAA is probably his floor and it could be his ceiling, too (he's 27, so what you see now is probably the best you're going to get), but if he can get AAA hitters out he could maybe have a chance to be an MLB middle-reliever, long man, or #5 starter. He has a lot of experience so the Cubs won't have to waste a lot of time evaluating & projecting him.

With one out and nobody on, Marmol had these counts on the next four batters, 1-2, 0-2, 2-2, and 0-2 and put none of them away. Koyie Hill has to share the blame for that...and he did fail to catch a two strike foul tip for the second out of the inning. FWIW, I was watching the Astros broadcast and they had Marmol's fastball at a steady 91 and his slider at 85-86. What bothers me is how hard he's getting hit since the All Star break (ERA of 8.22, BABIP around .360). The first out of the inning was really squared up. So were the first single and the monster shot home run. It looked like he hung at least three sliders tonight. I agree with everyone who wanted to trade him last winter.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

You can't tackle a player anywhere else on the field, and you can't block the baseline without the ball anywhere else on the field. It doesn't make sense for home plate to be an exception, but it's really more up to the umpires to call obstruction/interference and for the players to adjust accordingly after that pattern is established. Baseball, especially the umpires, don't seem concerned in the least, though, so the players are going to keep doing what they're doing--catchers and baserunners.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

he could have avoided it if he wanted to much like you avoid running over the 2bmen if they're in you're way. No one ever thinks to barrel over that guy. They run around him 99% of the time. The catcher in the DeVoss play had his left foot on the baseline and right foot a little towards first which leaves a little room towards third for DeVoss to try and run around if he wanted to avoid contact and still be within the baseline. Of course I don't care that he ran him over, if the catcher is going to set up like he's going to block you off the plate, he's gonna expect to get hit as well.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Submitted by Charlie on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 12:47pm. It'd be nice for our prospects not to have bone-rattling collisions in A-ball, though, where the games mean absolutely squat. =================================== CHARLIE: Game results/outcomes have minimal interest to the Player Development people, but the games do matter to the players. The players play hard and they play to win in the minors just like they do in the big leagues. The fact that a suit might look at minor league baseball as a glorified sim game is separate & distinct from a player's view of the same game.

[ ]

In reply to by Paul Noce

Here's the voice of an authority on the matter: "I teach my kids to stay away from the plate when you don't have the ball so the runner actually sees home plate and his thought is, slide. But Buster is laying in front of home plate, and it's like having a disabled car in the middle of a four-lane highway. You're just going to get smacked. Show them the plate. You can always catch the ball and step, or step and catch the ball, as long as you've got the runner on the ground. And if you have the runner on the ground, there's less chance of any severe collision." -- Johnny Bench

2:05pm EDT (C. Coleman - R) @ Astros (B. Norris - R) 1. Starlin Castro (R) SS 2. Darwin Barney (R) 2B 3. Aramis Ramirez (R) 3B 4. Carlos Pena (L) 1B 5. Geovany Soto (R) C 6. Marlon Byrd (R) CF 7. Alfonso Soriano (R) LF 8. Tyler Colvin (L) RF 9. Casey Coleman (L) P

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

if Prior and Wood stayed healthy if Sosa kept taking roids if Trib okayed money to spend on Beltran the year before instead of Soriano if pigs could fly woulda, shoulda, coulda anyway, Teflon Hendry has managed to stay on the job despite 2 ownership changes and 3 different presidents and not a particularly great record of achievement. It makes sense to this sucker at least, that some of these stories of things being done against his better judgement to have some validity. no matter how bitter we are as Cubs fans, he's clearly very well-respected by most of his peers and apparently well-liked. I'm more than ready for a GM change, but it's hard to get too excited until you know what philosophy/direction they're headed.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

The notion that Jim Hendry hasn't had the resources to compete each and every year is simply bogus. I certainly wasn't trying to say that, mostly saying things didn't work out for a variety of reasons, with #1 being injuries in 2004-2006 and #2 being stupidity from 2009-2011. He's a nice guy and because of that he's managed to stay around through 3 separate transitions. I would think it's more than him being a nice guy, but I can't say for sure. He does deserve to fall on the sword by this point and in general I'm not a fan of overall baseball organizational philosophy and crony system. But no guarantee the next guy will be any better or any different.

If you beleive Jayson Starkand his sources, Reed Johnson claimed on waivers and the Cubs pull him back. Wood too. Carlos Pena still hasn't been placed on waivers.

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Submitted by QuietMan on Wed, 08/17/2011 - 11:16am. If you beleive Jayson Starkand his sources, Reed Johnson claimed on waivers and the Cubs pull him back. Wood too. Carlos Pena still hasn't been placed on waivers. ======================================== Q-MAN: If that's true, then Reed Johnson and Kerry Wood cannot be placed back on Trade Waivers again for at least 30 days (taking it past the 8/31 post-season roster eligibility deadline), and if a player is placed on Trade Waivers a second time in the Waiver Period, the waivers become irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn if the player is claimed by another club. So I guess Johnson & Wood will be remaining with the Cubs for the balance of the 2011 season.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

LaHair and Jackson in the lineup instead of Soriano and Byrd. What a concept! I think I sort of like the person Marlon Byrd and his blog and his story and all that, but the guy is killing us. He's turning into Milton Bradley with a smile. I remember Bradley nudging his RBI total up to 40 in mid-September. Byrd has 22 RBI in 83 games mostly hitting 3rd and 5th. Brett Jackson has 19 RBI in 31 games batting leadoff. I think Byrd must have played in Atlanta for a while. Where else would he have picked up that tomahawk chop he calls a swing?

http://ht.ly/65NON callis post signing draft chat, think this is all the Cub info Mike (Chicago): How would you rate the cubs draft now, since they got a lot of tough signs? Jim Callis: They got the best pure HS hitter in the draft in Baez, and they essentially got an extra pick in the 14th round in Dillon Maples. I've heard very good reports on under-the-radar 13th-rounder Trey Martin. Tony Zych was a steal in the fourth round. I could go on, but in a word, yes, they had a good draft. David Yuen (Portland, OR): Do either Baez or Vogelbach pass Brett Jackson as the Cubs' best power hitter? Jim Callis: Vogelbach has the most pure power among Cubs farmhands now.

follow up a bases loaded, 0 out failure with men on corners, 0 out, down by 1 in the 9th...also failure. cubs lose. horrible game. many chances to score more than the 3 runs they did score.

Glad to see that we are back on track to be the second worst team in baseball. I was getting worried that the Quade magic would extend this idiocy another year. I hope we can now relax and watch bad baseball the rest of the year and fulfill most our wishes by an early October house cleaning.

probably 3/44, but Baez's scouting report from scout.com, some talk about him being moved to catcher, none of it coming from the Cubs though. http://cubs.scout.com/2/1077071.html The bat is what’s going to make Baez special. He has an advanced feel with the bat and drives the ball with authority to all parts of the park. He’s willing to shoot the ball to right field or spin on an inside fastball. This is as complete a hitter as there is in the 2011 draft class. Baez is mechanically sound and rarely expands the zone. ~snip~ Baez has plus bat speed and good natural lift in his stroke. He has power to the middle part of the field and could be a 25 home run threat at the next level. ~snip~ Baez is athletic, fast, has versatility in the field, and most importantly has a plus bat with plus power potential. He has star quality at the plate, and if he can stick at a premium position his value will continue to rise. says has tools to be a SS with a plus arm, could be a 3bmen and has plus speed.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

Agreed, which is why it is nice that Vitters at least says he needs to change his approach. The interesting thing is that it isn't so much a strike zone issue given his low strike out totals (they are low right), it just that he puts balls in play that he would be better off letting go by. From people who have watched him play: is he swinging at pitches way out of the zone and putting them in play, swinging at the first kind of good pitch he sees, or is he swinging at too many borderline strikes?

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • 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.