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

Castro's Quest

The Savior knocked out 3 hits including his 9th home run last year and is up to 190 hits. That's 10 hits shy of the magic 200 mark for the math impaired. He has 15 games to do it, which I don't believe will be a problem unless Q-Ball decides he needs another life lesson on the bench. By my back of the envelope calculations, if he stays healthy, he's on pace to reach 3,000 hits by age 36, sometime during the 2026 season.

No pressure.

- Baseball America took to some list making and recently rated the Cubs 2005 draft as the worst of the lot. A look at the 2006 draft, the first under Tim Wilken sees them moving up 5 spots.

$11.5 million investment in Tyler Colvin (1), Jeff Samardzija (5) has yet to pay off.

That year the Cubs lost their 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks by signing Bob Howry (Type A), Scott Eyre (Type A) and Jacque Jones (Type B). Their 1st round pick was protected since it was in the top half of the draft. Other notable (notorious?) picks from that draft were Steve Clevenger, Jacob Renshaw (traded to Orioles for Trachsel), Chris Huseby ($1.3M bonus, released by Boston in August), Marcus Hatley, Matt Camp and Blake Parker.

- I've been trying to put together useful draft lists over at Wiklifield and have roughly gotten through 2009-2011. I think the 2009 one has some nifty information. You can now see bonus info that I can track down plus where the prospects are now. There's also a partial Cubs Draft Bonuses list that has started to come together. As I get more information inputted, the more it will fill out.

- Baseball Prospectus now has normalized sortabe minor league stats, although I'd prefer they defaulted to TAV rather than BWARP, cause who the hell would trust minor league fielding stats?

- According to Shawon Dunston Jr. and Arizona Phil, players report for Arizona Instructs this Thursday with the first game being next Friday, September 23rd.

- Poor John Gaub last night...makes his major league debut and is flawless in his first inning. Be nice to go out on a high note, but alas, Q-Ball decides to go a second inning with him and he ends up letting the first two runners on and they score.

- Tuesday's lineup

Castro SS, Barney 2B, Ramirez 3B, Pena 1B, LaHair RF, Soriano LF, Byrd CF, Soto C, Dempster P

vs.

Phillips 2B, Renteria SS, Votto 1B, Bruce RF, Alonso LF, Stubbs CF, Francisco 3B, Mesoraco C, Leake P


Cubs still in the 7th spot and going the wrong way.

- Smokies will battle Mobile (DBacks affiliate) in the Southern League Championship starting tomorrow. Marco Carrillo is the game 1 starter.

- Aramis Ramirez said that he wants a multi-year deal and is open to it being with the Cubs. That should make the offseason decision easy enough. Cubs should choose to exercise his $16M option, he wil then opt to void it and then the Cubs can offer him arbitration. He certainly won't accept it and the Cubs can get a first or second round pick for him if he signs elsewhere. And they still can try to negotiate a multi-year deal if they wish.

Comments

Cashner made his first appearance since April and got his two outs including a strikeout. Cashner pitched a few days ago - on the 9th.

Quade says Dempster might get 3 more start to get 200 innings for 4 th straight season.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

So that's why he didn't take Dempster out after 6 innings tonight. Way to go Q-ball, putting selfish interests ahead of the team's actual needs. UPDATE: highest pitch count of the year for Dempster, 124 and rising, and most walks in a game this year. On verge of blowing any shot we have of coming back in this game, Q sits in the dugout counting his brain cell. UPDATE 2: 129 pitches through 7. Dempster gets a brain dead Jay Bruce looking on a called 3rd strike, stranding runners at 1st and 3rd. Q greets Dempster in the dugout and asks if he can go all the way.

Still viable (=playing somewhere) 2006 draftees are Colvin (1), Samardzija (5), Clevenger (7), Parker (16), Latham (29), Samson (34), Smith (35) and Hatley (39). I only see Veal (2) still viable among Stockstill's class of '05.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Marquez Smith didn't sign from that draft, selected again in 8th round the following year. They drafted M. Brenly in 2005, but did not sign and redrafted in 2008. I'm gonna guess Latham is released by next season. 24-year old in Daytona not doing anything and an influx of talent on its way. Can't imagine Samson being around much longer either.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Latham was booted out of the organization for reasons unknown (to me) and he missed the 2009 season. Since his return last year he has had control issues, but maybe they still like his arm. Samson is the guy who reminds me of Theriot, although he doesn't steal bases. Smokies mgr. Brian Harper seems to like Samson and has given him over 300 PAs in spite of competition at short from Gonzalez, Lake and Mota. It's true that Samson hasn't hit much in two seasons in double A.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

It had to do with this... The Idaho Statesman - Dec 06 11:22 PM Jordan Latham, a pitcher during the Boise Hawks 2007 season, was arrested early Thursday morning for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident after the car he was driving hit a bump and launched into the front porch of a house at 22nd Avenue and Blaine Street, Boise police said.

[ ]

In reply to by VirginiaPhil

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Tue, 09/13/2011 - 3:46pm. Still viable (=playing somewhere) 2006 draftees are Colvin (1), Samardzija (5), Clevenger (7), Parker (16), Latham (29), Samson (34), Smith (35) and Hatley (39). I only see Veal (2) still viable among Stockstill's class of '05. ================================== VA PHIL: Cubs 2006 6th round pick RHRP (ex-3B) Josh Lansford (Carney Lansford's son) is still active in the OAK organization. BTW, Josh Lansford's brother Jared is also a pitcher in the OAK organization.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

A couple of items of note regarding the Cubs 2006 draft... The 2006 draft was notable for the Cubs not having any picks in rounds 2-4, and then giving significant "over-slot" bonuses to a number of draft picks, including 5th round pick RHP Jeff Samardzija and 11th round pick RHP Chris Huseby (both eventually got "1st round money"), 14th round pick OF Drew Rundle (who got "2nd round" money"), 22nd round pick 3B Jovan Rosa and 34th round pick INF Nate Samson (both got "5th round money"), and 20th round pick RHP Kevin Kreier and 29th round pick RHP Jordan Latham (both got "6th round money"). Jordan Latham and Marcus Hatley were two of the last so-called "Draft & Follow" draft picks to sign with the Cubs. (3B Jovan Rosa and RHP Cedric Redmond were the other two). The "Draft & Follow" rule allowed an MLB club to draft a player and then retain the rights to that player until a week before the next year's draft, as long as the player was eligible for selection in the next draft. So it applied mainly to JC players. ("Draft & Follow" was abolished starting with the 2007 draft). Now clubs retain the rights only to college seniors with no eligibility left until a week prior the next year's draft. (TCU RHP Steven Maxwell is the only unsigned 2011 draft pick the Cubs can still sign up until a week before the 2012 draft). Latham threw in the mid-90's at Fitch Park in the days following the 2006 draft, but opted to return to the College of Southern Idaho for the 2006-07 school year when the Cubs didn't meet his bonus demands (and he was set to transfer to Arizona State if he hadn't signed in 2007). But the Cubs did eventually relent, and gave Latham 6th round money ($100K) to sign just prior to the deadline in May 2007. Hatley was a JC outfielder (Palomar JC) with a power-arm (and zero secondary stuff) the Cubs converted to a RHP after he signed in May 2007, and then he had TJS in 2009, so it has taken him a while to develop.

Just to make it clear regarding Cubs AZ Instructional League team, players report to Fitch Park this Thursday (9/15), and the first league game (for the Cubs) is A WEEK FROM Friday (9/23). The Cubs are scheduled to play 20 AZIL games (10 home & 10 road), everyday Monday-Saturday (no activity on Sundays). MIL & CIN first games are this Friday 9/16 and they play each other four times before there are any other AZIL games involving other teams scheduled. Then CLE & SD play their first games next Tuesday 9/20, OAK, LAA, and AZ play their first games on Thursday 9/22, SF, TEX, and CUBS play their first games on Friday 9/23, COL, LAD, and CHW play their first games on Saturday 9/24, and KC and SEA play their first games on Monday 9/26. MIL last game is on Friday 10/7, SEA & SD last games are on Saturday 10/8, LAD & CLE last games are on Wednesday 10/12, CHW, TEX & AZ last games are on Friday 10/14, CUBS, LAA, SF, COL, and OAK last games are on Saturday 10/15, and CIN & KC last games are on Tuesday 10/18. The Mariners play the fewest number of AZIL games (10), while the Reds play the most AZIL games (26).

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Since we all seem to be okay on your overall player reporting, can I just make a suggestion that you don't leave out the attendance figures by mistake. I think you did that once last session. It was a huge gaffe but I let it go since there is no micropayment requirement on this site yet.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I doubt we would as much. I also doubt that he'd require it as much. Rumor is (and I think the rumor is perpetuated by Ryno himself) that he has read some of the "sabermatic books". One quick check I did on how that was working out with him... the guy who closed last night's game, isn't always used at the closer, and has pitched as many as three innings in a relief outing. In fact, 11 guys got 48 saves for the Iron Pigs this year, seven of them three or more. Those same 11 guys combined for 41 holds. Of the top three guys, the highest percentage of games they finished was 64%. Marmol, for comparison has finished 83% of his games. For the uninitiated, one of the tenets of sabermatically managing is to use your best reliever in the most important situation, regardless of inning.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

you'll find that your relief observation scales to almost every AAA/minor team and it rarely has much to do with situational closing or pressure situation relief appearances. btw, you realize he managed a AAA team of starter bats that were almost all 26-32+ years old and an average age of about 28? not that it's a bad thing, you play with what you got...but he's run a vet-heavy-playing-time team this year.

[ ]

In reply to by Dusty Baylor

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?id=08dcc2f3 jeebus, how did they win? not only is it mostly old, but not particularly good on offense. They did have D. Brown for about 174 PA's, although he didn't do very well. pitching did well, particularly the relievers. They had V. Worley for a bit and then mostly the Les Walrond's of the world. Think P. Aumont (22 IP) and R. Feierabrand are the only sort of prospects, although I know little about their system.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

yeah, pretty much the pitching. weak bats all around except for columbus and durham in the IL. it's still weird seeing durham out, but they did lose desmond to the majors. columbus took them out. -edit- columbus lost some players to the bigs, too...oh well...woo playoffs.

Moneyball. POSTED ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 · 31 COMMENTS Moneyball, the movie, is an absolute mess of a film, the type of muddled end product you’d expect from a project that took several years and went through multiple writers and directors. Even good performances by a cast of big names and some clever makeup work couldn’t save this movie, and if I hadn’t been planning to review it, I would have walked out. http://meadowparty.com/blog/?p=1861

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

either way k.law lays out pretty much every fear i had for the film...and more...as a fan who knows how baseball works rather than coming at it as a casual film fan. i've gone from "maybe" based on earlier reviews to "pass."

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Yikes "I wasn’t as concerned with the script having Beane trade Carlos Pena to Detroit for a reliever and some money (as opposed to the actual three-team, seven-player deal including Jeff Weaver and Jeremy Bonderman) as I was with seeing Pena, an intelligent, gregarious person, depicted as a sullen Latino player." K Law

[ ]

In reply to by navigator

oh my! next you'll tell Jim Morris didn't really throw a fastball on the side of a road to register the speed. anyway, if you're looking for a documentary, then people will certainly be disappointed.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Tell me if this bit rings true to anyone: Howe is nothing but a holier than thou obstacle for Beane whose entire motivation for his stubbornness is his desire for a contract extension - a hopelessly tired plot device that makes for a one-dimensional character.

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.