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

A VogelBomb and a VogelDub Lead Cubs to Victory

Dan Vogelbach blasted a 415-foot+ two-run home run over the right-centerfield fence in the bottom of the 4th and an RBI double off the LF fence in the bottom of the 6th (he also stole a base), and Lendy Castillo and four relievers combined to throw a two-hitter, as the AZL Cubs defeated the AZL Padres 4-2 in Arizona League action tonight at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, AZ.  

The game was delayed due to weather (lightning in area) for about 30 minutes with two outs in bottom of the 4th.

box score

RHP Lendy Castillo got the start for the AZL Cubs, making his first game appearance since being placed on the Cubs MLB 15-day Disabled List with a groin injury on May 16th (retroactive to May 12th).

He looked very good tonight (in fact it's hard to believe he even had an injury...), throwing a 94 MPH fastball and a plus-slider while allowing two baserunners (a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch in the top of the 1st, and a bloop single that fell in front of RF Garrett Schlecht in the 2nd) but no runs in two innings of work (34 pitches - 24 strikes). He struck out one with a 4/1 GO/FO.

Because he is a Rule 5 player (he was selected in Major League Phase of the December 2011 Rule 5 Draft), Castillo must spend the entire 2012 season on the Cubs Active List (25-man roster) and/or MLB 15-day or 60-day Disabled List, with at least 90 days spent on the Active List. If he does not spend at least 90 days on the Cubs Active List this season, he remains a Rule 5 player going into the 2013 season (until he accrues the 90 days he needs).

If the Cubs wish to send Castillo to the minors before the Rule 5 restrictions are removed, Outright Assignment Waivers (which are irrevocable) must be secured AND the Philadelphia Phillies (the organization from which he was drafted) must decline to re-claim him.

It appears that the Cubs do not wish to take that chance.

By placing Castillo on the 15-day DL on May 16th (retro to May 12th), the Cubs are now in a position to fairly easily satisfy Castillo's Rule 5 requirements by the end of the 2012 season.

Castillo accrued 38 days on the Cubs MLB 25-man roster (Active List) prior to May 12th, so he needs to spend 52 more days on the 25-man roster to reach the required 90 days.

The Cubs have sent Castillo to the minors on a 30-day rehab assignment (pitchers get a maximum of 30 days, position players only get 20), meaning the rehab assignment started today (Wednesday 7/11) and will conclude no later than Thursday August 9th. (NOTE: Castillo does NOT have to be reactivated when he completes his rehab assignment).

During the 30 day rehab assignment, Castillo can be assigned to any of the Cubs minor league affiliates, so although he began his rehab in Mesa with the AZL Cubs, he will likely spend most of what remains of the 30 days at Hi-A Daytona and/or AA Tennessee. In fact, he can be moved from affiliate-to-affiliate (as the Cubs see fit).

Once he completes his minor league rehab assignment (and I would think the Cubs will want him to take the full 30 days, to give him as much minor league work as possible), the Cubs will probably activate him from the DL, and as long as they do so no later than August 13th, and as long as he remains on the 25-man roster (Active List) through to the conclusion of the 2012 MLB regular season, he will accrue the required 90 days.

Two Cubs 2012 draft picks made their pro debut tonight, both of them pitchers.

20-year old RHP Trey Lang (6th round pick out of Gateway CC in Phoenix) threw a 14-pitch 1-2-3 3rd inning, and he is quite a presence on the mound (6'3 225+).

Lang was a star outfielder at Skyline HS in Mesa and set various HR and slugging records there, before enrolling as a two-way player (OF/RHP) at Northern Illinois University as a Freshman in 2010. He only lasted one year at NIU (as his weight ballooned to 250+) before transferring back home to GCC, where he was the Geckos' RF and closer this past season.

The Cubs drafted him as a pitcher (he would have transferred to the U. of New Mexico if he hadn't signed with the Cubs), and you can see the potential he has as a late-inning reliever. He throws unmitigated gas. He just needs to keep the weight off.    

18-year old RHP Corbin Hoffner (14th round pick out of St. Petersburg JC) also made his pro debut tonight, and he also threw a 1-2-3 inning (the top of the 4th), striking out two of the three men he faced. Hoffner is bigger than Lang (6'5 235) and has plus-velocity on his fastball, too, although he doesn't throw quite as hard as Lang.

The best outing of the night, however, was turned-in by RHP David Henrie, who threw four perfect innings (12 up/12 down) in frames 5-6-7-8. 

The 6'5 Henrie was signed by the Cubs as a Non-Drafted Free-Agent (NDFA) last summer, but unlike most NDFA, Henrie was NOT a college senior signed right after the draft for maybe an $800 bonus to provide experience and organizational depth at Mesa or Boise.  

Rather, Henrie was a JUCO player (Trinidad State JC) who was "bird-dogged" by the Cubs for two months last summer while he pitched for the Arvada Colts in the Rocky Mountain Baseball League (a collegiate "wood bat" league), and then he signed at the August 15th deadline, receiving a substantial bonus (rare for a NDFA).  

Henrie made his pro debut with the Cubs in the AZ Instructional League last September, and then he spent two months at Extended Spring Training (EXST) prior to the start of the AZL. He was not impressive at either Instructs or EXST (7.89 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in 21.2 IP combined between the two), but he has shown occasional flashes of brilliance in the AZL, and could be in-line for a promotion to Boise.

Shawon Dunston Jr was sent down to the AZL Cubs from Boise during the All-Star Break, and he played CF and went 0-4 (two ground outs, a fly out, and a strike out-swinging) tonight. He looked a little bit frustrated after the strikeout. Dunston was hitting just 185/254/323 in 19 NWL games at Boise prior to the demotion. 

Meanwhile, Dan Vogelbach broke a 3-24 slump with his HR and double tonight. It was his 4th HR and 8th double in just 15 AZL games, and he is now tied for third in the AZL in doubles, and tied for fourth in the league in HR.

Apparently feeling a bit frisky after his RBI double, Vogelbach stole a base (a daring theft of 3rd!) with two outs in the bottom of the 6th. 

2B Danny Lockhart reached base all four times he batted, on two singles, a double, and a walk, and he also stole a base (3rd base with two outs, just like Vogelbach). 

Comments

Love to hear news on this year's draft picks! Sounds like Lang has the potential to move a little quicker than the average pitching prospect if he's viewed clearly as a reliever. Thanks for the reports - can't wait to hear one on Soler and Almora

Baez hit his 7th homer last night in a 1-0 Chiefs win. Hoilman is 2 for 34 in his last ten games but is clinging to the cleanup slot, sandwiched by Geiger hitting third and Baez fifth.

[ ]

In reply to by QuietMan

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 12:21pm — QuietMan AZ Phil, someone (Goldstein?) described Vogelbach as a "20" runner the other day. I was under the impression that he moved okay for a big man. What's your impresssion thus far? ============================= Q-MAN: The way I have described Dan Vogelbach in the past (and I'm sticking to it) is that he runs like a "pulling guard," whereas guys like Rock Shoulders, Ben Carhart, et al, run like left tackles. If a "20" runner is the bottom, then Vogelbach is a 25 or a 30 (especially once he gets up a head of steam). I also think it is possible that Vogelbach could be moved to LF at some point. While he is fairly athletic for a big guy, he has stone hands and an iron glove, so he is going to be a defensive liability no matter where he plays. He probably would do less damage defensively in LF than he would at 1B.

z.rosscup mega-fail on his 1st game as a starter .1ip 3h 2bb 0k 3er (4r) 36 pitches. ...and c.volstad tries to out-do it in AAA tonight. 2ip 6h 2bb 1k 5er (7r) doug "why is doug davis still pitching" davis did almost as bad for omaha.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

i like welly, but i see him as more of a guy who can come up to pull a few cheap years...and then the team can see where they wanna go from there. theriot-style for a position in need... he seems to be a guy that's as likely to hit .260/.330 as he is .280/.350...but can provide a good amount of doubles and 10-20 homers to go with it. boring on the surface, but interesting given that he's a catcher. he has his D quirks, but his arm is above average + he's not a defensive klutz. but yeah, even at his best he seems to be a role player at a "rare" position rather than a difference maker in the lineup. his time is running out to be a "surprise breakout" guy destined for a starting job. it'd probably help if he could stay healthy for a full season, too...

Keith Law's newest top 50 prospects, includes this years draft picks. Cubs get 3 on the list including Baez, Almora and Soler. H-J Lee is #33 (down from #12, preseason). http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8150343/jurickson-profar-texa… 35. Javier Baez, SS, Chicago Cubs (age 19) Current level: Low Class A (Peoria) Preseason ranking: 95 The lack of patience (30 strikeouts and seven walks in 129 at-bats) is a concern -- he was a bit of a hacker in high school but could hit almost everything close to the plate then -- but the bat speed and power are still strong. He has even shown some unexpected ability to steal bases in a small sample. Like several shortstop prospects on this list, he is more likely to end up as a third baseman in the majors. 47. Albert Almora, OF, Chicago Cubs (age 18) Current level: TBD Preseason ranking: N/A Projects as a plus defender in center who hits for high averages. He agreed to terms Wednesday and probably won't appear in a game until next week. 50. Jorge Soler, OF, Chicago Cubs (age 20) Current level: TBD Preseason ranking: N/A The toolsy outfielder should make his pro debut next week, at which point we'll start to see how polished he is, or isn't, as a hitter.

4 days of no baseball, game delayed. sigh.

Pirates GM Huntington: "Our final offer exceeded the available bonus pool money and was essentially up to the last dollar we could offer prior to falling into the second tier penalty which would have resulted in the loss of a first round draft selection," Huntington said. "While, as we have shown in past years, we are willing to be aggressive with our financial offer, we simply did not feel it was in the best interest of the organization to forfeit our first round selection in the 2013 amateur draft."

Once the Cubs trade Dempster, etc...assuming we don't get a major league ready starter, I can't see Volstad and/or Wells earning another start right away. The best two starters at Iowa are Rusin and Raley. Both are left-handed. Rusin is two years older, so I'm guessing he would get the first opportunity. Would you love to hear what you guys think.

[ ]

In reply to by carmenfanzone

I would be shocked if we added starters other than Volstad, Wells or Coleman. First of all, there are 40 man roster concerns. Second, Rusin has not been pitching well, so I don't think he'd get promoted. Raley has pitched better, but we acquired Volstad and likely want to see how he is, while Wells has had success before and Coleman, if nothing else, has experience. If they chose someone else, I'd expect Rodrigo Lopez or, if they want to bring up someone for the bullpen, maybe Jay Jackson (as he has done quite well out of the pen). If we want to say the Cubs would promote the starter who has the best stats in upper minors this year, it would be Northwestern's Eric Jokisch (36 hits in 55.1 IP after getting moved up to Tennessee) or, at the next level, Nick Struck or Raley (adjusting Raley's stats for playing in Pacific Coast Level). None of these players are top prospects though, so I doubt we'd bring them up and start their clocks, as there is no guarantee they will be in the majors to stay any time soon.

shhhh...eet Peoria Chiefs pitcher Joe Zeller with 6 no hit innings (no walks, 4K's...only flaw was a hit batter in the 1st), relieved by Jeff Antigua in the 7th but gives up a hit (double) to the 2nd batter but keeps the shutout through 7. Chiefs ahead 7-0

[ ]

In reply to by Cubster

Fri, 07/13/2012 - 7:53pm — Cubster shhhh...eet Peoria Chiefs pitcher Joe Zeller with 6 no hit innings (no walks, 4K's...only flaw was a hit batter in the 1st), relieved by Jeff Antigua in the 7th but gives up a hit (double) to the 2nd batter but keeps the shutout through 7. Chiefs ahead 7-0 =============================== CUBSTER: Joe Zeller is a little guy (just 5'10) and a one-time 28th round draft pick of the Cubs out of an NAIA school (The Master's College). He began his college career as a 2B at Loyola Marymount, but became a two-way player (INF/RHP) after he transferred to TMC. The Cubs drafted him as a 22-year old college senior and so he didn't get much of a signing bonus, but he did sign very quickly and made the Boise Opening Day roster in 2010. He probably was never seen by the Cubs as anything more than an organizational middle-reliever, but he developed a knuckleball last year and suddenly could be on the verge of a breakout.

With two doubles and a HR tonight, Dan Vogelbach is now hitting 365/415/770, is leading the AZL in doubles, and is 2nd in the AZL in HR & RBI. He also has better numbers across-the-board versus LHP than he does versus RHP.

Stewart surgery info, per Toni Ginnetti/Sun-Times
After months of dealing with a painful left wrist, third baseman Ian Stewart had surgery Tuesday. It’s still unknown if he can return later this season. Stewart had two procedures, an arthroscopic exam and a procedure to remove a bone impingement and clean up debris. The wrist will be immobile for two weeks, then require four to six weeks of recovery.
http://www.thecubreporter.com/2012/07/12/vogelbomb-and-vogeldub-lead-cu… --- as best as I can tell the Dorsal Impingement usually involves the dorsal (top surface of the wrist/not the palm surface) scaphoid/navicular bone in the wrist that impinges on an adjacent tendon (the extensor carpi radials brevis) and when the impingement occurs it pinches the wrist joint capsule which causes the pain and swelling. Supposedly Stewart old injury affected the navicular in this area. The surgery removed a portion of that bone to eliminate the impingement. The arthroscopy of the wrist was mostly to make sure there were no additional problems and possibly to clean up any inflammation found elsewhere in the wrist. 2 weeks of rest followed by 6 weeks "of recovery" puts Stewart into early september for any resumption of baseball activities.

From the Twitter sidebar: "georgeofman Cubs have at least 2 deals on table for Dempster. One from Tigers including young lefty and from Dodgers for two pitching prospects." I presume the Tigers' young left would be Casey Crosby. It's probably not Drew Smyly. It better not be Andrew Oliver. It seems like given where the market is that Dempster is worth more than Crosby heads-up, but I guess I wouldn't be totally disappointed in that trade. I do like the little I've seen of Crosby, not that I'm a big prospects expert. He also could be an injury risk.

Dempster with 6 shutout innings ties a Cub record with Ken Holtzman (1969) going 33 consecutive scoreless innings. Hit his pitch count of 90 and Russell throwing in the pen. Would be interesting if this is his last Cub start.

I was checking out Barney's defensive WAR numbers RF, etc. Esp. when compared to league averages at the position. He is leading the league in several categories incl. WAR. This position has been pretty much a suck-hole since Grudz in his prime, or Mark DeRosa (better 3B than 2B). We have been treated to De-Wittless, Baker, Theriot, Fontenot, Aaron Miles, and Free Bobby Scales. I had been an advocate for Barney here since I saw him in the CWS - in spite of folks like CRUNCH calling him "Theriot-Lite" (which to be fair, he realized that Theriot was actually Barney lite). I'm wondering, considering that HoyStein really puts a premium on Defense - and that finally the up-the-middle of the Cubs defense is starting to become pretty solid, just what the Cubs will want to get back if they trade Barney? IMO, unless we get something of equal or better value, I'd like to see the Castro-Barney Connection grow up together. The team could do a lot worse.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

i don't bring D into the "theriot lite" comparison (i think barney's D is better at both positions)...i just think he's a do-nothing singles hitting bat who's been handed the position as a full time starter. he's a guy that i would be surprised to see 5+ homers and 30+ doubles out of him in a season. he's also going to put almost everything in play...shame he can't put it in the OF more often. i guess i should have called him "theriot redux" or "theriot part 2, electric boogaloo"...but yeah, given the choice between the 2 i'd rather have barney based almost solely on the D. also, i like his D...it's just the infield combo turning the DP i don't like...though it's been a lot better the past couple months...a lot better. castro and barney are both working better. though his time has been limited there, i really like barney's work at SS. if there is a premium on D for 2nd by the cubs there's not much out there to plug in if d.barney goes. also, how much is the guy truly worth? he's not only a guy who's lucky to sniff .700 OPS, he can't even pull his weight/worth with OB%. still, on the "open market" guys like this (2nd/SS, healthy, decent contact) can snag $1-1.5m contracts without people going WTF?

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I get it and certainly agree. I wish Barney was Ryno or Chase Utley. I've seen so much shitty play there the last few years with RF and errors, I am liking the recent DP combo and think that there is something to guys playing together for a while. FWIW, here is the most recent slashes for 2B in the NL: Aaron Hill ARI .352.498.851 Jose Altuve HOU .340.433.773 Neil Walker PIT .357.425.782 Daniel Murphy NYM .330.404.734 Brandon Phillips CIN .327.435.762 Omar Infante MIA .309.449.758 Marco Scutaro COL .324.367.691 Darwin Barney CHC .307.367.674 As I said, since Barney is ranked #1 in several important D categories, and currently right in the middle of the offensive pack, AND under control at a cheap salary for the time being - he has value to the rebuilding club.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

i'm a bit taken back by how well barney/castro have "gotten their shi... together" with the DPs the past couple months. they had a lot of opportunities piled on them early in the season so it's not like they didn't have practice. =p they've put up a few "dude...really?" combos, but castro seems more effectively aggressive and barney's getting more fluid with turning the DP. barney seems to be throwing a lot more off-balance rather than going through these mechanically-sane, but time wasting set up motions...like planting his feet on plays that are going to be close before throwing. i would say it has something to do with the guys at 1st and not trusting them, but with c.pena there last year that don't work. he can "live" with throwing the ball away a few times if he can snag a few more outs, imo...he's not an inept thrower.

watching Brain Kenny's piece on D.Kile on MLB Network...another good one by Kenny. he's the guy who does the stats-based "Clubhouse Confidential" show in the off-season. imagine...jeff passan with less "emotional fluff" doing TV baseball pieces on the stuff he writes about. this is the kind of prepared interview/reporting packages b.kenny's been doing for MLB network recently. i think this is his first long-subject package he's done. so far, great stuff... he's becoming a really great personality at MLB network doing some really great labor-of-love work. man...this is hard to watch again. good stuff, but damn...

Randy Wells line tonight: 1.2 IP 6H 7R 7ER 2HBP 1BB 0K 1 HR (Wil Myers) 7 run 2nd: GO, HBP, 1B, 1B, BB, 2B, 1B, HR, 2B, F9, HBP-->Coleman Relieved by Casey Coleman please, please just say no.

t.mcnutt (AA) put in 2ip out of the pen yesterday. seems he's out as a starter...time to crank the mph on the fastball and say "screw you" to saving something in the gas tank for late innings. 2ip 1h 0bb 2k, 0r

Carrie Muskat ‏@CarrieMuskat No Big Z in ‪#Cubs‬ upcoming series vs ‪#Marlins‬. It'll be Wood vs Sanchez on Tue, Samardzija vs Johnson on Wed, Maholm vs Buehrle on Thu --- how stoopid is that?

fwiw, the best quality crack cocaine you can get in the united states is currently found in philly... ...where a hot rumor involves TEX giving up mike olt + j.profar for cole hammels (for some reason they've upgraded the ante from the olt/d.holland rumor earlier in the week). b.roberts will be a cub before that happens. fwiw, olt for dumpster most likely isn't enough to get anything done without the cubs throwing in a little more...and profar is probably more "untouchable" than olt at this point...which is saying a lot.

i know t.mcnutt isn't a MLB top-100 prospect (like before the 2011 season), but i can't find an article anywhere about his shift to the pen. anyone got anything? he has "closer stuff" when he doesn't hold back his velocity. it'll be interesting to know if it's effective.

ow ow ow... s.delabar (SEA) pitching, splits his hand open on a pitch (he probably ripped a blister/nail/fingertip) and finishes the inning in between bleeding all over himself, his uniform, and the ball. it wasn't a gushing torrent of blood, but it was odd to watch him pitch through it. -edit- he split the top of his thumb...which shouldn't effect his pitching too much and probably why he was allowed to finish the inning. then again, this is the team that keeps playing chone figgins solely because he draws a paycheck that SEA has to pay.

When I can read the comments on MLBTR. Gems like this, for example, regarding Cole Hamels rumors re: the Dodgers: "idk i would love to have cole hamels as a dodger but idk how i would feel about giving up our farm, i wouldnt mind but than again...so mixed " Why? Why do I come here when I can gain insight like that elsewhere?

Olney says trade Dempster now so that it doesn't impact a closer to the deadline Garza deal (citing the Padres last year having both Mike Adams and Heath Bell and not getting what they thought was fair value offer for Bell because of overlapping interest in Adams...although he doesn't mention it was Hoyer in the GM seat for that one) Nice Dempster tidbit from the same Buster Olney blog post...
From the Elias Sports Bureau: Dempster is the fifth pitcher in the past 100 years to win five straight starts in a single season without allowing a run. The others are Don Drysdale (six straight starts in 1968), Bob Gibson (five in 1968), Orel Hershiser (five in 1988) and Brandon Webb (five in 2007).
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog/_/name/olney_buster/id/8167883/poss…

Kevin Goldstein's current top 12 "fantasy prospects" for 2012. Meaning prospects most likely to get to the majors at some point in 2012 ("So not only do talent and recent performance play a role in the rankings, potential paths to the big leagues also factor in.") Vitters on the list at #9:
9. Josh Vitters, 3B, Chicago Cubs (June 29 rank: 8) Last two weeks' stats (at Triple-A Iowa): 17-for-42 (.405), 1 HR, 9 RBIs, 1 SB Season totals: .304-13-49, 2 SB in 88 games Update: Vitters keeps hitting, and the Cubs need a solution at third base. Luis Valbuena is anything but a long-term answer, and it might take more than just a September call-up for the Cubs to give Vitters enough at-bats to decide just how seriously they should take him heading into next spring. What he can do: Having already reached a career high in walks, a more patient approach (though it's still poor) has been the key to Vitters' breakout, which gives us more confidence that it's real. He's suddenly looking like a solid, if unspectacular, third-base prospect, and there's still room for his stock to rise.
http://insider.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball/flb/story?page=top12prospec… 1-12: Myers, Marte, Gyorko, Harvey, Turner, Olt, Hultzen, Snider, Vitters, Lavarnway, Straily, Castellanos

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    LHP Blake Weiman appears to have been the last cut from the AAA Iowa roster. He is with the Tennessee group at Minor League Camp.

     

  • crunch (view)

    bruce bochy is hobbling rather badly for a guy who's had 2 hip replacements.  his gait is extremely wonky taking the lineup card to the ump.

  • crunch (view)

    yeah, for me this isn't about who's better at 3rd.  it's madrigal, period.  for me it's about who's not hitting in the lineup because madrigal is in the lineup.

    occasional play at 3rd for madrigal, okay.  going with the steele/ground-ball matchup...meh, but okay, whatever.

    seeing madrigal get significant starting time...no thanks.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Yeah I am very disappointed Madrigal is starting. He has no business as a starter. He is AAA insurance, a back up at best. Sure his defense looks fine because he plays far enough in that his noodle arm isn’t totally exposed. It comes at the cost of 3B range.

    He’s garbage, and a team serious about winning would NOT have him starting opening day.

  • crunch (view)

    in other news, it took 3 PA before a.rizzo got his 1st HBP of the season.

  • Eric S (view)

    With two home runs (so far) and 5 rbi today … clearly Nick Martini is the straw that stirs the Reds drink 😳

  • crunch (view)

    madrigal at 3rd...morel at DH.

    making room for madrigal or/and masterboney to get a significant amount of ABs is a misuse of the roster.  if it needed to get taken care of this offseason, they had tons of time to figure that out.

    morel played almost exclusively at 3rd in winter ball and they had him almost exclusively there all spring when he wasn't DH'ing.

    madrigal doing a good job with the glove for a bit over 2 chances per game...is that worth more than what he brings with the bat 4-5 PA a game?  it's 2024 and we got glenn beckert 2.0 manning 3rd base.

    this is a tauchman or cooper DH situation based on bat, alone.  cooper is 3/7 with a double off eovaldi if you want to play the most successful matchup.

    anyway, i hope this is a temporary thing, not business as usual for the rest of the season.  it will be telling if morel is not used at 3rd when an extreme fly ball pitcher like imanaga is on the mound.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    There are two clear "logjams" in the Cubs minor league pipeline at the present time, namely AA outfielders (K. Alcantara, C. Franklin, Roederer, Pagan, Pinango, Beesley, and Nwogu) and Hi-A infielders (J. Rojas, P. Ramirez, Howard, R. Morel, Pertuz, R. Garcia, and Spence, although Morel has been getting a lot of reps in the outfield in addition to infield). So it is possible that you might see a trade involving one of the extra outfielders at AA and/or one of the extra infielders at Hi-A in the next few days. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    18-year old SS Jefferson Rojas almost made the AA Tennessee Opening Day roster, and he is a legit shortstop, so I would expect him to be an MLB Top 100 prospect by mid-season. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Among the relievers in the system, I expect RHRP Hunter Bigge at AAA Iowa and RHRP Ty Johnson at South Bend to have breakout seasons on 2024, and among the starters I see LHP Drew Gray and RHP Will Sanders at South Bend and RHP Naz Mule at ACL Cubs as the guys who will make the biggest splash. Also, Jaxon Wiggins is throwing bullpen sides, so once he is ready for game action he could be making an impact at Myrtle Beach by June.