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

Brian Giles Hates the Cubs

Since the last time I used "Hates the Cubs" in a headline it got a bunch of extra hits from the interwebs, I thought I'd try it again (never underestimate how much the Cubs are despised by the rest of the world). The good folks at Chicago Cubs Online did a pretty thorough rundown of Bruce Levine's radio show yesterday and it's chocked full of information. I covered the rumors in this comment but there's the little tidbit where the Cubs had a deal in place for Brian Giles before last year's trade deadline and he turned it down.

In theory, the Cubs would have been spared the last 2 months of Kosuke Fukudome suck and all that playoff controversy fun. As we also know, Giles turned down a chance to go to the Boston Red Sox on a waiver wire deal after July 31st. So I think it's safe to assume that Brian Giles is mildly retarded. Alright, just kidding around, but for the life of me I can't think of a good reason why a player wouldn't want to play for a contender for 2-3 months. I mean, Giles had a team option for 2009 that certainly wasn't guaranteed to be picked up, so it's not like he was counting on returning to the Padres for 2009. The Padres have since picked it up, but that was no give-in in July or August. If he was worried about 2009, he could have made the Cubs or Red Sox guarantee the 2009 option or gone the other way and made them guarantee the $3M buyout so he could find whatever job he wanted this offseason. Instead, he chose to stick with one of the worst teams in the league.

Odd. Maybe Giles just doesn't like the tanning salons in Chicago or Boston

It did save the Cubs locker room from all kinds of naked shenanigans and ass-grabbing though.  (Giles shows up around 5:20 and be sure to check out the stoned or drunk (or both) Sean Burroughs right before that)


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Comments

the pull of living in SD can't be underestimated...and giles seems to love SD. it's probably more about controlling his destiny in 09 more than what he might be doing the last 2 months of 08. whatever the reason is, he's had multiple opportunities to go to obvious WS contenders and it's always a blunt "no thanks." the guy is a great gamble at his option price, and with the 3m buyout it was almost a sure thing that where ever he ended up he'd be picked up another season.

Giles has already been to the playoffs and been in pennant races. What were the Cubs and Sox offering that he hasn't already experienced? A chance at the WS? A 12.5% or a little better chance, shrug, he knows that making the playoffs doesn't guarantee a WS appearance. Good to see the Cubs are kicking the tires on Bradley.

i regret clicking play on that video. "We (him and Jason Kendall) got our tips frosted, then we went for a couple of rounds in the tanning bed." -Brian Giles Chad, are you there?

I know his is from a previous post, and I hate to seem like I'm defending Brian Giles in anyway, but he wasn't a AAAA player by any means, or just a platoon guy. He got stuck behind an OF of Manny Ramirez-Kenny Lofton-Albert Belle. The tribe also had Jeromy Burnitz waiting for a shot to play after the Mets dealt him. Giles is still a d-bag.....

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Belle left Cleveland after 1996, Giles left Cleveland after 1998, so he certainly was blocked for some of that time by Belle, Lofton and Ramirez.

if you look at his minor league numbers, you can see he had a nice AAA season in 1994, yet had to repeat it in 1995 and another half season in 1996, very likely because of Albert Belle.

He finally got a shot with the Indians in '97 (after Belle left), but split time with David Justice, played some CF and RF as well (Grissom and Manny were the regulars). He finally got the bulk of playing time in LF in 1998 before being traded for Ricardo Rincon (whoops).

I think we all know the reason why Giles won't leave if you just ask yourself... in your heart of hearts, you know... He'd miss the gay sex with Chris Young. (Of course, I use the term 'gay sex' loosely, considering Chris Young's vagina and all...)

Brian Giles was born in El Cajon, California which is a sub-burb of San Diego. Which kind of explains why he doesn't want to leave SD.

I'm amazed that people get angry when a player uses his NTC. That's the fucking point of getting one. It's no one's business why he uses it, imo, it's his right. Family, west coast, gay sex, lame tans, whatever. Not everyone lives their life based around the possibility of a championship...so good thing he didn't come over. The Cubs lost and looked ridiculous. Clearly, he made the right choice.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

Yea... i am aware that starters make more than relievers. I am also aware that if Jason Marquis had been moved to the bullpen last year, he still would have made same amount of money. I am also aware that even if he had been moved to the bullpen, he still could get starter money when he becomes a free agent. But other than that, you may have a point. And drywalling? Huh?

[ ]

In reply to by big_lowitzki

So, if the Cubs put Marquis in the bullpen for 2008-2009 he would make the same money in 2010 had he had 65 league average starts over the same period? Seriously, how can you not understand that? " I am also aware that even if he had been moved to the bullpen, he still could get starter money when he becomes a free agent." Yeah... give ONE, that it's just ONE, example in the history of major league baseball where this has been true. 130 years of baseball - go to it. You realize, just because you say something, that doens't make it true... haha, what am I saying? Of course you don't realize that!

its cool to see so many Geo Soto's in one place. ---------------------- That's the first thing I thought as well. The second was, "Where's Waldo?"

Edinson Volquez, who wasn't a rookie after throwing 70 innings for the Rangers from 2005-07, was given three second-place votes. ------------------- Votto got the one first place vote that didn't go to Geo. Seems like Cincy is a bit backwater. I hear Vada Pinson also got a 3rd place vote although that was probably from Marty Brenneman who thought he got to vote too.

[ ]

In reply to by Andrew

Onley just said that on ESPN, to paraphrase...If the A's in on contention in 09, then cheers. If not they'll get a "C.C. like package" for him in July, and if they can't work a deal, they'll get at least 2 compensation picks. Also he said Houston Street and Gonzalez (some minor league OF from the Harren trade) were part of the package

I couldn't watch it while teaching the youth of the nation (they block youtube) but i'm glad i caught it now. 1. Burroughs is for sure hammered and stoned (just listen to how happy he was about the in and out burger) 2. Giles was hammered too, always funny to see professional athletes just shit faced. 3. I'd bang Giles' mom.

3. I'd bang Giles' mom I hope you are kidding. Just go to your local bowling alley to find a similar piece of white trash. She'll be outside smoking.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

the phrase is generally thought to come from the turbulent time around the 1850s where poor whites who didn't own property were arguing for their right to vote. they finally got that right. this was soon followed/countered by states creating literacy tests in order for people to vote since most poor people (whites included) were disproportionately illiterate. though this concept was "born" in the north (Mass.) it was adopted in southern reconstruction states decades later as a way to limit the voting rights of blacks. "racism"...it's more about class than race, but there's a lot of people throughout history who's main purpose is to make others believe it's about race instead of class. woo...fun with being sidetracked.

One more reasons not to like Californians - they make burritos at a tailgate party. They probably boo when they realize it's not a proper 'futbol' game.

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

knock it off Neal....

you're not special, you're not smarter and you're not important...I let it go for this long, but I'm tired of you insulting everyone around here. 

If you don't like the site or the people around here, there's a million other sites. If you do, start behaving like a civil human being.

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.