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's Pummel Pineiro at Papago Park

Gabriel Santana drove-in four runs with two RBI doubles and an RBI single and Scott Masik doubled twice, walked, scored three runs, and knocked in two more, helping the Athletics thrash Joel Pineiro and the Cubs 10-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning on Field #2 (AKA "Connie Mack Field") at the Papago Park Baseball Facility in Phoenix, AZ.
The 35-year old Pineiro was making his third EXST appearance after signing with the Cubs on March 30th, and it was (by far) his worst outing of the three.

After easily retiring the first six hitters he faced (1-3, 4-3, K, K, P-5, 1-3), the roof caved-in on Pineiro in the 3rd & 4th innings, as the veteran right-hander surrendered seven runs (all earned) on nine hits (five doubles and four singles) plus two walks in just two innings, What seemed to be different was his sudden inability to get ground balls in the 3rd & 4th, and his aging fastball just doesn't have enough juice to get outs if he can't keep it at knee-level or lower.     

No question Pineiro got a ton of ground balls in his first two appearances (a combined 15/2 GO/FO), but today was a different story. And his day could have been even worse if not for one A's baserunner being ruled out after getting struck by a rocket grounder headed for RF in the bottom of the 3rd and another being thrown out at the plate trying to score on a line-drive single to left in the bottom of the 4th. 

Cubs Minor League Pitching Coordinator Derek Johnson and Player Development Assistant Darnell McDonald were at today's game and were watching Pineiro closely, and I would have to think they were not favorably impressed. While it's true that he has thrown a high percentage of strikes (74% over his three EXST outings), it might be better if he didn't. He just doesn't appear to have much left in the tank. Plus even without Pineiro, the Iowa starting rotation is already crowded.

THE PITCHING LINES FROM JOEL PINEIRO'S THREE EXST OUTINGS
4/12 - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 8/0 GO/FO, 64 pitches (48 strikes)
4/17 - 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 1 PO, 7/2 GO/FO, 66 pitches (43 strikes)
4/22 - 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R (7 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 3/3 GO/FO, 76 pitches (51 strikes)
TOTAL: 12.2 IP, 16 H, 11 R (11 ER), 4 BB, 9 K, 2 WP, 18/5 GO/FO, 74% strikes, 7.80 ERA, 1.58 WHIP

Alberto Mineo provided most of the Cub offense today, contributing an RBI single, a double, and a walk, while also scoring two runs. 

Here is the abridged box score from today's game (Cubs players only):    

CUBS LINEUP:
1. Dalfis Ortiz, 2B: 1-5 (4-3, 1B, K, 3-U, F-7)
2. Varonex Cuevas, 3B: 0-5 (K, 4-6 FC, 6-4-3 DP, K, K)
3. Jeffrey Baez, RF: 1-4 (BB, 5-3, F-8, 1B, K, 2 SB)
4a. Rony Rodriguez, DH: 1-3 (F-9, 6-3, 2B, R)
4b. Eufran Vargas, C: NO AB
4c. Jesse Hodges, PH-DH: 0-1 (4-3) 
5a. Alberto Mineo, C-DH: 2-2 (BB, 2B, 1B, 2 R, RBI, CS)
5b. Justin Marra, C: 0-0 (BB)
6. Bryant Flete, SS: 0-3 (6-3, BB, F-7, F-9)
7. Arnaldo Calero, LF: 2-4 (1B, F-9, F-9, 1B, R)
8. Matt Scioscia, 1B: 1-3 (1B, BB, F-9, F-9, RBI)
9. Rashad Crawford, CF: 0-3 (4-6 FC, SH-E2, L-7, K, RBI)

CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Joel Pineiro: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R (7 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 3/3 GO/FO, 76 pitches (51 strikes)  
NOTE: Pineiro's fourth inning was stopped with two outs and a runner at 1st base
2. David Garner: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP, 1/1 GO/FO, 26 pitches (10 strikes)
3. Trevor Clifton: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 GIDP, 2/1 GO/FO, 32 pitches (17 strikes)

CUBS ERRORS: 1
3B Varonex Cuevas - E-5 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Eufran Vargas: 0-1 CS, 1 PB

CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:  
LF Arnaldo Calero - threw out baserunner 7-2 trying to score from 2nd base on single to LF

ATTENDANCE: 8

WEATHER: Sunny with temperatures in the 90's


   

Comments

Alex Wood with 8 IP/11 K vs. Marlins and outdueled by Jose Fernandez with 8 IP/14 K, neither give up a walk, but Marlins up 1-0 heading into the 9th.

does anyone on the team work a count better than valbuena so far this season? short sample size and all (as well as a somewhat disappointing average), but he's had some long ABs all april with a good amount of walks. no HRs yet...surprising...but given last season and especially this spring, he's got it in him.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

get rid of barney, put valbuena (and his 2 years of club control after this season) in at 2nd...let boni play more CF...tell renteria that r.sweeney really doesn't need as many ABs as he's getting...problem solved as far as i'm concerned. seriously though...it's either valbuena or rizzo that sees more pitches per PA so far this season just guessing off the cuff.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

Len n JD said he saw 40+ pitches last night. Valbuena's winning me over. Time to dump Barney and park Valbuena at second, maybe Bonifacio at CF and make them 1-2 in the lineup. Definitely move Barney out of the lineup permanently.

I haven't been able to take in a whole game all season and that was a good one to watch. If they played like that every day they'd win the division. Castro was great - he seems like a different guy this year, more confident or something. Rizzo was good too, did a nice job on some tough throws from Olt and Castro. Captain Happy (thanks Jacos), your third baseman is ready. Please play him everyday. Thanks. Len and JD were looking for a nickname for Olt last night. I'm thinking Insane Bolt if he keeps up this HR pace.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

castro's D is really nice so far this year...even with the scattering of non-error plays and 2 errors he has to his name in 19 games he's looking sharp. his glovework is strongly improved so far. he's always been good at ranging on popups...now he's looking a lot better on stuff hit on the ground (so far). he may never achieve a gold glove quality D, but as long as someone like rizzo is playing 1st with stellar range/defense, it can help bridge the gap on some of castro's throw accuracy at the very least. as far as olt goes...he's not impressing anywhere except the power. his D is good, but not awesome. he can range/react a lot quicker than valbuena for sure...and his arm is more powerful. that said, even if he's "only" a .250/.330-ish type guy with 25+ HR power, that's still some good production at 3rd as long as the D remains steady. i'm ready to see him get more regular playing time. i see him as a similar batter to m.trumbo...which doesn't excite many people, but given that trumbo is a painfully slow + weak armed LF'r and olt is an adequate 3rd baseman, i can live with that kind of bat. that said, i expect a touch less power and a bit better average/ob% compared to trumbo even if it's not skewed too much in either direction on either point.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

I was thinking the same thing about Castro. He seems like an actual big league shortstop this year. He's still not Omar Vizquel, but if he continues to improve like he has, who knows. I feel like I've been one of the more critical of Castro, but with his on-the-field improvement, I'll have to change my tune a bit.

JD/Len mentioned that tony campana hit for the cycle last night, campana style...GO 5, GO 6, GO 4, GO 3.

Nice offense last night: Cubs won 9-2, Iowa won 10-3, and Daytona won 18-5. Bryant went 3-5 and is up to .311 BA now, with a 1.030 OPS.

my god...bases loaded 0 out... sure, a castro error helped do this...but p.strop walking 2 guys also helped do this.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I am sorry - YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT PLAY! You cannot give 4/5 outs and expect to win in key situations. Yes, he walked a couple guys, but there were two outs that Castro just fucking blew. Castro still is a work in progress as a Major League shortstop. I am hoping that Baez can take over his spot - but he seems to be a work in progress as well.

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

He is another guy that I am sick of seeing in key spots. He pitched too many innings last year and this year not done well when called upon. This team is made up of way too many "last guys on the bench". If you are going to have that - at least let them eliminate the sloppy play constantly.

[ ]

In reply to by Sonicwind75

a bit better than him actually wanting to sign a long term deal with the team unless they pay him out the ass or become competitive really quickly. so far he's handled pitching well (even if not as an ace) and having the pen/bats let him down quite respectfully. given the youthful swagger he came in with after he was drafted...he "grew up" to be one hell of a respectful and professional ballplayer quite quickly.

pineda vs pine tar in a game vs BOS part 2 going on...he's got it all over his neck this time. ump checking the ball. ump checking his neck. ejected. drama.

Recent comments

  • 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.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • 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.