Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

42 players are at MLB Spring Training 

31 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE at MLB Spring Training, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 
11 players are MLB Spring Training NON-ROSTER INVITEES (NRI) 

Last updated 3-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 17
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
Daniel Palencia
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

NRI PITCHERS: 5 
Colten Brewer 
Carl Edwards Jr 
* Edwin Escobar 
* Richard Lovelady 
* Thomas Pannone 

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

NRI CATCHERS: 2  
Jorge Alfaro 
Joe Hudson 

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

NRI INFIELDERS: 3 
David Bote 
Garrett Cooper
* Dominic Smith

OUTFIELDERS: 5
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

NRI OUTFIELDERS: 1 
* David Peralta

OPTIONED:
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, RHP 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, RHP 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

 



Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

The Future Is Where We Are Going to Spend the Rest of Our Lives

The Amazing Criswell (from Plan 9 from Outer Space): Greetings, my friend. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future. You are interested in the unknown... the mysterious. The unexplainable. That is why you are here. And now, for the first time, we are bringing to you, the full story of what happened on that fateful day. We are bringing you all the evidence, based only on the secret testimony, of the miserable souls, who survived this terrifying ordeal. The incidents, the places. My friend, we cannot keep this a secret any longer. Let us punish the guilty. Let us reward the innocent. My friend, can your heart stand the shocking facts...


Lewis Brinson and Kellin Deglan hammered two-run doubles and nine pitchers (including six of their Top 10 pitching prospects--Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez, Andrew Faulkner, Jake Thompson, Luke Jackson, Luis Ortiz, and Jose LeClerc) combined to toss a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts, helping the Rangers Prospects defeat the Cubs Prospects 5-1 in the 2015 Cubs-Rangers Spring Training Futures Game played Monday night at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. 

Apparently the Cubs didn't get ALL of the Rangers best prospects in trades over the past three years (at least not yet), because they obviously have a few left in their system (and Rangers #1 prospect Joey Gallo didn't even play in the game).  

Willson Contreras knocked-in the lone Cub run with an RBI double, but probably the best overall performance by a Cub position player was turned-in by 2014 #1 draft pick catcher Kyle Schwarber, who walked in both of his At Bats (both times on 3-2 pitches), and also helped Corey Black get out of jams in two different innings by throwing out Ranger baserunners trying to steal (one at 2nd and one at 3rd).

And the best Cub pitching performance was by #1 pitching prospect C. J. Edwards (acquired from the Rangers in the Mattt Garza trade back in 2013), who retired all six men he faced (K, L-4, K, 4-3, F-9, K - all strikeouts were swinging). 

Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only) 

CUBS LINEUP:
1a. Jacob Hannemann, RF: 0-3 (3-1, K, 4-3)
1b. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 0-1 (K)
2a. Albert Almora, CF: 1-2 (1B, 5-3)
2b. Eloy Jimenez, RF: 1-2 (1B, F-8, R)
3a. Kyle Schwarber, C: 0-0 (BB, BB)
3b. Willson Contreras, C: 1-1 (2B, HBP, RBI)
4a. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 0-2 (K, K)
4b. Victor Caratini, 1B: 0-1 (BB, 4-6 FC)
5a. Christian Villanueva, 3B: 0-2 (K, 5-3)
5b. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 1-2 (F-7, 1B)
6a. Billy McKinney, LF: 0-2 (1-3, K)
6b. Charcer Burks, LF: 0-2 (6-4-3 DP, K)
7a. Mark Zagunis, DH: 0-2 (K, K)
7b. Gioskar Amaya, PH-DH: 0-2 (6-3, P-3)
8a. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 0-1 (BB, P-6)
8b. Chesny Young, 2B: 0-2 (K, 5-3)
9a. Carlos Penalver, SS: 0-2 (K, K)
9b. Gleyber Torres, SS: 1-2 (3B, K)

CUBS PITCHERS
1. Corey Black: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1/1 GO/FO, 65 pitches (39 strikes)
2. C. J. Edwards: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1/2 GO/FO, 24 pitches (19 strikes)
3. Armando Rivero: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 11 pitches (9 strikes)
4. Josh Conway: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/FO, 26 pitches (15 strikes)
5. James Norwood: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 0/3 GO/FO, 10 pitches (6 strikes)
6. Steve Perakslis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0/2 GO/FO, 11 pitches (8 strikes)
NOTE: Hunter Cervenka and Juan Carlos Paniagua were on the roster and in the bullpen but did not pitch in the game

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

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE
Kyle Schwarber: 2-2 CS

WEATHER: Dark (it was a night game) and a bit breezy with temperaures in 80's

ATTENDANCE: 118

 

 

 

Comments

Tribune headline: Cubs' demotion of Kris Bryant sparks outcry http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-kris-bryant-javi… Gotta love the media. Outcry? Really? I could see a headline like, "MLPA attempts to interfere with Cubs' roster decisions." But I haven't heard an outcry. It was a semi-fun topic to sort of argue about, but it's hardly controversial in the way they make it out to be. With Olt at a .400 OBP I'd like to see Bryant get some outfield reps in a place that doesn't have a brick wall. I'm also curious to see what Stella!!! can do, although that's more related to the Baez demotion.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

wonder how Maddon is going to deploy Alcantara and LaStella? So far LaStella has had the better spring...

Alcantara: 48 PA's 256/313/442 16 K/4 BB

LaStella: 44 PA's 333/395/410  6 K/3 BB

Could start both of them at 2b and 3b some days and Alcantara can be short side platoon in LF while Denorfia is out.

Blind squirrel Paul Sullivan ‏Tweet- Assuming he pays his dues, @MLB_PLAYERS union owes Mike Olt an apology for its "bad day for baseball" statement on Bryant demotion.

i know more than a few people here know/understand what's going on with the bryant situation and are cool with it (even those lying to themselves who honestly believe the money/service issue aren't the major driving forces)...but if you want to get the groundswell take, check out comments on general publication news sites. there is outcry...it's just not coming from those who follow the cubs like hawks...of which we're a minority.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

I can't wait until mid-april when all this bryant service time shit is over; it made me give up completely on another baseball forum I frequented because every time the topic came up there was a flood of posts about the cubs "stealing" from him and old white billionaires oppressing the working man

[ ]

In reply to by waveland

i don't even give a fu... those of us who follow the team closely knew there was a 90-100% chance of this happening before spring training even begun. i'm more upset about the cubs getting into bidding war over a 38 year old catcher who can barely hit and who's arm is on the decline...and if a backup catcher is at the top of my list of things to be upset about, then things aren't that bad (to me).

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

In the future, the Cubs (and other MLB clubs) should just not invite guys like Kris Bryant to big league camp. 

Just have him report to Minor League Camp, and he can hit ten home runs in obscurity against Round Rock, Nashville, and Reno, and he can be brought up to play the last four innings of an MLB Cactus League game maybe once a week and wear # 94 or # 98 with no name on the back, just like Jeimer Candelario, John Andreoli, and Stephen Bruno did. 

Only players on the MLB 40-man roster and free-agents signed to a minor league contract where a Spring Training NRI is part of the deal should be in big league camp.  

AZ Phil- Nice Ed Wood reference. /"Because all you of Earth are idiots!"

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

I'm guessing this for now:

C: Montero, Ross, Beefy

INF: Rizzo, LaStella, Alcantara, Castro, Olt

OF: Coghlan, Fowler, Soler, 2 open spots

Just means Herrera is a goner, which is good. Lake and Szczur have had better springs than Sweeney. Sweeney is left-handed though and has a contract. We'll see how Maddon feels about young bench guys. Lake against lefties isn't a bad thing imo and you could theoretically throw a glove on him to play 2b, ss or 3b in a real desperate pinch. I think he's a terrible defender wherever you put him, but not my call.

Szczur will be vying for the Honorable FuldTheriotBarney White Scrappiness Award

Rob G.-- I don't know if you're planning to do the old Cubs stats guessing game spreadsheet you ran on the site prior to the Cubs total irrelevance, but I have some recommendations for this year if you do (beyond the usual who has the most saves, who leads in OPS, number of wins, etc.): 1. Who plays the most innings / gets the most starts at 3B? 2. Ditto but for LF? 3. How many errors does Castro commit at SS? 4. How long do the Cubs carry 3 catchers? 5. Who gets the most PAs as DH in interleague games? 6. Who puts up the best OPS against same-handed pitchers? Looking forward to paying way more attention to the MLB team this year than in the past several!

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

Good questions though. Don't patronize me! Seriously though, that makes sense. I do wonder what others might think of as similar sorts of questions going into the season, even if we don't need to have a whole spread sheet full of our predictions.

Bears sign RB Jacquizz Rogers...a walking Key 'N Peele sketch.

always expected more from him at Atlanta, decent Third down back I suppose.

heh..

@ESPNChiCubs Lester on long at-bats: "Those always suck..either get a hit, walk or just do something."

Jon Lester threw a very high-percentage of strikes this morning (74%), but in a lot of cases a Smokies hitter would keep fouling off pitch-after-pitch until he got one he could drive. You could see Lester was amused (not angry), because he sort of sighed and smiled when he was unable to put left-handed hitter Bijan Rademacher away, as Rademacher took Lester ten pitches deep into an AB with foul ball-after-foul ball before finally flying out. 

Recent comments

  • crunch (view)

    SF snags b.snell...2/62m

  • Cubster (view)

    AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24). 

    However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.  

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024: 

    * bats or throws left 

    Angel Cepeda, INF 
    * Miguel Cruz, P
    Yidel Diaz, C 
    * Albert Gutierrez, 1B
    Fraiman Marte, P  
    Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B) 
    Derniche Valdez, INF 
    Edward Vargas, OF 
    Jeral Vizcaino, P 

    And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.

    Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect. 

    F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season. 

    The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher). 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically. 

    Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).

    Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day. 

    Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will. 

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.

    The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required. 

    They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).

    If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.

    If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option). 

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil, 
    Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
    If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).