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

Rockies Belt Malave Offerings Around Salt River Fields & Beeler to I-Cubs

Cesar Galvez drilled a two-run double and singled, Luis Castro belted a solo home run and singled, Wesley Jones ripped two RBI singles, and Max George hammered an RBI triple, walked twice, and scored a run, as the Rockies cruised to a 9-3 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Dust Storm Field at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick Resort east of Scottsdale, AZ.  

Frandy de la Rosa doubled twice and scored two runs for the Cubs. 

RHP (ex-C) Mark Malave made his second Cactus League Extended Spring Training game appearance and his first start, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits (four singles, a double, and a home run) and a walk (and a WP) in just 1.1 IP.

Malave is one of three former position players being converted to pitcher by the Cubs at Extended Spring Training, with RHP (ex-OF) Jae-Hoon Ha and LHP (ex-OF) Ariel Ovando being the other two.

Ha has yet to pitch in a Cactus League EXST game, but he did throw in an intrasquad game a couple of days ago and allowed a run on three hits (all singles) with no walks or strikeouts in one inning of work, and Ovando (selected by the Cubs from the Houston Astros in the AAA Phase of the December 2014 Rule 5 Draft) has yet to throw in a game. 

In EXST Cubs roster news, RHP Dallas Beeler (on Cubs MLB 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation) has completed his Extended Spring Training work and has been assigned to the AAA Iowa Cubs on an Article XIX-C Minor League Rehab Assignment. He did not pitch in any Cactus League MLB Spring Training games last month, and just recently began throwing in Cactus League Extended Spring Training games.

Beeler threw poorly in his first EXST game on 4/15, but his fastball velocity upticked to 94 MPH and touched 95 in his second EXST start last Monday as he got his pitch count up to near 70.

DALLAS BEELER - 2015 EXTENDED SPRING TRAINING GAMES:
1. WED 4/15: 3.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R (4 ER), 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 1 PO, 1/4 GO/FO, 61 pitches (39 strikes)
2. MON 4/20: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 6/5 GO/FO, 69 pitches (43 strikes)
TOTAL: 7.1 IP, 12 H, 6 R (6 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 1 PO, 7/9 GO/FO, 63% strikes, 7.36 ERA, 2.45 WHIP

Beeler will likely be optioned to Iowa when his rehab assignment is completed (which could be up to 30 days from now), but keeping him on the DL and sending him to Iowa on a Minor League Rehab Assignment rather than reinstating him from the DL now and optioning him to Iowa immediately will give the Cubs the option to transfer Beeler to the 60-day DL if a 40-man roster slot is needed sometime over the next 30 days.

Meanwhile, RHP Justin Grimm (on Cubs MLB 15-day DL with right forearm inflammation since April 2nd) threw two bullpen sessions this week, and so he will probably begin pitching in Extended Spring Training games early next week.

I saw RHP Neil Ramirez (on Cubs MLB 15-day DL with right shoulder inflammation since 4/16) playing catch on the Agility Field on Thursday, but he has not started throwing bullpens yet, so he is a few days behind Grimm. 

Because getting "stretched-out" and building up pitch counts isn't that important for relief pitchers, Grimm and Ramirez will not need a whole lot of rehab games to get back into MLB game shape. The main thing to be concerned about with Grimm and Ramirez are medical setbacks during the course of the rehab that could send the pitcher back to "square-one" (or worse).  

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

CUBS LINEUP
1a. Kevonte Mitchell, CF: 0-2 (F-9, 4-3, HBP) 
1b. Varonex Cuevas, LF: 0-2 (3-1, 6-3) 
2a. Carlos Sepulveda, SS: 0-3 (4-3, 6-3, 6-3) 
2b. Ho-Young Son, SS: 0-2 (F-7, 6-3) 
3. Frandy de la Rosa, 2B-DH: 2-4 (2B, 2B, F-7, K, 2 R) 
4. Eloy Jimenez, RF-CF: 1-4 (1B, F-7, 6-3, P-4, RBI)
5. Jordan Hankins, 1B-C: 1-4 (P-1, 1B, E-5, 4-3, R, RBI) 
6. Tyler Alamo, C-DH: 0-1 (BB, 5-4-3 DP)
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED THIRD & FOURTH TIMES THRU BATTING ORDER
7. Ricardo Marcano, LF-RF: 1-3 (BB, 6-3, 1B, 6-3, RBI) 
8. Adonis Paula, 3B: 0-4 (6-4-3 DP, 6-3, 5-3, F-8)
9. Bryant Flete, DH-2B: 0-2 (BB, P-5, 3-1) 
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER
10. Tyler Pearson, DH-1B: 0-3 (K, K, F-7)  
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED FOURTH TIME THRU BATTING ORDER

CUBS PITCHERS:  
1. Mark Malave: 1.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1/2 GO/FO, 40 pitches (24 strikes)
2. Austin Reed: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 2/0 GO/FO, 35 pitches (21 strikes)
3. Jose Paulino: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 3/0 GO/FO, 25 pitches (16 strikes)
4. Hector Perez: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 BALK, 1 GIDP, 3/1 GO/FO, 28 pitches (18 strikes)
5. Corbin Hoffner: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, 1/2 GO/FO, 11 pitcbes (7 strikes)  
6. Sam Wilson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/FO, 18 pitches (12 strikes) 

CUBS ERRORS: 2 
1. CF Kevonte Mitchell - E-8 (missed catch allowed batter to reach base safely) 
2. 1B Tyler Pearson - E-3 (dropped pop fly in foul territory allowed AB to continue)

CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Tyler Alamo: 1-1 CS, 3 PB

WEATHER: Mostly cloudy with temperatures in the 70's

ATTENDANCE: 13  

Comments

Hey Arizona Phil, I know Baez was expected to report EXST, any sign of him yet? Maybe I missed an update previously. Thanks for all your hard work.

sbwilliams: Javy Baez is at Riverview Park, but it rained yesterday so he couldn't do anything except hit in the enclosed batting cages, and he didn't make the trip to Salt River Fields today. 

Bruno with the grannie... Stephen Bruno goes yard with the bags juiced. Of course, NO TV shown tonight - only radio. Their one camera must have broken and is in the shop.

PHIL: Did you get to see Stephen Bruno this fall at EXST or anywhere out there? You always said he could hit - but needs work in the field. Does he project as a DJ LeMahieu kinda player?

Any chance at all that Vogelbomb could learn to play LF? My goodness, he is absolutely destroying AA pitching so far.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

currently, a lot of people think he's not much of a 1st baseman. his speed/1st-step are knocked, though he was supposedly much better last year compared to years before. at least he has ever-growing trade value...someone might want to stick him at 1st and more than a few AL teams would probably enjoy having him DH/1st.

[ ]

In reply to by billybucks

B-BUCKS: I once thought that if Adam Dunn could play LF, then anybody could. Until I saw Dan Vogelbach. Not only do I not think he can play LF, he is also one of the worst defensive 1st basemen I have ever seen. And it's not because he doesn't work hard or something like that, because he does work hard. He simply has no defensive aptitude whatsoever

If there ever was a DH, it's Dan Vogelbach. 

As I have said before, I firmly believe that the N. L. will adopt the DH as part of the new CBA in 2017. And once that happens, Vogelbach will have a position he can play in the National League.  

He is a DH. Period. 

 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

When I saw him in spring training I was thinking of your earlier reports and I thought, "well, he actually looks pretty good out there." Your scouting reports are spot on, always, and I rely on them a lot to gauge my expectations, so I'm wondering, did I just see him on a good day? Or is it possible he's improved and you just haven't seen him within the scope of that improvement? I assume I just saw him on a good day. Anyway, your prognosis on the CBA explains why he hasn't been traded yet, but the whole DH thing makes him a very possible trade piece when Manny gets his wish and the Cubs trade Castro.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

O&B: I saw Vogelbach quite a bit at Minor League Camp last month and watched fielding drills every day, and he still has the same problems he had when he first signed in 2011. He doesn't make an error on every play, but he has stone hands, he can't shift his feet, he has trouble tracking pop-ups, and he has a rag arm when making throws around the infield. 

It's not that he doesn't try, because he most definitely works very hard trying to improve. But just like some people can't dance no matter how hard they try, Vogelbach can't play defense.  

I think Cubs fans are getting a bit spoiled with Anthony Rizzo, because he actually CAN play 1st base, and he makes it look simple & easy. He makes the routine plays without effort and (most importantly) he saves errors by scooping short-hops and shifting his feet and catching off-line throws from Cub infielders (and occasionally a glove thrown at him with a ball inside). 

E-MAN: I saw a lot of Stephen Bruno at Minor League Camp last month, in BP, fielding drills, baserunning drills, and games. He was with the Iowa squad until the last week, and then he was moved down to AA. But he easily could have started the season in AAA, and in a lot of other organizations, he would have. 

As far as his skillset is concerned, he's OK defensively at 2nd base, but nothing special. I wouldn't compare him to D. J. Lemahieu. More like a younger version of Aaron Hill. Somebody like that. Bruno also doesn't have the skills required to play multiple-positions (he has a second-baseman's arm for one thing), and he has (at best) average speed, so I don't see him projected as a bench guy, either. His bat will have to carry him to big leagues because he will need to be an everyday 2nd baseman to play in MLB, and his glove isn't what will get him there.

So far so good, because he has been hitting like a maniac at AA.

I do believe Bruno will be an MLB second-baseman, I just don't think it will be with the Cubs. In fact, Bruno will probably be one of many current Cubs minor leaguers who will likely get traded, claimed off waivers, or selected in the Rule 5 Draft over the next couple or three years.

I would go further than that and predict that within five years the big leagues will be crawling with players drafted and signed by the Cubs, but most of them will be playing for other teams. The Cubs should be in a great position in July to package prospects for the "mssing link" (whatever that might be), even if they "overpay" to get that piece. But it won't matter if they overpay because for every player they trade, there are more coming along behind them. 

The main thing is to correctly identify the players who will form the nucleus of the Cubs team over the next six years, and not trade any of them. In other words, you don't want to trade the next Lou Brock or Bill Madlock, but otherwise, everybody else should be available in a trade, because everybody else can be replaced by somebody else who is already in the system. The Cubs are that deep right now. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Thanks PHIL: That is remarkable coming from you considering I have read many informative (and depressing) reports on many of the middling - or worse - Cubs prospects cir. 2005-2011. It bodes well for the vision of "sustained success", should they make these aforementioned solid calls of keeping the core players.

For those of you who might glance at the Extended Spring Training box scores I present and wonder which pitchers matter most (like who the projected Eugene starters are), Carson Sands, Justin Steele, Austyn Willis, Jose Paulino, and Alexander Santana right now project as the five starters at Eugene. So even though a rehab guy or a conversion guy might start the game, those are the five pitchers who matter most, and you might notice that while they actually do pitch in rotation, that pitcher might not actually literally start the game. 

For example, Santana didn't actually start the game, but he pitched two innings (which is the current game innings limit for all Cubs pitchers at Extended who are not AA or AAA rehab guys) last Tuesday at Oakland (Jesus Camargo and Adbert Alzolay pitched 1-2, but they are projected as starters at AZL Cubs, not at Eugene), Carson Sands followed Austin Reed (TJS rehab) Wednesday at home versus Colorado, Justin Steele was one of the starting pitchers in the intrasquad game on Thursday even though the Cubs weren't playing another team that day (just so he could stay in rotation), Austyn Willis did start yesterday at Milwaukee, and Jose Paulino followed Malave and Reed today at Colorado, but Paulino is actually projected as the true Eugene starter of the ones who threw today.

Dylan Cease had TJS just after he signed with the Cubs last June, and he is throwing only "live" BP right now. However, he is the best of the bunch. Nobody can hit him. He has absolutely filthy stuff. But he will probably be at AZL Cubs this summer (at least at the start of the short-season) so he can be a starter but where the Cubs can keep more control over and limit his outings (AZL Cubs usually carry at least 20 pitchers, while Eugene might carry 15).

There are other pitchers of note still down here (lefty reliever Sam Wilson is looking VERY good and he should be moving up to South Bend or Myrtle Beach any day), but the Big Five (Sands, Steele, Willis, Paulino, and Santana) plus Cease (when he is cleared to pitch in games) are the ones to keep an eye one.  

So when checking out the daily Cactus League Extended Spring Training box score, remember to look for the Ones Who Matter Most. They are there, but sometimes you have to look a little bit "Beyond the Box Score" to find them.  

And also remember that while there are some weird rules variances (like multiple designated hitters, fluid batting orders, rehab exceptions, etc) in Cactus League Extended Spring Training games (hey, there is a DH in the A. L. but not in the N. L., isn't that a major rules variance?) and that the games are not "official," the games are not company softball games. The games are real and the performance of the players on the field are no different than what you would see at Myrtle Beach, South Bend, Eugene, or AZL Cubs. The players are trying to improve, they play to win, and they give their all every day. A player will make a spectacular diving catch and then on the next play he might make an error; another will make a great defensive stop, and the next inning commit a "little league" baserunning gaffe; you might see a "golden sombrero" one day and then the same player might hit for the cycle the next game. But you see that at South Bend, too. 

Cactus League Extended Spring Training performances may not be "official," but they are legit. The games are the real thing. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise.  

That's some next-level roster management on Beeler. I'm glad these guys are so damn good at this stuff. It's still weird to see Ha is a pitcher now. I thought as recently as last year he'd have a long career as a bench/platoon OF. Except for hit for power, he did a lot of things well.

Phil, can you tell us a little about Frandy de la Rosa? I know he was a J2 guy a few years back but since he's been pretty quiet. He seemed he was gonna be a light bat guy, is he progressing? Thanks!

[ ]

In reply to by W Flag

W FLAG: Frandy de la Rosa has above-average speed (although he still needs to learn how to use it on the bases) and good range defensively, but he was a wash-out at SS (too many bobbles and too erratic with his throwing), so he was moved to 2B. And he has played pretty well at 2B (so far). And if 2B doesn't work-out, he will probably be moved to CF.

FdlR is a switch-hitter with gap power LH but no HR power from either side. He is a much better hitter LH than RH, because he actually drives the ball when hitting left-handed (both of his doubles yesterday were yanked into the RF corner), but he just sort of slaps at the ball when hitting right-handed. He might be a guy who would benefit from giving up switch-hitting (like Rashad Crawford did a couple of years ago, and like Kevin Encarnacion is doing now), and just hit LH. (Crawford did it to take better-advantage of his plus-speed, and Encarnacion can't hit RH because of the injuries he suffered in that car crash post-2013). It would probably take de la Rosa about a year to make the adjustment, but it might be worth it long-term.  


Phil, give us your opinion on who will be the first starting pitcher at Myrtle Beach to get promoted? Thank you.

[ ]

In reply to by Hagsag

HAGSAG: Duane Underwood is considered the best prospect among the starters at Myrtle Beach, but both Daury Torrez and Tyler Skulina were assigned to the Tennessee squad for most of Minor Leagie Camp, so I would think those two are probably more-likely to get moved up before the other three. 

For those of you on MLB.TV and frustrated by its streaming interruptions like I have been, if you are on a Mac, I strongly recommend downloading the DMG for it. It actually works. I can even resize the screen without it coughing so that I can bless TCR with my astounding wit and observations. #sarscasmfont

[ ]

In reply to by mannytrillo

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/subscriptions/download.jsp Choose the mac one, of course, and then you'll get a DMG download. This is basically an install file. When you double click it, you'll see a little window on your computer screen and you then just drag the app to your applications folder. It works great. The browser versions have sucked for years. I never do reviews but I went onto Amazon and gave the Fire version of the MLB.TV app one star. It's awful. HBO works fine, even the PBS app works well. So I don't understand how they have 5-6 years practice and still can't get it to work.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

Sorry O&B! Just got around to downloading it. It is all set up, unfortunately I can't test it as I am blacked out for the NYY/NYM game since I live in CT and it is on ESPN. Looks good, I am sure it will work better so THANK YOU! Trade Castro (only if you can get a top notch young starting pitcher)!!

Okay, I said this in an earlier thread, but I'm enjoying J.D. a lot more this year than in previous years. He was never bad, always had good baseball stuff in his comments, but for some reason I just didn't like him. He doesn't grate on me, or anything like that. I don't know what it was. But he is fun to listen to now, and is meshing well with Len - a guy I couldn't stand in his first year but now really enjoy. Maybe it's like True Detective - two guys who don't really relate to each other start to connect just by the simple fact they're stuck with each other.

Castro being the exception, does it seem to anybody else around here that Cubs batters are using more of their bodies on swings? It seems like I'm seeing a bit more footwork and follow through on the last part of swings.

Since when do all of the pitchers get to go to their mouths when they're on the mound? Has there been a rule change, or do we just not care about the further decline of Western civilization?

sorry, a bit of politics here, but I'd love to have the national anthem be God Bless America instead of the militaristic and hard to sing O say can you see our bombs lighting up your night sky? I guess there would be screaming from the left about separation of church and state, but I'm a lefty and I'd be ok with it.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

GBA is just a better song, all around -- lyrically, musically, thematically. I also like the humility of asking to be blessed, rather than demanding it or just assuming it will be done because we're just so dang AWESOME! I'm not one to get bothered by the church/state thing either, so I'm not a good person to gauge the level of offense it would cause. There's always someone who will complain, I guess -- unless it's Kiki's Delivery Service, which got a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. I'm with you and I would like it to happen -- but I don't see a groundswell of opinion pushing in that direction. Oh well...

[ ]

In reply to by JoePepitone

Nah, there will never be a movement to change the national anthem. Hell, we can't get money out of politics. If that doesn't piss people off nothing will. And that's not a Democrat/Republican thing. I'm a lefty, but Obama won the money battle. He signed up joe u and i. The next battle will be between Hillary and Jeb. It's disgusting. We're no better than Communist China or the Soviet Union in the 60s when they got their plenaries together to vote on their leader. Ok, wrong forum. My apologies. Go Cubs. Go Ricketts. Oh. Wait.

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

I'm not really down with most of the tactics of nationalism, but if we must have a national anthem, I would be more in favor of this than either the Star-Spangled Banner or GBA (both of which are catchy and perfectly fine as tunes go). But the true spirit of the U.S. as it currently is would be like a 45-second mashup of the top-40 before every game. And if that's not baseball enough for you, it could be followed immediately by sound-bites for minimum-coverage car insurance and some erectile dysfunction meds. Or, here's a really political suggestion, we could replace the national anthem during the election year with presidential candidates saying absolutely anything substantive about their own platforms.

[ ]

In reply to by sbwilliams

Me too, man. I hate Matt Halliday, but I love watching him play. I have a feeling I'd feel the same way about Heyward now that he's with the morans. I'm like that with Green Bay. Love Rodgers. Hate him more. It's the joy of sports.

[ ]

In reply to by The E-Man

yeah so here's the thing. I thought, losing Pujols but getting Halliday wasn't even a wash. And i was absolutely awed by Pujols during that time. But it pissed me off that the morans picked up Halliday in reaction to losing Pujols. If God is just, he will smite St. Louis, and destroy it, without killing anybody.

[ ]

In reply to by Old and Blue

Heh, I'll be sure to put an mental asterisk next to this season if Cubs win it all, right after 2004 Red Sox give us their rings.

last time Wainwright missed a whole season they won it all. I think Marco Gonzalez is pretty decent and they'll probaby just trade for Hamels or whatever Ace they can find in June or July.

Hamilton's numbers are still pretty ordinary but he looks like a stud against the Cubs.

Kinda neat hearing Len ask J.D. a personal question - why are you a color guy? They keep this up, they're gonna have to get a room.

Good tweet in the twit box: "Pretty clear Bryant is having trouble closing off his throws, main reason why a lot of them are tailing across first base." Better than not having an arm, though.

A lot of people think Joe Maddon is a good-time upbeat guy, but he has a serious side, too...  

link 

Not Cubs related, but I wonder how long the Yankees will stick with Carlos Beltran. He hit just 233/301/402 last year and is hitting just .161 to start this year. Age 38 season. Might be time to hang-em up.

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

They have been talking about that a lot here on NY Sports talk radio. But sadly for the Yankees, they have him under contract for next year too. He is owed $15 million this year and next. So it is either cut him or live with him. There will be no chance to trade him. I think they will live with him for at least another month or two to see if he can get it straightened out, but there really aren't many guys in their farm system who will be able to help out, so it would require a trade of some kind. The Yankees are a couple injuries or bad performances for the year to being non relevant even in that crappy division.

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).