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

Cubs @ Pirates: Lester vs. Liriano (Game 105 Thread)--washed out

CHC (57-47): LHP Jon Lester (6-8, 3.26)

PIT (61-43): LHP Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92)
First pitch: 6:05pmCT

Fowler# cf

Denorfia lf

Bryant 3b

Rizzo* 1b

Soler rf

Castro ss

Ross c

Lester* p

Russell 2b

 

Polanco* rf

Marte lf

McCutchen cf

Ramirez 3b

Kang ss

Cervelli c

Morse 1b

Rodriguez 2b

Liriano* p


Lester was 2-2 with a 1.66 in July, including Wednesday (8 IP, 2 ER, 14 Ks, 1 BB) when he beat the Rockies. He beat the Pirates on May 16 (7 IP, 1 ER) at Wrigley. They are 26-95 (.274) against him. Stewart is 3-7 with a HR.

Liriano is coming off a great month, going 3-0 with a 2.03 in July. He won in Minnesota (5.2 IP, 2 ER) last last time out. He had a no-decision against the Cubs in April (5 IP, 3 ER), in a game the Pirates would go on to win 9-8. He pitches better on the road: he’s 3-4, with a 3.65 at home. The Cubs are 12-84 (.143) against him. Rizzo is 4-20 with a HR. Castro is 3-22.

Go Cubs!

Comments

As expected, the Cubs have recalled OF Matt Szczur from Iowa, and to make room for Szczur on the 25-man roster, LHP Clayton Richard has been Designated for Assignmdent (DFA).

As was discussed here last week, the Cubs will now run Richard through Optional Assignment Waivers (which are revocable, so clubs almost never claim players off this type of waivers), and then place Richard back on the 40-man roster and option him to Iowa once the Optional Assignment Waivers have been secured (probably on Wednesday).

Remember, if a player is not replaced on a club's MLB 40-man roster after being Designated for Assignment, he can be optioned to the minors. And while Richard was replaced by Szczur on the Cubs 25-man roster, he was not replaced by another player on the Cubs 40-man roster

However, because he has accrued five-plus years of MLB Service Time, Richard cannot be sent to the minors (by Optional or Outright Assignment) without his consent, but he gave his consent last month (the last time he was Designated for Assignment and then subsequently optioned to Iowa), so I would think he will probably give his consent again this time. If he doesn't, the Cubs will have to either trade him or release him by a week from Thursday (8/13). 

Note that the situation with Richard is different from that of an Article XX-D player (previously outrighted in his career or has accrued at least three years but less than five years of MLB Service Time) where the player can elect free-agency if outrighted (either immediately or deferred until the conclusion of the MLB regular season), in that Richard can't even be sent to the minors without his consent. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

Perhaps he would agree again, but with the addition of Haren, I imagine it's possible he would declde to either take his chances going to another organization or becoming a free agent and signing with someone who will put him on an MLB roster. Thanks for the update.

[ ]

In reply to by John Beasley

I don't think the Cubs would have DFA'd Richard at this time (or recalled him to start the game on Sunday) if they weren't 100% sure that he was going to consent to an optional assigment back to Iowa.  

Remember, Richard gave up the 7/1 minor league contract "opt out" he had with Pittsburgh when he was acquired by the Cubs and placed on the Cubs MLB 40-man roster at the beginning of July, so the Cubs could have just left Richard at Iowa until September 1st (and then recalled him) when they optioned him to Iowa last month, instead of calling him up for the spot start yesterday. There are no in-season "opt out" clauses or covenants in major league contracts. They only exist in minor league contracts  

The Cubs could just as easily have reinstated Tsuyoshi Wada from the DL and had him make the start at Milwaukee yesterday (instead of starting for Iowa on Saturday) if they didn't have assurance from Richard that he would consent to being optioned back to Iowa after the spot start versus the Brewers.

The Cubs probably have told Richard that he will be called up no later than September 1st (or even earlier if a starter goes down to injury), and that he is ahead of Wada on the depth chart. They may even have indicated to Richard they want him back in 2016 (Haren and Wada are free-agents post-2015, and Wood and Russell will probably be non-tendered). 

Len Kasper ‏@LenKasper I do not anticipate this game being postponed. Not at all. Unless radar is 100% wrong, we will resume at some point. ...game resumes in 10 minutes (9:55 EST)

Pennant races make you root for strange things, like a 9th-inning game-tying home run by AJ Pierzynski off the Giants.

Hopefully the 2/3 inning that Soriano threw does not stop him from coming in for the rest of the season.

1- screw rain delays 2- oh, ATL came back in the bottom 9th to tie and it's in the 12th...sweet

Javy Baez with a 3 run double in the top of 9. Iowa takes a 12-10 lead over the Skysox. Baez 3-6, double, triple and one K. CJ Edwards getting a chance to close...edit: and he gets the save.

10:58 CST. Mark Gonzalez. No official word but I'm betting on this game not resuming. Jesse Rogers: Postponed. Will be rescheduled at a later date. Pat Mooney: Combined time of rain delays: 3 hours and 29 minutes. I assume the stats are scratched and the game will restart from the beginning.

[ ]

In reply to by Ryno

MLB Rule 4.10
(a) A regulation game consists of nine innings, unless extended because of a tie score, or shortened (1) because the home team needs none of its half of the ninth inning or only a fraction of it, or (2) because the umpire calls the game. EXCEPTION: National Association leagues may adopt a rule providing that one or both games of a doubleheader shall be seven innings in length. In such games, any of these rules applying to the ninth inning shall apply to the seventh inning.
(b) If the score is tied after nine completed innings play shall continue until (1) the visiting team has scored more total runs than the home team at the end of a completed inning, or (2) the home team scores the winning run in an uncompleted inning.
(c) If a game is called, it is a regulation game:
    (1) If five innings have been completed;
    (2) If the home team has scored more runs in four or four and a fraction half-innings than the visiting team has scored in five completed half-innings;
    (3) If the home team scores one or more runs in its half of the fifth inning to tie the score.
(d) If a regulation game is called with the score tied, it shall become a suspended game. See Rule 4.12.
(e) If a game is called before it has become a regulation game, the umpire shall declare it “No Game.”

[ ]

In reply to by WISCGRAD

In other words, less than 5 innings (or 4.5 if home team has the lead) the game is just canceled. If it goes 5 and there is a tie it is suspended and they finish it later. If it goes 4.5 (or 5) and the home team has the lead after a half inning or the visting team has the lead after a full inning, it becomes offiical and is not finished. 

[ ]

In reply to by Arizona Phil

BTW, the one exception to the suspended game rule is if it is the last regular season game between two clubs, in which case a game that normally would be suspended cannot be suspended. 

The game either must be played from scratch (as a new game) at a later date (in a game where it's tied or hasn't gone five innings with the visting team ahead or 4-1/2 innings with home team ahead), or in the case of an "official" game where the visiting team is losing but then takes the lead in the top of an inning and then the game is called (which since 1980 has been a suspended game), the score reverts to the previous inning and the home team wins.

This almost happened last week in New York, when the Padres rallied from a 7-5 deficit after eight innings to take an 8-7 lead in the top of the 9th on a Justin Upton two-out three-run home run, only to have the game stopped by heavy rain in the middle of the 9th while the teams waited out ther rain delay. (The game was resumed after a 3+ hour rain delay, with Padre closer Craig Kimbrel retiring the Mets 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th to record the save). 

If the game had not been resumed, the Mets would have won, even though the Padres took the lead in the top of the 9th before the rain delay (normally making it a suspended game). But in this case (last regular season game between two teams), if the game had been called in the middle of the 9th, the score would have reverted to the end of the previous inning (and Mets win, 7-5) as was the rule pre-1980. 

And just imagine if the Mets had won the game that way and then got the second Wild Card slot by one game over the Cubs. That would be like another Bartman in Cubbery lore.  

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).

  • crunch (view)

    cubs rolling out the who's who of "who the hell is this guy?" in the last spring game.

  • videographer (view)

    AZ Phil, speaking of Jordan Wicks having better command when he tires a bit, I remember reading about Dennis Lamp 40 years ago and his sinker that was better after 3 or 4 innings when he would tire a bit and get more sink with a little less speed on the pitch.  The key for Lamp was getting to the 4th inning.