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

Cubs Close to Signing Japanese Pitcher

I don't know anything about this pitcher or the site, but it's being reported by Sports Hochi(?) that the Cubs are close to signing left-handed pitcher Ken Takahashi. A 40-year old pitcher (technically 39, he'll be 40 by next April) that had a 3.50 ERA last year in a 115.2 IP last year; the article mentions he could start or pitch out of the bullpen. NPB Tracker that picked up the story says that the Cubs were searching for some support for Kosuke Fukudome.

We tried this with our labrador when she was about two. She tore through everything in the house and outside while me and The Angel Fan Wife were both at work, so we decided to get her a buddy in the name of a dalmation that we affectionately named Wrigley. For the five years we had Wrigley before she passed away they had nothing to do with each other and co-existed like two roommates forced together in a rent-controlled apartment that neither one wants to give up. So my advice to the Cubs is to do your homework and make sure the breeds get along...and make sure they have their shots...don't leave any food out either...make sure at least one of them is fixed as well.


P.S. - If this is indeed a major league deal, the Cubs will need to drop someone off their 40-man roster before it's finalized.

P.P.S. - Some stats from Japanese Ballplayers.com and a more thorough scouting report from NPB Tracker back in late December that included a couple of videos.

P.P.P.S. - Cubs deny the report.

Comments

i sure hope mthis is not the pitcher hendry was looking for if it is someone to keep fukadome company with in spring training then ok, i would hope were looking at bigger names though

Takahashi: "It looks like teammate Hiroki Kuroda inspired this: ”I’m interested in seeing what American baseball is like. The image of Kuroda has had a big impact." --------- ...couldn't they just put a picture of Kuroda and Takahashi in Carp uniforms on Fukudome's locker, it'd be less expensive and he could still talk to it.

Muskat did add this little tidbit... Cubs have considered adding a Japanese batting coach to help Fukudome make the adjustment. (Gerald Perry was seen downloading a new version of the Rosetta Stone software)

I wouldn't have a problem with this idea if Hendry hadn't already wasted $1.1MM on Cotts. You want two lefties in the bullpen. So if Marshall is in the rotation, then fine. But by all accounts, Hendry still wants a veteran for that #5 rotation spot and keep Marshall as his utility pitcher. So hard to see where there's room for both Cotts and a play buddy for Fukkake. Correct me if I'm wrong, but since Cotts was re-signed, he cannot be traded until June 15, is that so?

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

Responding to my own post, sorry about that, but I wanted to add this for discussion. Assuming Hendry does yet trade for or sign a veteran #5 starter, isn't this how the bullpen shakes out as of now? I'm assuming a 7-man pen. Closer/9th inning man: Marmol Setup/8th inning man: Gregg Pre-setup/7th inning man: Samardzija Middle relief: Gaudin, competition between Hart, Guzman, Atkins and Wuertz LOOGY: Cotts Long relief/spot starter: Marshall Question: is the Japanese guy a potential LOOGY specialist?

Unless the other shoe falls in the form of some kind of trade, I'm not understanding these minor moves by Hendry. Gathright, Miles, now Takahashi all seem like inferior versions of what we already have.

Submitted by Jim Hickmans Bat on Mon, 01/12/2009 - 12:22am.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since Cotts was re-signed, he cannot be traded until June 15, is that so?

============================

JIM H: Only Article XX MLB free-agents who sign a Major League contract after the conclusion of the 15-day Free-Agency Filing Period get an automatic "no trade" through June 15th (and that's even if the player re-signs with his old club).

So Milton Bradley gets one, and so do Kerry Wood (with CLE) and Bob Howry (with SF), but Aaron Miles and Joey Gathright (who became free-agents after being non-tendered on 12/12) do not get one.

Likewise, if the Cubs sign a Japanese FA, he doesn't get an automatic "no trade," either.

Well, the Braves signed Fukudome's former teammate Kawakami. I wonder if he was seriously considered by Hendry. He was one of the elite Japanese pitchers, apparently. Didn't the Cubs try the "buddy" thing last year when they brought in the former White Sox rag-arm/side arm pitcher?

Soto Zambrano Marshall Theriot Fontenot-from Baltimore, still played in the Cubs organization for a couple seasons before sticking in MLB Marmol Samardzija Cedeno

Well, I put this story up last November...
... "'I got a call from my agent. I can say that more than one club has made me offers,' said Takahashi, who holds a 66-87 record with five saves and a 4.23 ERA in 14 seasons—all with the Hiroshima Carp. He was 8-5 with a 3.50 ERA in 21 games, including 20 starts, in 2008. According to baseball sources, the CHICAGO CUBS, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets are among the major league clubs that appear interested in acquiring Takahashi."

Jumbo, your well thought out criticism is appreciated. Cedeno, brain cramps and all,has been a starter/backup the last 3 seasons, providing at least some value.

Hendry had suggested earlier this offseason that he would still be adding some "live arms" to the pitching staff. At 39, Takahashi's arm may still be alive, but possibly on life support.

BA has its Cubs top ten prospects out today. 1. Josh Vitters, 3b 2. Jeff Samardzija, rhp 3. Andrew Cashner, rhp 4. Dae-Eun Rhee, rhp 5. Wellington Castillo, c 6. Kevin Hart, rhp 7. Starlin Castillo, ss/2b 8. Ryan Flaherty, ss 9. Jay Jackson, rhp 10. Hak-Ju Lee, ss BEST TOOLS Best Hitter for Average Josh Vitters Best Power Hitter Josh Vitters Best Strike-Zone Discipline Sam Fuld Fastest Baserunner Tony Campana Best Athlete Brandon Guyer Best Fastball Jeff Samardzija Best Curveball Casey Lambert Best Slider Andrew Cashner Best Changeup Dae-Eun Rhee Best Control Esmailin Caridad Best Defensive Catcher Luis Flores Best Defensive Infielder Darwin Barney Best Infield Arm Junior Lake Best Defensive Outfielder Sam Fuld Best Outfield Arm Kyler Burke http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-to…

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

Rats! I was hoping a TCR poster might attend this luncheon-->>>
Tuesday’s Iowa Cubs’ FIRST PITCH LUNCHEON, featuring Chicago Cubs manager LOU PINIELLA, has been snowed out. Iowa Cubs officials were uncertain if Monday’s weather would prevent Piniella, and general manager JIM HENDRY from arriving, so they called it off. The event will not be rescheduled, considering spring training starts next month. People with tickets can get a refund by calling the Iowa Cubs at (515) 243-6111

[ ]

In reply to by jacos

rickey not being 99-100% = fuck them. there are WAY too many sportswriters who vote with their own personal butt-hurt feelings rather than reality. rickey's in, but the elitism is getting old.

[ ]

In reply to by OakLawnGuy

The whole "first ballot" thing has always struck me as a way for a writer to insert himself into the process and make the election about them rather than the player. It's unbelievably selfish. I mean, if you in good faith really don't think someone belongs, don't vote for them (although anyone that in good faith couldn't see Henderson's value should be impeached from the BBWAA). If you think someone belongs but are withholding your vote because you don't want him to be "first ballot" or because you're afraid he'll get 100% and no one else has, that's ridiculous. On other fronts, Raines lost 10 votes from 2008, and his percentage went down from 24.3% to 22.6%. Trammell lost 5 votes and went from 18.% to 17.1%. Not a good day for them. Blyleven gained 2 votes to go from 61.9% to 62.7%.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

The best thing on MLB Trade Rumors today is that MLTTR does *not* list Cubs as a possible suitor for Michael Young, who apparently requested a trade today: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/01/evaluating-mich.html Thank goodness. Although it didn't stop one idiotic commenter ("IowaCub") from floating posting this: "if the Rangers could pry away Josh Vitters for 3B and Theriot and maybe a young arm they got in the DeRosa deal from Cleveland I could see it working, but thats just a thought. And no I'm not a one of these obnoxious Cubs fans, its just an idea." The BCB guys really need to stick with posting on their own blog...

[ ]

In reply to by DC Tom

Holy overpay, IowaCub. I don't think I'd trade Theriot straight up for Michael Young, much less Theriot, Vitters, and a young pitcher. Wow. Never read the comments at MLB Trade Rumors, it can only hurt your brain. It should probably come with a Surgeon General's Warning.

"And no I'm not a one of these obnoxious Cubs fans" Using the above mentioned phrase typically means it is from one of these obnoxious Cubs fans.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

2008 Ryan Theriot: OPS+ 93 2008 Michael Young OPS+ 96 I don't know much about Young's fielding; I've read a lot of negative criticisms of his fielding, but then again he just won a Gold Glove (and then again again so did Nate McClouth). But if we're talking about offense, they were pretty darn close last year, with Theriot getting on base a lot more often and Young slugging a bit more. Baserunning, Theriot steals more bases, but Young is rarely caught (10 SB no CS in 2008). All in all, if their defense is comparable, then these two had roughly the same value in 2008. Who's to say that won't be true next year? Or that the scale might shift in Theriot's favor. But, you're right, that 16 million is the deal breaker. If they were both earning $500,000, then I would of course trade Theriot for Young--Young has hit 24 homeruns in the past, Theriot has not--but Young's more recent achievements don't inspire total confidence that he'll outproduce Theriot in 2009.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Yeah, and that's a career year for Theriot. Young does that every year. He's a career 102 OPS+. If Theriot can go 93 every year, then you're right. With the similar rpdocution, give me Theriot's considerably cheaper salary. That's a no brainer. If he can't duplicate 2008, and he turns back into a pumpkin, then that comparison doesn't hold a ton of weight. Is 2009 going to be 2008 Theriot or 2007 Theriot? I assume closer to 2009 since his walks increased by over half. But, I guess we can't say for sure.

[ ]

In reply to by Wes

Except Theriot doesn't have a major league track record that would allow us to say that 2008 was an abberation. I suspect Theriot's not going to put up many 100+ OPS+, mostly because he doesn't have a slugging approach. But who's to say Young isn't on the decline? I agree, though, that Young's track record indicates that he's probably going to be a better offensive performer for next year than Theriot, but it's probably not like a 95% chance, more like a 65-70% chance. And he's probably only going to outslug Theriot significantly, as typical OBPs are decent but not amazing. Like I said, both earning $500,000, I absolutely take Young. But .050 points of slugging are not worth $16 million dollars a year. Rangers would have to eat a lot of salary in order to trade Young to just about anyone at this point.

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

Yes, Theriot does. He hit 266/326/346/672 in a full 537 AB's in 2007. That's a track record. Maybe last year was an abberation. Maybe it wasn't. We have one pretty darn good year and one pretty fucking piss poor year. Which one is it? Which player is he? Young's track record is much longer, obviously. Maybe Young is in decline. Maybe Theriot's on a huge upswing. I can't say that we know that just from 2008's numbers. Theriot probably doesn't go back to 2007. He might. His OBP could drop back down 60 points. I doubt it, but it could. That said, I'd still like to wait and see which 500+ at bat sample is the more accurate representation of his talent level before I say he's equal in value to Michael Young over an extended period of time. 2008 Ryan Theriot was. 2009 and beyond might be. Or he might not. Might be a little closer if you get Young out of that ballpark, too. Probably not close enough to make a difference, though. I'd also love to know where your 65% number came from. Top of your head?

[ ]

In reply to by Wes

"I'd also love to know where your 65% number came from. Top of your head?" Yes. I thought that was pretty clear. If I had a formula for coming up with that sort of prediction I would use it and share it with you, but I don't. I guess you could estimate an over/under for the two and then calculate some sort of standard deviation and see how much the curves overlap, but, well, I'm neither that good at math nor that invested in this. I guess you could also take some of their projections and see how much they overlap, but I don't have any of those handy, and, like I said, I'm not that invested in this. I don't think we're actually disagreeing all that much, just, from what I can gather, you think Young is a better bet to be better next year and that Theriot is a strong bet to be not as good in 2009 as in 2008. I agree with the Theriot part. I don't know how much higher his OBP can go, if at all--it'll probably drop a bit, but I don't know that is a certainty--and I don't foresee him working on driving the ball this year. I think our biggest disagreement is just semantics--definition of "track record." I said that Theriot doesn't really have one, you say that Theriot's two full seasons of ABs (2007 and 2008) are a track record. I'll give you that. But I don't think they are enough for us to comfortably draw conclusions from his career averages, or from one year or the other. Then again, Young has a pretty long track record now and I think it's pretty safe to say those numbers have limited use as he doesn't appear to be anywhere near the hitter he was the year he hit 24 homeruns. In 2008 he wasn't anywhere near the hitter he'd been in most of his career. But, where is the real disagreement here? I don't think you're saying that you'd want Michael Young at his current yearly salary over Theriot at his current salary, are you? Because that is mostly all I was pointing out initially--they seem to be players of similar value, though Young has been more valuable offensively and thus we might think he will continue to be more valuable offensively (although we can't be sure to what degree), earning vastly different quantities of money.

Young had a fractured right ring finger the last two months of '08 that likely impacted his stats. He's clearly a better hitter than The Riot when healthy. The salary thing...yeah, that's a problem, I guess. But if for some reason they could put a package together and wanted to take on that money (1 percent chance?), it'd be a no-brainer.

[ ]

In reply to by Tito

Young had a fractured right ring finger the last two months of '08 that likely impacted his stats. That might be relevant if the stats backed it up, but they don't: April/March: .315/.394/.468 OPS: .862 May: .267/.302/.383 OPS:.686 June: .275/.316/.404 OPS: .720 July: .313/.346/.394 OPS: .740 August: .260/.316/.407 OPS: .722 Sept/Oct: .277/.368/.337 OPS: .706 He had a good March, and a bad rest of the season. And FWIW, his road OPS was 120 points below his home OPS last year, and is 130 points lower over his career.

Uh....note that I said likely, wasn't stating it as fact. But consider me corrected anyway. He's still a better hitter than The Riot. One season where The Riot was close in OPS-plus doesn't change that. I guess we'll see in '09.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

The .340 BABIP in play is pretty high. I tried to look up Theriot's minor league BABIP, but I don't know where to look (also, seems like he became a different hitter after giving up the left side of the plate, so only some of those numbers would be relevant). I did find his BABIPs since 2005: 2005: .182 2006 (AAA): .346 2006: .363 2007: .289 2008: .340 They also list the Bill James, CHONE, and Marcel projections for his BABIP in 2009, .320, .312, and .316, respectively (strangely, all 3 project an increase in ISO slugging next year, though James is not as optimistic as the other two). The 2005-2006 numbers have limited use. 2005 was only 14 plate appearances, 2006 was mostly AAA, where he posted a very high BABIP, and then on 159 plate appearances at the major league level where he went on a tear that included a .522 slugging percentage he'll never sniff in a significant quantity of ABs again. So that leaves 2007 and 2008. A .051 difference between his two BABIPs is significant. In 2007 his Line Drive Percentage was 21%. In 2008 it was 23.2%. That's a nice increase, but does it really account for that large a difference in BABIP? Probably not. But from 2007 to 2008 his Fly Ball Percentage dropped from 30.5% to 20.2%, and his Ground Ball Percentage rose from 48.6% to 56.6%. For a guy who doesn't drive the ball, having a drop in Fly Ball Percentage would probably be a good thing, and that might help to explain his rise in BABIP. Two questions, I think, remain. 1. Can we assume that a .340 BABIP is high for a player without taking into account his past BABIPs? It's hard to guess from Ryan's past numbers what his typical BABIP would be, in 2006 it was very high between AAA and MLB, but in 2007 it was very low. In 2008, high again. I guess the best bet right now is to compare his BABIP to typical numbers across baseball, but each player is an individual (or an individual pattern of statistics), so that will have limited use for projection. That said, if Theriot's career BABIP approaches .340, he would have a pretty high career BABIP in comparison to his peers. 2. If we accept that Ryan's slight increase in line drive percentage, increase in ground ball percentage, and significant drop in fly ball percentage are at the root of his high BABIP, can we assume that Ryan can duplicate (or improve upon) those percentages next year? Or are the percentages just a part of the expression of Ryan's good luck? Does Ryan have control over these percentages? Does it depend on how Ryan is pitched? Other factors?

[ ]

In reply to by Charlie

You go Charlie, solid effort right there. My personal guess is that the 340 would be a high water mark. Theriot really doesn't even have gap power. His swing is almost exlusively an "Inside out" swing to Right Field. So in essence, Theriot's whole game is being able to slap it past a 2nd baseman. At some point you've got to figure that advance scouting will catch up to him. SS shading him near the 2nd base bag. Second Baseman playing back on the grass(etc). Maybe Theriot adapts and bunts more? Maybe he falls back into 2007 levels? Either way, I see an ajustment in the mail.

[ ]

In reply to by Dr. aaron b

That's a pretty fair assessment of Theriot's approach at the plate. Almost no extra base power, but he hits the ball with enough authority to get it past the infielders without it quite being a Juan Pierre bloop. I would expect that if second basemen start moving toward the hole or pitchers refuse to pitch Theriot away, he'll attempt to adjust by pulling the ball a bit or hitting it right back up the middle (he already likes to go up the middle, but most of the time he does seem to be waiting until the very last moment to start his swing and uses the top hand a lot to push the bat through the zone). I would expect that that adjustment, though, would result in lower numbers--his default, inside-out approach is probably what works best for him and he won't change it until the opposition forces him to do so. I still don't get why Bill James, CHONE, and Marcel project increases in ISO to .069, .086, and .086 respectively. The .069 is reasonable, I guess, since in 2007 he was at .080. I guess his 2006 stats are skewing the CHONE and Marcel projections, though.

Recent comments

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    That’s a fantastic deal for SF

  • 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?