Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

39 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (one slot is open), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL and one player has been DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT (DFA)   

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and nine players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, three players are on the 15-DAY IL, and one player is on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-23-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Hector Neris 
Jameson Taillon 
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 9 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Miles Mastrobuoni, INF
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 1 
Seiya Suzuki, OF

15-DAY IL: 3
Kyle Hendricks, P 
* Drew Smyly, P 
* Justin Steele, P   

60-DAY IL: 2 
Caleb Kilian, P 
Julian Merryweather, P

DFA: 1 
Garrett Cooper, 1B 
 




Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Chad Fox Sighting at Fitch

Submitted by Arizona Phil on

Chad Fox threw a 25-pitch "live" BP session and the recently suspended Robert Hernandez threw a 50-pitch simulated game, as the Cubs Extended Spring Training team (EXST) had a full-squad work-out at Fitch Park this morning.

Hernandez, who would have been in the Peoria Chiefs starting rotation if he hadn't gotten himself suspended for testing positive for steroids, has joined fellow minor league RHP Scott Taylor (also suspended 50 games for testing positive for a prohibited substance) at Fitch Park, preparing themselves for when the suspensions are over.

As for Fox, he looked OK, especially the last five or six pitches he threw. Some of you may remember that Fox was signed to a minor league contract during the off-season, and received an NRI to big league camp with the Cubs. But he was shut-down after only one ST game appearance early in the Cactus League season, and (until today) I hadn't seen him since.

Fox and Hernandez threw on Field #4, pitching to the most-advanced hitters available at EXST (Tony Richie, Jeffrey Rea, Leon Johnson, and Brandon Guyer), with veteran minor league pitching coach Rick Tronerud supervising. 

Angel Guzman is apparently throwing only "side sessions" (bullpen sessions) so far, and I'm not sure how far he has gotten in that endeavor, but he is definitely not as far along as Chad Fox at the moment.

There are several players I expected to see today who were not present, including LHP Mark Pawelek and RHP Alberto Alburquerque (both were assigned to EXST at the very end of Minor League Camp). One of the two may have been promoted to Peoria to replace Hernandez, but then where's the other one?  Also, I did not see Scott Eyre, although he supposedly is at Fitch Park rehabbing from a sore elbow.

Additionally, three position players who were injured towards the end of Minor League Camp and were assigned to EXST to rehab (L. Johnson, Rea, and Richie) have apparently been cleared for duty, and now it's just a matter of time before they are game-ready, but even after they are 100%, there needs to be an open slot somewhere on one of the full-season teams before they can get their Letter of Transit and escape Casablanca.  
  
Here are the 55 players who were physically present at Fitch Park today for the full-squad EXST work-out: 

* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS:
Francisco Acosta
Todd Blackford (had TJ surgery last May)
* Michael Bunton (limited physical activity- injury)
Rogelio Carmona
Rafael Dolis (limited physical activity - surgery rehab)
Eduardo Figueroa
Chad Fox (elbow rehab)
Yohan Gonzalez
Angel Guzman (limited physical activity - TJ surgery rehab)
Marcus Hatley
* Arik Hempy
Jim Henderson (limited physical activity – injury)
Robert Hernandez (serving 50-game prohibited substance suspension)
Chris Huseby
Grant Johnson (limited physical activity – sprained elbow ligament)
Kevin Kreier
Scott Meyer
Jon Mueller (limited physical activity – injury)
Billy Muldowney (had TJ surgery last July)
John Muller
Dionis Nunez
Julio Pena
Billy Petrick (has had a problem with weakness in shoulder) 
Jose Pina (limited physical activity – injury)
Cedric Redmond
Carlos E. Rojas 
Audy Santana
Ryan Searle
Jose Severino
Miguel Sierra
Larry Suarez (limited physical activity – injury)
Scott Taylor (serving 50-game prohibited substance suspension)
Harol Tolentino

CATCHERS:
Carlos Guevara
Carlos Perez
Tony Richie (sustained a rib cage injury in Minor League Camp)
Roberto Sabates 
* Alvaro Sosa

INFIELDERS:
Luis Bautista (1B-C)
Starlin Castro (SS)
John Contreras (3B)
Gian Guzman (SS)
# Dwayne Kemp (2B)
* Bryan Jost (1B)
Junior Lake (SS)
Elvis Lara (2B) 
# Jose Made (2B-OF)
* Jeffrey Rea (2B-OF - had unknown-type injury in Minor League Camp)
Josh Vitters (3B)

OUTFIELDERS:
Brandon Guyer (limited physical activity –  surgery rehab)
* Leon Johnson (sustained finger injury in Minor League Camp)
# Andres Quezada
* Nelson Perez (limited physical activity – unknown-type injury)
Kevin Soto 
* Luke Sommer

EXACT WHEREBOUTS UNKNOWN (by me):
Alberto Alburquerque, P (was demoted to EXST at end of Minor League Camp)
* Jeffry Antigua, P (was with BOISE/MESA group in Minor League Camp)
Cory Bailey, P (was with IOWA group in Minor League Camp)
Rafael Cova, P (has yet to report - is supposedly having visa problems in Venezuela)
* Jeff Culpepper, OF (was in Minor League Camp - limited activity only) 
* Clark Hardman, OF (was with PEORIA group first week of Minor League Camp)
Kitt Kopach, P (was in Minor League Camp – limited activity only)
Oswaldo Martinez, P (was in Minor League Camp – limited activity only)
* Mark Pawelek, P (was demoted to EXST at end of Minor League Camp) 
* Marc Sawyer, 1B (did not report to Minor League Camp))

I strongley suspect Bailey got released at the end of ST, and Culpepper and/or Kopach may have been released or possibly retired after failing to come back from major injuries. I'm sure we'll find out eventually.  

With the status of Bailey still TBD, here are the 26 Cubs minor leaguers who were definitely released during Minor League Camp (March 1st through March 31st):

Luis Astorga, LHP
Matt Canepa, C
Alex Cintron, INF (had NRI to big league camp - has since signed with BAL)
Miguel Cuevas, RHP
Brian Dopirak, 1B (has since signed minor league deal with TOR)
Derrick Ellison, LHP
Yuri Higgins, RHP 
Matt Hudgins, C
Scott Koerber, LHP
Tim Layden, LHP
Brian Leclerc, OF
Simon Lee, RHP
Matt Maradeo, RHP
Andrew McCormick, RHP
Billy Mottram, 3B
Ryan O'Malley, LHP
Taylor Parker, LHP
Hernan Ramos, RHP
Jesus Reyes, OF 
Alan Rick, C-1B
Chris Rivera, RHP
Carlos R. Rojas, SS (has since signed minor league deal with BAL)
Joel Santo, RHP (has since signed minor league deal with HOU)
Shingo Takatsu, RHP (had NRI to big league camp)
Chris Walker, OF
Chi-Hsiang Wen, OF

Tags
Extended Spring Training

Comments

Submitted by Raisin101 on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 04:39 pm

Thank you very much for your update, AZ Phil. I was wondering why Huseby is in extended. From your previous reports, it had sounded like he'd break with the Chiefs and you don't have him listed as injured. Did he just blow his opportunity and now will have to wait his turn to get called up? Also, what type of injury does Larry Suarez have?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 04:25 pm

Submitted by Raisin101 on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 2:39pm.

Thank you very much for your update, AZ Phil.

I was wondering why Huseby is in extended. From your previous reports, it had sounded like he'd break with the Chiefs and you don't have him listed as injured. Did he just blow his opportunity and now will have to wait his turn to get called up?

Also, what type of injury does Larry Suarez have?

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

RAISIN: Chris Huseby doesn't appear to be injured, so he must have had major mechanical or command problems towards the end of Minor League Camp. Huseby has the type of delivery that can get out of tune without advance notice. The Cubs often will punish a pitcher who can't throw strikes at Peoria or Daytona with a quick-hook demotion or by keeping the guy at EXST after it appears he has made a full-season roster. It's happened to Mark Pawelek a couple or three times already. It appears the same thing happened to Arik Hempy.

Larry Suarez's injury involves either his elbow or his shoulder and he has been on limited physical activity status (he can run, take bunting practice, shag fly balls during BP, and do PFP) since the beginning of Minor Lague Camp. He throws left-handed when he has to make a throw back from the outfield during BP.

A lot of times when a Cubs minor league pitcher is diagnosed with a partially torn elbow ligament or a partially torn labrum or rotator cuff he will be told to rest his elbow or shoulder for a month or two at EXST before the doctors decide whether to proceed with surgery. That's the case with Grant Johnson (partially torn elbow ligament suffered the last week of ST) right now.

Other pitchers like Muldowney and Blackford have already had their surgeries, so for them it's just a matter of them getting their arm strength back to where it needs to be. That also is Billy Petrick's problem (arm strength) right now.

BTW. Jim Henderson is making normal (hard) throws during PFP, so I would think he could be cleared for full duty very soon. Not so for Dolis, Pina, or Mueller, though. They are still kind of fragile apparently. 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 04:39 pm

There are a couple of other Cubs minor leaguers who are on the DL of their full-season clubs (1B Micah Hoffpauir at Iowa and INF Ryne Malone at Daytona), but I haven't seen either of them at Fitch Park (yet).

I know Hoffpauir has a strained oblique and will probably rehab at Fitch, but I don't know what happened to Malone. But whatever happened to him must have happened after the Daytona Cubs left Arizona, because the last time I saw Malone (at the end of Minor League Camp) he looked OK.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 04:00 pm

Also, the Cubs signed three minor league FA pitchers who were released during ST and assigned them to AAA Iowa. All three have MLB experience:

LHP Randy Keisler (was released by MIN)
RHP Mike Burns (was released by PIT)
RHP Andy Cavazos (was released by NYM)

Like Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot, the 32-year old Keisler attended LSU and has pitched in 55 MLB games (20 GS) going back to the 2000 season with NYY, OAK, CIN, SD, and STL, and he will be a rotation starter for the I-Cubs. The 29-year old Burns was a reliever for HOU (4.94 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 27 games as a middle reliever in 2005) and then got into 18 games with CIN and BOS in 2006, and the 27-year old Cavazos made his MLB debut last season with STL, got into 17 games, and sported a lofty 10+ ERA, although prior to that he did have two good years as a reliever in AAA in 2006-07.

.

Submitted by Wes on Fri, 04/04/2008 - 04:58 pm

LaTroy and the Farns combined for 7 ER tonight in the 8th for the Yankees against the Rays. LaTroy did the vast majority of the damage, allowing 6ER on 6H in .2 IP. In fact, had retired two of the first three he faced before collapsing. Farns came in to relieve with two men on and promptly gave up a donger to Carlos Pena. Cubbery at its finest.

Submitted by Hagsag on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 04:37 am

Phil, I am concerned about Antigua. He has been highly touted and got a pretty large bonus to sign. Do you think he is injured or has been sent back to the DSL for another year?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sat, 04/05/2008 - 04:48 am

HAGSAG: I don't know what happened to Antigua. All of the other 2007 DSL Cubs pitchers who were at Minor League Camp are at EXST.

The only reason somebody gets sent back to the Dominican Republic this time of year is for disciplinary reasons, not because of poor performance on the field. And Antigua was the #1 prospect among the 2007 DSL Cubs coming into the 2008 season.

Other possible explanations for Antigua's absence could be that he was suspended (but not sent home to the Dominican) because he broke a team rule, or because he is sick with the flu, or because he has an injury that is precluding him from even limited activities on the field.

Recent comments

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Things I've been wrong about:

    -Tauchman is fine as a 4th OF. I knew that. I just want a better LH DH option and he was really the DH for us until Seiya got hurt. I'm glad Mervis is getting a chance at it. Caissie is coming for that job for sure. But Tauchman continues to be highly useful as a 4th OF with Seiya being hurt

    -I wanted Yency to go to get guys at Iowa a chance. Guys like Palencia and Sanders or RileyT. Maybe even Hodge! But Yency has been better the last two plus weeks. He did hit 96 the other day. He was 93 in Texas to open the season.

    -Leiter has his split working enough. It just needs to stay there

    -I was surprised Jed picked Wisdom over Cooper. I wonder if this happens if Seiya wasn't hurt. Wisdom has more power. Cooper is the better hitter. Jed picked Wisdom and Wisdom had an option left as well.

    -Palencia just doesn't miss enough bats. Similar to ManRod, just two yrs younger. ManRod is killing AAA for TB right now!

    Things I got right so far:

    -Hendricks. Sorry Kyle. You got paid though!

    Jed, you missed there.

    -Smyly. If Jed could've traded him before or during ST, then he should have and saved some cash.

    -Mastro.  Not a LH DH. Pinch runner. Defensive utility. Maybe he's better than Madrigal but didn't get a legit chance to prove it.

    -Luke Little is good. He's had one bad outing. That's it. Needs to get better entering with guys on base. But he needs to stay in MLB.

    -Oh yeah....Morel is doing fine at 3B! He'll get better as well!!

  • crunch (view)

    bellinger "right rib contusion"

  • Childersb3 (view)

    South Bend just lost the lead in the bottom of the 9th on the weirdest scenario, ever.

    It's absolutely pouring rain....men on 1st and 2nd, 1out....JPatterson asks for a new ball, but no time out was called....he throws the old ball toward the dugout (not sure if it rolled out of play).....the ump declares the runners get two bases each so one run scores. Then a single up the middle ties the game.

    The rain was coming down in buckets at this point.

    Just weird

  • crunch (view)

    ...and bellinger is gone in the 7th because of that 2nd blown chance and the wall he bounced off of...

    hopefully his rib cage/shoulder feels better tomorrow, we just got happ back.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Phil,

    Any thoughts on Y. Rojas' stuff and Y. Melendez's game (I believe I've asked about him before, sorry)?

  • crunch (view)

    wow, things are moving fast.  hopefully it continues.

  • crunch (view)

    morel with 4 clean plays in 4 innings...showed off his 100000000mph arm a couple times.

    cody bellinger not having a good 4th, though...5 run leads are handy when your CF is making your pitcher have a 5-out inning.  2nd blown chance was ruled a hit even though it went in/out of his glove...1st was lost in the lights, also ruled a hit.

  • crunch (view)

    welcome back happ!  double off the wall 1st PA back.

  • crunch (view)

    oh yeah, totally, i was just chiming about why i fan like i fan.

    i would like nothing more than hendricks to keep on hendricks'ing.  guys with his stuff can throw for a long, long time as long as it works.

    he velocity is actually up a minor amount this year.  it's really "damn" when a guy like him not only has gas in the tank, but it's looking like it was years ago.  he added a curve a few years ago and it helped a little bit, but he's throwing it less and less while the fb/change combo are less effective.

  • Alexander Dimm (view)

    CRUNCH—There is no one person in this community I’m talking about.  My remarks were not directed at you or anyone, but at a tone I’ve noticed lately. 

    You have a great, dry sense of humor and there is thought behind your comments.   You and I don’t always agree but I always understand your position.  

    Lastly, and I’ll be quiet, I agree with you on Hendricks.  We can dislike the recent performance but still love the guy.  Lots of questions about his future.
     

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