Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full), plus two players are on the 60-DAY IL 

26 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, ten players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors, two players are on the 15-DAY IL, and two players are on the 10-DAY IL

Last updated 4-17-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 13
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Colten Brewer
Ben Brown
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Mark Leiter Jr
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

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

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

OPTIONED: 10 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Jose Cuas, P 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Luke Little, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 

10-DAY IL: 2 
Seiya Suzuki, OF
Patrick Wisdom, INF 

15-DAY IL: 2
* Justin Steele, P  
Jameson Taillon, P 

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




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

  • crunch (view)

    cubs getting crazy good at not having player moves leak.

    taillon we 100% know is pitching tonight.  who he's replacing and any additional moves are unknown as far as i can tell.

    p.wisdom was not in today's lineup in iowa (rained out) and he was removed from the game last night mid-game, but not for injury.  good bet he's with the team in the bigs, too.

  • Bill (view)

    A good rule of thumb is that if you trade a near-ready high ceiling prospect, you should get at least two far-away high ceiling prospects in return.  Like all rules-of-thumb, it depends upon the specific circumstances, but certainly, we weren't going to get Busch for either prospect alone.

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    Right on schedule, just read an article in Baseball America entitled "10 MLB Prospects Outside The Top 100 Who Have Our Attention".  Zyhir Hope was one of the prospects featured. It stated that he's "one of the biggest arrow-up sleeper prospects in the lower levels right now."

     

    Not sharing to be negative about the trade, getting a top 100 prospect who is MLB ready should carry a heavy prospect cost.  But man, Dodger sure are good at identifying and developing young talent. Andrew Friedman seems to have successfully merged Ray's development with Yankees financial might to create a juggernaut of an organization.  

  • Sonicwind75 (view)

    I suspect Brown will spend some time in the bullpen due to inning restrictions.  Pitched only 93 innings last year and career high is 104 innings in 2022.  I would expect them to be cautious with a young player with his injury history.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    I wanted Almonte gone last week, but that was before Merryweather went down and Little got demoted. Almonte in his last 5 appearances has gone 4.1 IP with no ER or Runs. NO hits, 3 BBs and 8 SO. He did hit 96 with his 2S FB in AZ on Tues.
    I don't see Jed waiving him when we have injuries all over and guys with options that can be sent down.
    I probably won't like the move Jed makes, but he can't play the "let's hope no one wants his 1.7mil remaining deal and we can hide him in Iowa" card.
    That's why I think the current Bullpen stays as is and Wicks goes to Iowa.
    I don't like that, but that's the fix I see.
    We'll find out soon enough!!!

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Teheran minor league deal is done, per MLB.

  • TarzanJoeWallis (view)

    Based on Phil’s sound analysis it sounds like a no brainer for Almonte to be placed on waivers as today’s roster move. We shall see.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I suspect Counsell/Hottovy will use the piggy-back extensively, with Taillon and Hendricks pitching as the "pig" (and with a very short leash) and some combo of Wicks, Brown, and Wesneski (whichever two do not start) as the "backers."  

    Keep in mind that Keegan Thompson has a minor league option available, and if Yency Almonte is not outrighted by 4/26 he cannot be sent to the minors without his consent after that date. Almonte is out of minor league options, so I am talking about him getting outrighted to the minors if he is not claimed off waivers, and if he is claimed off waivers, the Cubs save the pro-rated portion of his $1.9M salary, which helps lower the Cubs 2024 AAV.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Totally agree. The 26 man roster very rarely consists of the 13 best position players and 13 best pitchers.

  • Dolorous Jon Lester (view)

    Based on what Jed has done in the past, I’d say the plan is to

    -give Hendricks another few starts
    -give Taillon some runway ot get his season underway

    -Mix and match in the bullpen and see what sticks

    Jed usually doesn’t do a whole lot of waiver wire plays in-season, at least early in the season. He only reallly did that after he blew up the rosters in 21 and 22 because they needed bodies (guys like Schwindel, Fargas, etc).

    I think he’s a little handcuffed by a full 40 man in that he can’t really maneuver much with giving anyone showing ability at AAA (R Thompson/ Sanders/ Edwards etc). Brewer has the most tenuous grip there, and we will see what kind of chance he gets. Other than his spot, there isn’t a ton of 40 man wiggle room.

    I’m very curious to see what happens with Brown now that Taillon returns. Bullpen? Wicks to Iowa? 

Click HERE for the last 50 comments