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

Open Thread: Fire Everybody

For all the Fire Everybody-ers

Comments

Can them all!!!!

double check

Well duh.

Yes, I agree, especially McPhail and Hendry. Dusty is third on this list but yes, he should go, too. If Sandberg would come in as the interim manager, I would do it. But I doubt that Ryne is that stupid. What would be fun would be if Steve Stone got the job. It won't happen but it sure would be interesting to watch.

It won't happen but .........FIRE MCFAIL

Not me! I won't take this. Wormer is a dead man! Marmalard: dead! Neidermeyer: dead!

You can't lose over the course of time the Cubs have (a century?) without doing one thing consistently, over and over again: reward incompetence. The contract of Mr. Hendry has already been extended, so his competence/incompetence is irrelevant at this point. I don't hold him responsible for not improving the starting pitching for this year (with the September success of Williams and Rusch and the promise of least a couple of kids), but I do hold him responsible for not obtaining a quality major league back-up(s) for Lee/Ramirez, offensively and defensively, at first and third. The person he did acquire for that purpose, John Mabry, is inadequate. I also hold him responsible for seemingly making Rich Hill an untouchable over the off season. Now I don't really think that Miguel Tejada was available at any point over the winter. But if, indeed, the Cubs could have obtained him in some package that included Hill and Cedeno (as good as Ronnie is going to be), then Hendry is a bigger idiot than I'm giving him credit for. I also do not think it takes a good GM to just throw money (lots of it) at 30+ year old pitchers. The most promising thing about the Hendry off-season actually was Angel Pagan. I don't remember the last time the Cubs picked up someone on waivers who actually looked like he might contribute. He remains a work in progress. As for Dusty, his lack of leadership is now breathtakingly clear and he should go. No more rewarding incompetence. And with him should go his failure of a pitching coach, as well. It is amazing to me that Rothchild has virtually escaped blame -- not only for the injuries and lack of advancement of Cub pitchers, but also for the very consistent improvement in pitchers as soon as they leave the Cubs (Koronka being only the most recent). This year's done. There is a nucleus for a good team in the near future. We're stuck with Hendry in the short term, so we can only hope. The Cub brass should make the other changes ASAP.

What makes everyone think Sandberg would be so terrific as a manager? What is his managerial background?

Blame the Tribune co. all you want the real reason for the cubs failures ...the fans. If the fans would get a brain and realize nothing will change as long as they make the Cubs so profitable...they might make a dent in the trib comp bottom line and they'd be forced to sell..put out a winner or both....but the fans keep coming through the gates...buying ridiculously priced food/drink...and keep watching losers find new ways to lose. It's you fans who support them financially during losing times at fault.

*There is a nucleus for a good team in the near future. * Biggest lie since "There is too much talent on this team for them to be so bad." Please.

Please, J-Damn, leave us some hope! I place Merton, Cedeno, Ramirez, Lee, Barrett, F. Pie, Pagan, Zambrano, Marshall, Eyre and Dempster in the "nucleus" category. That's 6 out of 8 offensive starters, one bench player, two starting pitchers and two relievers -- only 14 other players to get and we're good to go!

I personally think Rothschild should be the first to be shown the door...who in this sport gets consistantly less out of more with a pitching staff then he does. I don't think there is something in the air that forces Cubs pitchers, young old, starter, relievers, to walk as many people on the other team as possible...so with that in mind, there must be something very wrong with the coaching of our pitchers. My ranking of who should be first first down. 1st: Rotschild 2nd: Baker 3rd: Clines 4th: Hendry/McPhail

Pagan as part of your nucleus? I like him but he's strictly a complimentary player. I think Howry is more valuable.

Money, a "complimentary player" is a player who tells you you've lost some weight. A complementary player is one fills a certain niche, a role player. Maybe Pagan IS one of those, but damn, he's fast!

Yes

My Core: D Lee R Cedeno M Murton S Marshall C Zambrano Everyone else can be had. Prior/Wood? Who knows if they will ever be healthy? E-ramis? When is he going to get into shape to play ball? Barrett? I love the way his defense costs us big time, and few mention it. Fire the whole coaching staff. Send up the white flag early (like today), and see what you can get for our chaff. I'd have no problem going with a young team, and one that actually looks like they want to be out in the field. I hate the way we don't hustle anymore. Even the king of hustlers JP failed to run yesterday out of the box. If a team ever needed to be dumped, this non-caring, non-hustling, non-blaming group does.

Ryno as manager? There's a guy who might give Jim Marshall a run for his money as least fierey Cub manager.

Unfortunately Jim Hendry starts out with a couple players who are "NO WAY IN HELL I WILL TRADE THEM...EVER!" Those two players were Sammy Sosa and Kerry Wood.... The problem with this strategy is you never DO trade them...or you pay their entire salary to someone else and get nothing in return for them. Now that list is Zambrano, Lee, Ramirez, Barrett, Dempster, Prior, Wood, and a ton of minor league players who probably never will see the light of day in the major leagues...(felix pie are you listening??)..... having a core of untradeable players is ridiculous...EVERYONE has a price....just ask George Steinbrenner....everyone can be sold, traded, bought and traded for.....you risk being a losing organization like the Cubs if you have players you will not part with.

I've been looking at every roster in the majors for a roster that we might trade all 25 players for. Probably wouldn't be any better but at least the faces would be different!

The problem is that we fans keep giving the team our money. The 'Wrigley Field Experience" has been great for all fans. I spent the better part of 15 years in the bleachers before moving to the surface of hell and truly miss it. But let's be serious the team can put any product on the field and tourist and die hards will pack the stands. Why should the trib provide a WS appearance? They get rich and we get the "experience". I hard as it is for me to say it we need to tear down Wrigley! The only way we are going to get a solid team is by having the team earn it's business. They don't have to earn anything now as we will continue to flock to this stadium.

The brainless lemmings that spend $400 at the Tibune's scalper operation for tickets, pack Wrigley and buy overpriced watered down crappy beer are definitely a big part of this. But there is more to it than that. Wrigley Field itself is the biggest impediment. The Cubs are not a baseball team, they are a circus act marched ouot to entertain the masses in Major league baseball's most reknowned tourist trap. Even if real Cubs fans finally catch on and start to stay away, their seats will be gleefully filled by tourists. Scan the crowd and see all the out of town business types and tourists with their brand new pastel colored cubs hats. Wrigley Field's so called magical atmosphere started to die out in the early 90s. I say burn down the beast! Raze it and build a new retro style park. Make this team have to earn it's following like the other teams do. In every single park in the league teams have to do that (many fail), EXCEPT THE CUBS. If that doesn't change first it doesn't matter who runs this team. Go ahead, Fire the three stooges in charge and scapegoat them. Bring in three more and let the cycle start anew. Just another sorry cycle in a sordid Cubs history.

clean house.

I'd have no problem with this, but why would the Trib ever fire McPhail? And why would McPhail fire Hendry after just extending him? This is going to be up to Hendry to make changes. In terms of who I think should go first: 1. Clines 2. Rothschild & Baker 3. McPhail 4. Hendry Not to say Hendry is without fault, but he has the most redeeming qualities of the guys on here, few though they may be.

Wrigley Field has become little more than a shopping mall for working professionals with deep pockets to hang out at and be seen. A minority of the people who attend games at Wrigley can be classified as "diehards" or folks who are passionate about baseball. While they all cheer for the Cubs to win, most of them don't really give a damn if the Cubs lose. Bleacher seats go for $60 ! The secondary market for Cub tickets is a thriving business enterprise ! It doesn't matter if the Cubs win or lose on the field. Believe me, this fact is understood by the management team at Tribune Tower. Sure they'd probably like for the Cubs to win, but it isn't there biggest concern. They know they are going to make truckloads of money from the Cubs regardless whether the team is good or sucks. This equation is doubtful to change. I laugh out loud at all this boycott talk. It will never happen. If it didn't happen with the White Sox winning the World Series, it will never happen. Wrigley is just too cool of a shopping mall experience for too many.

Wrigley Field has become little more than a shopping mall for working professionals with deep pockets to hang out at and be seen. A minority of the people who attend games at Wrigley can be classified as "diehards" or folks who are passionate about baseball. While they all cheer for the Cubs to win, most of them don't really give a damn if the Cubs lose. Bleacher seats go for $60 ! The secondary market for Cub tickets is a thriving business enterprise ! It doesn't matter if the Cubs win or lose on the field. Believe me, this fact is understood by the management team at Tribune Tower. Sure they'd probably like for the Cubs to win, but it isn't there biggest concern. They know they are going to make truckloads of money from the Cubs regardless whether the team is good or sucks. This equation is doubtful to change. I laugh out loud at all this boycott talk. It will never happen. If it didn't happen with the White Sox winning the World Series, it will never happen. Wrigley is just too cool of a shopping mall experience for too many.

"My Core: D Lee R Cedeno M Murton S Marshall C Zambrano" I agree but I think you have to put the back 3 of the bully (Dempster, Howry, Eyre) on that list too given that it's becoming more difficult to find decent relievers than reliable starters. Do you really want to invest $9-10 mill for a Rivera, Ryan, Wagner? There are roids rumors surrounding Gagne so that leaves Rivera, Wagner, K-rod and Nathan as the only real lockdown closers with Lidge fledling. Dempster will walk a few guys but so does Lidge and K-rod. If Prior can return this year and put up 8-10 solid starts I definitely trade him in the off-season for another starter or a RF power hitter that isn't Abreu. If Aramis can rebound in the 2nd half I'd lose no sleep in dealing him as well.

We have to do something with the roster, the following moves should be a must to start. 1.Get rid of Neifi Perez. 2.Pick-up some righthanded hitting firstbaseman. 3.Move Todd Walker back to secondbase. 4.Or trade Todd Walker, Neifi Perez, and maybe Guzman or Hill for Alfonso Soriano at secondbase. Notice that Todd Walker starting slumping when moved to play firstbase. Notice that Neifi Perez is playing every game. Imagine a lineup of when D.Lee returns. Pierre-cf Soriano-2b Lee-1b Ramirez-3b Barrett-c Murton-lf Jones-rf Cedeno-ss We need Soriano's bat now and later. Lets get this done Jim Hendry

Don't just fire Fitzsimons, McFail, Hendry, Dusty, and the coaches. They should allow the fans to stone them all to death. The Trib could recoup most of the salary they would have to eat by selling tickets to the stoning and selling the actual stones. Then sell commemorative stones. Heck, they could engrave your personal message on the stones. - Make everyone on the team available but Cedeno and Murton. Not that either will be a star, but they are young players with talent and cheap salaries. Don't you dare trade for or sign Soriano. He is a gloveless bum who swings at the first pitch and won't walk if his life depended on it. He is exactly the kind of impatient hitter the lineup is packed with now. Hypothetically, if all of management were fired and you wanted to rebuild the team, it would take years. This team is a disaster. They also need to fire every minor league coach, farm director, and the entire scouting staff.

Whether or not one thinks either McPhail or Hendry should be fired, the question remains: why to the Cubs need both? What does McPhail do? If he's the master and Hendry is the puppet, why do they need Hendry? There is no need to have both McPhail and Hendry. There may also be no need to have either McPhail or Hendry, but certainly the Cubs don't need both of them

#29 Because McPhail doesn't deal with day-to-day baseball decisions. The GM does, in this scenario. He did it briefly after Lynch was canned.

Bob #30, Then what does McPhail do? He was also the GM before he hired Lynch. I understand generally what the GM does, but see no reason for McPhail's presence.

I more-less agree that Soriano will not take pitches and the lineup is already filled with those kind of players, but what a shot in the arm offensively would he bring to the lineup. We need a star, we need a 30+ homerun/100+ RBI guy, on top of Ramirez and Lee, we just do not have enough offense as well as quality starters. I have preached this same thing all winter long, and I hate to see the Cubs play so lousey but I feel good that I was right. I blogged this way back in December, and even saved the blog. I look at it several times weekly to better understand what is happening.

McPhail is the president of the Cubs, he's been dealing more with bleacher expansion, ticket prices, rooftop owners, etc. I would venture a guess that him and Hendry are so tight that Hendry probably doesn't even have to get his approval on most personnel moves.

#34 of 34: By Andrew (May 16, 2006 01:18 PM) Fire Carrie Muskat! Where then would we get our honest, unbiased, hard hitting, in depth, insider cubs news from?

I think Rob nailed it on MacPhail's duties, though of course Hendry runs stuff by him...not so much for approval, just a sort of "keeping the boss in the loop" thing. The point, Ranch, is that MacPhail doesn't make trades, doesn't make roster moves, etc. He's more corporate, I guess, at this point, than involved in nitty-gritty baseball decisions.

Thanks Bob and RobG. It seems that if McPhail was really the architect of 2 WS champs in Minnesota, that we are wasting his talents. If he wasn't really the guy who put those teams together, he's a glorified bureaucrat. Either way he doesn't carry his weight. That said, if we put his salary towards team payroll, it probably doesn't but the Cubs very much.

Here is the problem with McFail. With the Cubs having a corporate owner, there is no ownership face to demand wins and losses. All you have is shareholders who want to see a profit. McFail is the one person who is supposed to be making sure that the Cubs are both profitable and victorious. Unfortuantly, based on his statements that nothing is wrong with the Cubs, Hendry, or Baker even when the team is severely underperforming, its pretty clear that McFail will remain happy as long as he's got fans in seats, naming rights to sell, and new billboards to put up around the ballpark.

Andy McFail has been Team President for 12 years. Tribune management is euphoric over his performance. The primary concern is making money and adding goodwill to the corporation. The secondary concern is W's in the win column. McFail figured out that formula a long time ago, and has managed himself accordingly.

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.