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

First-Year Player Draft (MLB Rule 4 Draft) Negotiation List


FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT (MLB RULE 4 DTAFT  ) - NEGOTIATION LIST

Players selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft (MLB Rule 4 Draft) are placed on a club's Negotiation List.

The signing deadline is 5 PM (Eastern) on August 1st or 14 days after the last day of the draft, whichever comes first (July 25th in 2023).   
NOTE: The signing deadline cannot be on the same day as the MLB Trade Deadline. 

A player selected in the Rule 4 Draft will be declared a free-agent if he is not offered a contract by the signing deadline.

In most cases, a player selected by a club in the Rule 4 Draft will remain on the club's Negotiation List until either the player signs or until the signing deadline (whichever comes first), and if a club does not sign a Rule 4 Draft pick by the deadline, the player is removed from the club's Negotiation List and becomes eligible for selection again in the next Rule 4 Draft in which the player would be eligible for selection.

A college senior with no eligibility left who is selected in the Rule 4 Draft will remain on the club's Negotiation List until the player signs or until one week prior to the next Rule 4 Draft.
 
If a player is selected in the Rule 4 Draft after the 10th round and enrolls in a junior college and remains enrolled for the entire school year, the player can be signed during a period of time beginning with the completion of the junior college's baseball season (including post-season) up until one week prior to the next Rule 4 Draft. 
NOTE:  Called a "draft & follow," a club signing a previously-selected JC player prior to the next draft can offer a maximum bonus of $225,000, and the bonus does not count against the club's Rule 4 Signing Bonus Pool. 

A player eligible for selection in the Rule 4 Draft who is not drafted ("Non-Drafted Free-Agent" or "NDFA") can sign with any club after the conclusion of the draft any time up until one week prior to the next Rule 4 Draft, unless and until the NDFA enrolls in a four-year college, in which case MLB Rule 4 Draft eligibility rules apply.
NOTE: A player eligible for selection in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft who is not selected can be signed by any MLB club as a Non-Drafted Free-Agent (NDFA) beginning at 9 AM (Eastern) on July 12th, but clubs are not permitted to discuss with a draft-eligible player the possibility of signing the player as a NDFA prior to or during the draft. 

A player selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft or a Rule 4 eligible NDFA cannot be signed to a Major League contract.

A player who signs after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft (First-Year Player Draft) cannot be traded until after the conclusion of the World Series (no earlier than 9 AM on the day after the final game of the World Series), or for 90 days if the player signs after the World Series. 
NOTE: Previously, a player signed after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft could not be traded until the first anniversary of the player signing his first contract.

A player signed after being selected in the MLB Rule 4 Draft (First-Year Player Draft) cannot be a PTBNL in any trade made prior to the conclusion of the World Series.

CUBS 2023 MLB RULE 4 NEGOTIATION LIST (Last updated 7-25-2023)

DRAFTED PLAYERS: 
1. Matt Shaw, INF (U. of Maryland) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/16 
2-COMP. Jaxon Wiggins, RHP (U. of Arkansas) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/25
3. Josh Rivera, SS (U. of Florida) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED 7/19
4. Will Sanders, RHP (U.of South Carolina) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/19
5. Michael Carico, C (Davidson) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/16
6. Alfonsin Rosario, OF (P27 Academy - Lexington, SC) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED 7/16
7. Yahil Melendez, SS (B You Academy - Caguas, PR) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED 7/19
8. Brett Bateman, OF (U. of Minnesota) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/16
9. Jonathon Long, 1B (Long Beach State) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/16
10. Luis Martinez-Gomez, RHP (Temple CC) - JC SOPH - SIGNED 7/16
=====================
11. Zyhir Hope, OF (Colonial Forge HS - Stafford, VA) - HIGH SCHOOL - SIGNED 7/25
12. Carter Trice, 2B-OF (North Carolina State) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/19
13. Sam Armstrong, RHP (Old Dominion) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED 7/25
14. Grayson Moore, RHP (Vanderbilt)- COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/19  
15. Ty Johnson, RHP (Ball State) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/19
16. Daniel Brown, LHP (Campbell) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/19
17. Ethan Flanagan, LHP (UCLA) - COLLEGE SOPH - SIGNED 7/19
18. Brian Kalmer, 3B (Gonzaga) - COLLEGE SR (REDSHIRT JR) - SIGNED 7/16
19. Nick Dean, RHP (U. of Maryland) - COLLEGE SR - SIGNED 7/19
20. Drew Bowser, 3B (Stanford) - COLLEGE JR - SIGNED 7/19

2023 NON-DRAFTED FREE-AGENTS (NDFA) SIGNED BY CUBS:  
Kenten Egbert, RHP (Miami U.) - SIGNED 7/21 
Landon Ginn, RHP (East Carolina) - SIGNED 7/21
 

Recent comments

  • 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?

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!  

    And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).