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

Outright Assignment Waivers

If a club wishes to remove a player from its MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) and send the player to the minors, the club must first secure Outright Assignment Waivers.
CoViD-19 EXCEPTION: A minor league player added temporarily to an MLB Active List roster to replace a player who has been placed on the CoViD-19 IL can be removed from the club's MLB Active List roster and returned to the AAA affiliate's roster without having to be placed on waivers.  

Outright Assignment Waivers can generally be requested anytime in a given waiver period, and they are always irrevocable. 

The waiver price is $50,000 (formerly $20,000). 

Once secured, Outright Assignment Waivers remain in effect for a set period of time:

1. Seven days or until the end of the waiver period (whichever comes first) for Outright Assignment Waivers secured September 1st through the 30th day of the MLB regular season:

2. The entire waiver period for Outright Assignment Waivers secured starting on the 31st day of the MLB regular season through August 31st.

3. 72 hours if the player is on Optional Assignment to the minors or on a Disabled List.

A club does not have to outright a player to the minors after Outright Assignment Waivers have been secured.

RESTRICTIONS ON PLACING A PLAYER ON OUTRIGHT ASSIGNMENT WAIVERS

If Outright Assignment Waivers have been secured and are in effect, a player cannot be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers again until the final two days of the waiver period.

Beginning in 2019, if a player is claimed off Outright Assignment Waivers during the period of time beginning with the first day of Spring Training (the date pitchers & catchers report) through the final game of the MLB regular season, the player cannot be placed back onto Outright Assignment Waivers again for at least 48 hours or until he has spent at least one day on the claiming club's MLB Active List (whichever comes first), and if a player is claimed off Outright Assignment Waivers during the off-season (the period of time beginning with the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up until the first day of Spring Training), the player cannot be placed back onto Outright Assignment Waivers again for at least seven days. 

A player who has a "no trade" right (full or partial) must waive his "no trade" right before he can be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers.

PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST WITH "NO-TRADE" RIGHTS: (updated 2-27-2024)
Cody Bellinger (full - Article XX-B)  
Ian Happ, OF (full) 
Shota Imanaga, LHP (partial)
Hector Neris, RHP (full - Article XX-B) 
Seiya Suzuki, OF (full) 
Dansby Swanson, INF (full) 
Jameson Taillon, RHP (partial)

Outright Assignment Waivers cannot be requested while a player is on an MLB Paternity Leave List, Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List, Military List, Restricted List, Suspended List, Temporarily Inactive List, Voluntary Retired List, Ineligible List, or Disqualified List.   

INJURED PLAYERS 

1. If a player on an MLB or minor league Injured List is placed on Outright Assignment Waivers during the MLB regular season, he must be both eligible to be reinstated from the Injured List and healthy enough to play. If waivers are secured, the player must be reinstated from the Injured List within 72 hours. If a player on an MLB Injured List is placed on Outright Assignment Waivers after the conclusion of the MLB regular season and waivers are secured, the player must be reinstated from the Injured List within 72 hours. 
NOTE: If a player on an MLB or minor league Injured List is claimed off Outright Assignment Waivers but then cannot pass a physical with the claiming club, the claiming club can request that the MLB Commissioner rescind the waiver claim, return the player to his former club, and refund the $50,000 waiver claim fee. (The MLB Commissioner also has the right to invoke additional penalties against the club the placed the injured player on waivers). 

2. With one exception, an injured player or a player rehabbing from an injury who is unable to pass a team physical can be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers only during a period of time beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up until 2 PM (Eastern) on the fourth day after the final game of the World Series. 
NOTE: If an injured player or a player rehabbing from an injury is placed on Outright Assignment Waivers anytime after 2 PM (Eastern) on the fourth day after the final game of the World Series, is claimed by another club, but then cannot pass a physical with the claiming club, the claiming club can request that the MLB Commissioner rescind the waiver claim, return the player to his former club, and refund the $50,000 waiver claim fee. (The MLB Commissioner also has the right to invoke additional penalties against the club the placed the injured player on waivers). 
EXCEPTION: An injured player who has accrued less than three years of MLB Service Time in his career and who did not accrue any MLB Service Time the previous season, has not previously been outrighted to the minors, and who was not selected in the immediately-preceding Rule 5 Draft, can be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up until 2 PM (Eastern) on the 17th day prior to MLB Opening Day. 

RULE 5 SELECTED & DRAFT-EXCLUDED PLAYERS

1. A Rule 5 "Selected Player" cannot be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers any earlier than 2 PM (Eastern) on the 25th day prior to MLB Opening Day. 

MLB RULE 5 SELECTED PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST (updated 3-12-2021): 
NONE AT THIS TIME

2. A Rule 5 "Draft-Excluded Player" cannot be placed on Outright Assignment Waivers anytime after 2 PM (Eastern) on the fourth day after the final game of the World Series up until 2 PM (Eastern) on the 25th day prior to MLB Opening Day. 

MLB RULE 5 DRAFT-EXCLUDED PLAYERS ON CUBS MLB RESERVE LIST (updated 3-8-2024): 
NONE AT THIS TIME

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).