Cubs MLB Roster

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40-Man Roster Info

37 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (three slots are open)

Last updated 11-17-2023
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 20
Adbert Alzolay 
Michael Arias
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
Porter Hodge
* Bailey Horn
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Daniel Palencia
Michael Rucker
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
Keegan Thompson
Hayden Wesneski 
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 8
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
* Matt Mervis
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Luis Vazquez
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 7
Kevin Alcantara
Alexander Canario
* Pete Crow-Armstrong
Brennen Davis
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman

 



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Cubs @ Rockies: Series Thread (Games 145-147)

Despite dropping the first three games against the Diamondbacks this weekend, the Cubs pulled out a win in the final game and remain in the second NL Wild Card spot and three games back in the Central. They begin this week on the road in Colorado where they will play three games against a Rockies team aspiring to lose fewer than 100 games this season. Kris Bryant recently took batting practice but remains without a timetable for his return from a finger fracture. [Edit: He's been activated by the Rockies.] Pete Crow-Armstrong has been called up and could see duties in Denver's spacious outfield. See below for matchups.


Game 145, Monday, September 11, 7:40 pm central
CHC: LHP Jordan Wicks (3-0, 2.16 ERA)
COL: LHP Kyle Freeland (6-14, 5.09 ERA)


Game 146, Tuesday, September 12, 7:40 pm central
CHC: RHP Javier Assad (3-3, 2.83 ERA)
COL: RHP Chris Flexen (1-7, 7.36 ERA)


Game 147, Wednesday, September 13, 2:10 pm central
CHC: RHP Jameson Taillon (7-9, 5.27 ERA)
COL: LHP Ty Blach (2-1, 4.58 ERA)

Comments

k.bryant has come off the IL for tonight's game.  neat.  i mean, hope he goes 0-4 or his contributions mean nothing if he doesn't, but neat.

madrigal 3rd, wisdom 1st, bellinger CF, morel DH...

at this point it's safe to say the cubs only view morel as a DH and injury-replacement (not even rest replacement) 2nd.  i question whether he makes it past this off-season without being traded.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

They have to re-sign Bellinger.
That's a must.

3B and DH are the issues. Does Candy get re-signed? Does Madrigal now own 3B? Do they go after Matt Chapman? Does Morel get a legit chance at it after winter ball and ST'24?

I think the Cubs have enough depth to cover DH in house with Morel, Perlaza, Mervis, Slaughter, ONKC, and probably Matt Shaw. So, they should be able to save some cash there.

But, how do you just give up on a 24 yr old with that kind of power and natural talent, when you need power!!!

Teach Morel 1B so he can have Wisdom's role of lF-3B-1B-DH.
Trading him has too much potential to come back to haunt us (like Schwarber).

But, I do believe they'll end up trading him sooner rather than later.

[ ]

In reply to by Childersb3

I’d love to see Morel stick around and learn those positions. He’s a lot of fun to watch play.

Id give us less than 50% odds to sign Bellinger. In fact I’d be very surprised if he’s back next year. I just feel like the FO isn’t going to want to pay him as much money as teams like NYY and SF (who have both expressed interest) will.

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

Then we're aren't going to be any good next year.
You take Bellinger away from this team and we aren't much.
When he got hot, we started moving up the standings.
And I don't know who's going to replace that production (especially from the left side).
Bellinger is basically the whole off season.
I'd like to add a SP and definitely a LHRP (Hader) but Bellinger is the off season.
Unless you get Ohtani, but Bellinger won't cost as much.

[ ]

In reply to by Childersb3

With Wicks, Assad, Wesneski, the Thompson twins, Killian, Horton, Brown, et al, would you say we really need to add an SP or we just need to stop yanking these young guys around and putting them in the bullpen or 'enhancing' their repertoire or pitches?

Also, are we now stuck with Stroman and Smyly, on top of Taillon, meaning unless we go to a six-man rotation, we only have one spot available for the aforementioned pitchers? 

[ ]

In reply to by Finwe Noldaran

Smyly is surely opting into his last year for next season. So he'll be back.

Taillon is with us for a long while. Get used to that.

I can't imagine Stroman takes the 1 yr deal with Jed next year. Not if he thinks one club will give him 3+ years in a deal on the open market. I have to believe he's gone.

But I believe Jed will bring back Hendricks. I've been saying to let Kyle go the last two years. He's done better than I ever expected this year but I just don't think he beats top teams nowadays. Metrics might prove me wrong. But Jed/Ross love him. He might come cheaper as well.

So, Steele, Taillon, Hendricks are locks. Assad, Wicks, Wesneski, and/or Brown could take the last two spots or just one spot. 

Jed is flying to Japan to personally watch 25 yr old Yamamoto pitch. He's supposed to be the best SP on the market now with Ohtani having surgery. Urias would've been up there as well. Flaherty hasn't pitched well for BAL but I still like him.

All of this happening with Horton really one year away (at most).

If they don't sign Belli in the winter, then they'll have cash to go big with the SP and RP on the market. Yamamoto and Hader!

[ ]

In reply to by Dolorous Jon Lester

The problem with Christopher Morel is that he is a LF (or possibly a 2B) on a team that already has one, so he can either DH until Happ (or Hoerner) is gone after the 2026 season, or get traded (because he would have a lot of value to a team that needs as power-hitting left-fielder or possibly a second-baseman).  

One thing Morel clearly is NOT is a Ben Zobrist type super-utility guy, because it's very unlikely that he will be able to play any defensive position other than LF or possibly 2B in the big leagues. 

Morel does have a plus-plus arm and decent speed, so playing him in LF where he can set-up deep (near the warning track) but still be able to come in for balls and also make full use of his arm is probably the best way to go (although maybe not with the Cubs). 

If the Cubs can "exchange" C. Morel for an actual third-baseman or a catcher, that might be the best bet. 

[ ]

In reply to by Childersb3

Not to rain on your parade, but I always inwardly chuckle when someone says 'teach him to play ___'.

 

I have RARELY seen success at teaching a player at or above the AA level how to play ____.

 

The only example I've ever seen is whoever worked with Soriano in LF when Theo got here. Maybe AZ Phil will remember who that was. He want from a minus LF (30-35 grade) to a solid 45, maybe 50.

 

It's like Billy Beane saying to Ron Washington, 'Tell him, Wash. Tell him how easy it is to pick up 1B.'

 

Ron Washington,  'It's incredibly hard.'

 

Ron was right.

PCA pinch running in the top 7th.  tauchman pinch hit for wisdom (bellinger should move over from CF to 1st) and got a single.

I wish Ross had given Fulmer at least a game or two of lower pressure work before throwing him in tonight.

no cubs lineup yet...probably trying to figure out how to get tauchman, masterboney, and madrigal in the lineup at the same time.

bottom of the 1st and PCA makes his first highlight reel catch.  damn yall.  dude routes and ranges.

If the Cubs could make better baserunning decisions while in Colorado I'd really appreciate that. Game 2 was rough.

they should give the cubs a loss for tomorrow's off-day just to let them know how disappointing they were this series.

[ ]

In reply to by crunch

It was tough to watch and tough to hear from Sut, but I was proud of him for telling like it is - "These are the three worst games I've seen the Cubs play since I've worked for Marquee." I'd much rather hear that than, "Every team slumps... Moral victories... We'll get 'em tomorrow..."

Just like Crunch said, I like that Sut's got interest in each player - he's always around them, says he will ask him "that" tomorrow. He said something like, "Oh good - that'll give me a chance to meet the guy tomorrow" in reference to a question he had for a player on the other team. I can't see JD doing that! (But I can see Girardi & Elise doing it.)

To blabber on further, I like that the Cubs are cycling through broadcasters - I enjoy each of them in one way or another (not so much with Beth Mowins). I hope they continue this and I hope that each broadcaster likes it enough to stick with Marquee if others come calling.

For scoreboard watchers…Bullets mostly dodged: Brewers, Phils, DBacks lose. Reds, Giants, Marlins (beat Brewers) got wins. 

Anecdote which may or may not be common knowledge: PCA's Mom is Ashley Crow, the Mom from the movie 'Little Big League'.......

Recent comments

  • JoePepitone (view)

    Fighting Ham for Mother Nippon!

  • crunch (view)

    reliever market is f'n crazy.  guys that aren't "lights out" but still good are getting crazy loot.  josh hader gonna get crazy paid if these early contracts are an indication of the market.

    emilio pagan - 2/16m (8m average)

    nick martinez - 2/26m (13m average)

    reynaldo lopez - 3/30m (10m average)

    it also makes me wonder how much j.assad is worth as a trade piece in this market...or how valuable he is to the team to save money.  these swing guy types are going to start making good loot for relievers.  in 2023 there were 5 pitchers in all of MLB that pitched 200+ IP...8 in 2022...4 in 2021.  Pre-COVID you have to go back to the strike shortened 1994 to find less than 10 pitchers with sub-200 IP (Greg Maddux the only guy in 94).

  • crunch (view)

    thomas hatch is going to fight ham in japan.  he was on PIT's 40-man.

  • crunch (view)

    morel played somewhere besides 3rd and SS...he got 8 innings in CF, 2 putouts and an assist.

  • crunch (view)

    ryan flaherty new cubs bench coach.

  • crunch (view)

    bellinger wins comeback player of the year.  the AL winner was liam hendricks and his 5ip before he got tommy john...setting himself up for a 2025 shot at the award.

  • Bill (view)

    I hope that Perlaza goes on to have a successful career.  On most Cubs teams prior to the current administration, he would have been one of their more highly ranked prospects.  As far as the others are concerned, one or more may well go on to be much better than expected, but unfortunately there is no way to tell which one at the present time.  You can't keep everyone.

  • crunch (view)

    s.gray signs with the cards...3/75m

  • Arizona Phil (view)


    Another one of the nine Cubs post-2023 Rule 9 minor league 6YFA has signed, as RHP Carlos Guzman (acquired from the Tigers for Zack McKinstry at the end of Spring Training) signed a 2024 minor league contract with the Mets. 

     

    So RHRP Yovanny Cruz (SD), C-INF P. J. Higgins (CIN), and now Carlos Guzman (NYM) have already signed 2024 minor league contracts with new MLB organizations, and OF Yonathan Perlaza is headed for Korea (Hanhwa Eagles).

  • crunch (view)

    ...and back to 3rd for another game.  at this point i'm gonna hang back and when/if he actually plays 1st then i'll find it notable.  i am glad he's playing a good amount of 3rd, though...give the club one more good look at him there.  shrug