Cubs MLB Roster

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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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The Cubs' Hot Start in Perspective

Submitted by WISCGRAD on

Records after just 20 games should be taken with a grain of salt. The standard small sample size caveats apply, and particular matchups or hot/cold streaks can skew a team's win-loss record considerably. Still, it's better to be off to a good start than a bad one, and good teams tend to play at least decently across most 20-game stretches throughout the season. The Cubs are off to a hot 12-8 start that places them 4th in the NL and 7th in the majors by winning percentage. How does this compare to recent Cub teams? The table below shows the record for the first 20 games for all Cubs teams since 1980 and their corresponding final season records. As you can see, prior to this year, the Cubs have only been above .500 through their first 20 games in 10 of the past 35 seasons. Doing so is no guarantee of end-of-season success, but the team finished above .500 in 7 of those 10 seasons, making the playoffs in 4 of them. The other three seasons can seemingly be explained away. The 1985 Cubs were very much the same team that won the division title in 1984, but injuries to the pitching staff (Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Trout, Scott Sanderson, and Dennis Eckersley all spent time on the DL) hamstrung the squad. Similarly, the 2006 team started off well, but a Derrek Lee injury in late April started the team on a slide it couldn’t recover from, especially with Kerry Wood and Mark Prior out for most of the year. I can’t explain away 1980 as well, but the 11-9 start was probably a function of going 5-2 against the lowly Mets, who would finish 67-95 on the year. So, while there are no guarantees, there is a lot to like about the Cubs’ early season success in 2015 and a hot start certainly bodes well for the season as a whole.

 

Year First 20 Games Winning % Final Record Winning %
2015 12-8 .600 ?? ??
2014 7-13 .350 73-89 .451
2013 6-14 .300 66-96 .407
2012 7-13 .350 61-101 .377
2011 10-10 .500 71-91 .438
2010 10-10 .500 75-87 .463
2009 10-10 .500 83-78 .516
2008 14-6 .700 97-64 .602
2007 7-13 .350 85-77 .525
2006 12-8 .600 66-96 .407
2005 10-10 .500 79-83 .488
2004 12-8 .600 89-73 .549
2003 13-7 .650 88-74 .543
2002 8-12 .400 67-95 .414
2001 12-8 .600 88-74 .543
2000 7-13 .350 65-97 .401
1999 10-10 .500 67-95 .414
1998 12-8 .600 90-73 .552
1997 3-17 .150 68-94 .420
1996 10-10 .500 76-86 .469
1995 13-7 .650 73-71 .507
1994 6-14 .300 49-64 .434
1993 10-10 .500 84-78 .519
1992 7-13 .350 78-84 .481
1991 9-11 .450 77-83 .481
1990 9-11 .450 77-85 .475
1989 10-10 .500 93-69 .574
1988 9-11 .450 77-85 .475
1987 10-10 .500 76-85 .472
1986 7-13 .350 70-90 .438
1985 13-7 .650 77-84 .478
1984 12-8 .600 96-65 .596
1983 6-14 .300 71-91 .438
1982 7-13 .350 73-89 .451
1981 3-16 .150 38-65 .369
1980 11-9 .550 64-98 .395

 

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Comments

Submitted by VirginiaPhil on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:35 am

Cubs have a pitcher at South Bend, Jeremy Null, who takes his name literally when it comes to bases on balls. 22-2/3 innings, 23 strikeouts, zero walks. Baseball Reference would blow up if they tried to calculate his K/BB. He's 6-7, righty, drafted in round #15 last June.

Submitted by The E-Man on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:41 am

Thanks WISC. The tremendously sad thing is that since 1980, 35 fucking years, the team finished above .500 11 times!!! This is what we have been accustomed to, and somewhere along the line we got roped into this misery. Hopefully things will start reversing that trend somewhat.

Submitted by Cubster on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:07 am

Nice work WISC. April cold weather factor probably affects this as well but dome/warm weather cities would need to be factored in. I can't wait to see the May and June versions of this work. I've repetitively heard that how the team performs by Memorial Day (so the end of May) is a better barometer. Thus, the May version of this work will be a candidate for the next Mythbusters episode. P.S. back from a trip to Peru. Not much Beisbol interest in Peru but we did give a family an authentic Cubs cap as a gift in our part of a cultural exchange lunch. I was hoping to watch the Lake Titicaca Alpaca's vs the Cusco Guinea Pigs but I guess it was all in my imagination.

Submitted by WISCGRAD on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:16 am

Indeed, that is what I have always heard too: Memorial Day or June 1--at the 1/3rd point in the seaon teams generally know if they are in it or not and whether they will be buyers or sellers in June/July.

Submitted by Ryno on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:26 am

It's been a long time since we had something enjoyable to watch and April 2015 was certainly enjoyable. So much of a baseball season is outside of the team's control, so we'll just have to enjoy the ride, but so far it's been a fun and welcome change.

Submitted by Cubster on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:22 pm

I just wanted to mention the Attendance Zero game from yesterday. It reminded me of the Ronald Reagan baseball recreations by telegraph ticker when he did Cubs games on Davenport and later, Des Moines Radio (although those were real games with real fans, just the recreations were embellished). Maybe a better example would be a TV Sitcom filmed without audience but with a canned laughter track. Looks like Shark provided the laughter track yesterday. This is from today's Tribune front page (Colleen Kane):
The Orioles still tried to maintain some normalcy. The national anthem was played. The players warmed up to music between innings and walked to the plate while the announcer spoke their names over the sound system. The video board displayed the lineups, the players’ pictures and their statistics. They even played “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” for the seventh-inning stretch, though nobody was around to stand up and head to the vacant restrooms or unmanned concession stands.

Submitted by John Beasley on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:22 pm

Also, of all the teams the cubs have played this far, none is worse than one game under .500. This has happened against quality competotion.

Submitted by QuietMan on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:18 pm

The Braves purchased the contract of LHP Donnie Veal from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Submitted by QuietMan on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:24 pm

Tommy BirchVerified account ‏@TommyBirch Iowa manager Marty Pevey said that Baez is at the airport and on his way to the park. Is in the lineup hitting 3rd and playing 2B. #Cubs

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:44 pm

Klawchat

Duane Underwood seems to have an uptick in velocity. If his K rate increase stays steady for 2015, will he be a Top 100 candidate?

If he maintains the higher velocity all year, he would be. He was 17 when drafted and always was projected to add velo.

On Schwarber and his ability to catch, what does it take for you to change your opinion on a player's skill? Can it be one time seeing them in person and they have improved? Is it over the course of multiple in person games? Do you also need feedback from those who have seen him more to confirm what you?re seeing? I'm just curious as to when you feel comfortable shifting your opinion. I am using Schwarber as an example because people always ask, but really this can be said for any player?s skill development or improvement.

Klaw (1:15 PM) I'd like to see it myself and/or hear it from multiple people not directly connected to the player (coaches, execs, his agent). I just saw Schwarber in March and he was the same guy, and got a similar report from a scout who saw him shortly thereafter. Fans may want the player to be something he's not, but I'm not a fan of just saying what people want to hear if I don't believe it myself.

 Is there anything that Dan Vogelbach's can do at AA this year that push him into the top 100 discussion? His defense is always going to be a drag but if he walks and strikes out at about the same rate at this level, that seems pretty promising.

Klaw (1:35 PM) He's a DH. Been bad at first every time I've seen him going back for years. You're overweighting three good weeks relative to his career to date (which hasn't been bad, just nothing like what he's done so far this month).

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Submitted by billybucks on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:32 pm

I'm surprised they aren't using Schwarber more in LF rather than DH on the days he doesn't catch. If he is that good of a hitter, you almost don't want him to catch -- wear and tear, fatigue, etc. Assuming he continues to develop, he would look great hitting 5th between Bryant and Castro.

Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 04/30/2015 - 04:48 pm

well good news, Bulls got to rest in Game 6 :) (81-39 at the moment...holy shit)

Irving and James are still gonna be tough, but no Love should mean a feast for the Bulls big guys (not that Love was much of a defender). Defensively, Gasol or whomever won't have to chase him around the 3-point circle which is also good. Plus no Smith for the first 2 games, so they better steal at least one.

 

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Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:07 am

just saw the highlight, that was pretty bad, guess Bucks dude didn't take kindly to Dunleavy pulling his jersey the play before on a rebound, but that was a bit harsh.

Dunleavy did get a cheap shot in on Michael Carter-Williams in the first quarter on a drive.

Should be some bad blood next year...

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:29 am

fwiw, big fan of the Kevin White pick

college experience is way overrated, he looks like a beast.  Pretty neat backstory...seems humble enough too.

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Submitted by Old and Blue on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:50 am

Most of the highlight reels I looked at this morning showed him not putting as much distance between him and his coverage as you would expect a guy that fast to do, but in the NFL, that's not gonna happen much anyway. He's got good hands and outstanding breakaway speed and ability after the play from what I can see. I love this story, too, like sending out 200+ letters to colleges looking for a chance to play. That kind of determination plays well at any level. And I love Pace's explanation: "The mistake is when you reach down and draft a guy down here because you're enamored with a need." They got the best guy on the board in their opinion. Nice. I didn't get a chance to see the pick getting announced but the Trib article said the fans were excited. They usually boo Bears picks.

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Submitted by mannytrillo on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:09 am

I think White will be a very good WR in the NFL, especially on a team like the Bears with a ton of weapons already. Unfortunately, the Bears needed defense help 100 times more than offensive help. Giving Cutler more weapons to score less than 20 points a game is not the answer. We need to build a defense. I was hoping the NYJ weren't going to take that USC DT right before us and we could have gotten him. Oh well, 8-8 next season will be a nice comeback season. #sarcasm

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Submitted by Jackstraw on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:39 am

Agree Bears need help on D much more than on O. As long as there is a heavy slant towards defense in remainder of draft, I will be encouraged. Also seems to me that Bears are setting table for post-Cutler days, which I assume start about 3PM CST Jan 3, 2016 after the Bears get done with the Lions game and finish 8-8 or 7-9. With Jeffery and White to throw to I imagine Chicago might be an intriguing destination for a FA QB. Also seems good things were being said about potential #3 receiver (Marquess Wilson) at end of year. Recent FA adds have all been on D (I think), just need to add a bunch more tonight and tomorrow. Also sorry to hear the Bears won't be picking up option on Shea McClellin.#metasarcasm

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Submitted by Old and Blue on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:11 am

The one thing I've learned watching Cutler is that it's critical to have a QB who can hit his secondary receivers and read defenses while in the pocket in a way that doesn't give away who his secondary targets are. So I'd love to see the Bears dig deep into the scouting reports and see if they can't pick up a QB they can develop. I have no idea who that might be. There may not be one there. Other than that, if all they got was offensive linemen and defensive guys, I wouldn't complain.

Submitted by Old and Blue on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:02 am

Questions for May: Will Russell catch up to the MLB fastball? Will Soler stop reaching out for low outside sliders? Will Bryant ever hit a home run? Will Hendricks locate his pitches better? He's toast if he doesn't. Will the bullpen get better? You pretty much have to answer yes to all those questions for the Cubs to have a good May. Bryant doesn't seem to be a question mark about anything, really, in reality. But the rest we'll just have to wait and see. My hunch is that Soler will be ok. I'm very hopeful about Russell. That leaves Hendricks and the bullpen but the Cubs do have other starter possibilities, so there's that. Last year's team was getting to be fun to watch. This year I'm actually looking forward to each game every day. Here's hoping for lots of helmut rubbing in May. I think it would be more fun if it was crotch rubbing, but I'm a little twisted.

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Submitted by Charlie on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:02 am

Really? Because the Cubs did pretty well in April despite no production from 2B, Bryant not hitting any homeruns, Schlitter pitching in high-leverage situations, Hendricks and Lester struggling a bit, and the bullpen being over-extended. I think you have to answer yes to like 2 and 1/2 of those questions in order to make up for the regression we are likely to see at some point in Rizzo and Bryant's OBP, Castro and Soler BABIP, and the ridiculously low ERAs our top relievers have put up. Yes to all of those would mean the Cubs are going to annihilate this month.

Submitted by Rob G. on Fri, 05/01/2015 - 05:42 pm

MLB mock Draft

http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2015-mlb-draft-mock-3-0-compensation…

#9 Tyler Jay, LHP Illinois

Jay is a kid I have been developing a draft crush on all spring. People point to his size (6’-1”, 185) as a bit of a red flag but the stuff is silly and he commands it very well. He can touch 97 mph with his fastball and adds a plus curveball and a change-up that flashes plus. He has started one game and worked six innings of relief in a recent game, allowing one run over 11 innings during those two outing with 13 strikeouts to one walk. The Cubs are in “win now” mode now that they are starting to bring up all of their stud prospects. Jay is a kid who could help them sooner than later as a dominant arm out of the pen, or they could stretch him out and develop him as a starter with a three-pitch mix as good as anybody’s in this draft. Jay has 53 K/4 BB over 46 innings, allowing just 25 hits. I could also easily see the Cubs taking either of the next two picks if they were available here.

Those next 2 picks are Mike Nikorak, RHP out of HS in Pennsylvania and Ian Happ, 2b/OF from U of Cincinnati (whom the author says could be the best pure hitter in the draft and would certainly fit within the Cubs recent draft M.O.)

Recent comments

  • 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

  • crunch (view)

    morel played SS last night (no errors)...hit a homer and a double.  he's got 2 of both in 19PA.

  • crunch (view)

    e.escobar was throwing 95-97mph on his fastball in 2023.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    One more thing about Edwin Escobar. Even though he had accrued less than one year of MLB Service Time prior to signing with Nippon Ham in 2017 (he ended up eventually with Yokohama), he will have Article XIX-A rights by virtue of the seven seasons he spent in Japan. So he will be essentially locked on the 40-man roster (or at least he can't be outrighted without his consent), and he will be a FA whenever his contract expires. 

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