Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
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

 


Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs vs. Nationals: Series Thread (Games 93-95)

Submitted by Charlie on

The Cubs dropped the rubber match to the Red Sox despite a scoreless inning from tucker Barnhart , who showed off nearly 40 mph separation between his heater and his changeup. They're joined by the basement-dwelling Nationals for three games next. See below for daily matchups.

Game 93, Monday, July 17, 7:05 pm central
WSH: LHP MacKenzie Gore (4-7, 4.42 ERA)
CHC: LHP Drew Smyly (7-6, 4.31 ERA)

Game 94, Tuesday, July 18, 7:05 pm central
WSH: RHP Trevor Williams (5-5, 4.42 ERA)
CHC: RHP Jameson Taillon (3-6, 6.15 ERA)

Game 95, Wednesday, July 19, 7:05 pm central
WSH: TBD
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (3-4, 3.57 ERA)

 

Tags
2023 Series Thread
Washington Nationals

Comments

Submitted by Cubster on Mon, 07/17/2023 - 07:42 am

https://tinyurl.com/yekdy6p9

Article on each team's strategy for the trade deadline. I dislike this fence-sitting BS.

Cubs: Use the next couple of weeks to pick a lane
The Cubs find themselves in a kind of gray area when it comes to picking a buy or sell lane for the Deadline. At 43-49, Chicago’s record is not what the club hoped for early in the season's second half. That said, the Cubs aren’t entirely out of the postseason picture (eight games back in the NL Wild Card race and the division). The next couple of weeks before the Deadline will be critical for how Chicago reacts. The team has some veteran trade chips, with Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger topping the list. If the Cubs do want to add, the biggest needs would be offensive power -- the corner infield spots being the best avenue -- and an impact arm in the bullpen. -- Jordan Bastian

[ ]

Submitted by George Altman on Mon, 07/17/2023 - 07:57 pm

Could not disagree more strongly. The Central Division sucks. Add a couple of relief arms and bench bat, possibly Candelario and they have as good a chance to make the playoffs as anyone. The Cardinals won the Series with 84 regular season wins.

 

You want to build a minor league pipeline - draft better, coach the crap out of your talent,  outwork the other 29 teams. Then spend some of that $4.0B value on talent that increases your chances to win this year and every damn year after that.

 

Why has this team tanked for 3 years leading up to this year? They should be planning to make a monster offer to Ohtani, re-sign Bellinger to play 1B and CF until PCA is ready. Find a 3B bat (Chapman or Candelario).....and ADD every damn year.

 

You know what value prospects have? Good ones get you the arms and/or bats to compete for a trip to the Series. Not once every 10 years - worst case, every other year.

 

I don't think Jed's up to this and/or Ricketts has been convinced yet or that there's a plan. A pity. The resources are there and this fan base, this city deserves better.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Mon, 07/17/2023 - 07:31 pm

redsox wouldn't have won the world series in 2013 if they ran their club to punt after winning only 69 games in 2012.  they added in the offseason 2012/13 and won 97 games (and got d.ross his first ring).  it wasn't sustainable for the next 2 seasons, but in 2016 they started a 3-season 1st place streak ending in another world series win.

they never quit trying to win and punting for multiple seasons isn't a strategy.  i kinda like that.

Submitted by crunch on Mon, 07/17/2023 - 07:45 pm

getting a little tired of seeing suzuki hit 100+ mph exit velocity singles.  he can swing a bat, but can't elevate worth a damn.

Submitted by Childersb3 on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:27 am

AZ Phil, where do you see 1st Rd pick Matt Shaw going after his initial ACL at bats?

It would seem MB is too low a level for him. We have Rojas and C. Hernandez splitting time at MIF spots there already.

I would imagine SB and A+ ball is where he "should" go initially, but we have Triantos, Made and Howard there at 3B, SS and 2B. None of them appear ready for a promotion to TN, yet either.

Only TN has 2B and SS spots available for "prospects". Levi Jordan and Andy Weber are seemingly place holders until a top 30 guy proves ready for their ABs in TN.

Do you think the Cubs would start Shaw at AA?

I'd love it with his advanced success in Big Ten and Cape Cod leagues. And Jed has shown a recent pattern of placing guys aggressively in the minors. 

Josh Rivera from could join him in TN as well. He played four years in the SEC. That's basically between MB and SB levels already.

They could split 2B and SS for the Smokies in Aug/Sept. Then start there again in 2024.

Thoughts?

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:57 pm

Childersb3: 

If you look at Nico Hoerner as a Matt Shaw comp (which I do), after he was drafted and signed in 2018, Hoerner was initially assigned to the AZL Cubs, and after a handful of games in the AZL he was moved up to SS-A Eugene (that level no longer exists), and then after a few games at Eugene he was moved up to South Bend (which was Lo-A at that time), and then he was assigned to the Arizona Fall League at the end of his first season (so he was playing in the AFL just three months after he was drafted!). 

Hoerner lit up the AFL in 2018 and then he did the same at Minor League Camp in Mesa in 2019, and based on his performance in the AFL and at Minor League Camp, he skipped Hi-A (which was Myrtle Beach at that time) and was assigned to AA Tennessee on Opening Day 2019, and he played very well there, so well that he was called up to Chicago in September (at the end of his first full pro season!), and he has been in Chicago ever since. 

So it would not be outrageous to see Matt Shaw follow that same path, and it is not inconceivable that he could be in Chicago by the end of the 2024 season.    

Also, it really doesn't matter if there are other prospects at the same level when Shaw gets there. The others just need to move out of the way and let Shaw play (maybe some SS, but also a lot of 2B).

As for Josh Rivera, he could also move very fast through the system, and by all accounts he is an above average defensive shortstop. Since Dansby Swanson is signed through 2029, it could be that Rivera will be tried at 3B at some point. 

Speaking of Nico Hoerner, there is one team that really, really needs a 2B, and that is the Seattle Mariners. Kolten Wong has been an unmitigated disaster, and Hoerner would fit very nicely there. I know the Cubs just signed him to a contract extension, but the extension only bought out his remaining years of arbitration and just one year of free-agency, and unlike Ian Happ (and Suzuki and Swanson), Hoerner does NOT have a "no trade." 

So how about this as a thought experiment?

Nico Hoerner, Marcus Stroman, Mark Leiter Jr, and Mike Tauchman to Seattle for RHSP Emerson Hancock and 1B-3B Tyler Locklear, plus the Cubs take back a couple of expiring albatross contracts (Wong and Pollock) to help balance out the money owed to Stroman. 

Obviously losing Hoerner would create a hole at 2B, but Nick Madrigal is a legit (albeit somewhat flawed) second-baseman, and he can be a place-holder until Matt Shaw arrives, possibly as early as the end of next season.

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:16 pm

I am already at peace with the Cubs being sellers, so here is another one: 

Cody Bellinger and a second-tier SP prospect (like Caleb Kilian, Porter Hodge, DJ Herz, or Kohl Franklin) to the Houston Astros for RHSP Luis Garcia. 

Garcia had TJS in May and will be out of action until at least mid-2024, but he is under control through the 2026 season.  

The Cubs are not averse to acquiring a rehabber (they supposedly tried to acquire Tyler Glasnow from the Rays right after he had TJS), so getting a high-end MLB SP back for Bellinger might be the best bet, even if that SP will be unavailable for a while. 

And the Cubs could still pursue Bellinger after he becomes a FA post-2023, and (if they offer the most money) sign him to a multi-year contract. As a Boras client, Bellinger will follow the money. 

[ ]

Submitted by Childersb3 on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:38 pm

Phil, I'm not in love with those two particular trade thought experiments, but I'm not against dealing the Cubs' guys you mentioned.

Nico is solid. Nothing wrong with solid at 11mil per yr. If Shaw is better, I mean just better, than Nico goes. 

I don't believe we've seen anything from anyone on this team that makes them immovable.

Can these guys win a WS? I don't see it, so Jed has to keep building. 

Nico has to be surrounded by guys that are just better than him. He isn't an All-Star unless he hits well over .300 due to the low walk rate and lack of big Slug.

We need studs. 

If Morel, Mervis and Nico packaged together got us a KB or Baez or Rizzo "stud", then you do it.

We need a no doubt top prospect stud.

Joe Girardi in ST said PCA was that guy. He said play him in Wrigley this year and let him learn here. Girardi isn't gospel, but he knows a ball player when he sees it.

Paying Bellinger in Nov is on the table for me. Trade him now and sign him back.

Jed needs to be in "Stud Finder" mode

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:46 pm

Phil: I'd make this trade too, Herz or Hodge with Bellinger sounds totally reasonable to me. 

To piggyback off my reply to your other thought experiment, I'd like to have Stroman or someone available to trade to Baltimore for Coby Mayo; do you see this as something that's feasible? 

Submitted by Cubster on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:04 pm

AZ Phil: who was the 3B prospect you loved this past spring training? I think he was with the Giants system. How has his season gone and given the Cubs selling prospects, what would it take to get him. The Cubs really need a legit and young 3B and it seems that opportunity won’t be given to Chris Morel. 

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:26 pm

this team is getting hard to watch.  they're not playing ugly baseball, but the bats are a slew of singles stretched out over 9 innings and the SP has been terrible lately.

Submitted by Eric S on Tue, 07/18/2023 - 07:40 pm

So the Braves contract with GM and Prez of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos runs through the 2024 season. 🤔

I ain’t sayin, I’m just sayin …

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 07/19/2023 - 07:42 pm

i know it's the crappy Nats, but hendricks has looked very good tonight.  the run he gave up in the first was mostly thanks to a slow roller in the infield along with another infield hit that bounced high in front of home plate.  nice to see classic hendricks.  i miss this version of hendricks and it's nice to see him show up like this again, especially if we're in our last days of hendricks.

Recent comments

  • 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

  • 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.

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