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

 


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Rule 5 Draft 
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Cubs vs. Pirates: Series Thread (Games 66-68)

Submitted by Charlie on

The Cubs ended their trip to San Francisco on a low note despite coming a few outs short of a no-hitter the previous day. They return to Wrigley and NL Central opponents as they take on the 34-30 Pirates. The Pirates have clung to a surprising lead in the NL Central, now leading the Brewers by one game. See below for matchups (such as they stand).

Game 66, Tuesday, June 13, 7:05 pm central

CHC: RHP Jameson Taillon (1-4, 7.02 ERA)

PIT: RHP Luis Ortiz (1-2, 4.23 ERA)

Game 67, Wednesday, June 14, 7:05 pm central 

CHC: TBD

PIT: TBD

Game 68, Thursday, June 15, 7:05 pm central

CHC: TBD

PIT: TBD

Tags
2023 Series Thread
Pittsburgh Pirates

Comments

Submitted by Cubster on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 06:43 am

Kris Bryant has been hobbled again for most of June. Last year it was plantar fasciitis. This time a heel bruise. Makes me sad. This is from 3 days ago: 

DENVER — After playing in just 42 games last season and 50 games so far in 2023, the timetable for Kris Bryant to return to the Colorado Rockies lineup remains fuzzy according to manager Bud  Black.

Bryant remains on the injured list with a left heel bruise. Placed on the injured list on June 1 (retroactive to May 31), the 31-year-old Bryant does not currently have a timeline to return, Black told reporters prior to Saturday’s home game against the San Diego Padres.

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Submitted by Childersb3 on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 06:03 pm

I get Jed sticking with Madrigal. I disagree with it, but I understand the incessant need to "win that trade" and show Madrigal has MLB value. Again, I disagree with playing Madrigal at all. You have Nico, Dansby, and Morel.

But, starting Mastrobuoni over Morel or Amaya at the DH spot, or over Morel at 3B is just inexplicable.

Mastrobuoni was a waiver claim. A 26 yr old waiver claim. He hit over .300 with 16HRs in AAA for TB and they still didn't want him. No one wanted to trade for him.

And since he's been with the Cubs he's shown no visible advantages to keeping. I've read folks trying "metric" his usefulness and their efforts just seem foolish. Use your eyes. 

It appears Jed/Ross don't at all trust their own system guys. Mervis is getting the longest, most honest look. But that'll end when Belli comes back this week. 

If a Cubs Prospect has to hit .350 with 25HRs in half a season in IA before being "ready" for Wrigley than Jed isn't the guy.

 

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Submitted by crunch on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 06:06 pm

this team, by it's very makeup, doesn't need masterboney or any other "super-utility" guys.  without masterboney or madrigal they have adequate starter options with backups.  having 1 of either of those guys is a luxury and having both is a waste of a roster space.

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Submitted by bradsbeard on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:01 am

The Cubs traded an interesting (albeit far off) relief prospect, Alfredo Zaraga, for Mastrobuoni, who was/is a legitimate prospect despite his age. He was just blocked for several years in a loaded Rays system. He's had about a .900 OPS against RHP each of the last 3 years in AAA, has versatility, hits line drives (had a well struck ball tonight that didn't quite find the gap in RF), sprays the ball around, takes lots of walks. He's had some bad small sample luck and also had to deal with scattered playing time. On a worse team you'd give him 400 PAs and see what he can do, but the Cubs aren't really in a position to do that right now. Still, it makes plenty of sense to give him some run and see if any of those skills translate into MLB success. He probably goes down whenever Bellinger gets back, but until then he's a valid LH option on this team who the org probably sees as a potential future piece.

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Submitted by Childersb3 on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:04 pm

Yeah, I forgot he was actually traded for. Thought he was a waiver claim. Thanks for the reminder.

So, that makes sense that Jed is giving him these chances. Trying to justify the trade. Same with Madrigal.

I just disagree with starting him. He hasn't shown any ability to drive the baseball. And this Cubs team needs power now and in the near future. Madrigal and Mastrobuoni can only play at 3B and DH with regularity. Spot Starts at 2B, SS or Cr OF. 3B and DH are power spots.

And I don't see Mastrobuoni being La Stella. Tommy had a stretch there off the bench where he could hit any FB. And with some pop. He filled a PH role well.

They can be backups. But they don't need to be starting at DH and 3B.

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Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:33 pm

With guys like Mastrobuoni and Madrigal and Rios and Mancini, you get them on the cheap, with the hope that one of them will stick when thrown against the wall; try them, and if there's no substance, move on. And I mean: MOVE ON. if I go on Facebook marketplace, and buy something for $100 that typically is worth $2,000, I don't cry when it turns out it's not exactly what I thought it was or wanted, I just sell it or throw it away or give it away; then I get back on Facebook marketplace and find something else. Wringing your hands on these guys, and forcing yourself to play them in an effort to 'get value' from the trade, or 'win' the trade, or 'prove you made the right decision' when the signing was made is worthless. GET OVER YOURSELF! LET GO OF THE NEED TO BE RIGHT OR WIN! RELINQUISH YOUR PRIDE AND EGO! Being reconciled, not right, is how you need to live; reconcile that the decision to trade for or sign a player just didn't work out, wash your hands and your mind and your conscience of any attachment to that decision, and then take the next player (preferably Perlaza, Slaughter, Young, Velazquez, someone already in hand) and give them a shot (notwithstanding it allowing these guys including Bote, Sergio Alcantara, and anyone else who we don't have any faith in being able to contribute) to get a chance elsewhere............

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Submitted by crunch on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:36 pm

agree with almost all of it, but mancini is a tricky issue.  if he doesn't get at least 350PA and performs well enough to opt-out the cubs are on the hook for 7m to him in 2024.  even if he gets those PA it's not automatic he'd opt out, but it's baked in for 2024 if he doesn't get the shot.

rios is useless at this point and it doesn't even seem like d.ross likes using him.  he's spent 1.5 months on the MLB 25 man roster and has 34 PA to show for it.  after returning to the majors after a few weeks in AAA...0 for 8 with 7 Ks, 0 walks, and a HBP being the only time he got on base.  he's the deadest of dead weight.

the thing that gets me about masterboney is the cubs already have a super-utility guy that can play 2nd, 3rd, SS, and a little OF if needed.  he tore it up this spring and he's currently sitting in AAA playing all over the infield.  d.bote isn't "the answer" to anything, but i would take him over masterboney if they want a guy that can play 2nd/3rd that badly since they won't allow a perfectly fine c.morel anywhere near it.

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Submitted by Dolorous Jon Lester on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:29 pm

Part of what they’re doing with Bote probably stems from not wanting him to get to 5 years service time this year so he won’t need to be a waste of a 40 man spot in the offseason while remaining organizational depth.

That said, I’d personally rather see Alcantara, Slaughter, Young, or almost anyone else over Bote. I’m so over David Bote, I’m counting down the days until that contract is gone.

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Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:49 pm

In regards to Mancini, the way I look at it is: imagine the Cubs $225,000,000 payroll is roughly $57,000 (take off three 0's and divide by 4); the $7,000,000 owed to Mancini becomes $1,750. If something in my life was a poor decision on my part, and is dragging me down, and stifling me, and keeping me from moving on to something better because of ego or pride or the fallacy of sunk cost, wouldn't it be better to just take the hit and pony up the $1,750 and move on from that chapter in my life? Imagine you're in an apartment, and a much better apartment becomes available to you at the same or better price in a better area with better everything; would you let that opportunity potentially dry up because the early termination of your lease has a $1,750 penalty, or would you find a way to prayerfully absorb that penalty and move to the better apartment because it will be to the betterment of your overall existence? 

Submitted by crunch on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 06:24 pm

fuuuu...hoerner took one off the fingers on a bunt.

okay, he's staying in the game and hitting.  leaving the bat in the zone earned him a strike, not a HBP.

...and he gets an infield single!  nice.

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Tue, 06/13/2023 - 06:04 pm

Why would you pinch-hit Mancini for Mervis?!? Morel could've been the DH the entire game! Or Gomes! I'm just totally done with Dross.

Submitted by crunch on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:53 pm

madrigal has had 4 walks in 18 PA since returning from AAA.  he had 3 in 98 PA before getting sent down.

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Submitted by crunch on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 06:18 pm

he pinch hit vs the lefty.  i get it, especially in a close game, but at some point they have to let mervis face everyone because he's in the bigs to slot in at 1st and play regularly.  mervis isn't rizzo, but he's not going to get close to being rizzo-like if he's being hidden from 1/4th of the pitchers in the game.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 06/15/2023 - 06:48 pm

cubs/cards playing in london next weekend and there's so little heat on the series.  barely hearing anything about it.  as much as it sucks the cubs are flailing it's kinda crazy STL has the worst record in the NL...3rd worst team in all of baseball.

Submitted by crunch on Thu, 06/15/2023 - 06:40 pm

cubs get a semi-rare carlos santana (PIT) "necklace in mouth" AB.  he's been doing that for many years kinda rarely without explaining why (that i know of).  anyway, he K'd.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 06/16/2023 - 06:46 am

fwiw, mancini will probably play today because he's got the most experience vs BAL pitcher irvin...and success vs him, too.

hopefully adam frazier sits today because he's owned hendricks hard since his days in PIT.

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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