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. Red Sox: Series Thread (Games 90-92)

Submitted by Charlie on

The Cubs return from the All-Star break and begin a homestand against the 48-43 Red Sox. This ten-game homestand may determine the Cubs' approach to the trade deadline, despite featuring no NL Central contenders--the last place Cardinals not withstanding. See below for daily matchups.

Game 90, Friday, July 14, 7:40 pm central
BOS: RHP Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.04 ERA)
CHC: RHP Kyle Hendricks (3-3, 3.04 ERA)

Game 91, Saturday, July 15, 1:20 pm central
BOS: LHP James Paxton (5-1, 2.73 ERA)
CHC: RHP Marcus Stroman (9-6, 2.96 ERA)

Game 92, Sunday, July 16, 1:20 pm central
BOS: RHP Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.11 ERA)
CHC: LHP Justin Steele (9-2, 2.56 ERA)

Tags
2023 Series Thread
Boston Red Sox

Comments

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 07:03 pm

tauchman's been terrible for the past 15-20 games he's played, but we're still going with him out of the leadoff spot in the 2nd half.  morel's at 2nd.  masterboney's at 3rd.

Submitted by Childersb3 on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 07:49 pm

Didn't think JYoung would be in Wrigley tonight.

I'm not rooting against him.

I just don't believe in him.

Hope I'm wrong.

Submitted by cubbies.4ever on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 07:57 pm

Matt Shaw signs at slot value.  Saves us no money slot value, but gets us $242,000 savings in the 5% overage allowance.  Makes up and then some for the over slot of Melendez.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 07:12 pm

hendricks gets d.ross'd after 4.2ip.  he gave up 4 HR.  that doubles his season total in 1 game.  he gave up 2 HR in his last start...which also doubled his season total in 1 game.  if i understand math correctly his next start is gonna really f'n suck.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 07:31 pm

did one of those stupid f'n cup snakes spill on the field?

sigh.  yes, it seems it was a chunk of cup snake purposely thrown on the field.

Submitted by crunch on Fri, 07/14/2023 - 07:45 pm

wind is blowing trash all over the field now...not people throwing stuff on the field...just wind that's insanely hard.

BOS pitcher just picked a dollar bill up off the ground.  ha.

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:41 am

Saw this and thought it might be a good idea (for those who never want to see Buono Beef again).

Switch hitter and Cub roots. What's not to like given the 3B wasteland we currently have (unless they can be convinced Morel is the right fit there).

 

Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Nationals
Candelario has thrived at the plate over the past month, posting a .981 OPS with five home runs and an impressive .309/.364/.617 slash line in 21 games dating back to June 16. The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Nationals prior to the season, so he’s an affordable expiring contract for clubs seeking help at the hot corner.

Potential fits: Cubs, Marlins, Yankees

https://tinyurl.com/5dkxkhmj

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:26 am

Just food for thought: through 7-14-2023, here are some stats for 3 outfielders:

       Heyward Happ  Suzuki
AB      180       312      263
AVG   .250      .244    .255
OBP   .346      .373    .338
SLUG .456      .381    .399
OPS   .802      .754    .737
2B        13         18       13
HR         8           7         7
BB        25         63       33
SO        41         95       75

SB         2            7         1

CS         1            1         5

[ ]

Submitted by Childersb3 on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:08 pm

And yet, Happ gets to stay in the 3hole.

What has he done to earn that spot?

He gets on base. He's not a pull ball HR guy anymore. He used to be then he morphed into whatever he is now. He's just late on all pitches now. He shouldn't bat 3rd. Bellinger and Morel should bat higher in the lineup just in case they connect with a pitch. 

Suzuki simply hits too many ground balls. I've read where his Exit velo ranks pretty high, but I bet his launch angle isn't an equivalent rank.

[ ]

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:36 pm

Why not bat Happ leadoff as the OBP guy, move Horner to 9th as the same, or vice-versa; and then fill out the lineup from there? (preferably with guys coming up from Iowa after we jettison the flotsam: Bellinger, Gomes, Tauchman; and jetsom: Barnhart, Madrigal, Mancini, Wisdom, Young, Mastrobuoni)

[ ]

Submitted by Childersb3 on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:14 pm

This "morphed" Happ is either a leadoff guy or 9hole hitter. He only gives you OBP. He strikes out a lot with no Slug and little RBI/RISP.

Nico has some value as a 5 or 6 guy. He's a hitter. He's not afraid to swing. He could be good sandwiched between two slug guys. He isn't scared of being aggressive.

BTW, Seiya hits another grounder with bases loaded. I was in Yankee Stadium last Sunday and saw him hit 2 flyballs and got 2 RBIs. Hit it in the air. I wouldn't be able to do it. But I'm not a pro hitter being paid 17mil per yr.

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:07 pm

cubs need to just bunt everything and allow this piss poor defense to give up the runs.  put it on the field, get ready to run.

Submitted by crunch on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:24 pm

it's so awesome to finally see amaya in the bigs and doing well.  yeah, he's young, but he should have been here 2+ years ago for his first taste if not for constant injury.

Submitted by Cubster on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 07:21 pm

on a different front, with respect to the 2016 WS club…Kyle Schwarber is leading off, hitting .189 (OBP .318) and has 23 HRs. Has he become the successor to Rob Deer? That still has value to an extent, but I always thought he’d be more of a hitter and not just a 3 outcome guy. 

and…Javy Baez. Sigh, how disappointing. I just didn’t expect his post-Cub career to be what it has been.

[ ]

Submitted by videographer on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:32 pm

Cubster, I thought the same thing about Schwarber being a left-handed Rob Deer when Schwarbs was in his last year with the Cubs.  Back then, Deer was the antipathy of the way baseball was played.  If he played today, he would have been fought  over as a fee agent and end up with a  $100+ million career.

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:46 am

bellinger has 5 HR in his last 6 games, 3 of them in the 2 games immediately after the A/S break.  as long as he keeps hitting well, even if not this HR pace, he could move into that stroman-level trade value.  the SP market at the trade deadline is probably gonna be a bit flooded, but lefty power bats that can play CF/1st is another story.

[ ]

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:59 am

The way his contract was set up seemed like the agreement he had with management was something of a: I'll build value for a big contract, but give the Cubs prospects in return via trade; while the Cubs gave him assurance that if he struggled this year, he would still get a good payday next year and let the same scenario put itself together again. But he is looking for a contract like what the shortstop's got this year, and he's also a Boras client; so I feel like it was a win-win, but never a long-term scenario, not to mention I believe he would want to play CF long-term, not 1B.......

Submitted by Cubster on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:34 am

D Ross just can’t quit Buono Beef. No hot peppers there. Without a  real third baseman, this team goes nowhere. Hopefully, Morel moves there when Swanson returns although that might be a few more days. On a somewhat related thread, Zack McKinstry’s numbers are rapidly trending back to baseline. 

Submitted by George Altman on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:39 am

And here's another take: Let's go thru the 'Haul' all these trade deals have brought -- Wesneski,  Brown, PCA, Caissie, K.Alcantara, & Canario. That's the upper tier of what Darvish, Rizzo, Baez, Bryant, and Robertson gained the Cubs.

 

Now, tell me who of this group screams SP2 or SP3? Who is a 2.0-3.0 WAR player in 2024? PCA? Are you sure?

 

This is a $4B value MLB franchise in the USA's 3rd largest metro market. And Jed/Ricketts are playing liars poker with Bellinger and Stroman.

 

So, sure. Be sellers at the deadline. That's worked out so well for Jed since 2020. Unless the Cubs Player Development staff have a 1B, 3B, DH, SP1 & SP2 in the system ready to hit the Roster by the end of 2024, I would get my checkbook ready.

[ ]

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:20 pm

I just spent a couple hours looking through prospects on different teams (prospect lists, stats, et cetera), and it seems as though some teams are really good at identifying lower level prospects (Yankees, Rays, Orioles, Reds, to name a few), but some of those prospects come via trade, and some are via signing or drafting; so the draft and developmental teams have strengths and weaknesses, but identifying how to compensate for those weaknesses is where the strength is in the management.

Wesneski, Brown, PCA, Caissie, K.Alcantara, & Canario are actually some of our highest ranked prospects, and great finds, if the strategy is to sign players, build value, and trade for depth in areas of need; if that's the best way the Cubs can develop players to rise up through the ranks, it may expose some issues with International signing and draft departments, but it is still a viable developmental option, as long as it's a means to an end, that end being competing for a World Series. If these players are signed with the goal of competing, but the fallback option of trading for more good players to compete with, that's just the reality of where we are now; the only way to change that would be to change the philosophy and developmental management.

For all we know the management team may also have put in place a 5-year plan, starting with the trade of Darvish, to not realistically compete until the end of that 5 years; with the goal being to collect as many prospects / assets as possible, while signing players to trade and get more prospects (unless they felt they were actually part of their long-term goal to compete); and then take all those prospects and throw them up against the wall one by one and see who sticks............

[ ]

Submitted by George Altman on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:16 pm

And HOW long between playoff wins (4 1/2 yrs) or making the playoffs (3 yrs) do you believe is acceptable for a $4.0 Billion franchise? 

 

Trade more assets for PCA wannabes (if they're lucky) 3 years from now?  Position Players they developed (Hoerner, Amaya, and Morel - and his best position is DH) is Jed's complete resume'.

 

Maybe I expect more than the average Cubs fan. It's not just spending money to spend money. For 2024, they need a 1B, CF, 3B, LH DH, SP1, SP3, and at least 2 quality RPs. You think that's coming from Iowa & Tennessee the next 2 years? I want to see REAL MLB players in 2024's lineup - Bellinger, Swanson, Hoerner, Ohtani, Matt Chapman, (Suzuki, Amaya & Happ as end of lineup hitters). 

 

Ricketts promised Championships (plural). That's what I expect and don't give a damn what it costs. The NY, LA, PHL don't care if they go over the CBT. That's what I want to see.

[ ]

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:18 pm

I'm definitely seeing a more small market mindset,  than a 4 Billion dollar organization; if they have a plan to go after some higher tier free agents, but not until '24 or '25, I probably wouldn't expect them to tell anyone, as that would tip their had? Now, that's acting under the assumption that they HAVE a plan in place following along this particular script we're all watching play out............

[ ]

Submitted by cubbies.4ever on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:34 pm

The Cubs have the money, but half the time they spend it like the A's.  Then when everybody bitches enough and Ricketts realizes that nobody is showing up to the park, they don't have any players that people want to by a jersey of or other merchandise they finally go big.  

Give extensions to Nico and Happ, but won't to any of Baez, Rizzo, Bryant, Contreras, Schwarber etc. It's like in the 90s and 2000's.  The Cubs were bad, but people went just to see Sosa, Sandberg, Wood, Grace, Maddux.  People went to see Baez, Rizzo, Schwarber, Bryant not Nico and Happ.   So let's spend...

Problem is they over spend.  Stroman and Bellinger no matter how good they are were over paid.  Did they work out yes....but how's Jameson Taillon $17mil or Drew Smyly $9.5mil doing?  Or to try get the Japanese days of the Koske or Darvish following back by spending $17mil on Suzuki.  Mancini  $7 mil to sit on bench.  Your suppose to be backup is your starting catcher in Gomes for $6mil.

They are now banking on a few long term extensions and cheap kids coming up from the recent gutting trades.  Problem is as the days go bye more and more of these kids are getting cut before ever hitting Wrigley or have failed Madigral, Killian (still hope), Vizcaino, Ball, Gonzales, Santana, McKinstry, Davies (not kid), Heuer (maybe, TJS), Diechmann.  That's a lot of failed trades from the 2021-2022 gutting process.

 

 

 

 

 

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:30 pm

For Cody Bellinger (and the Boras Corporation), Bellinger playing CF this season is all about building up his value as a free-agent post-2023. It's probably one reason he signed with the Cubs. CF was wide open.  

The basic philosophy of the Boras Corporation is that a player's true market value cannot be determined until he becomes a free-agent. 

Just like when Kris Bryant said back in the day that he hoped to spend his entire career with the Cubs (and he actually probably did hope that would happen), the translation is "I hope to play my entire career with the Cubs... so I hope they offer me the most money once I become a free-agent, because I will sign with whichever team offers me the most money."  

That's Bellinger right now. He will become a free-agent post-2023, and then if the Cubs offer him the most money (AFTER he becomes a FA), then he will sign a long-term contract with the Cubs. But he will not sign a contract extension between now and then.  

Also, the Cubs can extend a Qualifying Offer to Bellinger post-2023 and at least get a draft pick for him if he ends up signing with another club, which can't happen with Marcus Stroman, because Stroman has already been extended a QO previously in his career and so by rule he can't get another one.  

[ ]

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:13 pm

F NOLDARAN: It depends.

If the Cubs can get an MLB player or pitcher or a near MLB ready player or pitcher with legit upside and multiple years of club control back for Cody Bellinger (even if it's just one player or one pitcher), they should trade him. However, if they don't like any of the offers they get, the Cubs should just keep Bellinger for the balance of the 2023 season and extend him QO (which he will decline) and get a draft pick if he signs with another MLB club.

And as I said, even if the Cubs trade Bellinger, he WILL become a free-agent post-2023, and if the Cubs offer him the most money after he becomes a FA, he WILL re-sign with them. (And that will be the outcome no matter what they do with Bellinger at the Trade Deadline).  

Marcus Stroman is a lot different from Bellinger, because the Cubs can't get a draft pick back if they don't trade Stroman and then lose him as free-agent. BUT he has expressed an interest in signing a contract extension with the Cubs prior to becoming a free-agent, so the Cubs need to either trade Stroman at the Trade Deadline, or else sign him to a contract extension. Those are the two choices with Stroman  

[ ]

Submitted by Finwe Noldaran on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:58 pm

Phil: That makes total sense, and with the way Bellinger is playing, I'd be surprised the Cubs don't get at least 1 offer they like.

With Stroman, do you see him being traded to get the Cubs good value in return, thus improving the team, and then signing with the Cubs in the off season, a la Chapman with the Yankees in 2016/2017? 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:02 pm

If the Cubs are sellers at the Trade Deadline, I would think they will trade Stroman and Bellinger only for MLB-ready players or pitchers, even if it's just a one-for-one trade.  

Even as a seller, the Cubs could trade a package of prospects to a non-contender for a young MLB player or pitcher who has multiple years of control and will be part of the core going forward.     

And if they are just tepid buyers at the Trade Deadline, it's even more-likely that they will package several prospects and make a trade for a young MLB player or pitcher with multiple years of club control, not a rental. 

One thing the Cubs have is prospect depth.  

The Cubs have actually done this before, like when they traded Cease, Eloy, et al to the White Sox for 28-year old MLB LHSP Jose Quintana in 2017. The Cubs were definitely "buyers," but Quintana was NOT just a short-term rental. He had signed a "team-friendly" contract extension early in his career, and was under control at a reasonable price through 2020.  

Submitted by Cubster on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:18 pm

PJ Higgins is again a Cub from AZ. He will become a backup once they move Gomes? Is he a viable 3B? Or better yet, collect as many backup catchers you can. Glad i’m not at the ballpark today. 

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:42 pm

watching the ESPN feed of HOU vs LAA.  it's pretty much nothing but talking about ohtani being traded.  the game is just background noise they don't feel the need comment on.  this isn't much of an exaggeration, they're not really calling the game too much.

Submitted by cubbies.4ever on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:45 pm

AZ PHIL- You say the Cubs have prospect depth...do they really?  (I'm excluding this yers crop since all that is finalized his Shaw) PCA seems like the real deal, but he is still young and only AA.  Davis has sucked since coming to Iowa (injuries haven't helped), Canario is just coming off 2 major surgeries, Alcantara has yet to play above AA.  You hope Brown (high school), Wicks, and Horton are the NCAA pitchers they were, Ferris, Triantos, Cassie are barely removed from high school.  

Things look good but.....how many years did we preach Patterson, Choi, Vitters, Colvin, Olt, Prior, Wood, B. Jackson, Alzolay, Marquez, Castro, P. Johnson, Cashner etc. would save us?  You can say what you want about Prior, Wood, Castro, even Baez and Soler, they never lived up to what they were billed.  Then there's all those they traded.  Eloy, Cease, Candelario, Torres, Donaldson, hell they had Josh Hamilton for 2 minutes in the rule 5 draft.  Some of the above did get decent trade i.e. Cashner/Rizzo.  Hell Vogelbach, Blackburn, Lange and some others have carved out decent roles

I know I'm reaching and pretty far back using a combo of Theo and Hendry with some of those. However I will never agree with the Quintana trade.  I didn't the minute it happened and same.  He ate innings, but he wasn't worth Eloy and Cease.  And I hate with a passion the Champman/Torres trade.  The Cubs did not need Chapman.  He was not worth Torres.  Rondon was on fire at the time as closer and Chapman tried to blow the World Series and went back to NYY to top it off.  Maybe Stroman will do the same. Theo's good trades came early Rizzo, Hendricks, Arrietta after that it was just colored bubbles.  Maybe Stroman will do the same.  That's my rant for the day.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 07/16/2023 - 07:18 pm

i really hated the chapman trade.  the pen was good, even if another arm would make it better.  it was a place for improvement rather than a glaring need.

the cubs had a 7 game lead in the central and STL wasn't much of a threat.

if they wanted to add an above-average arm, they could have gone for other available arms without giving up such a huge chunk of talent.  mark melancon was out there and went for considerably less in return when he was traded a few days later.  they didn't even really need a chapman or a melancon, though.

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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