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

Zambrano Leaves Early With Back Injury

Submitted by Rob G. on

The Cubs offense opened up another can of whoop-ass on an opposing pitcher, scoring six runs in the first two innings. Z gave two of those runs back and has been replaced in the bottom of the 4th inning by Jeff Samardzija, who promptly gave up a leadoff double(runner since erased on a sac bunt attempt).

Len mentioned something about back stiffness, I'm sure more details will be forthcoming.

UPDATE: It doesn't appear to be too concerning to Z at least and he plans to make his next start..blames it on being a big guy and possibly the hotel bed.

"As the game was going, it was feeling worse and worse, and I saw my arm dropping," Zambrano said. "Lou told me something that was right. He said, 'Before you get injured because of your back, let's get you out of the game.' I knew my release point was low. It was the best choice to take me out of the game." 

Aramis Ramirez also left the game in the top of the 10th inning. He was hit in the left elbow by a pitch, stayed in and made it to second base and then signaled to the trainers and had to be helped off the field after complaining of dizziness. Lou seemed to indicate he was okay though. 

I saw the hit by pitch, but walked away and didn't see Ramirez get removed from the game. I did catch the bottom of the 10th and if you missed it, Lou was forced to put Alfonso Soriano at second base, Jeff Baker at third base and Sam Fuld in left field. Even better, he switched Baker and Soriano when the lefty Jeremy Hermida came up to bat, rightfully figuring that the odds were higher that Hermida would pull the ball to second (Hermida K'd eventually). Either way, some fun water cooler talk as the Cubs nearly blew what should have been a laugher.

Tags
Cubs Injuries

Comments

Submitted by springs on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 08:20 pm

the postseason with Marmol in the bullpen." A little wildness and a few bad outings and these announcers overreact. But the control problems are worrisome. Of course, every team in baseball would want Marmol in their pen, but the number of BBs does make our dependence on him a gamble.

Submitted by billybucks on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 08:57 pm

Two outs, nobody on, 3-run lead...are you fucking kidding me? As I have said before, the Cubs should just forfeit all games in Florida and avoid making the trip.

Submitted by Jeff_Pico on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 08:33 pm

Wow, that was some game but a huge win. I have little or no faith in Dempster, but they absolutely killed Nolasco earlier this year. Taking 2 out of 3 at this god forsaken place would be way more than you could hope for. Ok edit, Nolasco wasn't as bad as I remember, 6 runs 5 earned in 6 innings. I remember he didn't look very good though? We'll take it.

Submitted by rokfish on Sat, 08/01/2009 - 08:20 pm

Brenley why would you take the bat off your shoulders no one hits marmol , stikeouts walks or hit by pitch. Just think if he cutr his walks in half WOW. Also would be alot less stress on cub fans.

[ ]

Submitted by ddp33 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:36 pm

the cubs currently have just 4 starters on the roster and are carrying an extra bullpen arm... dont you think a pitcher is more likely to go down tues when gorzelanny is activated? stevens or samardzija? depends on how much the bullpen is used in the next few days, but i am more inclined to think a pitcher would go before a 4th outfielder, and one of two defensively sound outfielders on the team. or maybe jeff baker and his .216 avg (w the cubs) and 3 years service time mark inching closer. by the way, when does miles have to come back? isn't his 20 day dl stint almost up? what are the team's options there?

Submitted by mjmiller73 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:36 am

So Friday night, Nunez strikes out Hill to end the game with a three run lead and a runner on. Nunez throws his arms up in celebration, and Hill takes note. Tonight, Hill grounds into a 3-1 put-out to end the top of the 10th with Nunez pitching. Hill looked to attempt to make contact at first while Nunez loitered on the bag. Nunez then stared down Hill briefly, while Uggla re-directed him to the dugout. Brenly made a comment about how that was a good decision on Dan's part, as Hill would destroy Nunez. This was of course on top of the hitters getting hit. Bad blood building here? Dempster may still be thinking payback for Braun's May 9th antics in Milwaukee, too.

[ ]

Submitted by Pell Mell on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:37 am

Not to mention: Nunez plunking ARam Bonifacio going nuts for himself after his Very Awful Triple Bradley kinda doing the same thing after a safe-at-2nd call Marmol doing his usual antics after getting out of his usual jam The hated Cody Ross tracking down a lazy fly ball in an exaggeratedly lackadaisical way (may not have been part of it; I just hate Ross and wanted to blame him for something) I definitely had the sense that these teams were trying to show each other up. Of course, biased as I am, I believe the Marlins started it and the Cubs are just responding in kind, perhaps out of frustration that this judy-hitting, overhyped bunch (H. Ramirez excluded) continues to give them fits.

Submitted by The E-Man on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:01 am

I have been wondering here out loud since last year: is jeff samardjia ready to pitch in the majors? is Hendry ramming him down Lou's throat? are there not better options in AAA?

Submitted by etschosi on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:25 am

Go read "Heart of the Game" by S.L Price. It helped me to understand why guys like Samardjia get "rammed down" MLB manager's throats. He seems to me to be quite a ways away from being a productive, reliable MLB pitcher. He scares me every time he comes into a game. His performance last night is typical. I am sure there are plenty of pitchers in AAA and even AA who are pissed that the "golden boy" gets the opportunity to fail at the MLB level while they continue to toil (or have success) in the minors. If the Cubs can put him in the trade mentioned above for Brian Roberts, I say do it.

[ ]

Submitted by navigator on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:51 am

I can name one who was devestated when Samardzija leapfrogged past him into AAA, former Cubs #2 prospect and 2006 Cubs minor league player of the year Donnie Veal who went from a AA All-Star the first half to a disastrous second half of the season when Samardzija was promoted ahead of him. Of course, Veal is now with the Pirates where he is equally as not ready for primetime as Smardz is for the Cubs.

Submitted by Mister Whipple on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:01 am

I'm so impressed with Tim Lincecum. The guy is 12-3 with a 2.14 ERA. That's Greg Maddux peak of his career good. Back to back Cy Youngs? If he keeps up like this I think it's a lock.

Submitted by Mister Whipple on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:49 am

OPS last 30 days: D Lee: 1.026 A Ramirez: 1.011 A Soriano: .945 M Bradley: .894 K Fukudome: .892 and J Fox: .998 Even though Harden and Lilly have crappy ERAs for the last 30, their WHIPs are 1.23 and 1.31 respectively. August and September should be fun.

Submitted by John Beasley on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:25 pm

Next time Sori plays anywhere in the IF they'll bunt it toward him to test him. Not exactly a confidence boost by Lou last night per his abilities there.

Submitted by dc60124 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:03 pm

makes one wonder if gregg is still pitching for the marlins... although, 2 runs in 9 innings just ain't good enough. several missed opportunities; too bad for dempster, he deserved better. on to cincy, where an awful team awaits. thank you, schedule makers.

Submitted by Ahone Ahtwo Ahthree on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:15 pm

This loss is all on Lou! Gregg threw 40+ pitches last night, obviously struggled against his old team, and should have been unavailable for this game. He was set to fail even before he got on the mound... Lou is pissing me off with his stupidity more and more with each passing retarded move...

[ ]

Submitted by blockhead25 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:23 pm

The entire bullpen was burnt. Do you really put Grabow or Marshall, pitching for the thrid day in a row, in a position they aren't used to? Gregg sucked, but Lou really had no other legitimate choice....the bullpen was destroyed with Zambrano's short performance yesterday.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:37 pm

marmol, marshall, stevens...save guzman for later rather than earlier... there were better options than gregg, imo... this is a deja-vu converstaion with similar shades to the use of stevens back on tuesday. big hurry to use stevens after almost a week off only to not use him since...4 days off. go figure.

[ ]

Submitted by blockhead25 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:24 pm

You truly must be kidding about Marmol? How in the heck was he a better option after 2 equally horrid performances the previous two days. Gregg at least had not pitched on Friday. Marshall was used the previous two days and hasn't been a closer before...and is used to facing lefties recently. Stevens...I don't know. I don't think putting a minor leaguer in closer situation in a pennant race is better than Gregg there. I could buy Stevens or Marshall over Heimann (although based on numbers, Heilmann was the right pick). But based on the use of the bullpen the previous two days, I really think Gregg was the only legitimate choice.

[ ]

Submitted by crunch on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:28 pm

im pretty sure the main point of contention is gregg threw almost 40 pitches yesterday and was marched out less than 24 hours later to put in an inning. yeah, i'd take marmol over gregg. i'd let guzman close that day if that wasn't an option... i wouldn't be thrilled with marshall/stevens closing, but hey...use them earlier in the game....whatever.

[ ]

Submitted by blockhead25 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:05 pm

Marmol pitched 23 on Friday and 22 on Saturday...that's a heck of a lot for two straight outings, especially when it was two straight awful outings. I'd take Gregg over Marmol there 100 out of 100 times. Guzman makes more sense...still totally disagree about Marshall.Stevens closing though.

[ ]

Submitted by Ahone Ahtwo Ahthree on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:03 pm

If Lou would just take a gander at Rob G's handy bullpen usage chart, he would see that a better move (after getting 6 great innings out of Dempster) would have been to use Stevens in the 7th, Marshall in the 8th and Guzman as the closer. Samardzija and Gregg should have been unavailable today due to their high pitch counts. I could also see possibly using Heilman again in the 9th, given his success and presumed confidence after closing one out rather easily yesterday. Gregg was obviously laboring last night and how could his confidence not be shot after getting 2 quick Ks and then giving up 3 runs? Bad performance + almost 40 pitches = not available the next day. Lou thinks outside the box when it comes to putting Marshall in left and moving Soriano around the infield like he is Timmy Lupus, so why can't he see that Gregg was not the right choice there?

[ ]

Submitted by Charlie on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:23 pm

Maybe Lou thought it was a good idea to get Gregg back on the field as possible after blowing it last night? Doesn't make sense to me, but I'm running out of ideas. Maybe Lou just has no confidence in Stevens (which begs the question, why bother to call him up at all).

Submitted by billybucks on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:17 pm

What's the free agent market for closers like next year? Gregg is a basket case on the road, Marmol can't throw a strike -- doesn't bode well for September. When Gregg blows saves, it not on bloops or bad luck -- he gives up f'ckin' rockets. Still -- I agree with the earlier comment -- after last night's game and pitch count, I didn't think Lout would use Gregg tonight. Woof -- would have been a big win....

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:49 pm

Submitted by ddp33 on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 11:36am.
the cubs currently have just 4 starters on the roster and are carrying an extra bullpen arm... dont you think a pitcher is more likely to go down tues when gorzelanny is activated? stevens or samardzija? depends on how much the bullpen is used in the next few days, but i am more inclined to think a pitcher would go before a 4th outfielder, and one of two defensively sound outfielders on the team. or maybe jeff baker and his .216 avg (w the cubs) and 3 years service time mark inching closer.

by the way, when does miles have to come back? isn't his 20 day dl stint almost up? what are the team's options there?

====================================

DDP33: If Aaron Miles spends the full 20 days allowed on a minor league rehab (it's 20 days max for position players and 30 days max for pitchers), his last day at AAA Iowa will be Tuesday. At that point, the Cubs can either reactivate him, release him, trade him, or leave him to rot on the DL until 9/1 (when rosters expand).

He is owed about $700K for the balance of the 2009 season plus another $2.7M for next season, so if they release him and he signs with another club (like STL) for the MLB minimum (prorated about $100K left in 2009 and the full $400K in 2010), the Cubs would be on the hook for about $2.9M over the next two seasons. If they can find another club interested in acquiring him in a trade, the Cubs would still almost certainly have to pay a substantial portion of his remaining salary 2009-10, but at least it might be less than $2.9M.

As for Jeff Baker, the Cubs can outright him without Baker having the right to refuse the assignment up through 8/14. Beginning on 8/15, Baker will have accrued three years of MLB Service Time, and if he were to be outrighted to the minors 8/15 or later he could be a FA either immediately or after the conclusion of the regular season (player option).

If he does get outrighted on or after 8/15 and opts to be a FA immediately, he gives up his 2009 MLB contract and the Cubs would owe him nothing further, so he would likely accept the outright assignment and defer his right to be a FA until after the season (most players do this if they get outrighted during the season).

On the other hand, if Baker is not claimed off waivers and accepts an outright assignment 8/15 or later and defers his right to be a FA until after the end of the regular season but then gets added back to the Cubs 40-man roster before the end of the regular season, he cannot be a FA.

And if Baker were to get outrighted prior to 8/15, he cannot be a FA and the Cubs keep control of him (he would be on the Iowa roster), and if that happens, he would almost certainly get an NRI to ST in 2010 and would be available at Iowa in 2010 if the Cubs wish to bring him up sometime during next season. 

Submitted by Arizona Phil on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:13 pm

Submitted by The Joe on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 6:53pm.
That's why we got B.J. Ryan

==================================

Joe: If the Cubs don't add B. J. Ryan to their 25-man roster by 8/12 he can opt out of his minor league contract and be a FA, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs bring him up much sooner than that. Possibly this week.

Ryan wasn't at Fitch Park very long before the Cubs realized his mechanics didn't need a whole lot of tweaking (a lot of his problems are mental), so his being at Iowa is just a matter of showing he can get outs and throw strikes, and so far (albeit just three appearances) he has gotten outs (3.1 IP, no runs, no hits, 2/3 BB/K), but he has thrown only 50% of his pitches for strikes (48 pitches thrown in three games, only 24 strikes). However, he did throw 12 pitches (eight strikes) in his one perfect inning yesterday. 

Given how Kevin Gregg imploded the past two games, Piniella may want to try a Gregg/Ryan co-closer thing, and if that doesn't work, there is always the fearless Angel Guzman.

Submitted by Cubster on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:33 pm

file under miscellaneous: Brewers Corey Hart to the DL, he had an emergency appendectomy sunday. Ouchie. on a related note, Kevin Gregg gave me a severe tummy ache today.

Submitted by billybucks on Sun, 08/02/2009 - 08:53 pm

Gregg has 5 blown saves...all on the road. Maybe not the best idea to pitch him today in the Cubs house of horrors after throwing a ton of pitches yesterday. They were 90 feet away from one of the most brutal sweeps in memory. One out of three in Florida is better than usual.

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.

Click HERE for the last 50 comments