Where Will the Cubs Find Their Roster Flexibility as They Continue to Add Talent?

[Matthew Trueblood]

The Cubs agreed to one addition to their roster Wednesday night, but more of them loom. With their roster full, how will they make room for the right guys?

Image courtesy of © Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Jon Berti hasn't officially signed with the Cubs yet, but he'll become their utility infielder when that deal gets formally signed in the coming days. That will have to mean removing someone from the 40-man roster. Then, in the middle of March, the team will have to add Matt Shaw to their 40-man group, en route to installing him as their regular third baseman; that means jettisoning someone else.

That's one dimension of the roster crunch facing the team, as they try to further round out a team that can win the NL Central and make a credible showing in the postseason. Another is having enough flexibility to keep good players who provide much-needed depth in the minors, while optimizing the talent on the 26-man roster. That means managing the roster carefully with regard to minor-league options, and some of the players at the fringes are out of them. We've surveyed that group already this winter, but now is a good time to do so again; more moves are forthcoming.

Position Players
Gage Workman is a Rule 5 pick who will have to stick on the active roster in order to remain with the team; that gives him a leg up in the competition for the final bench spot. Alexander Canario is out of options, so he, too, has to make the roster in order to stay in the organization, but he's less athletic than Workman, and the last proactive choice the Cubs made to affirm their faith in Canario was acquiring him in the first place, three and a half years ago. Workman is more versatile and the team just brought him in.

The catching corps is set, with Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly, but the team has also reinforced it well with minor-league deals, signing (first) Carlos Pérez and (Wednesday) Reese McGuire. Mix in Moises Ballesteros, who doesn't yet have to be on the 40-man, and you have a robust cadre of upper-level catching. In fact, there just might be room for the team to consider trading Amaya (or Ballesteros) in the right trade over the next few weeks. The Padres need a catcher, and are a promising trade partner. Eventually, of course, McGuire would have to be added to the 40-man if Amaya were traded, but that would work just fine.

Vidal Bruján is the most likely casualty of the Berti signing. It's his role Berti most clearly makes redundant, and like Canario, he's out of options. He could be cut immediately, or he could survive a round, but he's now very unlikely to last the winter.

Pitchers
Whereas there's some chance (if a small one) that Berti is the last addition to the position-player group, we know for sure there will be more pitchers coming in. Whether that be via free agency, trade, or both, the hurler or hurlers added are unlikely to have options remaining, and that will apply some new pressure. The team has five starters and three relievers fully locked into the roster—both lacking options and indispensable to the pitching staff, anyway: Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea, Tyson Miller, Caleb Thielbar, and Julian Merryweather. Javier Assad can still be sent to the minors, and so can Tyson Miller, Nate Pearson, and Eli Morgan. Each of those guys is also an important part of the mix right now, but that could change with the right moves or the wrong kind of spring training.

You can all but say goodbye to Rob Zastryzny now. He's a lefty, made redundant by the presence of both Thielbar and Luke Little ahead of him on the depth chart and without options remaining. Keegan Thompson and Matt Festa aren't much better off, since they each lack options, too. Caleb Kilian and Ethan Roberts form a class above Thompson, Festa and Zastryzny in roster value, but below the one occupied by (deep intake of breath) Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, Cody Poteet, Daniel Palencia, Jack Neely, Gavin Hollowell, and Little. All nine of those guys have options left, but the latter seven are clearly better than the first two. That matters, too, because at the moment, it seems likely that one or two roster spots will have to be created by the time the team flies to Japan to open the season against the Dodgers.

Trevor Richards recently joined Ben Heller, Brooks Kriske and Phil Bickford as high-profile non-roster invitees to spring training who could contribute to the bullpen. The question with each is their opt-out date, because that could influence whether and when the team adds any of them to the roster. With Imanaga, Steele, Taillon, Boyd, Rea, Assad, Wicks, Brown and Poteet in line for chances to start, it would be a shock if either Cade Horton or Brandon Birdsell were called upon early in the season, and neither is yet on the 40-man roster, but each is a consideration for mid-season promotion as needed. In such a case, another 40-man spot would have to be opened up.

More so than on the positional side, there's a lot of good depth here. As we've talked about at length, the need is for a better back end of the bullpen, or a high-end starter. That could be costly and come with its own logistical problems, but it probably actually stands to solve some of the team's roster-crunch problems; it should involve some natural consolidation. A trade could send two players out the door and bring back just one, with more upside. The Padres, who have six open spots on their 40-man roster, again look like a great match.

The Cubs have plenty of work left to do this winter, even after signing Berti. Each move will displace someone, but that's alright. That's what this roster is designed for, at the moment.

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[SB in SC]

He will be the best bench player in an uninspiring group.  I would like to see at least a little power on the bench.  But players like that normally sign later in the off-season like Berti.  I hope that the Cubs get their relief pitcher sooner than later.  Too many pitchers go to Spring training late and have bad years.  Maybe the Cubs get lucky and Yates backs out of Dodger deal.

[Matthew Trueblood]

3 hours ago, SB in SC said:

He will be the best bench player in an uninspiring group.  I would like to see at least a little power on the bench.  But players like that normally sign later in the off-season like Berti.  I hope that the Cubs get their relief pitcher sooner than later.  Too many pitchers go to Spring training late and have bad years.  Maybe the Cubs get lucky and Yates backs out of Dodger deal.

FWIW, the only way the Cubs will land Yates is if he fails a physical with the Dodgers and his price falls precipitously. They weren't even really in for him at the end.

[Development DL]

I have long thought , ( first stimulated by one of your earlier pieces) that the Friars were a solid match . 
 

The consolidation of War and roster space makes sense .  It will take a strong will   On both sides to pull off a  transaction of this potential magnitude. 

Leaning into the pros , of A raised floor and ceiling for the Cubs and better roster balance , against less potential future value , makes for a fascinating quandary . 
 

Padres would be perceived as resetting a bit and have less present certainty. 
 

Cease and Suarez ?

Amaya Wicks Cassie ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rob Grothman]

6 hours ago, Development DL said:

I have long thought , ( first stimulated by one of your earlier pieces) that the Friars were a solid match . 
 

The consolidation of War and roster space makes sense .  It will take a strong will   On both sides to pull off a  transaction of this potential magnitude. 

Leaning into the pros , of A raised floor and ceiling for the Cubs and better roster balance , against less potential future value , makes for a fascinating quandary . 
 

Padres would be perceived as resetting a bit and have less present certainty. 
 

Cease and Suarez ?

Amaya Wicks Cassie ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do not believe that would be enough.

Futhermore, trade Canario(out of options) and Alcantera , Wiggins and maybe Gray plus some of our 15 relief pitchers.

Do not trade Caissie. He is going to best one in our farm system. Plug and play when Tucker leaves. He doesn't have Tuckers speed but will hit for both power and average. Right field arm too.

[Rob Grothman]

Just now, Rob Grothman said:

I do not believe that would be enough.

Futhermore, trade Canario(out of options) and Alcantera , Wiggins and maybe Gray plus some of our 15 relief pitchers.

Do not trade Caissie. He is going to best one in our farm system. Plug and play when Tucker leaves. He doesn't have Tuckers speed but will hit for both power and average. Right field arm too.

On second thought, Padres might prefer your idea of Wicks over Gray...