The Cubs' Wide-Open 40-Man Roster Will Fill Up in a Hurry Tuesday

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's Decision Day for Shota Imanaga, to whom the Cubs extended the qualifying offer two weeks ago. He doesn't currently count as a member of the organization, but if he accepts the offer, he'll go right back onto the 40-man roster. Right now, there's lots of room for him, but while he makes a decision about his own future, the Cubs have decisions to make about those of several of their prospects who would otherwise become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft.

Tuesday is the deadline for teams to add players set to be eligible (based on the age at which they entered pro ball and the number of seasons they've played since signing) for the Rule 5 to the 40-man roster, thus protecting them from being selected. The Cubs need to protect several players, including infielder Pedro Ramírez and pitchers Brody McCullough and Brandon Birdsell. 

James Triantos, who was briefly in league with the team's top hitting prospects (Owen Caissie, Moisés Ballesteros and Kevin Alcántara) as they climbed the ladder, has stalled out in the high minors and enters Tuesday as an edge case. The Cubs have the open spaces to spare, for the moment, but if they have as active an offseason as Jed Hoyer envisions, they'll need to keep a few slots on their 40-man open for external additions. The main question with any Rule 5 protection decision is whether the player is likely to be taken if left unprotected. Any team who selects a player in the draft (which takes place at next month's Winter Meetings) would have to keep them on the big-league roster all year, or offer them back to their original team, so the Cubs just need to decide whether they believe anyone will be able to carry Triantos in the majors all year. If not, they can leave him off the list. If, alternatively, they just no longer believe in Triantos, the conclusion is the same.

Triantos, 22, was a second-round pick in 2021, and has flashed a plus hit tool at some points during his professional career. However, injuries and a lack of power have stunted his development. In 538 plate appearances with Triple-A Iowa over the last two seasons, he's batted just .266/.322/.371, with 7 home runs. He does offer speed and versatility, but he's not a plus at any important defensive position, and while those numbers might be respectable for a slick-fielding middle infielder in the majors, they're underwhelming (to say the least) coming from a bat-first player still waiting to get the call.

Ramírez, 21, is in position to simply take over whatever role the Cubs once hoped Triantos would fill. In 2025, he spent the whole season at Double-A Knoxville, where he batted .280/.346/.386. Those were virtually identical numbers to the ones he put up at High-A South Bend in 2024. He's no future star, but he looks like a solid, well-rounded backup at multiple infield positions, with upside from there. It's likely that the team protects him and lets Triantos dangle.

Some of the day's other interesting calls will be on arms. Iowa starter Connor Noland doesn't have a plus pitch, but he was healthy and effective in Triple A in 2025 and offers high-floor, low-ceiling depth. Brandon Birdsell, who had climbed prospect lists and was my sleeper pick to contribute to the parent club when the team reported to spring training, almost immediately went down with a shoulder ailment that cost him the whole season. If he's healthy now, he's worth protecting from selection.

The number of vacancies on their 40-man also opens the door to some trades today. The Cubs are in position to swoop in, should another team find themselves in a roster crunch and either not be able to add a player with upside or want to ship out someone taking up a precious 40-man place. By no means do Jed Hoyer and company want to end the day with their roster full, but even if they only add three or four of their current prospects to the slate, they might fill another two spots Tuesday, as well. Imanaga's decision will grab the most headlines, but there will be lots of other activity throughout the league.

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[Bertz]

I don't think Birdsell needs to be protected.  He had his TJ in what, August?  There's no chance he hits 90 days on an active roster if someone were to pop him in the Rule 5.  I'm not as on top of McCollough's current injury (there's been so many!) but he feels pretty safe to leave off as well.

Ramirez is an absolute lock to protect, I think he's a pretty unanimous top 15 prospect in the system at this point.  Triantos is a lock too.  His star has fallen a good bit, but it hasn't crashed.  He still looks like a quality bench guy, something in the Adam Frazier/Amed Rosario neighborhood.

I suspect Noland gets added, and I suspect Riley Martin gets added too.  Both guys are fringey but with the number of roster spots Jed has to play with feel like they're comfortably worth it.

[chopsx9]

Yeah I hold on to Triantos unless there's a MAJOR crunch.  He's only 22 - I'd give him another season for his skills to gel.  I think his hit tool is real.

[Neuby]

Triantos has increased his value playing all over the diamond and being better on the base baths than advertised. Not cutting bait yet.