Cubs Offseason Primer: The Remarkable Stability of the Infield

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The Chicago Cubs are entering the offseason needing to fill their roster in many spots. The organization stands to lose a bevy of free agents, including Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and plenty of others. The one thing most of the players have in common, though, is that they either toe the rubber on a consistent basis or spend all of their time in the outfield.

The one positional group that will likely be almost identical in 2027 is the infield, thanks both to the long-term contracts held by the group and the strong performances from the usual stalwarts.

Catcher

Of all the infield positions for the Cubs, catcher contains the most unknowns. Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya spent a majority of the time last season behind the plate, but Kelly is set to be a free agent, and Amaya still hasn't proven himself to be worthy of the the full-time starting gig.

That leaves a bit of a question mark at the position, but the Cubs may have the answer in the form of Owen Ayers. Ayers, the organization's No. 2 prospect, had a monster season in the minors, slashing .289/.403/.526, good for an OPS of .929, with 25 home runs, 29 doubles and 82 RBIs.

Ayers also has a cannon for an arm, as he caught 41 runners stealing. It was one of the most impressive seasons in recent Cubs' prospect history and has fans excited for what's to come in 2027. He will surely be on the Opening Day roster if Kelly were to head elsewhere in free agency and would likely platoon with Amaya before eventually taking over as the everyday catcher.

First Base

Barring a massive offseason trade, it will be Michael Busch getting a majority of the playing time at first base in 2027. Busch exploded onto the scene in 2025 with 34 home runs and 90 RBIs, but took a bit of a step back in 2026; the homers dipped from 34 to 20, and the RBIs dipped from 90 to 77. That drop-off was slightly concerning, as Busch was given much more leeway against left-handed pitching, getting 76 more at-bats than he had in 2025.

Busch also succeeded against lefties in 2026, slashing .243/.348/.422, much better than the .207/.274/.368 slash line against them in 2025. Along with the increased production, Busch also had to be in the lineup against lefties because the Cubs didn't have another option. Right-handed hitter Tyler Austin was a free agent addition but a knee injury caused him to miss the entire season.

The story at first base in 2027 will be finding a suitable backup option to allow a few off days for Busch. Whether that be Matt Shaw, Pedro Ramirez or someone else, figuring out the backup first baseman that can spell the starter when he's going through a funk will be important.

Second Base

If it was up to Nico Hoerner, he'd never take a day off. Hoerner has appeared in 150-plus games in each of the previous three seasons, including a career high 159 in 2026. With that, though, came the worst full season of his stellar career. He set career lows in nearly every offensive category, something that was extremely prevalent in the first half of the season.

Hoerner did heat up following the All-Star break and looked to be back to his normal self. Even with the decrease in offensive production, his defense makes him way too valuable to not be in the lineup. Hoerner's all-around excellence has made him such a likable player and fans always know that unless of an injury, No. 2 will be in the lineup and playing second base.

On the rare instance that he needs an off day, it will likely be the aforementioned Shaw or Ramirez that slides over to fill this spot. Hearing those two names as backups will be a common theme, as their versatility allows for it.

Shortstop

Much like is the case with Hoerner, Dansby Swanson would spend 162 games at shortstop if it was up to him. However, his lack of production is starting to weigh down his profile. Swanson had the worst season of his career in 2026, slashing just .213/.297/.397 with 19 home runs and 69 RBIs.

It was a staggering showing that was even aided by his eight-day stretch in June in which he hit eight home runs and drove in 23 runs. Without that stretch, Swanson would've been regarded as one of the worst hitters in the entire league. It still did little to salvage his reputation as a star failing to live up this salary of more than $25 million per year.

If the struggles continue into next season, Chicago will really have to start considering moving on from Swanson or using him in some sort of platoon role. If that is the case, Hoerner would likely be the person to slide over from second to short and replace Swanson. If not Hoerner, it would likely be a left-handed hitting free agent addition that could give him a breather against tougher righties.

Third Base

After a rough first two months, Alex Bregman proved why Chicago gave him such a large chunk of change in the offseason. Bregman got through his early season funk and managed to slash .265/.355/.464 with 28 home runs, 93 RBIs, and 5.5 fWAR, his highest in a season since 2019.

Bregman was also shaky defensively early in the season, but he turned that around as well. He finished the season with +9 Outs Above Average, which ranked second in MLB among all third basemen. Bregman most importantly, though, stayed healthy and played in 155 games, more than he has in any campaign since 2023.

If a health concern were to arise for Bregman in 2027, it will once again be the aforementioned Ramirez or Shaw that would serve as the backup at the position depending on the pitching matchup.