Andrew Wright

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images It's been a little over a month since our first 2026 roster projection for the Chicago Cubs, and there's been some notable changes since then. No major offensive additions have been made, but Jed Hoyer and Co. have made strong attempts to field another great bullpen next season. With all of the team's new additions accounted for, here is the second prediction at the Cubs' Opening Day roster. Pitchers (13) Shota Imanaga - SP Matthew Boyd - SP Cade Horton - SP Jameson Taillon - SP Colin Rea - SP Javier Assad - RP Phil Maton - RP Caleb Thielbar - RP Porter Hodge - RP Hoby Milner - RP Jacob Webb - RP Hunter Harvey - RP Daniel Palencia - RP The additions of Milner, Harvey and Webb all happened since our first projection. Those three likely signal that pitchers such as Luke Little, Ethan Roberts and others will begin the season with Triple-A Iowa. Also, not included on the list is Justin Steele. Steele is slated to return near the summer months of the season, and he will certainly be a factor down the stretch in the rotation. For now, the big question is who will win the No. 5 starter job in a fierce competition among Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and top prospect Jaxon Wiggins. Catchers (2) Carson Kelly Miguel Amaya Nothing significant has changed at catcher. Chicago did sign Christian Bethancourt to a split contract, but he will likely be a non-factor on the major-league roster unless Amaya or Kelly is injured during the season. Infielders (5) Michael Busch - 1B Tyler Austin - 1B Nico Hoerner - 2B Dansby Swanson - SS Matt Shaw - 3B In our first prediction, we guessed that the Cubs would add utility man Luis Urias for the fifth infielder spot. That is no longer the case with the addition of 34-year-old Tyler Austin. Austin has spent the previous six seasons in Japan and will likely be the platoon option at first base with Busch. Outfielders (5) Ian Happ Pete Crow-Armstrong Seiya Suzuki Owen Caissie Kevin Alcantara We predicted Rob Refsnyder to be on the North Side in our first edition of the roster projection, but that can no longer be true as he headed out West to Seattle. There doesn't seem to be much traction surrounding the Cubs and available outfielders — save for some loose rumors connecting them back to Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker — so we're likely headed toward Caissie and Alcantara getting those two reserve outfield spots. Designated Hitter (1) Moises Ballesteros No change here, as it seems likely that Ballesteros and Suzuki will have some sort of platoon situation going at DH depending on the pitching matchups and what happens with Caissie in spring training. These predictions are always subject to change with major offseason acquisitions, but as of now, this is our best guess at what the team will look like come Opening Day against the Washington Nationals. Do you think we missed anybody? Let us know in the comments below! View full article

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The calendar has officially rolled over into December, meaning the Major League Baseball offseason should begin to really rev up. We've seen some compelling, unexpected signings and trades so far this offseason, but the blockbuster moves we're all waiting for haven't quite dropped yet. The Chicago Cubs aren't expected to re-sign Kyle Tucker, but there are other moves made that can improve next season's roster. Let's project a few of them, and the Opening Day roster that could take shape around them. Pitchers (13) Shota Imanaga - SP Matthew Boyd - SP Cade Horton - SP Ranger Suárez - SP Jameson Taillon - SP Colin Rea - RP Javier Assad - RP Ben Brown - RP Porter Hodge - RP Phil Maton - RP Luke Little - RP Daniel Palencia - RP Ethan Roberts - RP As you'll notice above, the Cubs' reported interest in left-hander Ranger Suárez is strong enough to place him into this first Opening Day roster prediction. Suárez has been linked to Chicago throughout the entire offseason, and he would be a welcome addition to a Cubs staff that already boasts three left-handed starters. The only other new name on the list is the recently signed right-handed reliever Phil Maton. Justin Steele is unlikely to be ready until at least May, but he's very much a factor, too. Catchers (2) Carson Kelly Miguel Amaya Expect no changes behind the plate for Chicago after the non-tendering of Reese McGuire. Barring any injuries (or an unexpected turning of the corner by Moisés Ballesteros, defensively), it should be Kelly and Amaya holding it down behind the plate for all 162 games next season. Infielders (5) Michael Busch- 1B Nico Hoerner - 2B Dansby Swanson - SS Matt Shaw - 3B Luis Urías - UTIL We're staying small here. Luis Urías would be a minor addition, but an important one. He can play either second or third base (and first, if the situation demands it). A righty batter, he's a possible platoon partner for Michael Busch, as well as a backup to Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner. Hoerner himself serves as the backup for Dansby Swanson, although now that infielder Pedro Ramirez is on the 40-man roster, he could also become part of the equation. Outfielders (5) Ian Happ Pete Crow-Armstrong Seiya Suzuki Owen Caissie Rob Refsnyder Rob Refsnyder is a name that's been thrown around a bit to fill a need for an excellent platoon option against left-handed pitchers. The other four outfielders listed here are as expected, and they will play a majority of the games during the season. Designated Hitter (1) Moisés Ballesteros No surprise here, as Ballesteros showed his ability to handle major-league pitching during his limited time last season. With no more Tucker in the lineup and Suzuki likely to play more outfield in 2026, the DH role should belong at least partially to Ballesteros. There you have it: our best guess at the Opening Day roster for 2026, when Chicago takes the field against the Washington Nationals. These predictions could obviously change with time and signings, and we'll make sure to update that when our second prediction comes out. View full article

Yep, I agree. I think it's a bit insane that neither Swanson nor Busch (Bush especially) were nominated for one. Spencer Steer instead of Busch was kind of crazy in my opinion

The National League Gold Glove finalists have been announced and unsurprisingly, the Chicago Cubs lead the pack with six finalists. On the surprising side, Dansby Swanson is not one of those six. Nico Hoerner, 2B Matt Shaw, 3B Ian Happ, LF Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF Carson Kelly, C Matthew Boyd, SP Hoerner will be looking for his second Gold Glove Award in the last three seasons. He led second basemen in nearly every single defensive category, and he is the resounding favorite to win the hardware. Happ has won the award each of the previous three seasons and that is unlikely to change again this season. Happ would become the first Cubs left fielder to ever win four straight Gold Glove Awards at the position. The remainder of the group will all be looking for their first ever Gold Glove. We all know the defensive brilliance shown from Shaw and Crow-Armstrong this season. Kelly was excellent behind the plate this season and Boyd leading MLB in pickoffs certainly put him in position to win the award for the first time in his career. As things stand, Hoerner, Happ, Crow-Armstrong, and potentially Boyd appear to be favorites at their respective positions. Patrick Bailey (catcher) and Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B) will make it virtually impossible for Kelly and Shaw to win, however. The winners at each position will be announced Sunday, Nov. 2 on ESPN. View full rumor

The time for fun and celebration from the Chicago Cubs' Wild Card Series win over the San Diego Padres has come and gone. It is now time to look ahead to Saturday and Chicago's opening game of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. A stellar pitching effort from the Cubs in the Wild Card Series has, unfortunately, left manager Craig Counsell a bit short-handed on Saturday's starting pitcher. ESPN's Jesse Rogers just recently reported that Counsell has not yet announced a starter and will wait until all starters throw on Friday before making a decision. Among those under consideration is left-hander Matthew Boyd. Boyd started Game 1 against the Padres on Tuesday, meaning he would be one day short of his typical five-day rest. With Boyd having the second-most innings pitched of his career this season, it's unlikely he'd be brought back on just three days' rest. If not Boyd, that leaves a door open for none other than Javier Assad to get the starting nod. Assad was not on the roster for the first round, so he would need to be added to the NLDS roster for that to become reality. Assad pitched on the last day of the regular season, meaning he would be back on an extra sixth day of rest, regardless of how fans feel about Assad's tendency to find himself in trouble, announcing him as the starter may be the smartest move from a health perspective. Let's assume that it is Assad starting Game 1. What does that do for the remainder of the season? The most likely scenario would be Boyd getting Game 2 on Monday and Shota Imanaga getting Game 3 back home at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. Assuming neither side sweeps the series, Counsell should have a plethora of options for the potential Games 4 and 5. Jameson Taillon would likely be available for Game 4 on Thursday, and if the series goes to the fifth game, then what? An opener in one of the games is also a possibility. We saw it with Andrew Kittredge against San Diego, so it is evident that Counsell likes the idea of having that in his back pocket if needed. Unlike the Padres, though, the Brewers don't have terrifying right-hand sluggers at the top of the lineup. It may be best to save Kittredge for the high-leverage situations he's pitched in since coming over to Chicago at the trade deadline. It will undoubtedly be interesting to see how Counsell mixes and matches the starting rotation and bullpen during the Brewers series. The bullpen (counting Imanaga) threw 17 2/3 of 27 innings in the first round, meaning Counsell could want his starters going deeper into games against Milwaukee. It is, however, the postseason, and Counsell should not hesitate to make any moves he feels necessary to give his club the best shot to win a game and continue what has the makings of a magical October run. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images A nail-biting NL Wild Card Round saw the Chicago Cubs escape with a 2-1 series victory over the San Diego Padres. Chicago used a combination of timely hitting and stellar pitching (especially from the bullpen) to advance through the first stage of the postseason and set up a divisional showdown against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Chicago's roster in the first round of the playoffs did not have many surprises, but there are a couple of additions that may be coming to the next round's roster given the strengths of the Brewers (and the fact that this is a best-of-five series). Here's our best guess at the Cubs NLDS roster. Pitchers (12) Shota Imanaga Matthew Boyd Colin Rea Jameson Taillon Javier Assad Andrew Kittredge Brad Keller Daniel Palencia Michael Soroka Caleb Thielbar Drew Pomeranz Taylor Rogers Just one change here to the pitching staff, as we replace Aaron Civale with Assad. Assad throwing on the Sunday before the Wild Card series began made it an easy decision for Craig Counsell to take a fresh arm like Civale instead. Assad will be fully rested and may even be in line to start Game 1 against Milwaukee on Saturday, depending on if Matthew Boyd is ready/willing to take the ball on short rest. Catchers (2) Carson Kelly Reese McGuire No changes here to the catching unit, as we still do not have an update on Miguel Amaya. If by some chance Amaya is healthy, do not be surprised to see him crack the roster over McGuire, though Kelly will grab just about every start regardless, thanks to the built-in days off during the postseason. Infielders (5) Michael Busch Nico Hoerner Dansby Swanson Matt Shaw Justin Turner Outfielders (4) Ian Happ Pete Crow-Armstrong Seiya Suzuki Kevin Alcantara Designated Hitter (2) Kyle Tucker Moises Ballesteros Utility (2) Willi Castro Justin Turner As far as we can tell, these will be the 26 men repping the road blue/grey and home white when the Cubs and Brewers do battle in the NLDS. The one change we did make was swapping out Civale for Assad, but there are a couple of other changes that could potentially be made if the front office wants to. Replacing Alcantara with Billy Hamilton would be the first option. Hamilton was signed on Aug. 31, making him eligible for the postseason roster. You have to figure that was for a reason, and the option to put him on the roster over Alcantara is certainly there to make, especially since his glove and speed would make him a valuable addition to Counsell's bench. The trade-off, of course, is that he's a complete zero at the plate. This could come down to whether or not Tucker is healthy enough to play right field again. Another potential change made would be surrounding the status of the previously mentioned Amaya. How healthy is he and what can he produce? If he is healthy, should the Cubs carry three catchers and remove someone entirely, or should it just be a straight up McGuire for Amaya swap? Even if he is healthy, though, should he replace McGuire's hot lefty bat (112 wRC+ in September)? We should know the status of Amaya in the coming hours and that will determine his place on the NLDS roster. Chicago could very well just stick with the same 26-man roster that it used against San Diego, but that feels a bit unlikely, especially since Counsell won't be able to manage his bullpen quite so effectively in a longer series. Minuscule changes are more than likely at this point, and they are probably in the best interest of the team. Whatever the decisions may be, the series between the Cubs and Brewers is shaping up to be one of the more highly anticipated playoff series in recent memory. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images For the first time in five seasons, postseason baseball will include the Chicago Cubs, with the Wild Card Round making its way to Wrigley Field. Chicago is set to welcome in the San Diego Padres in one of two NL Wild Card series, with the winner set to match up with the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Playoff baseball being just a day away means it's time to start diving into the analytics and becoming curious about rosters and how in-game situations will play out. One of those situations will be how manager Craig Counsell gets through a game with his first basemen. While it may seem as simple as letting Michael Busch, the team leader in home runs, take every rep, Counsell has shown us this season that Occam's Razor doesn't always apply to his lineup constructions. Veteran corner infielder Justin Turner was brought in to hit left-handed pitching and play first base, and he's done that somewhat respectably. Against southpaws this year, Turner is slashing .276/.330/.429 with three home runs and a .759 OPS. Those numbers could look even better if you take away his horrific month of April, when he hit just .171 in 41 total at-bats. His postseason experience alone would probably have earned his way into a few starts, but Turner should be a fixture against lefties thanks to his success this season. So, with that said, the likely scenario would see Busch starting against right-handed pitching with Turner later entering the game to pinch hit against a left-hander. Hypothetically, et's say that happens in the sixth inning of the game; Turner's spot will come up again in the lineup, and it could be against a right-hander such as Jeremiah Estrada or Mason Miller. Who should be expected to take that at-bat? Look no further than rookie Moises Ballesteros. One of Chicago's top prospects has collected 57 MLB at-bats this season, and he's looked quite phenomenal doing so. In the limited sample size, Ballesteros is slashing .298/.394/.474, along with a .868 OPS and the first two home runs of his MLB career. He has just 12 strikeouts compared to nine walks, a showcase of his elite plate vision at such a young age. Up until Saturday, Ballesteros had been strictly a DH for the Cubs. That's now changed, though, as he played an inning at first base both Saturday and Sunday. That would almost certainly indicate that Counsell and the front office envisions a world where Ballesteros would need to play an inning or two at first base in the later stages of games after pinch-hitting for Turner. It would likely be a tough ask, but it may certainly need to be what happens, especially if offense is at a premium against the Padres' otherworldly bullpen. Everything we've discussed could be rendered moot Counsell decides to stick with Busch against all pitchers and forget about the platoon and the matchup. Given that he just hit .244/.337/.634 (160 wRC+), that could certainly be the case. If not, though, it would seem that Ballesteros's recent appearances at first base have shown Counsell's hand, giving the Cubs an odd-looking but nonetheless effective Cerberus at first base. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images When they made a move for him at the trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs certainly envisioned Michael Soroka being a borderline playoff starting pitcher. They could not predict that Soroka would be injured two innings into his Cubs tenure, changing his role for the remainder of the season. That role, though, could still be a massive one, so let's dive a little more into what he can provide them. Since his return from the injured list, Soroka has made three appearances as a multi-inning relief arm. He's combined to go 4 2/3 innings, with three hits, four walks and four strikeouts. He was technically responsible for four runs in Tuesday night's painful loss, but they were all unearned—and two of them scored after Soroka departed. The walks are a bit concerning, but that could be due to rust after being away from the mound for over a month. We've known that the plan for Soroka was to go to the bullpen and provide multiple innings of relief. The Cubs, though, already have Aaron Civale and Javier Assad to fill that role. Soroka's role should and may very well be transitioned from long reliever/medium leverage to high-leverage, one-inning reliever during the postseason. The injury to closer Daniel Palencia has left Chicago with few trusted high-leverage relievers down the stretch. Brad Keller and Andrew Kittredge have each been dominant for long periods, but each has had a blowup or two in the last fortnight, too. It's not clear what the best path from the end of the sixth inning to Out No. 27 will be each night, even when the Cubs get a lead. The impending return of Palencia will play a big part in determining the role for Soroka. If he can come back and be dominant like he was in the early parts of the season, Soroka's role could be minimized. He could remain in a medium-leverage role in the bullpen and merely provide multiple innings when needed. If not, though, Soroka could be a viable third right-handed option out of the bullpen, alongside Keller and Kittredge. The final week of the regular season could be important for Soroka. Another outing or two would be ideal, just for him to continue to get work and stay sharp. Ironing out his command issues before the postseason will also be important if he has hopes of being an important piece of the playoff bullpen. Craig Counsell will certainly have talks with his staff surrounding the best ways to use guys like Soroka and Assad in the postseason. Assad should likely remain in his long reliever role, while Soroka should be moved to high leverage if the stuff plays well against the Mets and Cardinals. He has all the makings of a sneaky bullpen piece who helps a team get through games and claim close wins in pivotal games. Soroka has a chance to be a true hero out of the bullpen, in his first postseason appearance since one start with Atlanta in 2019. We may be wrong, but a bold take of sorts would be that a deep postseason run for the Cubs will be headlined by a stellar performance from Soroka out of the bullpen. At any rate, he's put himself back into the mix. View full article