Cubs set final roster before MLB Opening Day

In preparation for their domestic opening day game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Cubs have officially set their 26-man  roster. While some players were obvious inclusions, others were more of a question. 

The rotation

Included on the Cubs’ opening roster are starting pitchers Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, and Ben Brown.

The only relatively surprising move here is Ben Brown being included as the fifth starter. Brown has impressed manager Craig Counsell and his appearance in Japan was evidence of his great swing and miss potential. He will need to learn to control the zone more and limit hard contact. But Brown is a huge upside as a bottom of the rotation arm. 

A reworked Bullpen

The Cubs have done some reshuffling of the bullpen in the last several days. Their final roster before taking on Arizona will consist of Porter Hodge, Brad Keller, Colin Rea, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Pressley, Nate Pearson, Eli Morgan, and Julian Merriweather.

Morgan was recently called up from Triple-A after being optioned about a week ago. This is perhaps because both Tyson Miller and Ryan Brasier will start the year on the injured list. 

Questions answered in the infield

For the infield, the Cubs will hold Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Matt Shaw, Jon Berti, Justin Turner, and Gage Workman. Newcomer Vidal Brujan will start the season on the injured list with a right elbow injury. 

Nico Hoerner was a surprise addition to the Cubs’ opening day lineup. After not making the trip with the Cubs to Japan as he continued to rehab, Hoerner was expected to ramp up in spring training and begin a rehab assignment to start the season. The initial expectation was that he would be able to rejoin the Cubs for their home opener against the Padres on April 4th. But it seems he has accelerated that timeline, and his rehabilitation is progressing well. When asked about his current status by Marquee Sports Networks, Alex Cohen Hoerner said, “It feels great to be in the lineup.” He also said, “I was able to get a good solid forty at-bats with the minor league games and everything while the team was in Japan, so I’m feeling ready to go.” 

The Cubs will welcome the addition of the former Gold Glover back into their lineup.

A loaded outfield

Speaking of gold gloves, the outfield consists of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Kyle Tucker. With Seiya Suzuki serving as the primary designated hitter. 

No surprises here; the Cubs outfield looks to become one of the best units in Major League Baseball. If Tucker can continue his MVP-caliber season from last year and Pete Crow-Armstrong takes the leap, this trio will be a weapon for the Cubs. 

The backstops

The catchers will be Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly. Amaya will surely start the year behind the dish. But he will need to prove that his second-half revival last season was no fluke. The Cubs may have their catcher of the future waiting in the minor leagues, so the pressure is on to produce for this unit. 

This Cubs team looks to be a good one on paper. But with expectations come pressure.

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