Predicting the Cubs’ Opening Day roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Baseball’s regular season will begin in a matter of weeks, and the Chicago Cubs still have some interesting questions to answer as they put together their 26-man roster ahead of the campaign. 

It’s still not clear who the starting third baseman will be, and the Cubs also will need to decide who their fifth starting pitcher will be as the season gets underway. 

Finally, there are bullpen questions that will need to be answered ahead of Opening Day, which will come on March 30 when the Cubs face the Milwaukee Brewers. 

With that in mind, here’s our take on how that roster will shake out, with two weeks to go until the opener. 

Catchers – 

Tucker Barnhart, Yan Gomes 

It would be tempting to have Luis Torrens figure into the mix in some way, but with how well Barnhart and Gomes have worked with the team’s pitching staff so far, this is probably the easiest decision of the bunch in terms of roster construction. 

Infield – 

Nico Hoerner, Eric Hosmer, Nick Madrigal, Trey Mancini, Edwin Rios, Dansby Swanson, Patrick Wisdom 

Dansby Swanson is of course going to be the Opening Day starter even after struggling during the spring, and Nico Hoerner will be the starting second baseman for the Cubs. 

There are more questions on the corner spots in the infield, with Eric Hosmer in all likelihood getting the bulk of the starts at first as Trey Mancini possibly fills in at designated hitter and in right field with Seiya Suzuki’s health in question. 

The biggest question of all, of course, will come at third base, and we’re leaning Patrick Wisdom at that spot. 

From there, it’s about the reserves. It’s hard to leave David Bote off the list at this point with how good a spring he’s had, but the ability of Mancini and Wisdom to play in the outfield cannot be overlooked, especially with Suzuki still working back from injury. 

If Suzuki does miss time, Bote could sneak into the mix, or the Cubs could keep Zach McKinstry around despite his struggles at the plate this spring. 

So long as Nick Madrigal can hit for contact, the Cubs are likely going to keep him around at this point, given some of the swing-and-miss issues posed in other portions of the lineup. 

Finally, Rios was brought in as a platoon option at third base and he’s certainly earned a spot based on his play. The leash won’t be overly long though, especially if the Cubs opt to send some of their younger players to AAA for more seasoning. 

Outfield – 

Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Mike Tauchman 

This could of course change if Suzuki is forced to start the season on the injured list, but he’s making some progress in his rehab, so it’s still possible he’s in right field on Opening Day.  

Regardless, it can be argued that Tauchman should make the team. He has drawn five walks and stolen three bases, and he’s also picked up seven hits, and with a team seeming likely to hold onto six or seven infielders, he would be a good candidate to serve as a reserve outfielder. 

If Suzuki can’t start the season in the outfield, one would expect to see Mancini getting plenty of time out there, and Wisdom could potentially fill in too. 

Christopher Morel’s name is a conspicuous absence too, but with his struggles in spring training, it would stand to reason if the Cubs decide to send him along the Ian Happ route and give him regular playing time in Iowa. He has struck out 19 times this spring going into Tuesday’s game, and that simply can’t happen. 
Nelson Velazquez could also start the season in the minors. 

Starting Pitchers – 

Drew Smyly, Justin Steele, Marcus Stroman, Jameson Taillon, Hayden Wesneski

While the top-four names on this list aren’t going to surprise anyone, the big question revolves around the fifth spot, and we’re giving the edge to Wesneski based on what he showed in the rotation last year, as well as his strong performance in Cactus League play so far. 

He is leading the team with 17 strikeouts, and his swing-and-miss stuff just can’t be ignored. Javier Assad has had an incredible spring, but we’re giving the edge to Wesneski. 

Relief Pitchers – 

Adbert Alzolay, Brad Boxberger, Michael Fulmer, Brandon Hughes, Anthony Kay, Julian Merryweather, Keegan Thompson, Rowan Wick 

This is going to undoubtedly upset some, with Assad pitching effectively for the Cubs spring training and for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, but his value as a potential starter is definitely worth keeping fresh, so we’re sending him to the minors in this exercise just to keep him stretched out. 

That could change if there is an injury to Alzolay or Thompson, with Assad seeming like a perfect candidate to replace either of those hurlers. 

Elsewhere, leaving Manny Rodriguez and Mark Leiter out of the bullpen is a tough call, but with how right-hand-heavy the pen is shaping up to be, we’re including Kay, who has a 1.50 ERA to go along with 10 strikeouts and just one walk in six innings of work. 

Frankly, it would not be a shock to see Michael Rucker get the nod, and there is a compelling argument to include Leiter over Kay since he was extremely effective against left-handed batters last season. 

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