At long last, the Chicago Cubs had the kind of offseason their passionate fan base had been hoping for. Not only did they acquire a potential frontline starter in Edward Cabrera via trade, but they also signed a marquee free agent, Alex Bregman, to a five-year, $175 million deal. The Cubs were willing to trade a top prospect, Owen Caissie, and spend a lot of money as well, showing a desire to win that we really haven’t seen in recent years.
The Cubs’ improved roster should lead to more wins in 2026, but it could also result in these four players not even having a shot when it comes to making the Opening Day roster out of spring training
RHP Ben Brown
Jul 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown (32) ties to stay cool in the dugout before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
Why not start out with a hot take? Ben Brown was once a top prospect in the Cubs’ system and he’s shown glimpses of frontline stuff at the big league level. In an ideal world, he’d make the team out of spring and never get sent back down, but how realistic is that? The rotation is all but set thanks to the Cabrera trade, even with Justin Steele set to miss the first month or two of the season. Brown could make the team as a reliever, but is this likely? Look at what pitching coach Tommy Hottovy had to say in a recent interview.
“Our goal is to get him stretched out, continue to develop the changeup, working on a few other pitches, and continue to build out his repertoire and let him go be a dominant pitcher for us,” Hottovy said.
If the Cubs wanted Brown to be a reliever, why would they bother stretching him out? Why would they emphasize improving his change-up when his fastball and curveball are already strong pitches? Brown has the stuff to thrive in a one-inning bullpen role if the Cubs wanted that (he looked much better as a reliever than as a starter last season), but they clearly do not.
He could, theoretically, be a long reliever, but the Cubs already have Colin Rea, who is out of options, and Javier Assad, who has done more at the big league level, in the mix. Only Assad and Daniel Palencia can even be sent down without being exposed to waivers among their projected relievers. Brown will almost certainly play a role either as a starter or as a reliever for the Cubs sometime this season, but it’s hard to envision that happening on Opening Day without some injuries.
C Christian Bethancourt
Aug 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; against Chicago Cubs catcher Christian Bethancourt (60) hits an RBI single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Cubs gave eight-year veteran Christian Bethancourt a minor league deal this offseason, adding catching depth to their organization. Admittedly, the odds are stacked against virtually any non-roster invitee, but someone with as much experience as Bethancourt always has a chance in most cases. It’s hard to see it with the Cubs, though.
Carson Kelly broke out in a huge way last season and will begin the season as the Cubs’ starting catcher. Miguel Amaya played well when healthy last season and is out of options, making him the clear backup. If the Cubs need more catching depth, Moises Ballesteros, their top prospect, happens to be a catcher as well.
The Cubs could decide to restrict Ballesteros to DH duty, keeping the door open for Bethancourt to potentially make the team if one of Kelly or Amaya were to suffer an injury, but barring that, Bethancourt’s odds of making the team are incredibly slim, if not completely none.
1B/3B Jonathon Long
Iowa Cubs first baseman Jonathon Long catches a ball during game two of an Iowa Cubs/Worcester Red Sox series at Principal Park on Aug. 13, 2025, in Des Moines. | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Jonathon Long, one of the Cubs’ best position player prospects, slashed .305/.404/.479 with 20 home runs and 91 RBI in 140 games for Triple-A Iowa last season. These numbers would suggest he’s more than MLB-ready. Despite that, he did not play a single game in the majors and isn’t even on the Cubs’ 40-man roster. What are the odds he’s going to make the team out of spring training this season?
Long is primarily a corner infielder. Those spots are taken by Michael Busch and Alex Bregman, respectively. If the Cubs were to decide to use Busch as a platoon at first base, Tyler Austin figures to receive the at-bats against lefties, given the fact that he signed an MLB contract this winter. Long has played some left field, but the Cubs have Ian Happ there.
They could potentially use Long as their DH if Ballesteros doesn’t hit at all in spring training, but more likely than not, they have no room for him, which is a bit disappointing. Long deserves a look, but there just isn’t a spot as of now.
LHP Luke Little
Apr 16, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Luke Little reacts after walking in a run during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
In theory, any reliever on the 40-man roster has somewhat of a shot to make an Opening Day roster, and Luke Little is on the Cubs’ 40-man roster. Should he really make the team, though?
As mentioned above, the only relievers projected to make the team with options are Daniel Palencia and Javier Assad. Palencia has already been named the closer, so he isn’t going anywhere. The only reliever whose spot is really in danger is Assad, and why should Little make the team over him? Even if Assad were to get demoted to Triple-A, look at the other options in the Cubs’ bullpen mix.
Ben BrownJordan WicksPorter HodgeEthan RobertsGavin HollowellTrent ThorntonCollin Snider
Little might have better stuff than all of those guys, but he’s also harder to trust because of his lack of command. The southpaw issued six walks in just 2.2 big league innings last season, which is why he spent most of his season in Triple-A. He pitched pretty well for the Cubs in 2024, but still issued 18 walks in 26 innings of work. It’s hard to trust a guy who has consistently demonstrated a lack of command.
Perhaps Little limiting walks in spring training can give him a puncher’s chance to make the team, but even then, it’s unlikely the Cubs will put enough stock into his spring performance to place him on their Opening Day roster when they have a plethora of other options to consider.
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