A look at the Chicago Cubs potential 2015 Opening Day roster

Aug 14, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez at bat against the Milwaukee Brewers during the game at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

In the month of August, the Chicago Cubs posted a 16-14 record, saw the debut of several key prospects and started to drum up excitement not only around Wrigleyville, but across the baseball world as glimpses of the future began to be seen on a regular basis.

This year’s club looks to be headed for yet another fifth-place finish in the National League Central – a streak that dates back to 2010. Attendance levels have dropped off dramatically during that span. Five seasons ago, the Cubs drew 3,062,973 fans to the Friendly Confines. This year, although there is still a month to go in the season, the team has drawn just over 2.1 million – 1,188,927 to be exact. Needless to say, excitement has been lacking for much of the year.

However, since the arrival of some talented rookies – Kyle Hendricks, Arismendy Alcantara, Javier Baez and Jorge Soler – the fan base has been rejuvenated and excitement at Wrigley Field is reaching levels that haven’t been seen yet this decade. What’s scarier – and more exciting – is that the team is currently 12 1/2 games out of the division lead and, in all likelihood, won’t see postseason play – or anywhere close to it.

So with that in mind, it’s time to take a look at what next year’s 2015 Opening Day roster could look like.

Catcher – This spot seems to be locked down by Welington Castillo, who won’t hit free agency until after the 2018 season. Kyle Schwarber, who had a dominant season after being selected with the fourth-overall pick in the June draft, could eventually assume this role, but for now, Castillo seems to be the man moving forward.

The 27-year-old has struggled to reach base as often as he did last year, when he posted a batting line of .274/.349/.397 across 113 games. In those 93 contests, he clubbed eight home runs and drove in 32 runs. This season, although he’s batting just .231, Castillo has hit 10 home runs and driven in 34 runs, despite appearing in just 93 games to this point. He’s been a reliable backstop behind the dish and this looks to be the top candidate to start behind the dish in 2015.

Shortstop – Another Chicago player to fall victim to injury of late, Starlin Castro has been an offensive juggernaut this season, especially in the month of August, when he hit .378/.408/.510 in roughly 100 at-bats. His mental focus has, once again, repeatedly come under question, but his bounce back campaign is a promising sign.

He’s tied a career-high with 14 home runs this season and drove in 65 runs, posting a 2.1 WAR this season – as opposed to his dismal 2013 season when he batted just .245 and had a -0.6 WAR. In 27 fewer games, Castro has nearly matched his doubles total from a year ago and his defense has been above his career average. This season, he has a .973 fielding percentage – the best of his big league career – in 133 contests, but still comes in just below the average player in terms of his defensive capabilities with a -0.1 DWAR.

He’s another piece that could be traded in the next year or two – but for now, he projects as the team’s Opening Day shortstop.

Mar 10, 2014; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Third Base – The moment we’ve all been waiting for this entire season won’t come until the calendar turns over to 2015. That moment, of course, is the arrival of top prospect Kris Bryant, who was recently named the USA Today Minor League Baseball Player of the Year.

Bryant clubbed 43 home runs and drove in 110 runs this season between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, playing third base for both clubs. However, Theo Epstein said that he could get some reps in the outfield prior to next season, which would inly increase his value moving forward.

Should Bryant, for whatever reason, not break camp with Chicago, expect Luis Valbuena, who has been a very valuable asset for the Cubs this season both on the field and at the dish, to handle the bulk of third base duties. A bounce back spring by Mike Olt also wouldn’t hurt matters moving forward, as he’s shown signs of figuring things out since being sent down to Triple-A Iowa last month.

Outfield – At some point next season, Addison Russell may very well fill an outfield spot with Chicago, similarly to the move made by Arismendy Alcantara upon his promotion this season. However, it seems a long-shot that Russell would break camp with the club.

A trade rumor involving the Cubs and the Atlanta Braves that would have sent Edwin Jackson south in exchange for B.J. Upton and another arm surfaced in Aug., but never materialized into anything substantive. However, it’s also been reported that the two sides could revisit talks this winter, which would bring Upton into the mix.

Aug 30, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Jorge Soler (68) hits an RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Barring such a deal, Alcantara, Jorge Soler and Chris Coghlan will likely man the three outfield spots for the Cubs next April. Soler, who has been red-hot since his recent promotion, will look to build on his experience in the season’s final month this year, while Alcantara and Coghlan will look to continue to improve on reaching base.

Coghlan is in the midst of a very strong campaign – perhaps his strongest since winning the National League Rookie of the Year in 2009 – batting .278/.347/.441 with 22 doubles, serving primarily as the Cubs leadoff man. Alcantara has brought much-needed speed to Ricky Renteria’s lineup and to the center field area on the ball diamond, although his offensive struggles are well-documented. He’s batting just .220/.279/.390 this season, and focusing on contact and reaching base will be a primary task for the upcoming offseason.

As the season winds down, many of the players on the diamond for Chicago will be auditioning for 2015. We’ll talk arms in an upcoming article – an area the Cubs are expected to possibly add some quality names in the upcoming offseason.