3 Cubs players who could surprisingly be left off the postseason roster

We have officially reached the final month of the regular season and with the Chicago Cubs sitting at 20 games over .500, it feels fairly safe to assume the organization's first postseason appearance since 2020 is on the horizon.

The 28-man rosters of September trim back down to a 26-man set in the postseason, meaning Chicago will have decisions to make when, presumably, it kicks off play in the Wild Card round in early October.

There is a high likelihood that there will be a couple of surprise left off when the rosters are announced, so here are three players that could unfortunately be left off the roster.

3 players who won't make the cut on the Cubs' postseason roster

Justin Turner, 1B/3B

Being truthful, Justin Turner does not serve much of a purpose on the roster anymore. His slash line of .215/.284/.315 is well below what Chicago expected out of him when they brought the veteran in on a one-year deal last winter.

He's been a bit more serviceable against left-handers, hitting .273 with a .753 OPS and three home runs. Turner has just 21 at-bats since the trade deadline, and it is clear that he is no longer a big piece of the season-long puzzle and Chicago may be regretting the decision to bring him in, regardless of how big of a presence he has in the clubhouse.

The signing of switch-hitting first baseman/DH Carlos Santana all but sealed the fate of Turner and, despite being left on the regular season roster all season long, I'd be surprised if he cracks the postseason roster given the team's current mix of players.

Jameson Taillon, SP

This simply comes down to just not having enough room on the potential postseason roster. Taillon has been shaky at times, and it will likely cost him a spot on the roster.

If all are healthy, the Cubs will likely be carrying Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea and Mike Soroka on the postseason roster, leaving eight spots for bullpen arms.

Taillon's postseason experience would be the argument for keeping him, but there are simply just better options who have been more productive this season. Taillon may return from injury sometime in September, but it's likely he will be left off the postseason roster when it is announced.

Reese McGuire, C

Many would think that the Cubs decision to keep Reese McGuire when Miguel Amaya returned from injury would mean the front office would decide to carry three catchers in the postseason as well.

That may not be the case though, as there is not a clear path for playing time when the postseason begins. An under-the-radar signing made by Chicago today surely meant something for the fate of one of the catchers.

The Cubs signed speedster Billy Hamilton to a minor league deal, and they did it in time for Hamilton to be eligible for the postseason roster. It would seem that Hamilton may be a sneaky addition to the postseason roster strictly to run bases, much like Terrance Gore did for one game in 2018.

If Hamilton is added, it makes sense that McGuire would be the odd man out, as there would not be room for three catchers. Chicago would presumably want the two catchers it had to begin the season of the playoff roster.