3 Cubs prospects who won't make the Opening Day roster but will be promoted in no time

The wait is almost over, Chicago Cubs fans. Just over a week remains until Opening Day, and the team is almost set after what's been a very impactful offseason. The last-minute injury to Seiya Suzuki threw a bit of a wrench into things, but otherwise, the few spots remaining on the roster are mostly the same as they were coming into camp. A slot in the bullpen still needs to be filled, and they need another pair of outfielders, ideally for the bench and to temporarily cover the loss of one of their best offensive players.

These battles have mostly come into shape throughout Spring Training to the point that the possibilities are well-narrowed down. In the bullpen, Ryan Rolison, Jack Neely, and Luke Little have all been optioned, while Porter Hodge and Jordan Wicks are starting on the injured list. It leaves the door open for a familiar face like Ben Brown or Gavin Hollowell to make the cut, while, for the bench/outfield, Dylan Carlson and Michael Conforto have emerged as the favorites, with Chas McCormick likely on the outside looking in.

While they may not make the initial cut, the Cubs also have a few prospects waiting in the wings whose time will come sooner rather than later. Whether because of injury or the nature of their position, they're poised for a quick promotion, assuming they perform well in Triple-A. Let's look at three options that fans could see playing at Wrigley Field sooner rather than later.

1. Riley Martin

Optionable relievers are always a key part of the Cubs' bullpen strategy, and Riley Martin may be among the most intriguing. Martin spent his second full season in Iowa last year and evolved from knocking at the door to pounding at it aggressively, pitching to a 2.69 ERA and 3.54 FIP in 63 2/3 innings. He also carried over his high strikeout rate, sitting down 30.7% of the batters he faced while cutting down his walk rate to just 13.4%. For the team's number 28 prospect via MLB Pipeline, this might be his best chance coming off such a strong campaign.

Perhaps the team wouldn't necessarily need another lefty with Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar holding down the fort, but he offers a bit of a different look, averaging 94 mph on his fastball. His real weapon, however, is his curveball, which grades at a 70/70 overall according to FanGraphs and ranks as one of the best in the entire Cubs system. Even his fastball and change-up get respectable 50/50 and 55/55 grades. The main thing holding him back in the eyes of evaluators is his control, but if he can continue to improve like he did last year, his chances of reaching the big leagues will only increase.

Martin wasn't particularly inspiring in his 5 1/3 innings of Spring Training play, posting a 5.06 ERA, but that's a very small sample. His fate to start the year in Triple-A was sealed pretty much from the moment he entered camp. The question is if he'll be the first man up for the Cubs when needed. The team brought in a massive haul of minor league free agents this year to try and find the next breakout candidate a la Brad Keller, and they still have the aforementioned Neely, Little, Rolison, and Ethan Roberts available. Still, it's hard to see Martin staying down for long if he repeats what he did last year.

2. Jonathon Long

For the bench, Jonathon Long is still the most intriguing bat the Cubs have in their minor league system. After the injury to Tyler Austin, it was easy to see how he'd fit right in on the Opening Day bench, assuming his own elbow sprain was healed. We've spoken at length about his meteoric rise, raking at every single level and posting a .305/.404/.479/131 wRC+ season in Triple-A last year from the right side of the plate. Alas, even though he returned to Spring Training play over the weekend and even got a hit, he's still not likely to break camp with the big league squad.

As a primary first baseman, he doesn't bring the same flexibility that any of the outfield bench candidates do. Long's chances would most likely come at designated hitter as a platoon with Moises Ballesteros, with the rare appearance at first to spell Michael Busch. Even with limited possibilities for his use, there just doesn't seem to be much left for him to gain from playing at Iowa. His 13% walk rate and 19.1% strikeout rate would both be well above average for a major leaguer, and his power is definitely coming through, as evidenced by his career high 20 home runs last year.

If Long continues his torrid pace or, even better, improves again at Triple-A, it'll be hard for the Cubs to ignore him for long. He may also benefit ever so slightly from Matt Shaw learning to play right field. That could give the team room to call him up as an extra right-handed threat if one of the bench pieces they carry to opening day doesn't pan out. Right now, he's not the type of player to bet against.

3. Kevin Alcantara

Kevin Alcantara is in a slightly similar boat to Long. Like the first baseman, he's bound to be passed over for McCormick, Carlson, and/or Conforto, albeit not because he's a bad fit. He's likely the better outfielder defensively, but the Cubs understand the kind of offensive potential he has and will want to give him more runway in Iowa, where he can play every day. After all, part of the reason they were fine with parting with Owen Caissie this offseason was because of Alcantara's sky-high ceiling. The only thing that may have earned him a spot would have been if Suzuki's injury was more than a minor PCL strain and required a lengthy stay on the IL.

However, unlike Long, his ability to cover all three outfield spots well means that he should be the team's first call if the above options aren't cutting it. He could also force the issue, though that might take some work. He hit well, but not spectacularly, in Iowa last year, with a .266/.349/.470 slash line and 110 wRC+, but the main concern was his strikeout rate. 29.8% is just too high for a player in the minor leagues and doesn't bode well for how he'll adjust against MLB-caliber arms. He also hasn't done himself any favors at the plate or on the base paths this spring. After getting 12 plate appearances on the Cubs last year, though, he may be able to take some experience back with him to work on in Triple-A.

Even with his flaws, it still feels like a matter of when, not if, we see Alcantara on the big league squad this year. Injuries happen, and he'd likely be the first man up, particularly for anything medium to long-term in the outfield. With both Suzuki and Ian Happ due to be free agents after this season, too, it also wouldn't hurt for him to get more experience at the highest level at some point this year to prepare him for a potentially bigger role going forward.