3 Cubs who'll make the Opening Day roster but will be gone by June

Spring training is officially here, with pitchers and catchers reporting to Sloan Park last week. As Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell looks to assemble his roster for the upcoming season, here are three players who may not be around for too long.

3 Cubs players who won't be on the team by the All-Star break

Dylan Carlson

First things first, Dylan Carlson needs to make the team. Once a highly touted prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals, Carlson never reached the level of stardom many expected from him. Injury history kept him sidelined for much of his Cardinals tenure, only appearing in over 100 games just twice over his six-year MLB career.

A career .233/.312/.372 hitters in nearly 2,000 big-league plate appearances, Carlson spent the 2025 season with Baltimore - really struggling at the dish, evidenced by a disappointing 74 wRC+. It's been years since he was an above-average contributor but at just 27 years old, the Cubs are hoping he can get things back on track while filling an important role on the bench.

With an additional option year secured on Kevin Alcántara, Chicago could stash their outfield prospect at Triple-A to see if he can improve his swing-and-miss, meanwhile giving Carlson runway as a fourth outfielder. But if Carlson struggles and Alcántara looks the part sooner rather than later, the former's time in the organization could be short.

Hoby Milner

The Cubs have a tendency to take aging left-handed relievers and turn them into contributors. It was seen last year as the tandem of Drew Pomeranz (36) and Caleb Thielbar (38) each saw a substantial role down the stretch for the Cubs. Jed Hoyer may have found his man once again, signing 35-year-old Hoby Milner to a one-year, $3.75 million contract in December.

Milner will likely slot next to Thielbar as the Cubs’ two southpaws heading into 2026. With the younger and much harder throwing Luke Little looking to reclaim his place in the bullpen, Milner will need a strong start to the season to prove himself. With Little knocking on the door, Milner’s short-term contract could incentivize the Cubs to make a change if things go south for the southpaw.

Javier Assad

Often seen as a long reliever with the potential to start in a pinch, Javier Assad looks set to claim the last bullpen spot heading into 2026. The question is, will he be able to keep it?

With Justin Steele not ready to return to the rotation just yet, the expectation is that Colin Rea could be relied on for a spot start here and there should the Cubs decided to roll with a six-man rotation. This makes Assad the odd man out, and with Ben Brown and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins on the outside looking in, Assad’s place the bullpen is by no means a guarantee, especially as the season wears on.