6 Cubs about to lose their roster spot once key pitchers return and trade deadline looms

The Chicago Cubs bidding farewell to Jameson Taillon earlier this week is a reminder of the roster shuffle that is looming. Between pitchers returning from injury and the trade deadline looming, there's likely going to be a shuffling of parts across the roster.

Over the next two months, the Cubs should have Hunter Harvey, Ben Brown, Edward Cabrera, and Daniel Palencia returning to the pitching staff. It would also seem that there's a strong chance that Shelby Miller and Justin Steele are pitching out of the bullpen in September.

6 Cubs on thin ice as trade deadline looms with roster getting close to being healthy

Factoring in those returns with the fact that there likely will be multiple pitchers added before the deadline, and it's clear that there are a few players who are about to lose their roster spot.

Aaron Civale

Aaron Civale has served a purposed. With Javier Assad and Colin Rea pitching out of the rotation for much of the past month, Civale has been the bulk arm in the bullpen. That said, assuming the likes of Cabrera, Brown, and Steele return, it's hard to imagine Civale having role on the roster. Especially since there's an expectation the Cubs will add a starting pitcher at the deadline, pushing Rea back to the bullpen.

Tyler Ferguson

Not to the tune of Ryan Rolison or Trent Thornton, but Tyler Ferguson has done his part to bridge the gap for the Cubs in the bullpen. He's striking out over 30% of the hitter he's facing with the Cubs, but the rest of his number don't warrant the team going out of their way to keep him around.

Trent Thornton

Trent Thornton has been a success story for the Cubs, but they would be best to cut their losses before regression settles. Thornton has an ERA of 2.51 through 29 appearances this season, but his 4.81 FIP suggests things can go wrong at any minute. Being proactive is what good teams to, and the Cubs shouldn't risk keeping Thornton around beyond his expiration date if the expected reinforcements do arrive.

Andrew Wantz

Andrew Wantz was the immediate replacement for Taillon on the roster, but no on expects him to be around for long. If the Cubs don't make a trade by Friday, when Taillon's spot is due up, perhaps Wantz extends his stay until the deadline but it won't be beyond that.

Pedro Ramirez

In an ideal world, the Cubs probably prefer to keep Pedro Ramirez. That said, for as impressive as he has been, he's luxury. The best value for the Cubs would be to trade him as part of a package for a controllable starting pitcher.

James Triantos

James Triantos is likely just around until the Cubs have clarity regarding Ramirez as a trade chip, and Matt Shaw's recovery. If Ramirez is traded and Shaw suffers a setback, Triantos may stick around, assuming he's not traded. Otherwise, he will likely be back with the Iowa Cubs soon.

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