Cubs' predictable playoff roster reveals clear winners and losers ahead of series vs. Padres

Once Craig Counsell revealed that Kevin Gausman would pitch during the Chicago Cubs' Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres, that removed the biggest question surrounding the team's roster reveal for the playoffs.

Matthew Boyd is starting for the Cubs on Tuesday night, and it would seem likely that Gausman gets the start on Wednesday. The Cubs have loaded the roster with multiple bulk arms available on the pitching staff, so chances are starters will have a short leash over the next three days.

Here are the winners and losers from the Cubs' Wild Card roster reveal

There wasn't going to be too many surprises on the Cubs' playoff roster. Sure, Justin Steele threw a bullpen session for the Cubs on Monday, but he was never going to be active for this series, considering he wasn't used at the end of the regular season.

Winners

Kevin Gausman

The biggest reason why the Cubs traded for Kevin Gausman is because of his playoff experience. It wasn't the smoothest of runs with the Cubs at the end of the regular season, but if the Cubs are going to find success in October, they need Gausman to be a part of it.

Javier Assad

By the end of the regular season, it became clear that the Cubs should probably end the up-and-down experiment with Javier Assad. He's one of the team's best pitchers, and is deserving of a playoff spot.

Gabriel Arias

A late-season addition for the Cubs, considering Dansby Swanson's oblique strain, Arias earned the final spot on the bench for the Wild Card round. He certainly has the speed to make a difference on the base paths late in games, and his infield defense gives the Cubs another layer of depth.

Losers

Caleb Thielbar

It had become obvious that Caleb Thielbar pitched himself off the Cubs' playoff roster by the end of the season. He had a 4.86 ERA across 28 appearances, and was giving over two home runs per nine innings pitched. It shouldn't be a surprise if Cubs fans have seen the last Thielbar.

Edward Cabrera

Colin Rea got the nod as the final bulk arm in the bullpen over Edward Cabrera. While Cabrera's first year with the Cubs has been a disaster, there was some belief that his stuff could still be a reason to have him on the roster. That would have been a mistake and credit to the Cubs for realizing that.

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