Cubs rumor surfacing before Opening Day may reveal roster plans

The Chicago Cubs concluded their Cactus League schedule on Sunday with a drubbing of the Milwaukee Brewers, but Jed Hoyer and Co. may not have ruled out another move or two ahead of Opening Day. After roster cuts over the weekend, one of the biggest question marks that remains is the plan for the final spot on the bench.

Craig Counsell informed Moises Ballesteros and Michael Conforto over the weekend that they have each made the Opening Day roster. There remains an expectation that Dylan Carlson will also have a spot on the bench. Factoring in Miguel Amaya as the backup catcher, that leaves one remaining spot.

While the injury to Seiya Suzuki has led to speculation that the Cubs may keep an extra outfielder, Chas McCormick is dealing with an injury that has eliminated his availability for Opening Day. The Cubs may also prefer that Kevin Alcantara play every day with Triple-A.

That could point the Cubs in the direction of keeping an extra infielder on the Opening Day roster. The Athletic's (subscription required) Patrick Mooney reports that the front office hasn't ruled out adding an extra infielder ahead of Opening Day, and remains focused on adding pitching depth when they can find it.

Cubs' Opening Day roster may include a familiar Craig Counsell bench piece

Over the next 48 hours, there is going to be a flurry of roster moves as teams finalize their Opening Day rosters. This should lead to unexpected veterans suddenly becoming available, and it would seem that the Cubs may be counting on that for the final spot on their bench.

As it stands, Matt Shaw is the only backup infielder that the Cubs have on their roster. With Shaw expected to start in right field while Seiya Suzuki is on the IL, it would make sense for the Cubs to add to their infield depth before Thursday.

If the Cubs can't find a veteran on the waiver wire, perhaps Owen Miller slides onto the roster as the final piece of the bench. He was a bench piece for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023 and 2024 and has experience playing all over the infield. Miller would also add some speed to the Cubs' bench, ranking in the 99th percentile in sprint speed last season.

As for the bullpen, short of an unexpected addition, it would seem that Ben Brown has positioned himself to make the Opening Day roster. After being used as a starting pitcher at the start of spring training, his last two outings have come out of the bullpen.