Chicago Cubs Roster Projections 2.0: Who makes the Opening Day roster?

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With just about a month left until the MLB season officially kicks off, one of the main questions that every fan base has is who will make up the official roster for their team. When it comes to the Chicago Cubs, there are a lot of questions as to who will actually make the 26-man roster come Opening Day.

With the Cubs having an extremely busy winter, a couple of 26-man spots have officially gone to other players. Meaning some players that we would normally expect to be on the 26-man, might actually end up starting the year in the minor leagues.

Today, I will break down position by position what I feel as if the Cubs will end up doing with their 26-man roster and who will ultimately be left off.

Infielders and Designated Hitter:

I think the infield is the position the most in question for the Cubs. While the Cubs are locked down in the middle infield, a lot of questions arise about who will take over the corner infield spots. While we have a pretty good idea of who will probably be at first and third opening day, it does not mean they are by any means a lock to keep that position.

Here are the seven players that I predict will make the opening day roster for the Cubs for the infield and designated hitter. Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Eric Hosmer, Trey Mancini, Patrick Wisdom, Nick Madrigal, Edwin Rios, and Zach McKinstry.

For Nick Madrigal, I think this third base change is legitimately something the Cubs want to have. The Cubs' worst position heading into the new year is third base and with Madrigal's spot being taken by Hoerner, it does make a little sense to try and force him over in that corner.

It also gives the Cubs the flexibility to mix and match if needed. If Hoerner ever needs a day off, Madrigal could fill in. It also gives a shot to legitimately compete for that third base role.

The Edwin Rios signing might be the most intriguing of the Cubs off-season. Rios has the power and potential to be a really good player, he just has not been able to live up to expectations in his young career thus far. I think the fact that Rios signed a major league deal shows that the Cubs will give him chances early on to prove himself.

I predict that Zach McKinstry will get the last spot for the infielders for the Cubs. McKinstry was acquired from the Dodgers' last trade deadline for Chris Martin. He had a small sample size with the Cubs but is another one of those players from the Dodgers that ultimately did not pan out like they would have liked.

I think the Cubs want to give McKinstry another chance because of the fact that he does not have minor-league options remaining.

I also think McKinstry could be their utility guy. He is a left-handed bat which the Cubs need and he can play just about any position in the field.

Outfielders

I think only three outfielders currently on the 40-man, end up making the cut for the opening-day roster. Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki.

Suzuki is currently dealing with an oblique injury that just sidelined him for the World Baseball Classic.

If Suzuki ends up not making the opening-day roster, this could push a player up like Nelson Velázquez or Brennan Davis.

Velázquez played the majority of the season for the Cubs last year, but free-agent signings from the Cubs might have pushed his name out of contention for a spot. Velázquez will more than likely start the season in Triple-A

Brennan Davis is also a name worth mentioning. Davis, a top Cub prospect, got drawn into the lineup in the Spring Training opener after Suzuki got scratched with his injury. He is definitely a name to monitor if Suzuki's injury ends up being serious.

This all but leaves Christopher Morel's name off the opening-day roster. I think after struggling in the second half of the season, the Cubs might want to see more ABs from Morel in the minor leagues. Plus when you bring the McKinstry options into effect, I think you will see the Cubs wanting to see a little more out of him before they ultimately make a decision.

If an injury were to happen or the Cubs part ways with McKinstry, Morel will be the first name called upon to the 26-man roster. But I feel as if the Cubs start Morel in the minors to start the season.

Catchers

The two catchers the Cubs will be carrying this season will be Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart. The Cubs will probably have the two switch off throughout the season based on who will be pitching that day.

Miguel Amaya is definitely an option later in the season if injuries end up happening, but to start the year the Cubs will rely on their two veteran catchers to try and get the job done.

Starting Pitchers

The majority of the Cubs' starting pitchers are a shoo-in, besides the final spot. The Cubs will have a one through four consisting of Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Drew Smyly.

When it comes to the fifth spot in the rotation, the spot is still completely up for grabs according to Ross. With Kyle Hendricks starting the season on the IL; Hayden Wesneski, Adrian Sampson, and Javier Assad will be fighting for that final spot.

I think Hayden Wesneski will end up getting the final spot in the rotation. Wesneski came out and had a really solid rookie season in a small sample size and I think he will continue to capitalize on that in the spring.

Sampson was reliable for the Cubs all season last year, but I think he will end up being one of those multi-inning relievers the Cubs will have in '23. Assad was solid throughout his time with the Cubs last year, but I ultimately feel as if he will start the season in Triple-A and be called upon for the big league team when need be.

Relief Pitchers

The Cubs have the makings of what could end up being a very solid bullpen. The names that are early guarantees are Keegan Thompson, Michael Fulmer, Brad Boxberger, Brandon Hughes, Rowan Wick, and Adbert Alzolay.

I think the two Cubs that will end up getting those last two spots in the bullpen will be Adrian Sampson and Jeremiah Estrada.

I think Sampson still gets a spot on opening day because he proved to be a player you could rely on all season. Plus it gives Ross the flexibility to use Sampson for multiple innings if need be.

Estrada pitched a couple of innings for the Cubs in '22 and did alright in only 5.2 innings. He had a really good year in the minors last year and I think the Cubs will want that fastball out of their bullpen to open up the year.

The other thing that really helps with this Cubs bullpen is the fact that you can use a lot of these pitchers as swing start guys as well as for multiple innings if needed.

Final Roster

So here's a quick recap of what I think the 26-man roster will end up being.

Infielders: Dansby Swanson, Edwin Rios, Eric Hosmer, Nick Madrigal, Nico Hoerner, and Zach McKinstry. The designated hitter will be Trey Mancini.

Outfielders: Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki.

Catchers: Tucker Barnhart and Yan Gomes

Starting pitchers: Drew Smyly, Hayden Wesneski, Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, and Marcus Stroman.

Relief pitchers: Adbert Alzolay, Adrian Sampson, Brad Boxberger, Brandon Hughes, Jeremiah Estrada, Keegan Thompson, Michael Fulmer, and Rowan Wick

Some of these picks could end up being wrong, but based on what I have analyzed and what some of the coaches have said about these players, and I think I have a pretty good idea of where this roster is headed. We will just have to wait and see how these players pan out throughout Spring Training and see where this lands on Opening Day.

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