There is no reason this Cubs player should be in line for an Opening Day roster spot

Thanks to a flurry of offseason activity, the Chicago Cubs' roster is as solidified as it's ever been at the start of spring training.

The starting lineup is entirely set, with Alex Bregman taking over for Matt Shaw at third base. Ditto for the starting rotation, which welcomes Edward Cabrera into the fray. A few bullpen and bench spots may remain open for a non-roster invitee or prospect to win, but by and large, we know most of the 26 players who will take the field on March 26 against the Washington Nationals.

That kind of stability begets serious expectations, and the Cubs are certainly expecting to compete this year. Though upside should never be turned away, such a veteran-laden group will make it difficult for fringe candidates to crack the Opening Day roster.

Hence, facing arguably the biggest audition of his life, Ben Brown shouldn't hold his breath when the Cubs make their final cuts in camp.

Ben Brown's variance is too inconsistent for 2026 Cubs

The green flags in Brown's profile are obvious and they remain unchanging. He throws relatively hard for a starting pitcher, and his curveball is a top-notch putaway pitch. He ended last year with above-average strikeout (25.6 percent) and walk rates (6.8 percent).

The problem is (and remains) that he only has two offerings. Brown would make for a fine reliever with his combination of velocity and big breaker, but the Cubs remain committed to keeping him stretched out for the rotation. That's a tall ask for someone who can't really make it through the order multiple times without showing every trick up his sleeve.

Now, the good news on this front is that the 26-year-old has spent this offseason trying to patch that specific hole in his game. According to The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma, Brown has added a kick change (á la Jameson Taillon) and sinker to his arsenal in hopes of being able to attack left-handed batters away more frequently.

While in theory that's a promising sign, Brown has rarely used his changeup in the big leagues, and he admitted to Sharma that he's never thrown the sinker in live action. Asking him to do so against major-league hitters just feels like asking for trouble.

Those also feel like band-aids to the larger problem plaguing the right-hander, which is that he's an awful contact manager. Though Brown does a fine job generating whiffs and chases outside the zone, he finished in the seventh percentile or lower last year in hard-hit rate, barrel rate, and average exit velocity allowed.

His potential is still tantalizing, and a few positive spring training outings will have fans dreaming once again. But the Cubs' rotation is set. The bullpen, while in need of velocity, isn't the place for Brown to stay stretched out, seeing as it already harbors Colin Rea (and Javier Assad).

At least until he can prove the effectiveness of his new offerings, Ben Brown isn't deserving of a place on the Cubs' roster.