With Opening Day on Thursday, the Cubs' final 26-man roster is beginning to come into focus after moves made on Monday.
The Chicago Cubs had a flurry of question marks regarding their Opening Day roster, despite having quite a few established players in the fold. However, reports on Monday outline the fates of some fringe players and where they'll begin the season. According to reports from Jordan Bastian and Andy Martinez, the Cubs will carry Javier Assad, Michael Rucker, Luis Torrens, and Miles Mastrobuoni on the Opening Day roster. Those move indicate that utility man Christopher Morel will start in Triple-A Iowa.
As discussed on our latest Cubs On Tap podcast, Javier Assad's performance in the World Baseball Classic warranted a spot on the Opening Day roster. In addition, the WBC proved the young righty can come out of the pen and make a meaningful impact, despite being a starter for most of his time in the organization. Now, he'll have the chance to continue that streak of quality performances out of the bullpen.
With that in mind, the roster likely looks like this:
Starters:
- Marcus Stroman
- Justin Steele
- Jameson Taillon
- Drew Smyly
- Hayden Wesneski
Bullpen:
- Javier Assad
- Michael Rucker
- Keegan Thompson
- Brandon Hughes
- Brad Boxberger
- Michael Fulmer
- Julian Merryweather
- Rowan Wick
Catchers:
- Yan Gomes
- Tucker Barnhart
- Luis Torrens
Infielders:
- Eric Hosmer
- Dansby Swanson
- Nico Hoerner
- Miles Mastrobuoni
- Patrick Wisdom
- Edwin Rios
- Nick Madrigal
Outfielders:
- Ian Happ
- Cody Bellinger
- Trey Mancini
One notable name missing is Zack McKinstry, who was traded on Monday to the Detroit Tigers. However, the Cubs have their Opening Day roster. Worth noting, Seiya Suzuki and Kyle Hendricks will both begin the season on the IL.
What's On Tap Next?
Following Tuesday's matchup with the Chicago White Sox, the Cubs return to Wrigley for Opening Day on Thursday, March 30. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m CDT as Marcus Stroman takes on Corbin Burnes to kick off the 2023 season.
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