Chicago Cubs: When You Can Watch Spring Training Games on Marquee Network

15 of the games will be played at Sloan Park, the Cubs' home field for Spring Training games in Mesa, Arizona. The exhibition games on March 14 and 16 will be played at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, against the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants, respectively. Both teams compete in the Central Division of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) League, the country's equivalent to The United States' Major League Baseball (MLB). 

Before signing with the Cubs, outfielder Seiya Suzuki and starting pitcher Shota Imanaga competed against the Tigers and Giants in the Central League. Suzuki spent nine seasons with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, while Imanaga played for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars for seven years. 

What will happen during Spring Training?

All members of the Cubs' 40-man roster, as well as 20 non-roster invitees, will report to Mesa in the coming days with full team workouts starting on February 14th. As Spring Training carries on, the squad will be incrementally trimmed down until the eventual 26-man Opening Day roster is announced prior to the Tokyo Series against The Los Angeles Dodgers on March 18th. 

Until then, there are several key storylines to keep an eye on this Spring as the team heads into a pivotal 2025 season. The team's President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, who is heading into the final year of his contract with the Cubs, is attempting to snap a four-year dry spell that has kept his team out of the playoffs since 2020. Another year of October-less baseball could mean the end of Hoyer's tenure as the team's shot caller, which began in November 2020. 

The leadoff spot, the back of the bullpen, and the starting job at third base are a few areas the organization and manager Craig Counsell need to hash out before the team flies to Japan.