The Chicago Cubs will walk into domestic Opening Day 0-2 on the regular season after getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week in the Tokyo Series. After facing a formidable brigade of pitchers, giving us a glimpse into the powerhouse Dodgers' pitching staff, it's hard to tell exactly how good this Cubs team might be in 2025. They open the season going through a gauntlet of playoff contenders, but excuses are the furthest thing from what fans want to hear after whiffing on multiple key free agent targets this winter.
If this Cubs team can coast around .500 through the first month of a season, it could be smooth sailing as they coast until the trade deadline. Assuming the Cubs can be buyers at that point, they will have an elite group of prospects to offer and room financially to take on salary from players they acquire. That means corresponding cuts off the roster, and these two players are my predictions of who will be let go first.
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2. Vidal Brujan
Set to start the year in a bench role, Vidal Brujan carries speed on the basepaths and the ability to play a few positions in a fill-in role but not much else. For his career in the majors, he slashes just .189/.261/.270, without much belief that things will magically turn around anytime soon. He will primarily be utilized in pinch-run appearances for the Cubs unless he is needed to fill in somewhere due to injury. Given that he is out of minor-league options, it's not hard to connect the dots here.
Envisioning the Cubs as buyers at the trade deadline and picking up a bat to add to their roster makes Brujan the first to go if needed. The Cubs have utility infielder Gage Workman, who must also stick on the roster for the entire season or be returned to the Detroit Tigers after being selected in the Rule 5 draft this past winter. Workman carries immense upside that the team will want to bank on, and you know the old saying, this bench ain't big enough for the two of us.
1. Julian Merryweather
Cubs reliever Julian Merryweather is my pick to be the next pitcher removed from the roster if need be. Merryweather put himself on the map as a relier in 2023 when he posted a 3.38 ERA in a career-high 69 appearances. The problem is that one good season was sandwiched between two forgettable seasons, including a 6.75 ERA in 2022 and a 6.60 ERA in 2024. Not only has he had a poor showing, he's had trouble staying healthy. He proved in 2023 that when healthy, he can be effective, but 2023 was the only time he reached over 26 innings at the big league level.
In fairness, Merryweather is off to a strong start in spring training, with a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 frames, and he did throw a scoreless inning in the Tokyo Series, but that lone inning was also troublesome, given that he allowed a hit and two walks and wiggled out of a jam. Merryweather is also out of options, and given that he has two years left of team control, somebody will gladly take him off waivers if it comes to that. If the Cubs are buying arms at the deadline, a likely outcome, don't expect to see Merryweather all year if he showcases the same struggles.