A little over two weeks ago, Rich Eberwein of Cubbies Crib dropped a nice position battle article to watch during spring training. After missing out on Alex Bregman, giving Matt Shaw an early long look to win the spot, and the team is now set on keeping Nico Hoerner, the remaining questions reside outside of the lineup. Here is what I will personally be looking for amongst position battles as MLB spring training is set to begin.
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Starting Rotation: Assad or Rea? Someone else?
You can lock in Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Matt Boyd for the first four spots and throw away the key. After that, however, nobody is currently an automatic bid to win the job. Colin Rea is going to be on the 26-man roster, regardless of what role he plays. If Assad's red flags from a season ago continue to show in Spring Training, Rea may get the first crack at the fifth starter spot.
Another option, if it so happens that the Cubs instead choose to have Assad completely revamp his mechanics and deem him needing time in Triple-A Iowa to begin the year, we shouldn't rule out the (slight) possibility of the Cubs utilizing Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, or Caleb Kilian if they pitch lights out this spring. It will be a bit of a long shot to get one of those three on the roster, given Keegan Thompson and Julian Merryweather are out of options. More on them later.
The Bench: Turner and Kelly are locks; who else makes it?
With the lineup mostly set (Assuming Shaw wins the third base job), we should focus our attention more on the bench. Things were a bit clearer before the Cubs signed Justin Turner, but now, with him and backup catcher Carson Kelly, it only leaves two spots between Alexander Canario, Jon Berti, and Vidal Brujan.
My prediction is simple due to simple logic: Brujan gets optioned to Iowa, as he's the only one of the three with a minor league option remaining. Anything else would have to involve a trade or DFA. The Cubs aren't dumping Berti after signing him to a major league contract, so the argument narrows further to Canario and Brujan. Canario has never really received an ample opportunity to shine in the big leagues. Still, he is a backup outfielder that the Cubs will utilize to keep Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara, their top outfield prospects, developing in Triple-A by getting them at-bats every day.
The Bullpen: So many options, not enough options
As for the Bullpen, the Cubs have many options to choose from. The problem is not many of them have options on their contract, and the ones that do shouldn't have to start in Iowa because of it. Guys like Eli Morgan and his 1.93 ERA last season, Nate Pearson's 2.73, and Porter Hodge's 1.88 are strong pieces to have in your bullpen. Most likely, one of Assad or Rea is there based on who didn't make the rotation. Tyson Miller is locked in. Caleb Thielbar is your only lefty, and Ryan Pressly and Ryan Brasier are penciled in no matter what.
If you're keeping count, that's eight relievers and a full 26-man roster. But there's a catch: Keegan Thompson and Julian Merryweather are out of options. The tricky part, especially in the case of Thompson, who recorded a 2.67 ERA last season over 30.1 IP, is that he still has three full years of team control. Merryweather, himself, has two. These aren't just players you want to DFA; they will be immediately claimed off waivers if cleared.
I'm going with a bold prediction: The Cubs will trade Merryweather this spring. Thompson has a bit more upside with more years, a strong showing in 2024, and the ability to start games if necessary. You can expect both to be traded if Assad has a strong spring. Otherwise, Assad may be the one the team options to AAA to make room for Thompson, and they move on from Merryweather. Either way, both need to blow the roof off this spring to stick around. Multiple outcomes are at play here, and it will be essential to keep an eye on them.