4 Cubs players who won't be on the roster by June and who will replace them

The Chicago Cubs are currently sitting in second place in the National League Central, trailing just the Milwaukee Brewers. With the current state of the NL Central, where the Reds, Cardinals and Pirates all sit significantly under .500, the Cubs remain very confident near the top of the division.

Still, they are far from content. They have plenty of holes to fill in their active roster and have even been connected to some of the top names on the free agency market. Chicago has already been active in the trade market, but their roster is far from finalized.

These four players will likely be replaced on the active roster sooner rather than later.

LHP Luke Little will be replaced by LHP Jordan Wicks once he's healthy

So far in 2024, 24-year-old Jordan Wicks has been a great piece in the back half of the Cubs pitching rotation. This Chicago pitching staff is spear-headed by a three headed monster of Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad, all of which have sub-2.0 ERAs on the campaign.

Wicks and Justin Steele would round out this rotation, if Wicks was still healthy. But this fifth spot has been filled by Kyle Hendricks, who's struggled, to put it lightly. With that said, it would make sense to DFA Hendricks when Wicks is healthy, right? Not so simple.

The most likely option would be for the Cubs to hold onto the veteran Hendricks and option Luke Little down to Triple-A due to his flexibility with his options remaining.

Little, a towering left-handed pitcher has struggled this season, pitching to the tune of a 7.0 ERA across his nine big league innings. The 23 year old can absolutely use some more tune up time in the minor leagues, as his potential is through the roof if he can put all the pieces together.

When Wicks returns, it'll likely be Little that doesn't make the cut. This isn't the end of his story in Chicago though. His value to the team is incredible and the Cubs will hold onto his for as long as possible in order to give him enough chances to meet his incredible potential.

RHP Ben Brown will be replaced by RHP Yency Almonte upon his return from the IL

Some of these moves have less to do with a player on the active roster struggling and more to do with a player returning from the injured list. That's exactly what this move would be, when Yency Almonte is able to make his return from the IL.

Ben Brown has been good for Chicago, but they would need a roster spot for the return of Almonte and Brown would draw the short straw for a few reasons. The biggest, glaring reason would be the fact that he has options and can be moved up and down between the big leagues and Triple-A freely, unlike most of Chicago's roster.

Chicago will keep the young right-handed Ben Brown on their roster for as long as they possibly can, but his flexibility due to the options available makes it almost a certainty that he will end up in Triple-A again over the next month or so.

This won't mark the end of Ben Brown's 2024 with the Cubs, but it would mark the end of this current stint. Chicago could really use the services of Almonte in their bullpen. Almonte has been a dependable right-handed option in 16 of his 17 appearances this season.

INF Miles Mastrobuoni will be replaced by SS Dansby Swanson sooner rather than later

The Cubs desperately miss the Dansby Swanson that they acquired last year, the player who won the NL Gold Glove and was selected to the All-Star team a year ago. Instead, Swanson has been abysmal in 2024, slashing .209/.285/.341 which is good for an OPS+ of 77. After 37 games, Swanson landed on the injured list.

When he makes his return, the Cubs will need to cut ties with one of their position players. The option here is pretty obvious and it's that of one Miles Mastrobuoni.

Mastrobuoni has been the worst hitter on the Cubs active roster and simply fills no hole for the team besides a depth piece until Swanson returns. This should come as a surprise to nobody, as he's a career .221 hitter and he's hitting .130 across 23 at bats this season.

Across the rest of the Cubs position players, they all have their role with the team. Whether it's a bench bat, the ability to hit a certain handed pitcher or just being the backup catcher, each player has their role. For Mastrobuoni, that role has just been to fill a roster spot better than any of the Cubs top prospects could.

The utility man still has time to turn his big-league career around, but it just might not be with the Cubs and it likely won't be this season. Chicago is looking to compete for a playoff spot and an NL Central title and they won't be in good shape to do that until Swanson returns and replaces Miles Mastrobuoni.

RHP Jose Cuas will be replaced by RHP Adbert Alzolay rather soon

There may not be a Cub on the active roster that catches more slack from the fanbase than Jose Cuas. This slack isn't without good reason though. Across the Cubs 2024 bullpen, Cuas sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Chicago Cubs are actively using eight relievers. Of those eight, six of them have been ultra-competitive in their opportunities this season. The last two being Luke Little and Jose Cuas. The reason Cuas recieves more slack than Little is due to Little being much younger and having a much higher ceiling.

Cuas just isn't the top end talent that a team searches for in their bullpen. He will be quite simple to replace, as his roster spot will be filled once Adbert Alzolay returns from the injured list.

Alzolay, once the Chicago closer, gives the Cubs another high leverage piece in the backend of games. Once healthy, Alzolay would likely fit much better in a setup or seventh inning role, potentially even taking a lower role if the Cubs can land a superb talent like the A's Mason Miller.

If not, Alzolay will slot right back in as the seventh or eighth inning guy in the Windy City. Either way, Cubs fans are awaiting the day that Jose Cuas is replaced on this roster. I don't think many Chicago fans care if it's Alzolay that replaces him, a traded for player, or even a top prospect. I think they just want a more competitive arm in the bullpen and who can blame them?