Now that we are past the day on which all team and player options have been exercised (or not), qualifying offers have been made and all players on the 60-day injured list have been returned to 40-man rosters, I thought it would be useful to have a look at where the Cubs’ 40-man roster stands.
This is especially timely right now, I think, because of the upcoming expiration of the MLB/MLBPA labor agreement on Dec. 1. While nothing major has happened so far, conventional wisdom says that there could
be quite a few trades and/or free agent signings before that expiration date, while teams and players still know the rules under which the sport is currently governed.
That means a lot of things could happen in the next four weeks.
The Cubs’ 40-man roster currently stands at 34 players. Here are those 34 players.
Pitchers (21)
Julian Aguiar
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Edward Cabrera
Tyler Ferguson
Braxton Garrett
Porter Hodge
Gavin Hollowell
Cade Horton
Riley Martin
Phil Maton
Shelby Miller
Jayden Murray
Eric Orze
Daniel Palencia
Ethan Roberts
Ryan Rolison
Justin Steele
Jacob Webb
Jordan Wicks
Ryan Zeferjahn
A couple of those names are likely unfamiliar to you. Aguiar was acquired on waivers from the Reds Sept. 26, and Orze was claimed on waivers from the Twins … yesterday.
It would not surprise me if either or both of those pitchers were exposed to waivers again before Nov. 1. The non-tender deadline (Nov. 20) is also a date to watch. I would not be surprised if the Cubs decided to non-tender Roberts, who is arb-eligible for the first time, and perhaps re-sign him to a minor-league deal.
Catchers (1)
Miguel Amaya
Obviously, the Cubs will need more than one catcher. Perhaps they can re-sign Carson Kelly, or someone like Ryan Jeffers. Owen Ayers, who might make his MLB debut in 2027, won’t be added to the 40-man roster until the labor issues are settled.
Infielders (8)
Gabriel Arias
Alex Bregman
Michael Busch
Nico Hoerner
BJ Murray Jr.
Pedro Ramirez
Dansby Swanson
James Triantos
Arias is a non-tender candidate. Murray could be exposed to waivers. I think Murray’s promotion to the MLB team in September was a reward for his long service in the organization and I wouldn’t expect to see him back.
Incidentally, you don’t see Tyler Austin on this list. That’s because the Cubs outrighted him to Triple-A Iowa on Monday. He’ll have the option to accept that or free agency. The Cubs could sign him back to a minor-league deal at that point, but I suspect he’ll just move on.
Outfielders (4)
Kevin Alcántara
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Justin Dean
Matt Shaw
The Cubs list Alcántara as a DH, which I find interesting. 2027 will be a make-or-break year for him, I believe. Either he’ll be given a real shot as a starting outfielder, or perhaps the Cubs will move on.
Dean is a useful spare part for defense and baserunning, but he does turn 30 next month. He has options remaining, which helps.
