BCB’s front-page writers have done several of these roundtable discussions previewing Cubs seasons and postseasons, so here we are again to kick off the 2026 season. Josh, Sara, Thomas, Duane and I had a lively online conversation Tuesday afternoon. The online chat has been lightly edited for clarity. Ashley was unable to join us for this discussion.
Al Yellon: First, I’d like to know how each of you feel about the upcoming season. Personally, I am hopeful and excited. This should be a really, really good
team.
Josh Timmers: I’m cautiously optimistic.
Sara Sanchez: Agreed, cautiously optimistic.
Thomas Smith: Agreed. I think, at least regular season-wise, this team is excellent.
Duane Pesice: I am guardedly optimistic. The team’s floor is pretty high but you’ll need above-average years from nearly everyone.
Sara Sanchez: A lot can happen in a long season.
Al Yellon: Which is the case every season, of course.
Josh Timmers: Yeah. Good and bad.
Al Yellon: Who is the most important player on this Cubs team?
Sara Sanchez: Justin Steele — him coming back as Justin Steele makes the rotation a lot deeper later in the season.
Thomas Smith: I think Cade Horton is the most important player. They need someone to front the rotation.
Josh Timmers: Important? He’s not the best, but the Cubs have a ton riding on Edward Cabrera being a strong No. 2 starter this year.
Sara Sanchez: Same idea, Thomas. I think this rotation is okay but thin and I’m very VERY concerned about Taillon.
Al Yellon: For me, PCA having a full season like last year’s first half is the most important thing. Thomas, I agree that Horton could wind up being that ACE that the team has needed for a long time.
Thomas Smith: I like their pitchers, I just think Horton is the only one who has that next level.
Josh Timmers: Horton’s relatively low strikeout rate puzzles me. it should be a lot higher with his stuff. But his pure stuff does read potential ace.
Al Yellon: I think I read that Horton held back some of his best stuff last year, but this spring he’s been hitting 98 consistently.
Josh Timmers: It’s possible. His fastball isn’t his best pitch anyway. What’s remarkable is how far his change has come since he was drafted and he barely had one.
Thomas Smith: I know the Verducci rule has lost its luster. But you don’t ignore the rapid build of innings either. Can he perform as that increase occurs?
Josh Timmers: I think the Verducci rule was always nonsense. Pitchers get hurt. Some in their second year.
Thomas Smith: I’ve always thought it was something you wanted to be careful with.
Al Yellon: I know some are worried about Boyd and Imanaga falling off. To me, Shōta looks like the 2024 version, despite the home runs. If he can keep guys off base — and he really doesn’t walk many — at least the HR will only be solo jobs.
Sara Sanchez: I’m going to hold my judgement on Shota until after the regular season gets going. Boyd is just a health question to my eye. If he’s healthy he should be fine. Then again, I thought he only had 80 healthy innings in him last season…and I was wrong about that.
Duane Pesice: I am very concerned about Shōta.
Josh Timmers: Obviously Taillon is the guy to be worried about with how he looked in spring. Imanaga, on the other hand, has looked pretty good. He’ll always give up home runs. So did Bert Blyleven. Just do it with the bases empty.
Thomas Smith: Hopefully Imanaga and Taillon are slotting 4/5 in the rotation. you get some clunkers, but you also have two guys who can battle and have ace mentality.
Sara Sanchez: Honestly, I think Taillon is going to hit the IL to work some things out any day now and I hope Colin Rea and Javier Assad are ready to step in
Thomas Smith: You could hopefully also get contributions from Steele, Rea, Brown and Assad. They don’t lack choices.
Josh Timmers: Good point, especially on Rea. The guy is just an overlooked workhorse. A nice weapon for Counsell to have in reserve.
Al Yellon: What about the bullpen? There are a lot of new faces, but all of them have had MLB success. Plus, Daniel Palencia has his WBC experience to build on. He was almost unhittable for Venezuela
Josh Timmers: I’m not worried about Palencia being able to handle the pressure of closing big games! (Not that I ever was.)
Sara Sanchez: I think the bullpen is great. I’ve liked Harvey for a long time. I think Maton tinkered his way to some interesting things in Texas last year and I love Palencia.
Thomas Smith: Let’s hope Palencia carries it forward. He flashed it last year too for a bit. He’s a fun guy to watch if he can get into that groove.
Josh Timmers: I think Sara summed it up well. Maton and Harvey are the keys here.
Al Yellon: Also, I think Ben Brown is a great weapon to have there, throwing 98 for an inning or two at a time.
Sara Sanchez: Yeah, Ben Brown could be elite in high leverage out of the pen.
Josh Timmers: Brown could be a lot of things, good and bad. Such a hard guy to figure out.
Sara Sanchez: Agreed, Josh.
Al Yellon: Offensively, I think this team can be even better than last year — with the caveat, of course, of being healthy.
Josh Timmers: The team is already scrambling to cover for Suzuki.
Thomas Smith: They have a lot of depth. They can survive a normal amount of injuries.
Al Yellon: I think Suzuki is going to miss minimal time.
Josh Timmers: Bregman isn’t the hitter that Tucker is, but he fits into the Cubs lineup better. I don’t think they’ll miss Tucker all that much.
Thomas Smith: They were so good in the first half last year. How many guys build on that and how many of them were flukes?
Al Yellon: And Bregman is such a good defender, and clubhouse leader
Sara Sanchez: I’m less sure about this. Tucker is a better bat than Bregman. Bregman does seem to want to be a dude, though. I think the key here is: Are Bregman and Ballesteros > Seiya and Shaw? And I think the answer to that is yes, but I am a Moises Ballesteros truther.
Josh Timmers: I’ve been screaming for the Cubs to get a third baseman in free agency. First Matt Chapman and they didn’t listen to me. Then Bregman and they didn’t listen to me. Then Bregman again and they did listen to me.
Al Yellon: I was unconvinced about Ballesteros before I saw him often this spring… the man just hits and hits and hits. He might not be much of a defensive catcher but, oddly, he seems really good at ABS challenges.
Josh Timmers: Mo Baller is going to hit. There’s no doubt. And calling ABS pitches was the one thing he was really good at in Iowa.
Sara Sanchez: I just love his hit tool so much. Mo Baller rules!
Josh Timmers: I think Mo Baller hits 40 doubles this year.
Al Yellon: Assuming he plays enough, yes, he could.
Thomas Smith: Unless I’ve forgotten someone, Shaw is immediately better than any bench player the Cubs had last year
Al Yellon: For sure, having Shaw on the bench improves it over (checks notes) Jon Berti and Vidal Bruján.
Sara Sanchez: Oh, the bench was unusable last year.
Thomas Smith: Exactly.
Sara Sanchez: Dylan Carlson is better than any bench player they had last year
Al Yellon: I think Carlson has a real possibility to be an excellent acquisition. He was very good as a rookie with the Cardinals, then had a lot of injury issues. If he’s healthy…
Josh Timmers: Carlson could be the new Patrick Wisdom. A former Cardinals bust who wanders around MLB before finding a home in Chicago as a solid but not great player.
Thomas Smith: Does Conforto have any value at this point in his career?
Josh Timmers: The guy I saw in LA last year didn’t. The guy in SF the year before had a little, but not much.
Al Yellon: It’s possible Conforto doesn’t make it to May with this team. Or maybe he suddenly remembers what he was six years ago. Hard to tell. I like Carlson better, and he’s a switch hitter.
Sara Sanchez: I think Seiya is getting time to get to 100% precisely to answer the Conforto question. It’s a bummer for Alcántara though. He had a great spring.
Thomas Smith: Who backs up Busch? And does he finally get the bulk of the vs. lefty PA?
Sara Sanchez: Michael Busch should not be in a platoon and I will die on this hill.
Al Yellon: I agree, Busch should play almost every day. They were using Carson Kelly at 1B for a few games in spring training and I think he’s the backup.
Josh Timmers: The idea was that Tyler Austin was going to back up Busch. But there’s always Jonny Long down in Iowa if things get desperate. He’s actually a good platoon partner for Busch.
Sara Sanchez: I do like Long a lot.
Al Yellon: This team has another strength — elite defense. It’s possible the Cubs could have SIX Gold Glove winners this year — the entire infield plus Happ and PCA.
Sara Sanchez: I’m still not sure Happ is the best left fielder in the league, but sure.
Thomas Smith: Defense turns average pitchers into very good ones.
Sara Sanchez: That’s very true, Thomas.
Josh Timmers: There are no really good defensive left fielders. There’s a reason they’re in left field.
Sara Sanchez: Precisely, Josh. Happ is fine. He looks better because PCA covers the gap.
Thomas Smith: No doubt about that, Sara. That San Diego playoff series was won by the defense
Josh Timmers: Yeah. Happ deserves to be a Gold Glove left fielder if that’s the way they’re going to give out the awards.
Thomas Smith: A million years ago Josh used to talk to me and explain just how much lower level pitchers are hurt by poor defenders. death by a million paper cuts.
Josh Timmers: Yes. Some of them really are. The lower minors are even worse these days.
Al Yellon: I saw that even in Spring Training… balls that Nico or Dansby would have got to, got through when minor leaguers were playing 2B or SS
Sara Sanchez: Anyway, this is part of my weird “Gold Gloves have too much incumbency bias in them” rant and that’s a post for another day.
Josh Timmers: I love how Happ still thinks he’s a second baseman although he always adds “Not for the Cubs.”
Sara Sanchez: ha ha ha ha. 100% Thomas.
Thomas Smith: I was remembering Happ the third baseman this winter playing an MLB sim.
Al Yellon: When he was younger he was okay at 2B. Not now, though.
Sara Sanchez: There was a hysterical story about Lester coming in to cuss out Rizzo for taking a day off at 1B when Happ was a rookie and standing right there as the backup 1B at Cubs Con.
Duane Pesice: Happ is going to lead the teams in homers. I don’t know why I think this, but I do.
Al Yellon: What else haven’t we covered yet?
Josh Timmers: Nico Hoerner.
Al Yellon: What an outstanding player and human being he is, Nico
Thomas Smith: Nico! My favorite current Cub.
Sara Sanchez: Extend Nico!!!!
Josh Timmers: And Nico is kind of the heart and soul of this team.
Al Yellon: Yes, absolutely, and you definitely want to keep guys like that around
Sara Sanchez: I’m a big fan of Nico and feel like a deal for him shouldn’t be terribly pricey
Al Yellon: Hopefully they do that next
Thomas Smith: Yeah. Nico seems to want to be here.
Sara Sanchez: Defense and contact seems cheaper these days than power.
Josh Timmers: On the one hand, extend Nico. On the other hand, Jefferson Rojas looks like he might be a stud. Still, extend Nico. What did Ketel Marte sign for? Becuase that’s the comp, even though they’re different kinds of players, they’re the two top 2B in the league.
Al Yellon: Looks like 6/116 for Marte, and a 7th year option.
Josh Timmers: If Nico would sign that, give it to him.
Al Yellon: For sure.
Sara Sanchez: I think you can get Nico cheaper because Marte has 30 HR seasons under his belt.
Josh Timmers: The difference is that I believe Marte signed his extension far before he got near free agency. Prices go up the closer it arrives.
Al Yellon: Regarding Jefferson Rojas, the man can hit. Defense… not so much. Personally I like Pedro Ramirez better… that guy has a great glove and the bat plays.
Josh Timmers: I like Ramirez too, but I like Rojas better. It’s going to be something to watch in Knoxville and Des Moines this year.
Al Yellon: Oh, for sure. Two potential stars. Meanwhile, the PCA extension is great news. Have not seen terms yet, though. The team hasn’t officially announced it yet, either.
Thomas Smith: I loved them locking up PCA.
Josh Timmers: Still hearing the deal is dependent on a physical. Like he’s going to fail that.
Thomas Smith: PCA was not physically capable of sitting still long enough to complete a physical. Also, I like that a bunch of these players seem to have an unfinished business mindset.
Al Yellon: For sure. The playoff experience last year got this group wanting more.
Sara Sanchez: Absolutely.
Thomas Smith: Who challenges the Cubs in the Central? Experts don’t seem too high on the Brewers. But the Brewers seem to have found whatever it was that the Cardinals lost.
Al Yellon: The Reds might be better than you think.
Sara Sanchez: I mean, it’s the Brewers and the Reds to my eye
Thomas Smith: I’ve seen one person already pick the Reds to win it. But they always seem to underachieve.
Al Yellon: I don’t think the Brewers are going to be as good this year. There was a LOT of pixie dust in those two long winning streaks
Josh Timmers: With Hunter Greene already out? I’m not so sure about the Reds.
Sara Sanchez: The Pirates have some interesting talent in the minors and did sign Ryan O’Hearn to the largest free agent hitter deal in franchise history.
Al Yellon: The Pirates do have great pitching
Josh Timmers: The sneaky pick in the NL Central is the Pirates.
Thomas Smith: I’d be really happy for the Pirates to see a winning season.
Sara Sanchez: I think the Cubs are better than the Reds or the Pirates, to be clear. I don’t know about the Brewers. I think their return for Peralta was sneaky good and their pitching is deep.
Al Yellon: Meanwhile, the Cardinals could lose 100 games this year. That team is just bad.
Josh Timmers: The Cards finally gave up and agreed to a rebuild, even if they won’t call it that.
Sara Sanchez: Yes, it’s not the Cardinals.
Al Yellon: Which, sometimes teams need to do that. It’ll be weird not seeing Willson Contreras there.
Thomas Smith: i’m sure Cards fans will be entirely reasonable and supportive of the process.
Josh Timmers: Well, a lot of Cubs fans didn’t handle 2021 and 2022 well either.
Thomas Smith: Touché.
Al Yellon: Any final thoughts to wrap this up?
Thomas Smith: Michael Busch finally leads the team in homers
Josh Timmers: I think anything less than the NLCS is a failure for this year’s team. And let’s hope it’s the WS.
Duane Pesice: Agreed. It’s NLCS or bust.
Sara Sanchez: Daniel Palencia is my closer. I cannot wait to hear Gasolina in the ninth. Moises Ballesteros RoY candidate. Cade Horton gonna change people’s minds about him as an ace this season. Go Cubs!
Al Yellon: This team can definitely get to the WS. They certainly would have given the Dodgers a more competitive NLCS than the Brewers did, and I look for a Dodgers/Cubs NLCS. That would be great fun
Josh Timmers: Still think Mo Baller hits 40 doubles.
Sara Sanchez: I love watching that kid hit. I loved that Craig Counsell told the hitting coaches to stay away from him.
Al Yellon: Amazing he can hit that way and he’s only 22.
Thomas Smith: He is unfazed by the moment.
Sara Sanchez: Totally.
Josh Timmers: The Dodgers are aging. Probably not fast enough, but they are starting to get old.
Sara Sanchez: I actually thought the Cubs were very well positioned to beat the Dodgers in the NCLS last year. They absolutely could take them this year.
Josh Timmers: Cubs starting pitching was a complete mess by the Brewers series though. That’s the Dodgers advantage. They have about 15 starters.
Al Yellon: That’s something Hoyer has started to address, now he has Assad in Triple-A as the No. 7 starter and who knows? Maybe we see Jaxon Wiggins later this year. And it’s supposed to be 74 degrees on Thursday! I promised I’d try to pack some of the AZ heat in the car and bring it back.
Thomas Smith: I’m waiting for them next week here in Tampa.
Al Yellon: The Rays home opener at the renovated Trop!
Thomas Smith: Yeah. I’m going to game 2.
Al Yellon: Excellent. Thanks everyone for doing this, and go Cubs!
Josh Timmers: Everyone take care.
