Predicting What Cubs’ 26-Man Roster Could Look Like for Tokyo Series

As the Cubs front office prepares to send the team to Tokyo in a few weeks, several decisions still must be made as to exactly what the roster will look like. The Cubs and Dodgers are each allowed the normal 26 spots, along with a five-man taxi squad. Most of the 31 players who will travel overseas for the early start are already set it stone, so there are only a few spots open for debate. Let’s take some time to look at who’s in and who’s still on the fence.

Shōta Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, and Matthew Boyd have all been locked in as the first four starters in the rotation. The fifth spot, however, is still up for grabs. The primary options are Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and Colin Rea, but Brad Keller is an under-the-radar possibility. Signed to a minor league deal in January, Keller has an opt-out after spring training that could give the Cubs an incentive to fit him onto the roster. He’s been lights-out this spring, with one bad outing against the Guardians affected by strong winds.

Brown is highly regarded within the organization and has the potential to be more than just a spot starter or reliever. His name has been brought up as a possible option to close, but Ryan Pressly and Porter Hodge will handle those responsibilities for the time being. If Brown can develop his changeup into a quality pitch, he will be a serious threat to the opposing offense.

Speaking of Pressly and Hodge, the bullpen is pretty much full at this point. Jed Hoyer focused on pitching depth this winter, and he needed to because relief pitching can be very fickle. Keegan Thompson has had a rough spring and doesn’t seem to have a spot on this roster. The same could be said for Tyson Miller, who the Cubs reacquired from Seattle in 2024. Eli Morgan has options, meaning a Cubs debut likely isn’t in the cards to begin the season.

Julian Merryweather’s main issue is injuries, but he’s quite effective when he’s healthy. He and Keller are my two picks to round out the bullpen in Tokyo. Rather than break down the rest of the relief corps, I’ll direct you to the proposed roster below.

The starting lineup isn’t concrete, but it’s close. Nico Hoerner‘s injury complicates things, with Jon Berti looking like the primary replacement at second base. This opens up two bench spots, which will probably go to Gage Workman and Vidal Bruján. CI’s Evan Altman wrote about Workman’s case to make the roster on Tuesday, and the former Tigers prospect continues to build an argument as his strong spring continues. His 1.054 OPS may not carry over into the regular season, but he’s showing some talent. The defense improves his value as well.

Bruján, who was acquired in a trade for Matt Mervis in December, doesn’t seem to have a true fit on this team after Hoerner returns. Sammy Sosa has been talking to Bruján a lot this spring, even inspiring his home run celebration. The results are impressive, but the roster may not have room once the regular season begins.

Roster Predictions for Tokyo-

SP: Imanaga, Steele, Taillon, Bowd, Brown

RP: Nate Pearson, Rea, Caleb Thielbar, Ryan Brasier, Merryweather, Keller, Hodge, Pressly

Starting 9:

Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, Matt Shaw, Dansby Swanson, Michael Busch, Miguel Amaya, Seiya Suzuki, Berti

Bench: Justin Turner, Carson Kelly, Workman, Bruján

As of now, there are probably five spots up for grabs. That gives role players extra motivation to show the front office what they can do with just one week to go before the team takes the 14-hour flight to Japan. It sounds strange to say in early February, but real baseball is almost upon us.

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