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Seiya Suzuki • DH • Cubs

Seiya Suzuki to DH Against Lefties

Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki is expected to serve as the designated hitter in 2026 when the team faces a left-handed pitcher, according to Bruce Levine of Marquee Sports Network. Moises Ballesteros will operate as the Cubs' primary DH when the team faces right-handers, but Suzuki will get a break from the outfield and serve as the DH against most southpaws. On days when Suzuki is the DH, Matt Shaw is expected to play right field. The 31-year-old Suzuki made 102 starts at DH last year and had career highs in home runs (32) and RBI (103) while slashing .245/.326/.478 with an .804 OPS in 151 regular-season games (651 plate appearances). Suzuki's altered approach to pull the ball in the air more often paid off for fantasy managers in 2025, although it came at the expense of batting average. Heading into a contract year in 2026, Suzuki should be considered a top-25 fantasy outfielder in a strong Cubs lineup.

14 hours ago

Matt Shaw • 3B • Cubs

Matt Shaw Could be in Platoon in Right Field

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell told Bruce Levine that third baseman Matt Shaw is "definitely going to be getting a lot of time in the outfield" in 2026. When the Cubs face a left-handed pitcher, the expectation is that Shaw will be in right field, with Seiya Suzuki moving to designated hitter. After struggling with regular playing time at third base in his first taste of the big leagues in 2025, the 24-year-old Shaw figures to be in more of a utility role in Year 2. He hit just .226/.295/.394 with a .690 OPS, 13 home runs, 44 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 126 regular-season games over 437 plate appearances. After a demotion to Triple-A, Shaw rebounded at the plate for a bit before finishing cold in the postseason. The addition of Alex Bregman will make it tougher on Shaw's development, but he showed enough power/speed promise last year to be worth a late-round corner-infield investment in 2026 fantasy drafts.

15 hours ago

Justin Steele • SP • Cubs

Justin Steele Targeting May or June Return

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele (elbow) is targeting a May or June return to the majors, according to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. Steele has sidelined since undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery last April, but he resumed throwing less than one month ago. He's not ready to face live batters yet, but he has built up to throwing 30-pitch bullpens. He has thrown sliders in his last two bullpens and will begin throwing other secondary offerings soon, too. Steele was the ace of the Cubs' staff when he was fully healthy in 2024, putting together a 2.74 xERA with 9.02 K/9, 2.47 BB/9, and a 44.8% ground ball rate. It's unclear which rotation spot he'll slot into upon his return, as the Cubs' five current projected starters all had sub-3.75 ERAs last year. His track record should guarantee him an impact spot in the rotation, but the Cubs' depth will allow them to be patient so they won't have to rush him back.

18 hours ago

Ian Happ • LF • Cubs

Cubs, Ian Happ Not Currently Engaged in Extension Talks

The Chicago Cubs have not engaged in extension conversations with outfielder Ian Happ, according to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. The everyday left fielder is scheduled to hit free agency next offseason at the expiration of his three-year, $61 million contract. Happ played 150 games last year, and he has played at least 148 games in each of the last five seasons. He slashed 243/.342/.420 with 23 home runs, 116 wRC+, a 13.1% walk rate, and a 22.8% strikeout rate in 2025. He also got his defense back up to league average, posting 0 OAA and 0 FRV in the outfield. In addition to Happ, Chicago also has an important decision to make regarding Seiya Suzuki, who is slated for free agency next offseason. It seems unlikely that the Cubs would bring both back, especially since outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara appears ready to take on an everyday role in the majors.

Yesterday

Moisés Ballesteros • C • Cubs

Moises Ballesteros May Not Make Camp Debut Until Next Weekend

According to Maddie Lee of The Sun Times, Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros may not make it to camp until next weekend due to visa issues. Ballesteros and fellow backstop Christian Bethancourt continue to have their camp pushed back, but appear to be making some progress and could reach the United States by the end of the week. Ballesteros is expected to compete for a near-everyday role in the Cubs lineup following the departure of Kyle Tucker. Last season, the team's No. 1-ranked prospect in the system posted a .298/.394/.474 line with two long balls across 20 games. At Triple-A, the 22-year-old posted an impressive .316/.385/.473 slash line with 13 round-trippers in a 114-game stint. Ballesteros should compete for a lead role as the team's primary DH and may also see occasional starts behind the dish and at first base. Given his projected playing time, the young backstop is a prime late-round sleeper in deeper formats.

2 days ago

Shota Imanaga • SP • Cubs

Shota Imanaga Adjusting his Pitch Repertoire

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga has teamed with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy to adjust his pitch repertoire going into the 2026 season, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Hottovy said the goal is to keep honing a sweeper from his "natural arm slot" while reintroducing a cutter and finding a sinker grip that "helps maintain velocity." The 32-year-old Japanese southpaw was an All-Star in his first year with the Cubs in 2024, going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA. He was off to a strong start last year, too, before a left-hamstring injury on May 4 cost him seven weeks and impacted his performance down the stretch. Imanaga allowed 20 home runs in his final 12 starts for a 5.17 ERA in that span. He was even worse in two playoff appearances. If Imanaga can stay healthy and rediscover his magic from 2024, he'll be a great value pick in fantasy drafts. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 50 starting pitcher.

4 days ago

Cade Horton • SP • Cubs

Cade Horton Set for Elevated Workload in Year 2

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell expects a bigger workload for right-hander Cade Horton in 2026 after a successful rookie campaign in which he went 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 97:33 K:BB in 118 innings over 23 appearances (22 starts) during the regular season. "He dominated the league last year. Now it's do it again and do it over a full season, workload increased," Counsell said. The 24-year-old left his final regular-season start with a right-rib fracture and wasn't available for the Wild-Card round or Division Series in the playoffs, but all indications are that he had a normal offseason and is ready to roll this spring. Horton finished second in voting for National League Rookie of the Year in 2025. He'll have a secure spot in Chicago's rotation, but regression could be coming after he disappointed with a 20.4% strikeout rate. Horton is RotoBaller's No. 57 fantasy starting pitcher in 2026.

7 days ago

Daniel Palencia • RP • Cubs

Daniel Palencia is the Cubs Closer

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-handed reliever Daniel Palencia is his closer, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Palencia said he learned to be more calm and confident after some failures last year, but overall, he was great at the back end of Chicago's bullpen. The 26-year-old Venezuelan had a career-best 2.91 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 22 saves, 61 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 52 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in the regular season. Palencia lost the closing role to Brad Keller late last year after dealing with a shoulder injury, but Keller is now gone, and Palencia has a chance to take a step forward in 2026. He was able to break out last year by dropping his walk rate from 13.8% his first two MLB seasons to 7.4% last year. Palencia is one of the hardest-throwing relievers in the game with nasty stuff, but he'll need to throw strikes to stave off regression.

7 days ago

Miguel Amaya • C • Cubs

Miguel Amaya Enters Camp at "100 Percent"

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (ankle, oblique) feels "100 percent" entering spring training. The team's backstop played in only 28 games during the 2025 campaign due to oblique and ankle injuries. During this limited stint of action, Amaya was quite productive, posting a .281/.314/.500 slash line with nine doubles, four home runs, and a 22:4 K:BB. Under the hood, the 26-year-old generated an elite 38.2% LA-sweet-spot% but with a low .295 xwOBA. With Amaya on the shelf, that paved the way for Carson Kelly to emerge as the team's top backstop. However, with Amaya back to full health and set to represent Panama in the World Baseball Classic, he could end up sharing the dish with Kelly. Managers should monitor his production in camp in case he faces any setbacks. Given that both will likely share playing time, they are best left for 15-team, two-catcher formats in 2026.

7 days ago

Jonathon Long • 1B • Cubs

Jonathon Long Invited to Big-League Camp

Chicago Cubs first base prospect Jonathon Long has earned an invite to MLB spring training. Long is considered the team's No. 6-ranked prospect in the system per MLB.com and is now quickly approaching his MLB debut. Long joined the Cubs in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft but has since emerged as one of their top bats. Last summer, the infielder spent the entire 2025 campaign with Triple-A Iowa and performed at a high level. Across 140 contests, the Long Beach State product held a .305/.404/.479 line with a strong .883 OPS. He hit 20 home runs while holding a 116:79 K:BB. The previous season, Long held a similar .283/.391/.461 line across 114 games between High-A and Double-A. Even though Michael Busch is the team's primary first baseman, Long could be in the mix for an early call-up as an injury replacement, given his quick adjustments to Triple-A pitching.

7 days ago

Jaxon Wiggins • SP • Cubs

Jaxon Wiggins Earns Ticket to Spring Training, Nearing MLB Debut

Chicago Cubs top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins is among the non-roster invitees set to attend MLB spring training. On MLB.com, Wiggins is considered the team's No. 2-ranked prospect and the sport's overall No. 67 prospect. Last summer, the right-hander was one of the most effective arms in the entire minor leagues and is now quickly approaching his MLB debut. He began the 2025 campaign with High-A but finished the second half with Triple-A Iowa. At High-A, Wiggins logged 26 1/3 innings to the tune of a 1.71 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He was then bumped up to Double-A, where he logged 42 innings with a stellar 1.92 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP. In his first taste of Triple-A, Wiggins took a step back, allowing five runs over 9 2/3 innings. Despite his struggles, Wiggins will likely begin the 2026 season with the Iowa Cubs, leaving the door open for an early first-half MLB debut.

7 days ago

Colin Rea • SP • Cubs

Colin Rea on the Outside Looking in for Rotation Spot

MLB.com's Jordan Bastian lists the Chicago Cubs' current starting rotation as Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Cade Horton. That leaves Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks as depth behind that group. Justin Steele (elbow) is expected to make his season debut in the first half of the season, so the 35-year-old Rea could spend most of the 2026 campaign in a relief role. Twenty-seven of his 32 appearances last year were in a starting role, and he finished the 2025 season with a career-best 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 127:44 K:BB in 159 1/3 innings pitched. Rea's career year in 2025 will unlikely be repeated this year, especially if he's relegated to mostly a long-relief role. Last year was the first time in Rea's seven-year major-league career that he had an ERA under 4.00.

Feb 9

Ian Happ • LF • Cubs

Ian Happ Showing Subtle Signs of Aging Heading into 2026

Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ has established himself as one of the most consistent players in MLB. Dating back to 2023, the 31-year-old has posted three consecutive seasons with at least 650 plate appearances, a .240 batting average, 85 runs scored, 20 home runs, and 75 RBI. Happ also owns an excellent 12.1% walk rate for his career, which makes him a consistent on-base presence at or near the top of a strong Cubs lineup. While Happ's steady and well-rounded production makes him an extremely valuable real-life player, his profile is a little less exciting for fantasy managers. In addition to his middling batting average, Happ's stolen base total dipped to six in 2025 after consecutive years with at least 13 in 2023 and 2024. Happ is still locked into everyday playing time in left field in Chicago, which should lead to quality counting stats in the run and RBI categories. He may be slightly undervalued as the 178th player off the board by average draft position, but Happ's profile is also one without high-end fantasy upside.

Feb 8

Moisés Ballesteros • C • Cubs

Moises Ballesteros Will See Time as a Catcher in Camp

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has said that budding prospect Moises Ballesteros is expected to see opportunities behind the plate during camp. Ballesteros progressed through the minor leagues as a primary catcher but is expected to shift to a designated hitter role with the Cubs in 2026 and with the potential to see occasional starts at backstop. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reported that, currently, Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya are ahead of Ballesteros on the catching depth chart and that the DH spot is his best path for consistent at-bats early in 2026. However, Bastian noted the team has seen Ballesteros make strides defensively, but there is still "more development to go." Ballesteros spent most of the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Iowa, where he hit .316/.385/.473 line. While the young backstop will likely be in a primary DH role to begin the season, he could eventually carve out time behind the plate if his bat continues to produce at the MLB level. Given his potential to see nearly every day at-bats, he is a top breakout candidate at the catcher position.

Feb 3

Kevin Alcántara • RF • Cubs

Kevin Alcantara to Compete for Spot on Opening Day Roster

According to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Chicago Cubs outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara is expected to be in the mix for one of the final spots on the Opening Day roster. However, the outfielder does have one more minor league option, which could push him to Triple-A to begin the regular season. Bastian noted that the Cubs currently need a fourth outfielder, and Alcantara should "push" for that role. Last summer, the 23-year-old appeared in just 10 MLB games and held a .364/.417/.364 line. He spent the majority of his season at the Triple-A level, where he posted a solid .266/.349/.470 with 26 doubles, 17 long balls, and 10 stolen bases. While Alcantara will not win a starting job out of camp, he could carve out a depth role, making him a name to watch in deeper NL-only formats.

Feb 3

Michael Busch • 1B • Cubs

Michael Busch Looking to Repeat Standout 2025 Performance

After breaking out as a solid regular in 2024, Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch took his game to another level in 2025. Across 592 plate appearances, the 28-year-old posted a .261/.343/.523 slash line with 34 home runs, 90 RBI, 78 runs scored, and four stolen bases. Busch slashed his strikeout rate from 28.6% in 2024 to 23.5% in 2025 while boosting his barrel rate from 11.2% to 17.1%. If there's one negative in the lefty-swinging Busch's profile, it's his lopsided platoon splits. Across 95 plate appearances against left-handed pitching in 2025, Busch hit .207/.274/.368 with a 27.4% strikeout rate. Chicago signed right-handed hitting first baseman Tyler Austin over the offseason, so Busch appears likely to lose playing time against lefties for a second straight season. Still, Busch was able to rack up counting stats in the potent Cubs lineup even while being platooned in 2025. He's a legit power bat whose current average draft position of pick 112 could be a value selection for fantasy managers in 2026.

Feb 1

Pete Crow-Armstrong • CF • Cubs

Can Pete Crow-Armstrong Bounce Back from His Underwhelming Close to 2025?

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a spectacular season overall in 2025, posting a .247/.287/.481 slash line with 31 home runs, 95 RBI, 91 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases across 647 plate appearances. However, the 23-year-old's production fell off in the second half of the year. Across 246 plate appearances after the All-Star break, Crow-Armstrong hit .216/.262/.372 with just six home runs and struck out at a 25.6% rate, up from 22.9% in the first half. The lefty-swinging Crow-Armstrong also showed a notable platoon split throughout the season, logging a .594 OPS across 188 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Heading into 2026, Crow-Armstrong should remain an everyday staple in the Cubs lineup thanks to his elite defense in center field. He also posted a 13% barrel rate in 2025 and has 64 career stolen bases across 293 MLB games, so his power/speed profile appears legit. However, fantasy managers may want to anticipate a drop in counting stats and potentially a decline in batting average in 2026.

Jan 30

Gabe Klobosits • RP • Cubs

Gabe Klobosits Signs Minor-League Contract With Cubs

Free agent pitcher Gabe Klobosits will look to earn a spot in the bullpen for the Chicago Cubs after agreeing to a minor-league deal with the team before the start of spring training. While he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021, when he went 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in 11 games for the Nationals, the 6-foot-8 righty has posted some good numbers in independent ball with a 2.14 ERA over 80 innings. He split time last season between the Cleburne Railroaders in the American Association and the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League. Reports are that he is up to 98 miles-per-hour on his fastball this offseason, which would be an improvement from the last time he was in the majors. The 30-year-old will look to work his way back to the majors and will be an interesting arm to watch due to his non-traditional development path and potential to contribute to the bullpen at some point this season.

Jan 29

Jefferson Rojas • SS • Cubs

Jefferson Rojas Likely to Begin Season at Double-A?

Chicago Cubs top infield prospect Jefferson Rojas is expected to begin the 2026 campaign with Double-A Knoxville. Rojas is considered the No. 4-ranked prospect in their system on MLB.com. Rojas began the 2025 season with High-A South Bend and was quite productive, posting a .278/.379/.492 line with an .871 OPS. During this 67-game stint, Rojas hit 13 doubles, 11 home runs, and swiped 14 bases. He was then bumped up to Double-A, where he saw his production take a decline. Through his first 39 games in the upper levels, Rojas stumbled to a .164/.279/.205 line with no long balls and only five stolen bases. Given his struggles against Double-A pitching in the second half, managers should expect Rojas to spend most of the 2026 season there. If he were to turn the corner, he could push for a second-half taste of Triple-A.

Jan 29

Trent Thornton • RP • Cubs

Cubs Sign Trent Thornton to a Minor League Deal

The Chicago Cubs have signed veteran reliever Trent Thornton to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Thornton most recently appeared in the majors with Toronto last season, pitching to a 4.74 FIP across 33 appearances (42.1 innings). He limited walks but allowed a decent amount of contact with 6.80 K/9 and 1.28 HR/9. Pitch-tracking data indicate that Thornton threw seven different pitches in 2025, adding a splitter to his repertoire for the first time in his career. However, the slider/sweeper remains his best offering with 103 Stuff+, according to FanGraphs' model. The 32-year-old right-hander is working his way back from a torn Achilles, and it's currently unclear whether his recovery timetable will allow him to compete for a spot in the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen.

Jan 28

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