Another very early look at the 2018 Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster

The Cubs are very likely going to sign another pitcher, or two, before spring training begins.

Probably.

Maybe.

What if this is it? What if the Cubs go into camp with the 40-man roster as it is today?

If that happens — and honestly, I don’t think it will, but play along — here’s my best guess as to the 25 players who will be with the team as they open the season March 29 in Miami.

Pitchers (13)

Tyler Chatwood
Steve Cishek
Carl Edwards Jr.
Justin Grimm
Kyle Hendricks
Jon Lester
Dillon Maples
Mike Montgomery
Brandon Morrow
Jose Quintana
Pedro Strop
Jen-Ho Tseng
Justin Wilson

Catchers (2)

Willson Contreras
Victor Caratini

Infielders (6)

Javier Baez
Kris Bryant
Tommy La Stella
Anthony Rizzo
Addison Russell
Ben Zobrist

Outfielders (4)

Albert Almora Jr.
Ian Happ
Jason Heyward
Kyle Schwarber

Now, here’s a whole bunch of caveats.

That looks unfinished, doesn’t it? The list of pitchers, especially, looks like a work in progress. I don’t really think Tseng and Maples are going to break camp with the team; they both likely need more Triple-A work. That means the Cubs are still almost certainly seeking another starting pitcher and another reliever. The other 11 pitchers on the list are pretty much locks, though.

I also think the Cubs are still in the market for a veteran backup catcher. Perhaps they’ll bring back one of last year’s backups, Alex Avila or Rene Rivera. In my view, Caratini also needs more work at Iowa.

It’s certainly possible that someone else on the 40-man roster’s pitching list will have a breakout spring and make the team. Dario Alvarez, a lefthander with big-league experience, could be that guy. Or maybe it’s Luke Farrell, the Northwestern product.

Mostly, I thought I’d post this list to generate some discussion in this slowest of offseasons. Pitchers and catchers report in about five weeks.