As Chicago nears a clinching moment, underperforming veterans and struggling bullpen arms risk being sidelined to ensure the North Siders field their most reliable championship-caliber rotation.
The Chicago Cubs’ magic number to clinch a postseason spot is one.
A Cubs win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, or a Diamondbacks loss to the Colorado Rockies, will secure a postseason spot. With a 99.9% chance of making it back to the playoffs, it’s almost guaranteed that Chicago will be in this year’s postseason field.
However, the Cubs will face some tough decisions regarding their postseason roster. They will have to make some difficult roster decisions for the Wild Card Round. Here are three players who shouldn’t be on the playoff roster.
Caleb Thielbar
Caleb Thielbar has had a disappointing 2026 campaign. After a career-best year in 2025, the southpaw has regressed significantly. He has a 4.99 ERA and a 1.315 WHIP across 48 ⅔ innings pitched this season.
Things just haven’t been great for Thielbar for most of this season. He has allowed six runs (four earned runs) in seven innings pitched this month and lost yet another game for the Cubs on Tuesday night. The veteran left-hander gave up three runs (two earned runs) on two hits in that loss against the Marlins.
Given how poorly Thielbar has pitched this year, there is no way the Cubs can put him on the postseason roster. He has been a major liability in the bullpen, and the Cubs would benefit from keeping him off the initial Wild Card roster.
Edward Cabrera
The Cubs made a big move in the offseason by trading for Edward Cabrera. However, Cabrera has really struggled in his first year with the team. He has spent some time on the injured list and has a 5.96 ERA across 80 innings pitched.
Cabrera was a part of the Cubs’ rotation for most of the season, but was recently moved to the bullpen after his latest blister issue. Unfortunately, his numbers in that bullpen role haven’t been great. The Cubs right-hander has allowed five earned runs in four innings pitched since being activated from the IL earlier this month.
The Cubs simply can’t roll with Cabrera in a postseason game. He has been too shaky in this relief role and shouldn’t be on the Wild Card Round roster.
Gabriel Arias
This one is pretty easy. The Cubs will only carry 13 position players on their Wild Card roster. Those players will include Carson Kelly, Miguel Amaya, Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman, Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Conforto, Tyrone Taylor, Matt Shaw, and Pedro Ramirez.
Arias will be the odd man out of that group unless an injury occurs between now and next Tuesday. The veteran infielder has just one plate appearance this month and isn’t needed on the postseason roster.
