The One Cubs Roster Spot That’s Still Not Settled

By and large, the Chicago Cubs have their roster set for the 2026 season.

There could still be some activity — the front office has been linked to starting pitcher Zac Gallen — but the likelihood of a deal remains unclear, especially given how crowded the Cubs’ pitching staff already is.

There has also been some wheeling and dealing on the margins of the roster: minor league contracts here and there, along with spring training invites for players with big-league experience. We’ll likely continue to see more of that over the next few weeks as pitchers and catchers report. But I’ve felt this way for a while now — the Cubs are probably done adding, at least when it comes to major acquisitions.

The main reason is simple: the roster is pretty much set.

They have a surplus of starting pitching. They’ve signed five different relief arms to major league contracts this offseason, while also bringing in depth on minor league deals with MLB experience, including Trent Thornton, Charlie Barnes, Corbin Martin, Jeff Brigham, Tyler Beede, and Gabe Klobosits.

The Cubs added their big bat in the form of Alex Bregman, pushed Matt Shaw into a bench role, and further fortified the roster.

As things stand right now, there is really only one roster spot that feels legitimately up for grabs — and it centers on what the Cubs decide to do with the final bench spot in the outfield.

We know Matt Shaw will be the backup infielder and super-utility option. Tyler Austin, signed to an MLB deal after returning from playing in Japan, profiles as a power bat off the bench and a platoon option with Michael Busch at first base. Miguel Amaya is locked in as the backup catcher behind Carson Kelly, even if Moisés Ballesteros catches on occasion.

All of that feels pretty straightforward.

What remains a mystery is who the fourth outfielder will be behind Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki.

Let’s go over the options.

Dylan Carlson is a former prized prospect of the St. Louis Cardinals. Once viewed as an untouchable piece, his career has taken a sharp downturn, and he now lands with the Cubs on a minor league contract.

Back in 2021, Carlson posted 31 doubles, 18 home runs, and a .780 OPS as a 22-year-old. At the time, he looked like a foundational outfielder.

Since then, injuries and inconsistent offensive production have derailed his trajectory. Multiple soft-tissue injuries, along with shoulder and ankle issues, limited both his availability and effectiveness. By 2023, he had slipped into a fourth-outfielder role. From 2023 through 2025, Carlson posted a combined .210/.294/.314 slash line at the MLB level, though he did show flashes of offensive life in Triple-A during the 2025 season.

There’s still some intrigue here. Carlson has a strong understanding of the strike zone and rarely chases pitches outside it. But beyond that, there isn’t much to feel confident about offensively, and he grades out as a below-average defender in the outfield.

That’s how you end up on your fourth organization.

Chas McCormick is fairly safely the most proven major league player in this group.

Just a few years ago, he was a budding star for the Houston Astros and a key contributor during their competitive window, including a World Series title. His breakout came in 2023, when he hit .273 with 22 home runs, posted an .842 OPS, and delivered strong defensive metrics across all three outfield spots.

Since then, the production has fallen off hard. McCormick posted a combined .574 OPS across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with sharp declines in power output and fastball damage. He also dealt with oblique, hamstring, and hand injuries that limited both his playing time and consistency.

Still, McCormick brings postseason experience, defensive reliability, and a track record that none of the other candidates can match.

Justin Dean has a skill set that feels tailor-made for a bench role.

He made his MLB debut in 2025 and appeared in 18 games for the Dodgers during August and September — somehow logging just two at-bats in the process. Los Angeles primarily used him as a defensive replacement and pinch runner, in a role reminiscent of former Cub (and famously Kansas City Royal) Terrance Gore.

Dean also appeared in 13 playoff games, including Games 6 and 7 of the 2025 World Series, and came away with a championship ring.

He brings speed, elite defense, and a calm presence in big moments — traits that don’t always show up in the box score, but absolutely show up in October. That may not make him the ideal choice to open the season as the fourth outfielder, but it does make him a logical call-up later in the year as the Cubs push for the postseason and look to win on the margins.

Kevin Alcántara is the upside play — and the player with the most intriguing long-term future.

The question for the Cubs is whether they want him on the MLB roster badly enough to sacrifice the regular playing time he would otherwise be getting in the minor leagues.

Alcántara is the No. 4 prospect in the organization and has appeared in 13 MLB games over the past two seasons, but he has never been given a real opportunity to break through. Scouts love the bat speed, physicality, and defensive range, but his long levers and swing-and-miss tendencies — particularly against spin and high velocity — create volatility in his offensive profile.

He struck out 128 times in 379 at-bats for Triple-A Iowa, but still managed an .819 OPS over a full season.

There’s little doubt Alcántara could impact games late with his speed, power, and defense. The question is timing. Is it time now? Or would forcing him into a bench role be detrimental to his development?

That’s the decision the Cubs still haven’t answered.