Cubs May Face Option Jam With Seven 40-Man Roster Players
The Chicago Cubs, like every other Major League team, will face critical decisions as they put together their Opening Day roster.
The option situation of several players will play a role.
Recently, MLB Trade Rumors published a list of 40-man players with fewer than five years of service time and no minor league options remaining. Players with more than five years of service can refuse an option.
This is important because if any of these players don’t make the Opening-Day roster they cannot be immediately sent to the minors. Because they are out of options, they must clear outright waivers before they can be sent to the minor leagues. By putting those players on waivers they’re exposed to the rest of baseball and can be claimed.
The Cubs have seven, but they are not all created equal.
For instance, pitcher Justin Steele isn’t going anywhere. He enters this season as the Cubs’ ace after he went 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 2023. With 176 strikeouts he earned an NL All-Star Game selection and finished in the Top 5 in Cy Young voting.
The same likely holds true for pitcher Adbert Alzolay, who emerged as the Cubs’ closer last season and saved 22 games in 2023. Whether he’s the closer or a set-up man, he should make the roster.
Outfielder Mike Tauchman is also out of options, but he has already been assured by manager Craig Counsell that he will serve as the team’s fourth outfielder.
After that, roles and competition could play a factor in who makes the cut.
For instance, Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. were valuable relievers last season for Chicago and should make the roster once again. But if a hot reliever emerges, or one of them is sidelined with an injury, that could be a factor.
Miguel Amaya would appear safe, too. He is the backup to Yan Gomes.
The player with the most to lose might be relief pitcher Yency Almonte.
Almonte came to the Cubs with top prospect Michael Busch in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Busch has been penciled in as the Cubs’ starting first baseman. Almonte, on the other hand, is not assured a role and will have to compete with pitchers like Merryweather and Leiter for a spot on the roster.
The good news is the Cubs wanted the right-hander. The bad news is he’s coming off a 2023 in which he had a 5.06 ERA in 49 games.
Whatever happens, these options will play a factor, not only in these players making the team but which players with options don’t, such as No. 1 prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.
