How the Chicago Cubs are Actually Building Their 2026 Roster

The Chicago Cubs want to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their last World Series championship with another in late October. How they build their roster will have plenty to do with it.

Chicago reached the National League Divisional Playoffs last year, falling to the Milwaukee Brewers in five games. The Cubs’ offseason didn’t start fast, but it picked up steam in January when it traded for pitcher Edward Cabrera and signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year deal.

How much the Cubs can contend will be dependent on how they build their roster. Here are three ways they’re doing it.

Starting pitching depth

Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd throws a baseball. — Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Rotation depth was an issue for Chicago last year. It lost left-hander Justin Steele for most of the season due to an elbow injury. Shota Imanaga missed a month. Jameson Taillon did two stretches on the injured list. Michael Soroka, who was acquired in a trade in July, was injured in his first appearance.

Chicago is taking steps to ensure that doesn’t happen again — or at least ensure it has the depth to overcome them. Chicago has seven healthy arms on its starting rotation depth chart, including Imanaga, Taillon, Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Colin Rea and Javier Assad.

Two long relievers — Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown — can fill in to start, too, while Steele will return at midseason, if all goes well.

The Cubs are doing all they can to make sure what happened next season doesn’t happen again.

The Matt Shaw shift

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw swings his bat. — Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Signing Bregman to a five-year deal was one of the best deals of the offseason. He could have ended up in any number of places, but Chicago swung a solid deal and locked down a position that had been a problem for them in recent years — third base.

So, what about Matt Shaw? He had a solid rookie year and was a Gold Glove finalist. His bat struggled, but he has the chops to improve this season. But the Cubs must find a place for him and there really isn’t a regular spot. So, he’s spending time at multiple positions this spring, as Chicago tries to fashion him into a super-utility player.

How does that impact the roster? Assuming Shaw takes to the role, someone is going to lose a roster spot that might have had one before Bregman joined the team.

The bullpen moves

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Phil Maton throws a baseball. — Texas Rangers relief pitcher Phil Maton. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The bullpen found itself in a good place at times last season, but it didn’t stop Chicago from fortifying it in the offseason by signing, among others, three former Texas Rangers — Phil Maton, Hoby Milner and Jacob Webb. Texas puts an emphasis on relievers who can fill the zone with strikes and can work multiple innings. That’s flexibility the Cubs can use.

Maton, in particular, could be useful as an additional closer if Daniel Palencia has issues or just needs a day off. He’s one of those pitchers that brings consistency to the eighth inning and sets up the closer with a lead.

Maton could get plenty of work this season. All three have the chance to populate Chicago’s bullpen with versatile arms that boost what the franchise already has.