Top Chicago Cubs Storylines to Follow the Rest of 2025 Spring Training
The regular season is approaching, but there are still a few weeks of spring training left. What are the top Cubs camp storylines to follow?
It has now been three weeks since Chicago Cubs’ pitchers and catchers officially reported to spring training.
That means we’re only 15 days away from Opening Day, when the Cubs play the Los Angeles Dodgers in Tokyo. That also means we’re only 24 days away from their domestic opener in Arizona.
Yes, March is here. Regular season baseball is quickly approaching — and even quicker for the Cubs than 28 other major league teams. But there are still plenty of stories to follow while this group is out in Mesa, Arizona.
How could injuries affect this roster for the trip to Tokyo?
What are the position battles?
Which Cubs prospects have starred down in Mesa?
All that and more will (hopefully) be answered in the coming days and weeks. Until then, here are the top Cubs storylines to follow for the rest of spring training.
When Will Hoerner Be Ready?
After the news came out in October that Nico Hoerner had undergone right flexor tendon surgery, thoughts quickly turned to concern over his readiness for the regular season.
There hadn’t been a ton of clarity on Hoerner’s situation before camp began. His status still wasn’t certain a week ago, when he said on the Cubs’ game broadcast that he still wanted to play in Japan.
On Thursday, though, Cubs manager Craig Counsell at least made it known to reporters in Mesa that Hoerner won’t make the trip to Tokyo.
“He can’t play in games there, and he needs at-bats,” Counsell said (via Marquee Sports Network), also noting Hoerner will stay back to play in minor league games.
“He needs to play. At that point, he needs to be a baseball player, and the trip just does not allow for him to do that in the proper way.”
It’s still not a guarantee that Hoerner will be ready for domestic Opening Day at the end of the month. He took batting practice Saturday and he’s been on a throwing program as he recovers from his offseason surgery.
It looks like there’s real reason to hope Hoerner is ready to play in Arizona for game No. 3 of the regular season. Keep your eye out for more updates on Hoerner’s progression.
Will Shaw Take the Reins at Third Base to Start the Year?
Hoerner isn’t the only injured Cub who could’ve been in their starting infield in Tokyo. Matt Shaw is still working his own way back from an oblique issue, and it’s not yet clear if he’ll be in the lineup in Japan.
Nothing is currently off the table for Shaw, according to Counsell. He played in his first spring game Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, taking three at-bats before exiting the game.
Obviously, the primary objective is to get him back to full health. But this does give him some runway to potentially be in shape for the Cubs’ first game of the regular season.
If that doesn’t come to fruition, it seems likely that Shaw will be ready for that first stateside series in Arizona.
The reason his status feels so important is because of the third-base conundrum. The Cubs don’t have a set starter there, and Shaw came into camp as the front runner to take the job. Without him, the Cubs would pick from their other options, like Gage Workman, Jon Berti and Vidal Bruján.
It’s still no guarantee that he does begin the season as the starter at third. But getting him back into regular work will go a long way toward helping him get ready for that opportunity.
Who Will Be the Cubs’ Fifth Starter?
Incumbent Cubs starters Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon make up the rotation’s top three. Offseason signing Matthew Boyd should slot in as well. The big question, then, is who’ll fill out the last starting spot.
Javier Assad entered camp with a left oblique injury. Though he’s been progressing in his recovery, Counsell told reporters Saturday that Assad is “going to miss the start of the season.” He spent all but a bit over two weeks in the rotation last season, so there will be a new face in the group to begin the year.
Colin Rea feels like the favorite to win that job going into the season. The Cubs brought him in on a one-year, $5 million deal. He’s a 34-year-old veteran with 76 career starts (94 total appearances) and no options remaining.
Rea has experience playing for Counsell in Milwaukee as well. At the very least, he should be able to eat innings, having thrown 167.2 in 2024.
There are obvious reasons Rea could get that fifth-starter spot to open the season. But that’s certainly not guaranteed at this point.
Now fully healthy with a Cactus League appearance under his belt, Ben Brown is another option for the Cubs.
Last season, Brown opened eyes during the first half of the season. That includes his seven no-hit innings in Milwaukee. Injury forced him out for good after June 8, but before that, he had the look of an effective rotation piece. He could make a case to grab that spot.
There’s also Jordan Wicks, who too missed a ton of time in 2024 due to injury, but he had a promising first month in the big leagues to end 2023. He’s now healthy and has made two spring starts. Perhaps a strong showing the rest of March convinces the Cubs to roster him to start the year.
Other potential options on the 40-man, Caleb Kilian and Cody Poteet, were optioned Saturday. That leaves the above trio as the likeliest arms to compete for the fifth starting job.
Which Arms Will Make up the Cubs’ Bullpen?
Where does that leave things for the relief corps?
Any of those three would be bullpen candidates if they’re not in the rotation (particularly Rea because of his lack of options). Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier, Tyson Miller, Caleb Thielbar, Julian Merryweather, and Keegan Thompson can’t be optioned either, so they’d need to be in the bullpen to start the year.
Let’s go with the scenario that Rea is in the rotation. That leaves two bullpen spots up for grabs.
You can take Jack Neely and Gavin Hollowell out of the running, since both were also optioned Saturday. Luke Little, who threw live batting practice for the first time Saturday, feels unlikely. Same goes for Ethan Roberts and Daniel Palencia.
Again, Brown or Wicks could take the spot. However, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Maddie Lee, “Counsell has made it clear that Wicks, for example, is going to be a starter to begin the year, whether that’s in the majors or Triple-A.” The Cubs could certainly opt to keep him and Brown stretched out in Iowa if Rea makes the rotation.
That leaves Porter Hodge, Eli Morgan and Nate Pearson.
Hodge emerged as the team’s closer last season, and a bullpen spot to begin the year feels likely. The Cubs added both Morgan and Pearson via trade in 2024, and both should have bullpen roles at some point, even if it isn’t to start 2025.
Obviously, surprises can happen. Maybe a non-roster invitee shines and forces his way onto the roster.
However everything shakes out, this will be an interesting camp competition to watch.
How Does the Cubs’ Bench Shake Out?
This obviously depends on Hoerner and Shaw’s health, because the Cubs would then use a bench piece or two to fill in if needed. But let’s look at this from a domestic Opening Day perspective, with both Hoerner and Shaw active.
The Cubs would have four bench spots, and two will go to Carson Kelly or Miguel Amaya, depending on who’s the starting catcher, and Justin Turner. That’s basically set.
The Berti-Bruján-Workman trio would seem to be the main candidates for the other two. Neither Berti nor Bruján can be optioned, which would normally give them a leg up.
However, as a Rule 5 Draft pick, Workman has to be on the active roster to begin the year. Even though he’s never played above Double-A, the Cubs can’t option him to the minors, either.
That presents a scenario where the Cubs would have to cut ties with one of the three entering the season (obviously, an injury could result in all remaining within the organization).
They could also keep a fifth outfielder on the roster behind Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki. Kevin Alcántara fits that bill. But considering his youth and minor league options, it makes more sense to let him play everyday in Triple-A.
That’ll then leave it to those three backup infielders. The bench makeup may not be the most exciting aspect of the roster, but how the Cubs decide to fill it will be interesting to watch.
Written by
Baseball writer and podcaster. Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) member. Past stops include CHGO Sports, MLB.com and more. Chicago is my home ballpark.