"When you have a semi-dedicated designated hitter on your roster (Moises Ballesteros, for mental planning purposes), you have just four bench spots available on your 26-man roster. And since one of those four spots has to go to your second catcher, you really have just three. On the 2026 Chicago Cubs, we know that one of those three spots is going to go to Matt Shaw. Another is likely, though not guaranteed, to go to Tyler Austin."
"The third will go to an outfielder, from among a group that includes Kevin Alcantara, Justin Dean, Chas McCormick, and Dylan Carlson. If Austin doesn't make the roster, then it could be two from that group. Working against Alcantara and Dean, they are already on the 40-man roster and have minor league options available. So if the Cubs want to maximize the volume of guys they can keep in the organization overall, it's possible they'll err on the side of keeping Carlson and/or McCormick from that group"
"But, the calls here are likely to be close enough from an organization-building perspective that, if Kevin Alcantara were to truly look like a big contributor in a part-time role, the Cubs aren't going to mess around. They'd want him on the team for the upside in his bat and his plus glove at any spot in the outfield. Keep in mind that Dean is not yet established either, and Carlson and McCormick were forced to sign minor league deals for a reason."
With a semi-dedicated designated hitter, the 26-man roster leaves four bench spots, and a second catcher reduces that to three available bench slots. One bench spot is slated for Matt Shaw and another likely for Tyler Austin; the remaining spot(s) will be filled by outfielders from Kevin Alcantara, Justin Dean, Chas McCormick, and Dylan Carlson. Alcantara and Dean occupy 40-man roster spots with options, which favors their retention, but organizational depth and optionability could protect Carlson or McCormick. Alcantara’s prospect status, glove versatility, and positive late-season impression increase his chances of making the 2026 roster and potentially starting by 2027.
Read at Bleacher Nation
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