Left hand Matthew Boyd returned to the Cubs after being with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and was quickly named by the team’s manager as the Opening Day starter. Craig Counsell. He will take the ball and be followed Late Horton, Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon again Shota Imanaga in a certain way. Rights Javier Assad again Ben Brown of which there are 40 men, and veterans Colin Rea He will open the season in the bullpen role.
Boyd, who turned 35 last month, pitched a career-high 179 1/3 innings with the Cubs last season. He worked to a solid 3.21 ERA with a slightly below average 21.4% strikeout rate but a 5.8% walk rate. Boyd is entering the second season of a two-year, $29MM contract. He already earned $500K in compensation last year based on his performance, and will be paid $14.5MM in 2026 with the opportunity to earn another $500K in compensation (reaching 120 innings). He is also owed a $2MM buyout with a 2027 co-op option that cannot be picked up by either side.
In other Cubs news, the team announced the latest wave of cuts this morning. The left Luke Little again Ryan Rolison they were optioned to Triple-A, as was the walk-on outfielder Justin Dean. The Cubs also assigned a handful of undrafted players to minor league camp – Vince Velasquez the most notable among them.
By sending Dean to Triple-A to start the season, the Cubs made it possible for them to open the season with a veteran bench starter as an outfielder. The former’s high hopes Kevin Alcantara he remains in major league camp and is on the 40-man roster, but still has an option year and is currently 4 for 21 with nine hits in 23 spring plate appearances. The team would rather have him play every day in Iowa than sit on the bench and make a start or two a week.
The most prominent outfielders in the camp are them Dylan Carlson, Michael Conforto again Chas McCormick. Carlson has been the team’s most productive player and offers the bonus of being a switch hitter who can handle all three outside spots. Conforto is a lefty who can’t pick up the middle, even though he has the league’s most outstanding record (though not over the last few seasons). McCormick is a good attacking midfielder who can handle all three positions and crush the rest in the past (but he struggled against all his opponents in 2025).
One player who clearly seems to have been ticketed for a more used role off the bench: the former top scorer Matt Shaw. The 24-year-old hit .226/.295/.394 as a starter but had a good run in the final three months of the season. Cubs signing of Alex Bregman he chased Shaw home last year in third place, and now he’s moving into a relief role.
We’ve already seen Shaw get reps in the outfield and second base, but Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic writes that he’s now working first base into his repertoire. Shaw tells Sharma that he first worked for three days before he made his first appearance in this position during yesterday’s Cactus League match.
Getting some work done early is very important if possible Tyler Austin‘s knee surgery, which will keep him sidelined for several months. Austin returned to NPB Japan this year, signing a one-year deal with the Cubs to serve as a righty-swinging complement. Michael Busch in the beginning and give some exit from the bench.
That role is clearly on hold for now, and there is no clear option to step up and take it – the prospect of a right-footed cornerback Jonathan Long slowed down a bit in camp by an elbow problem – Austin’s injury could cost Shaw more at-bats early in the season. Busch hit .207/.274/.368 against lefties last season and is a career .230/.295/.356 hitter in left-handed settings. Shaw hit .250/.318/.490 against lefties last year and finished as a Gold Glove finalist at the hot corner, so he should have the athleticism and defensive ability to handle a multi-position role.
