There’s one more week of Cactus League games before the Cubs head to Arlington to open their season against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers. If you want to be the champs, you must beat them, right? Opening weekend will be an excellent early test for the Cubs, even if it’s only such in our minds.

The Cubs have World Series aspirations of their own. The money says so. They didn’t go out and woo Craig Counsell from Milwaukee by making him the highest-paid manager in baseball for any other reason. Now it’s time to see how Counsell wants to line things up when they take on the Texas Rangers eight days from today.

So, let’s take a swing at what the Cubs Opening Day roster will look like and discuss what might not be decided yet.

But first, here is a quick piece of advice. Craig Counsell said something we should all remember when doing these exercises or critiquing the roster he chooses to take to Arlington next week: "You’re not going to get through it with 26 guys.”

Baseball’s 162-game schedule is a grind. The roster will morph into multiple iterations this summer, so keep that in mind.

You shouldn’t expect to see a fixed lineup this season. That’s not Craig Counsell’s style. In 2023 with the Brewers, Counsell used 135 different lineup combinations, with his most common lineup only used four times. Last season, he also used ten different starting pitchers and deployed a six-man rotation at various points.

But let’s try to throw a dart here and come up with something we might see in some capacity more often than not this season for the Cubs.

Again, there’s not much stock that can be put into that other than the visualization of what things might look like more often than not. Counsell is going to play the matchups, and he’s going to move guys around.

So, looking at the roster from an in-depth chart standpoint is probably more beneficial.

Catcher: Yan Gomes, Miguel Amaya

Gomes is the seasoned veteran that the Cubs value for the guidance of their pitching staff. He’ll get the bulk of the work, especially early, while Amaya continues to prove himself.

First Base: Michael Busch

The Cubs identified Busch as their first baseman this season and traded for him. Patrick Wisdom has been taking reps at first base this spring, but this job is Busch’s to lose.

Second Base: Nico Hoerner

Hoerner hit .283 last season, stole 43 bases, scored 98 runs, and won his first Gold Glove Award. He’ll be a fixture at second base for the Cubs for the foreseeable future.

Shortstop: Dansby Swanson

Swanson’s first season with the Cubs was one to remember as he took home a Gold Glove Award and was an All-Star for the Cubs in the first year of his seven-year, $177 million deal.

Third Base: Christopher Morel

Craig Counsell wants to keep Morel’s pop in the lineup, and giving him an extended runway at third base is the best way he can see that going. Morel has worked hard at the position this spring, and he’s had his ebbs and flows, but there’s little doubt that he will be the Cubs' Opening Day third baseman.

Outfield: Cody Bellinger, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Mike Tauchman

Again, this is pretty straightforward. These three will be the regular outfielders, with Happ in left field, Bellinger in center field, and Seiya in right field. Mike Tauchman will be the fourth outfielder, giving the Cubs a left-handed bat that can spell that trio at all three outfield positions.

DH/Bench: Miles Mastrobuoni, Dominic Smith, Patrick Wisdom

With infielder Nick Madrigal still nursing a hamstring injury and likely not ready to go by next week, I have Miles Mastobuoni making the team out of camp. He can play anywhere on the diamond except catcher and gives Craig Counsell another left-handed hitter on his bench. Patrick Wisdom can play the corners in the infield and outfield and has some pop in his bat, and Dominic Smith gives Craig Counsell another left-handed bat that he could deploy from the DH spot or the bench in a pinch-hitting role.

Justin Steele was excellent in 2023, and he’s already been named the Cubs’ Opening Day starter. I like the veteran Hendricks behind Steele with Shōta Imanaga and Jordan Wicks in the three and four slots in the rotation. The fifth starter role will be decided sometime this week, but I have Drew Smyly as the favorite to open the season in that spot.

With Jameson Taillon's back issue keeping him from making a Cactus League appearance, the Cubs will need to figure out who will take his slot in the rotation until he’s healthy.

Again, the 26 that make the trip to Arlington won’t be the 26 that end the season with the Cubs. That’s just the way this works.

“We can’t survive with five starters,” Counsell said recently.

At this point, Drew Smyly and Javier Assad are the most likely candidates to fill Taillon’s role at the start of the season.

Even when Taillon returns, expect to see plenty of Smyly, Asaad, and Hayden Wesneski this season, as Craig Counsell has used the occasional six-man rotation in the past and will likely do the same this season with his preference to keep his starters pitching on five days rest.

"I’ve always found that to be helpful. It helps guys recover. That’s when the bad stuff happens — when they get in their cycle, and they’re just not recovering. So we’ll look at that for not only Shota but for all of our guys making starts on a regular basis.”

Carl Edwards Jr. has been a fun story this spring. In six appearances, Edwards has posted a 1.59 ERA for the Cubs. But with left-hander Drew Smyly likely heading to the rotation to open the season, the Cubs will probably prefer a left-hander in that final bullpen role.

Luke Little has been perfect in Cactus League play, allowing no earned runs in his six appearances. Although super low BABIP and ground ball rates concern me, he probably has the inside track over Edwards right now.

Here’s what I have penciled in today: