Cubs coverage shifts into game mode as spring slate opens in Arizona

The Cubs’ 2026 spring schedule is underway, and early storylines are already taking shape: a thinned-out broadcast menu for exhibition games, a clearer-than-usual picture of the Opening Day roster, and just a handful of jobs still up for grabs. The club’s first Cactus League game on Feb. 20 offered both a quick jolt from the lineup and a reminder that the real decisions come in the weeks ahead. 

Cubs coverage: how much you can actually watch and hear

Fans will have access to most—but not all—of the Cubs’ 33 spring games this year (32 major-league spring games plus one prospect showcase). Current listings show 26 games available on either television or radio (and sometimes both), leaving a small but notable set of dates with no listed broadcast.

That coverage math matters because the club’s local television partner is carrying fewer live spring games than in some previous years, shifting more of the viewing and listening plan onto a mix of local radio, opponent-produced feeds, and select video streams. The net effect: it’s still possible to follow the bulk of the schedule, but fans should expect a more piecemeal spring than the “every day is on” experience many have gotten used to.

Opening weekend takeaway: Suzuki is already swinging hard

In the spring opener against the White Sox on Feb. 20, Seiya Suzuki homered in his first at-bat of the exhibition season, an immediate sign that one of the lineup’s key bats carried good rhythm into camp. It’s only spring, but the club is counting on its offense to be a strength again, and early loud contact is the simplest possible “first checkpoint” for hitters.

The larger theme from the opener was less about the final score and more about innings: pitchers building workloads, fringe roster arms trying to throw strikes, and the staff getting an early look at how a few roster decisions might sort themselves out.

The roster picture is unusually clear early

Unlike some springs where multiple starting spots are unsettled, the Cubs appear to have much of their projected roster in focus as games begin. A current projection has the rotation built around Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, and Shota Imanaga, with the main question being order and who gets the Opening Day start.

On the position-player side, the infield alignment includes Alex Bregman at third base, with Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson in the middle and Michael Busch at first. That kind of stability tends to push the most meaningful spring drama toward the back of the roster—bench roles and the last spots in the bullpen.

Two real competitions: fourth outfielder and final bullpen spot

A spring breakdown of the “jobs still open” centers on two areas. First: the final bullpen seat, where the list of candidates includes names such as Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Porter Hodge, Jordan Wicks and others, depending on how the club wants to balance pure relief, multi-inning depth, and roster flexibility.

Second: the fourth outfield job behind an everyday trio of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Suzuki. Candidates mentioned in the mix include Kevin Alcántara, Justin Dean, and non-roster options such as Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick, with spring health and defensive fit likely to matter as much as batting lines.

Pitching health and bullpen additions set the tone

On the health front, left-hander Justin Steele is working back from left elbow surgery, with an expected return in the first half of 2026. His timeline matters because it can create a midseason rotation squeeze that forces role changes (or depth moves) if the staff is otherwise healthy.

The bullpen has also been reshaped with multiple additions, including reliever Hunter Harvey on a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027, a move that adds another power arm to late-inning plans. Spring, then, is less about finding eight bullpen arms and more about establishing the order, the workload plan, and the next layer of depth behind the primary group.

What to watch next as March approaches

Key takeaways to track as the exhibition schedule rolls toward the March 26 regular-season opener:

• Whether the club commits to a true multi-inning reliever or a matchup-heavy final bullpen spot.

• Which fourth-outfield candidate can provide defense at multiple spots and competent plate appearances against both righties and lefties.

• How quickly Steele progresses—and what that implies for rotation depth decisions later in the spring and into April.

• How the reduced spring broadcast footprint affects day-to-day fan access, especially on dates without a listed TV or radio option.