TOKYO — News item (Bluesky link):

All right, so we know a couple of cuts have been made from this active roster, which shows 29 players. There are 15 pitchers listed there, so the 13 pitchers the Cubs will open the season with are as follows:

Starters (5)

Shōta Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea

Relievers (8)

(in alphabetical order)

Ryan Brasier, Ben Brown, Porter Hodge, Julian Merryweather, Tyson Miller, Nate Pearson, Ryan Pressly, Caleb Thielbar

You might disagree with me putting Rea among the starters and Brown among the relievers, but that’s the way I see things right now. Brown could be a useful multi-inning reliever if he doesn’t start — among the other seven relievers there isn’t really anyone like that. Of course, Rea could do the same. Remember that Craig Counsell has some history with Rea, as Rea pitched for Counsell in Milwaukee in 2021 and 2023. As always, we await developments.

This also leaves the Cubs with just one lefty (Thielbar) in the bullpen. Unless Jordan Wicks returns, or the Cubs find another lefty somewhere (Luke Little, maybe, at some point?), they’re going to have to identify a righthander who has reverse splits and can get LH hitters out, as Mark Leiter Jr. did for much of last year.

With the departure of Wicks and Eli Morgan (for now) from the active roster, that leaves 27 names for 26 spots. It appears to me that Nico Hoerner should be ready to take the field for the North American Cubs opener next Thursday against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

So that leaves the question: Who goes off that active roster list so that Nico will remain?

There are only two choices here, in my view: Vidal Bruján and Gage Workman.

We didn’t see much of either of these men during the Tokyo Series. Bruján served only as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning of the second game. Workman didn’t play at all against the Dodgers.

Bruján is out of options and, in my view, is more versatile than Workman.

The Cubs could make a minor trade to keep Workman and send him to Triple-A Iowa, and in the end, that’s what I think they will do. As always, etc. etc. etc.

The Cubs don’t have to make any moves until just before the first game at Chase Field next Thursday, so they have nearly a week to make this decision.

Which choice do you think they will make? And who will be the fifth starter?