Bellinger's signed. Spring training games are underway. And now the fun part begins — figuring out who actually makes this team. Today I go position by position through the 13 non-pitcher spots on the opening day roster, sorting the locks from the bubble guys and making the case for how I'd build this bench.

This episode:

• The Bellinger deal broken down — three years, $80M, two opt-outs, and why the structure is basically perfect for where the Cubs are
• The 13-pitcher, 13-position-player math — and why those last three bench spots are the most interesting decisions of spring training
• Locked in: Gomes/Amaya behind the plate, Hoerner, Swanson, Morel at third (fingers crossed), Happ, Suzuki, Bellinger, Busch, and Tauchman
• First base: Busch gets the job, but Mervis, Garrett Cooper, and Dom Smith all hover — and Mervis is running out of time to get a real look
• The Morel situation: what Craig Counsell actually said, why third base is make-or-break for roster flexibility, and what passable defense there actually buys this team
• Nick Madrigal vs. Patrick Wisdom: why carrying both makes no sense, and why I'd probably go with neither
• The case for Miles Mastrobuoni that I will keep making until someone listens
• Canario's option year, Brennan Davis's health question, and why PCA is almost certainly starting in Triple-A
• The CBT math: the Cubs are effectively already over the first tier and why that's the right call
• How the deadline fits in — and why leaving $15-20M in wiggle room now is a feature, not a bug