Not sure if this is an answer - not used the _cli.exe.
But on Windows https://github.com/Defragster/Tset uses a batch file to create a batch file that triggers an IDE build from the command line?
Used here from an editor that runs the batch files and captures the output in a window.
But the batch files can be run from command line as well to do a normal IDE build there with the IDE and TeensyDuino installed - but not having the IDE open.