Cubs call up Arismendy Alcantara; Darwin Barney to paternity list

Tomorrow, Chicago Cubs fans will get a glimpse – albeit a small one – of what the future may look like.

The organization has called up Arismendy Alcantara to take the place of infielder Darwin Barney, who was placed on the paternity list for the remainder of the series in Cincinnati. The 22-year-old Alcantara is ranked by MLB.com as the team’s seventh-best prospect after a breakout 2013 campaign. The MLB.com report offered this on the infielder:

"Alcantara has a short, compact swing from both sides of the plate. His swing is more suited for line drives, but he does have some pop in his bat. Alcantara is athletic and has well-above-average speed, making him a threat to steal."

2014 has proven to be no different, with Alcantara performing even better than he did last season with Tennessee, posting a triple-slash of .308/.354/.538 in 88 games with Triple-A Iowa this season. To go along with that impressive line, Alcantara has 10 home runs and 21 stolen bases – evidence of his multiple tools that are, at the very least, near-big league ready.

Whether or not the Cubs’ youngster will see any action in the next two days remains to be seen, but adding him to the roster will surely spark the interest of fans following the team.

Barney has struggled offensively again this season, hitting just .214/.253/.305 for Chicago this season. The 28-year-old infielder has been oft-rumored to be running out of time with the Cubs, given his lack of offensive output. The plethora of infield prospects, including Alcantara, has only fueled the speculation.