Chicago Cubs: Who will be demoted with Kris Bryant’s promotion?

When the roster is at full strength someone will have to be sent down

Mike Olt being placed on the 15 day disabled list opened up a spot on the Chicago Cubs’ roster which allowed for Kris Bryant‘s arrival – but when Olt does return healthy and the Cubs will be back to full strength – who will get sent down to the minors?  

A lot of rosters usually look to the bullpen and send down a young arm to free up a spot and it does allow for the youngster to get more consistent work. But the Cubs already have a strapped bullpen with carrying three catchers – removing someone from the pen likely isn’t an option.

There are a few options for the position players and it will probably be one of them.

Olt has struggled at the plate and is going to be without a consistent position to play every day or near every day – he could be a logical option. He’s only batting .133 with one homer on the season and six strikeouts.

His glove isn’t an issue but to improve his performance with his bat – he will need a lot of reps and he isn’t going to see that on the major league roster.

Jonathan Herrera has been playing quite a bit lately at second. He has played well defensively and when he’s been able to get on base he is a smart runner and makes things happen. In the opening game of the Padres series, his relentlessness while at third caused James Shields to lose focus and threw a wild pitch that would score Herrera. He also has a pair of stolen bases.

I think he’s a smart player and adds a nice spark to the lineup. I’d like to see him stay with the Cubs’ big league squad.

Tommy La Stella when healthy is another player that adds a good spark off the bench and is a good guy to fill in for the starters who need the rest.

I think the decision may come down to Olt and Arismendy Alcantara and which player could benefit most from consistent playing time. Both players are struggling immensely at the plate.

Although it’s not by much, Olt has been the better hitter between the two. In 15 at-bats, Chicago’s injured third baseman has one home run, a single RBI with two hits and six strikeouts on a batting line of .133/.188/.333. Arismendy, on the other hand, has been the weakest hitter on the 25-man roster.

After a solid big league debut last season, the 23-year-old utility man has only two hits, one RBI, five walks and 11 strikeouts in 26 at-bats this season. What’s worse about his stats, is his weak average of .077/.226/.077.

Alcantara has an advantage with his versatility defensively, but he could also benefit with going back down and getting back to basics. Developing a better approach to the plate and regaining his confidence that he had last year which led to his call-up to the Chicago Cubs.

Maybe it would serve both players well to go back to Iowa or Tennessee to play every day and work on their mechanics that aren’t working the way they are. If both were to go down it would free up a roster spot to call up another arm for the bullpen that is needed.

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