Chicago Cubs: Five prospects who could help the Cubs in 2017

Defending a World Series title will not be easy, but here are five prospects who could make it easier for the Chicago Cubs in 2017

The Chicago Cubs have a tough hill to climb in the 2017 season. Through the first 15 games, the Cubs are 8-7, and are starting to realize wins will not come as easily as they did in 2016.

Superstars like Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo will make adjustments to compensate for the adjustments opposing pitchers have made against them since last season.

Both sluggers are off to a relatively slow start, but as the weather warms in Chicago so will the bats of “Bryzzo,” along with the rest of the Cubs’ offense.

With guys like Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez struggling early on, it warrants the idea of calling up top prospect Ian Happ. With that being said, the Cubs could benefit from promoting some other prospects early in the season.

Here is a list of five prospects that could help the Cubs during the 2017 season.

Pierce Johnson, RHP

After the departure of Trevor Cahill and Travis Wood last offseason, the Cubs are left with one true long-man in the bullpen. A long-man is a pitcher who can come in and provide multiple innings out of the bullpen if the starter failed to make it far enough. For the Cubs, that man is Mike Montgomery.

While it’s nice to have a long-man you can trust out of the bullpen, it’s even better if a manager has two at his disposal. Pierce Johnson could step into a second long-man role in the Cubs bullpen this season.

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Johnson had success as a starter in 2015 while a member of the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate. In 16 starts, the right-hander recorded a 2.08 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched.

In 2016, Johnson split 22 appearances between the bullpen and the starting rotation. He did not fare well as he recorded an ERA north of 6.00 in 63 innings pitched.

However, the right-hander has made five appearances, all out of the bullpen, in 2017. He is doing well as he has a 3.18 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3innings pitched.

Calling up young prospect arms usually requires a stint in the bullpen before the pitcher is ready for a big league starting rotation. In this case, that would be perfect for the Cubs as they need another trusted long-man in the bullpen.

If Johnson can get some innings in the bullpen under his belt in 2017, he may be moved to the starting rotation once spots start to open up as early as this offseason.

Mark Zagunis, OF

Mark Zagunis is a jack of all trades. He has logged innings at every outfield position and catcher during his first four seasons in the minors.

Along with being able to play multiple positions, Zagunis has a knack for getting on base. Last season, in 101 games between Double-A and Triple-A, Zagunis recorded a .384 OBP. In fact, in more than 1,200 plate appearances in the minors, Zagunis has an OBP of .396.

The Cubs could use that high OBP, and defensive versatility. Ben Zobrist is off to a slow start at the plate as he is hitting .188, while Javier Baez is hitting .205 with a 33.3 percent strikeout rate.

On the days that Albert Almora is out of the lineup and Jason Heyward is starting in center field, instead of putting Zobrist in right field, insert Zagunis at the position. That would mean bench the struggling Baez.

Baez not the logical choice given struggles

Benching Baez would be the best decision for the Cubs right now as he has a .262 OBP and .282 slugging percentage.

Zagunis can provide the Cubs with a high on-base percentage that they are not getting from Baez. Despite a low batting average, Zobrist does have a solid .328 OBP, so he can remain in the line-up.

With Zagunis’ ability to play multiple outfield positions, Kyle Schwarber could get a day off without sacrificing many OBP points.

Zagunis is off to a slow start in Triple-A (.119/.260/.214), but the numbers suggest he will end the season with close to a .400 OBP.

Rob Zastryzny, LHP

The Cubs are in need of left-handed relief pitching. The only lefties in the Cubs bullpen right now are Mike Montgomery and Brian Duensing. While Montgomery has been solid (2.79 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings), Duensing has been the opposite. In 3 1/3 innings pitched, Duensing has allowed four earned runs and two home runs.

Zastryzny can fix the Cubs right-handed heavy bullpen. The 25-year-old Zastryzny joined the Cubs in 2016, and appeared in eight games (one start). In those eight appearances, Zastryzny was solid. He posted a 1.12 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched.

Zastryzny’s numbers go deeper than earned run average and strikeout totals. The lefty held opposing left-handed batters to a .138/.194/.138 slash-line, while holding all opposing hitters to a .207/.273/.224 line.

Even though Zastryzny is off to a slow start in Triple-A (7.71 ERA in 9 1/3 innings pitched), he can still be a solid lefty option for the Cubs moving forward.

Jeimer Candelario, 1B/3B

Yes, Jeimer Candelario made this list despite being blocked at both third and first base. The reason Candelario made this list is partly due to his offensive production, and part due to his trade value.

Candelario was great in 2016. Between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .283 with 13 home runs and 77 RBI in 132 games. That came at the same time as he was posting a .376 OBP and .464 slugging percentage.

This season will be Candelario’s seventh in the minors. He’s just 23 years old, but he is ready to make an impact at the major league level.

Chicago Cubs

He received a small taste of the big leagues in 2016 (14 plate appearances), and he must want more because he is off to a sizzling start in 2017.

Through 14 games at Triple-A, Candelario is hitting .306 with three home runs and 18 RBI. To top that, he has a .404 OBP and is slugging .714.

Despite a scorching start to the 2017 season, Candelario will not see much playing time at the big league level with the Cubs. With reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant at his most natural position and Gold Glove caliber first baseman Anthony Rizzo at his secondary position, there is not much meat on the bone for Candelario.

The Cubs will likely end up trading Candelario for pitching talent at some point in 2017.

If Candelario keeps up this hot start, it will make it easier for the Cubs’ front office to move him by the end of the season.

Instead of helping the Cubs on the field in 2017, Candelario could make the Cubs better by getting traded for a young and talented starting pitcher.

Ian Happ, 2B/OF

Ian Happ is the best prospect the Cubs have in their system right now. A switch-hitting player with some pop, Happ can also play all over the diamond. Already in 2017, Happ has logged innings at every outfield position and second base.

The idea is that the Cubs want Happ to become a better second baseman. That means he will need to spend extra time at the position, but his ability to play all over the place is very attractive.

Combine his defensive versatility with his bat and you could very well have the second coming of Ben Zobrist. While it’s not clear whether Happ will be as good defensively as Zobrist was earlier in his career, Happ can swing a big stick.

In 13 games at Triple-A this season, Happ has already hit six home runs and recorded 10 RBI. Happ is slashing .264/.328/.623 on the young season after posting a .279/.365/.445 line between Single-A Advanced and Double-A in 2016.

Ian Happ only has two full seasons of professional baseball under his belt, and people are already calling for him to make his major league debut.

Happ still needs to hone his skills at second base, but he could provide to be a better option at the big league level if Zobrist and Baez continue to struggle.

Trade bait or a blue-chip talent?

As with Candelario, the most realistic chance Happ has to impact the Cubs is if he gets traded. This is hard to say because Happ is such a talented prospect, but with at least one proven big league player at that position, it makes it hard to get Happ on the club.

There is no doubt Ian Happ could bring all kinds of offensive firepower to the middle of the Cubs line-up in 2017. If Happ continues to see the ball well at Triple-A, he may be brought up in a utility role for a portion of the season.

Whether it’s on the field or via trade, expect Ian Happ to have a big impact on the Cubs in 2017, and beyond.