Chicago Cubs: What happens at first base if Anthony Rizzo goes down?

If first baseman Anthony Rizzo were to suffer a season-ending injury, where would the Chicago Cubs turn? A lack of clear backup could be a problem.

Since 2014, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has appeared in a minimum of 155 games. That streak perfectly coincides with the team’s three-year run of postseason appearances (and two division titles – not to mention a World Series championship).

As the calendar flips to 2018, Rizzo ranks near-to-last on Cubs’ fans list of concerns. He’s been the epitome of consistency in recent years. Not only has he been on the diamond, but he carries an impressive streak into the new season. He owns three consecutive 30-homer, 100-RBI campaigns in the heart of the Chicago order.

But what if the unthinkable happened? What if Rizzo suffered a season-ending injury that cost him the majority of 2018? Do the Chicago Cubs have an in-house solution to such a problem? A recent report indicates the Cubs made an offer to a young free agent first baseman – so are they looking to safeguard against just an occurrence?

Let’s look closer at the options at-hand for Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer and try to break down how the Cubs could handle such a monumental loss.

Chicago Cubs: Several backup options in the minors

There’s no debate: the Cubs’ farm system doesn’t boast the short-term impact talent it once did. But that’s because it all sits on the big-league roster in the likes of Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and Addison Russell.

Of course, Chicago dealt away a good chunk of talent in recent years to supplement this core. Guys like Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease headed out of town to bring in pieces like Aroldis Chapman and Jose Quintana. Of course, Quintana will be a big piece in the Cubs’ rotation for years to come.

So what’s left?

Taylor Davis, who made his Major League debut this year with Chicago, has split time between first base and catching in his career. He brings 109 career games at first into 2018 (compared to 229 behind the dish). He became an Internet sensation earlier this year for his camera antics with Triple-A Iowa. But there’s more to him than a funny guy in the clubhouse. Keep an eye on him this spring.

One of Davis’ teammates in Iowa, Chris Dominguez, played over 100 games at first last season alone. In an emergency situation, he could get the call – but he’s not what I’d consider a high-upside player. He’s more the type who gets the call in a double-header when you need an extra body. Still, he hit .284 last season – so you can’t completely rule him out.

Chicago Cubs: Needing a backup catcher, Caratini could fill both roles

On multiple occasions this offseason, we pointed to Victor Caratini as a potential backup to Willson Contreras. Of course, the Cubs lost both Rene Rivera and Alex Avila to free agency and, although both remain available, money could be better spent elsewhere (pitching).

According to Baseball America, Caratini ranks as the fourth-best Chicago prospect – and second-best position player prospect. At some point, the Cubs will have to bite the bullet and give him a chance in the big leagues.

Last season, he absolutely decimated Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .342/.393/.558 slash-line. He didn’t put up numbers quite that prophetic when he joined the Cubs in Chicago, but this guy can flat-out play. A talented player on both sides of the ball, he may be the next solid talent to ascend to the big leagues for Epstein and company.

Without a clear backup to Rizzo on the roster, Caratini may be the perfect fit. He could give Willson Contreras a blow a couple times a week, back up Rizzo and give Joe Maddon a switch-hitter off the bench. It almost makes too much sense for the Cubs to look elsewhere.

Chicago Cubs’ skipper well-adapted to such situations

It’s hard to imagine another Major League manager better suited to handle the loss of a guy like Rizzo than the Cubs’ Maddon. Last year, per usual, he shifted players around the diamond on a fairly regular basis – though not quite as much as 2016.

Caratini, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Tommy La Stella, Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist all saw at least one rep at first last year. Rather than adding infield depth via free agency, Chicago may opt to stay in-house. Moving these aforementioned guys around gives the Cubs a solution that gets guys reps and utilizes familiarity, as well.

In my mind, if the Cubs lost Rizzo and for some reason, Caratini isn’t on the roster, this is the probable course of action. Zobrist could slot in here and probably handle things without much of a defensive hiccup. That also gives him a path to more playing time. Right now, he seems poised to serve as a backup/fourth outfielder heading into 2018.

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This is certainly a worst-case scenario for the Chicago Cubs. While the annual MVP praise is heaped upon Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo quietly goes about his business year after year. Losing him could be a disaster, but the team might just have enough in the tank to survive – even without their stud first baseman.