Cubs call up fallen top prospect in awkward trade deadline timing

The Chicago Cubs are on the verge of moving parts on their bench. Baseball America's Geoff Pontes reports that infield prospect James Triantos is being called up from Triple-A Iowa, and will presumably join the Cubs in Pittsburgh for their start of a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The timing of call up is curious, considering the Cubs walked away from their series against the Detroit Tigers with no obvious injury or corresponding move. Pedro Ramirez did leave Tuesday's game early, and while an injury was speculated during the broadcast, there was no mention of a concern on Wednesday.

Given the time of year, it can't be ruled out that Triantos being called up could be a precursor to a trade. If not injured, Ramirez is clear trade chip for the Cubs as they look for pitching before the trade deadline on August 3. With Matt Shaw still working his way back from injury, Triantos would be a logical replacement for Ramirez on the roster.

For now, that's getting a little too far ahead of ourselves and Triantos being moved up due to a trade is probably the least likely of all outcomes. It's also worth mentioning that both Justin Dean and Kevin Alcantara are operating in similar roles on the bench, so perhaps Triantos is replacing one of the them.

James Triantos set to make his Major League debut, but Cubs roster move creates intrigue

Triantos, himself, is also a trade chip for the Cubs, so there is some value in him having a run with the big-league club leading up to the deadline. In past years, he was closer to being considered a top prospect in the Cubs' system, but as other position players have taken a step forward and with the last two draft classes, Triantos has fallen to the bottom of the team's top 10 list, according to MLB Pipeline.

Some believe Triantos have the the best bat-to-ball skills of anyone in the Cubs' system. With the I-Cubs this season, he's slashing .306/.344/.440 while striking out only 11.6% of the time.

Short of an injury, it's hard to imagine Triantos being in line for much playing time, which makes the timing of the move curious. Given that the Cubs are off today, the official announcement and revealing of the corresponding move likely won't arrive until Friday afternoon.

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