Cubs Prospect Update: Ex Brewers arm impressing, Hidden trade deadline chip, Moises Ballesteros

Jed Hoyer and Co. have been on an exhaustive search for pitching depth since the start of the season, and that's led to the Chicago Cubs making several moves throughout the first few months of the season. While the trade for David Peterson is certainly the biggest move the Cubs have made this season, they've been taking gambles on pitches with velocity.

Velocity isn't exactly something the Cubs have preached at the big-league level, and that continues to be one of the biggest warts of their organizational philosophy when it comes to developing pitching. No surprise, velocity has been the common theme of the fliers the Cubs have taken this season.

Antoine Kelly could be the next man up for the Cubs' pitching staff

Last month, the Cubs sent cash considerations to the Los Angeles Dodgers for left-handed relief pitcher Antoine Kelly. Kelly was a second-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019, and has yet to make his MLB debut.

With a fastball approaching triple digits, Kelly has been dominant since his arrival with the I-Cubs. He's carrying an ERA of 0.71 in a tick under 13 innings of work. He's also missing bats, striking out over 27% of the hitters he faced.

As the Cubs bullpen has been a revolving door in recent weeks, it would seem that Kelly is going to be with the big-league club soon. At least until there's a larger move of consequence made at the deadline.

Jonathon Long is another Cubs prospect to watch at the MLB trade deadline

The Cubs may have waited too long to trade Jonathon Long. Drafted in 2023, there was some idea that Long could eventually turn into a super utility piece for the bench. At times, it also appeared that Long was a Michael Busch injury away from making his major league debut.

The shine on Long has dimmed a bit. Between Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez, it would seem that Long's path to the majors is blocked. That could change with a trade of Shaw or Ramirez, but the greater probability is that he is moved at the deadline.

There's been some regression for Long with the Iowa Cubs this year, slashing .266/.346/.419 with a wRC+ of 95. It's his lowest wRC+ since making his debut in the Cubs' system, and given the outlook for the Cubs at the big-league level, it's hard to imagine he's still with the organization by this time next year.

Moises Ballesteros' struggles have followed him back to the majors

If the Cubs were hoping that Moises Ballesteros' return to the minors would break the offensive slump he was in, they may have to be a little more patient. Since being sent down, Ballesteros is slashing .229/.355/.292 with a wRC+ of 69. It's one of the rare times that Ballesteros has struggled offensively in the Cubs' system.

The same size is still small, 62 plate appearances across 14 games, so there isn't a major concern at this point. But for anyone thinking that Ballesteros' return could happen in the next week or two, the timeline has likely shifted.

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