Forgotten Cubs veteran outfielder's opt-out could force roster move now

The Chicago Cubs' offense has finally caught fire, scoring at least seven runs in five consecutive games between their recent series against the Pirates, Phillies, and Mets. Seiya Suzuki's return from the injured list has certainly helped matters, as have recent explosions from guys like Carson Kelly and Moises Ballesteros.

That's not to say the roster is completely settled. Suzuki's return bumped Dylan Carlson out of the picture (after just four plate appearances), and Tyler Austin figures to eventually make his own way back into the fold.

And that's just the guys on the MLB roster. There are some notable bats down in Iowa just waiting for their turn, including Chas McCormick.

The thing is, McCormick won't have to do a ton of waiting -- he has an upward mobility clause in his contract at the end of April. That means that if the Cubs don't promote him to the big-league active roster by the end of the month, he can opt out of his contract in Iowa and become a free agent.

Considering that he owns a 145 wRC+ in Triple-A this year and is an above-average defender at all three outfield positions, should the Cubs try to find room for him in Chicago before it's too late?

Cubs facing use-it-or-lose-it conundrum with Chas McCormick

McCormick entered spring camp as one of five hopefuls for the fourth outfielder spot, though his porous spring training performance effectively eliminated him from the competition right away. He's responded incredibly well, hitting .273/.385/.576 in Iowa while bouncing around between left, center, and right field.

The advanced stats also love him; he ranks in the 90th percentile or above (among all qualified in Triple-A hitters) in barrel rate, xwOBA, and expected slugging percentage. If there were an opening on the active roster, it'd be fair to say that he's earned the opportunity.

The problem, of course, is that there is no opening on the active roster. Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Suzuki are locked in from left to right in Chicago, and both Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto have been surprisingly effective at the plate and can fill in when needed.

Plus, McCormick isn't on the 40-man roster right now, so he'd have to displace someone in order to get called up. The same isn't true for Kevin Alcantara (seven home runs, 127 wRC+) or Justin Dean (.319 wOBA), both of whom have been on the 40-man roster since before spring camp started.

Losing a player of McCormick's caliber before he ever plays a game for the big-league club would sting, but this is why players place upward mobility clauses in their contracts. He doesn't have to opt out if he thinks that an opportunity with the Cubs is around the corner, but that feels more like wishful thinking at this point, given the bevy of outfield options at the team's disposal.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow