James Triantos' arrival signals last call for Cubs prospect in need of a change of scenery

The Chicago Cubs are expected to call up James Triantos ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, and while the initial reaction to the news created some sense of intrigue, considering the trade deadline is less than two weeks away, it turns out Triantos' arrival could signal the last time Cubs will have seen another top prospect.

An announcement of the roster move will likely come Friday afternoon, but ESPN's Jesse Rogers reports that Kevin Alcantara will once again be optioned to Triple-A Iowa. No, as of now, there isn't a trade in the works. Beyond that, news of Alcantara being optioned ends fear of a potential injury to Pedro Ramirez.

Truth be told, this is likely the final time Cubs fans will have seen Alcantara. While he hasn't exactly had a lengthy leash in his brief stints with the big-league club dating back to the end of the 2024 season, it's become somewhat clear that the organization has soured on the former top prospect.

In the minors, Alcantara had the impression of being a terrific fielder in the outfield, with a blend of speed and power that carries a high-ceiling in terms of his potential. Part of the problem is that the Cubs have never seen that in the majors.

Kevin Alcantara's future with the Cubs is all but over

Across 43 career plate appearances, Alcantara has an OPS of .475 with just one stolen base. Of his nine hits, all have been singles. Add in the fact that Alcantara has had multiple gaffes on the base paths, and it's no wonder why Craig Counsell was quick to limit his playing time.

The Athletic revealed a list of one player from each team who should be wearing another uniform after the deadline on August 3, and to no surprise, Sahadev Sharma pointed to Alcantara as the Cubs' candidate.

While the Cubs do have Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki coming off the books after this season, there's been no indication that Alcantara is a candidate to replace either of them. Matt Shaw feels like an obvious option for either of the corner outfield spots, and if the Cubs aren't able to bring back of those two veterans, chances are it will be another veteran free agent to bridge the gap to the arrival of someone like Ethan Conrad or Josiah Hartshorn.

At this rate, it's become obvious that Alcantara is in need of a team willing to give him an extended look, and that won't be with the Cubs.

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