2 Cubs position players who will start the year in Triple-A and 3 who won't
The Cubs have a lot of young players close if not ready for the big leagues but not all of them can make the opening day roster
The Chicago Cubs have a few roster decisions to make when Spring Training comes to a close with several talented young prospects knocking on the big-league door.
Spring Training will be an opportunity for these young players to prove themselves. Here are two that will do well enough to warrant a big-league roster spot, and two who will be in Triple-A at the start of the season. This list is based on how the roster is currently constructed but will likely change if Cody Bellinger signs with the team.
MLB: OF Alexander Canario
23-year-old outfielder Alexander Canario made his MLB debut in 2023 after recovering from a nasty ankle and shoulder injury. After a long rehab process, Canario picked up right where he left off pre-injury and continued to hit the ball with authority. It was a small sample size because of former manager David Ross's unwillingness to play Canario that much, but the young slugger did collect three extra-base hits with a .941 OPS in the 17 at-bats he recorded.
Canario could be a valuable asset to the team and be a source of home run power that it desperately needs. Across three different minor league levels in 2022, Canario smacked 37 home runs, 26 doubles and drove in 97 runs. Although the team is fairly populated in the outfield for the next few years, Canario could still contribute or become a trade chip at this year's deadline.
Whatever his long-term future holds, it seems like Canario is at the very least likely to be the fourth or fifth outfielder. A roster spot will be much easier for him to obtain if the team does not end up signing Bellinger so as things stand, look for Canario on the MLB roster come March.
Triple-A: IF/OF Miles Mastrobuoni
Miles Mastrobuoni was an alright utility man for the Cubs last year, but there were certainly times when I think he was utilized too much. While his ability to play several positions definitely came in handy, there was a very long period where Mastrobuoni was in the starting lineup despite being in the middle of a serious slump at the plate.
In the first half of the season, Mastrobuoni posted a 41 wRC+ (59 points below league average) and a .169 batting average. In addition to an ice-cold bat, Mastrobuoni played serviceable defense at best. He's a backup depth piece that shouldn't show up in the lineup consistently unless major injuries happen to pop up.
With two minor league options remaining on his contract, I think starting Mastrobuoni in Iowa makes sense coming out of the gate.
MLB: 1B/3B Michael Busch
After giving up a premiere pitching prospect in Jackson Ferris in exchange for Michael Busch, there is little doubt in my mind that the Cubs will want him at the MLB level immediately. And the 26-year-old seems ready for the task after cranking 48 home runs at the Triple-A level the past two seasons.
He had several stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers' big-league team last year where his playing time was repeatedly blocked by their stacked lineup. But Busch is a talented young player and many rankings label him a top 60 prospect in baseball. His smooth swing and power from the left side of the plate is exactly the kind of hitting profile this lineup needs and he will hopefully fill the team's void at first base.
Even if Bellinger returns, Busch will probably get his shot at the big league roster right away and ideally, he becomes the everyday first baseman.
Triple-A: 1B Matt Mervis
After the Michael Busch trade, it really doesn't look promising for Matt Mervis' Cubs career. The guy was on top of the world a year ago after a historic 36 home run and 119 RBI campaign in 2022. But that elite power did not translate in Mervis' initial big league effort as the 25-year-old posted a .167/.242/.289 slash line and a wRC+ of 46 in his 99 plate appearances.
While I'm not ready to completely give up on the guy, Michael Busch is now a more logical option for the first base position and the Cubs have a lot of options for designated hitter as well. Mervis looks like an odd man out and I don't think there's much of a chance he makes the major league roster today, let alone if the Cubs add any more free agents.
Hopefully, he can continue to rake for the Iowa Cubs because he still performed well in Triple-A before and after his major league call-up. Maybe his first stint was a fluke or maybe he's just a guy who can't handle big-league pitching. Either way, the Cubs might be able to flip him or package him in a trade.
MLB: CF Pete Crow-Armstrong
It's sort of undeniable that Pete Crow-Armstrong is going to be a good major-league baseball player. He's fast, plays unbelievable defense and if he can prove the haters wrong and become a solid contact hitter, he will be an everyday player. As things stand right now, Pete Crow-Armstrong should start in center field on opening day just for his glove work alone. It's not like Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are complete slouches in the corner outfield spots, but I'd feel much more comfortable if they had Crow-Armstrong between them consistently.
The problem here obviously lies with the Cody Bellinger decision, because he can also play gold glove defense in center field. Crow-Armstrong is better, but Bellinger's bat needs to be in the lineup and why waste gold glove caliber defense by having Bellinger DH? One could argue to put Bellinger at first base, but the Cubs just traded a top prospect to acquire Michael Busch. Then you could say put Busch at third base but then what do you do with Christopher Morel? Manager Craig Counsell has already expressed a desire to get Morel on the field but where if not third base?
There's still a lot to consider and the butterfly effect of the Bellinger decision is far-reaching so we'll see how things shake out in the coming weeks.