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3 Cubs prospects most impacted by the Cody Bellinger signing
The re-signing of Cody Bellinger has an immediate impact on several Cubs prospects - including highly-touted outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Jed Hoyer silenced his critics in resounding fashion in the wee hours of the morning Sunday, bringing reigning NL Comeback Player of the Year Cody Bellinger back on a three-year, $80 million deal that falls well short of the $200+ million he was reportedly seeking when the offseason began.
The contract is a win-win for both the Cubs and Bellinger, who has the opportunity to opt out after both the 2024 and 2025 seasons if he plays well, potentially giving him another bite at the free agent apple if he can prove he's healthy and his performance last year was no fluke. Bringing him back, though, has some immediate roster implications for Chicago, especially when it comes to the team's young prospects.
It feels likely Pete Crow-Armstrong will now open the year at Triple-A
Cubs top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong could still crack the Opening Day roster, but it feels more likely that he'll get some more seasoning at Iowa. Considering his initial struggles in limited big league action last summer and the fact he's played all of 34 games at Triple-A, this move makes a ton of sense.
The regular starting outfield will likely consist of Gold Glover Ian Happ in left, Bellinger in center and Seiya Suzuki in right. Mike Tauchmann will likely grab the fourth outfielder role, slotting into center when Bellinger is playing first or serving as the Cubs' DH.
Chicago's bench seems likely to consist of Miguel Amaya, Miles Mastrobuoni, Patrick Wisdom and Nick Madrigal - leaving PCA as the odd man out, along with the next man on our list.
Alexander Canario is probably in the same boat as Pete Crow-Armstrong
Another outfield prospect we got our first glimpse of in 2023, Alexander Canario, probably just lost his shot at making the Opening Day roster, as well. He was more of a long shot than Crow-Armstrong, so with Bellinger back - barring an injury - there's no chance he opens the year in Chicago.
Part of the Kris Bryant trade, along with Caleb Kilian, Canario spent the largest chunk of his 2023 season with Triple-A Iowa, putting up an .866 OPS. Still, he's got just 56 games at that level under his belt, so letting him really get settled in and get a full season of Triple-A at-bats could go a long way toward setting him up long-term.
The elephant in the room here is that if Bellinger plays well, he's almost certainly to opt out after the season. Which means, yes, while it's frustrating for Canario and PCA to be relegated to Iowa, there's a good chance they are asked to be key contributors sooner rather than later, making what should be a final year of polishing and fine-tuning their games all the more critical.
There's less pressure on Michael Busch to be an offensive centerpiece
We're yet to see Michael Busch in Cactus League action, but on Marquee's broadcast Friday, Cubs GM Carter Hawkins confirmed the plan is for him to be the team's everyday first baseman.
Prior to the re-signing of Bellinger, Busch represented the team's primary left-handed power option - a concerning thought given his lack of big league experience to this point. He'll still have a key role to play for the Cubs in 2024 and hopefully will be a nice offensive contributor, but with Bellinger back, the pressure on this top 100 prospect just lowered dramatically.
Not only is the pressure reduced, but the team's outlook at first base drastically improves, with Bellinger more than capable of sliding in there from center and giving Busch a day off. The Cubs' defensive versatility is improved overall and I really think that the move sets Busch up to have a lot more success in 2024 and beyond.
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