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During an interview on the Bernstein and Holmes show on 670 The Score, Chicago Cubs manager David Ross said that the team is "not developing players right now," when asked about newly called-up prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Cubs manager David Ross: Newly promoted Pete Crow-Armstrong will get 'some at-bats,' but 'we're not developing players right now'https://t.co/p7oNgmvl2L via @BernsyHolmes pic.twitter.com/QRV4KUku4W
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) September 12, 2023
The full quote is a bit more nuanced than it sounds, and Ross goes on to explain that the team is trying to win games right now and that Crow-Armstrong's skills will be mostly used in specific situations like pinch-running and defensive replacement. I'm totally cool with that as long as there are starts in center field sprinkled. in. And Crow-Armstrong just so happens to be in the starting lineup for the first time on Tuesday night against the Rockies.
My problem is I don't trust David Ross to utilize Crow-Armstrong a lot, nor do I believe he will start him regularly given his track record this year. The latest example is the fact that the team called up slugging outfielder Alexander Canario when the rosters expanded in September, only to see him ride the bench for nearly two straight weeks and collect one plate appearance during his stint. Ross even told the media that, " the guys who got us here are going to play."
Ross has prioritized the usage of slumping veteran players over potential young stars all year. Patrick Wisdom was the main player taking at-bats away from Canario and he is a defensive liability at first base with little up-side at the plate besides the occasional home run. Ross also overly utilized Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini until they were taken off the roster by the front office.
I just think that Crow-Armstrong is a guy who can handle a few starts a week right now and should be given a little leash to get as much exposure to big-league pitching as possible. With Jeimer Candelario landing in the IL, Cody Bellinger can man first base for the time being and give PCA an opening.
Now is the perfect time to see what PCA can do because Mike Tauchman is in the middle of a pretty hard slump. The journeyman outfielder is slashing .191/.327/.247 with 1 home run and 5 RBIs over his last 30 games. I say platoon him in center field with PCA and see what happens.