Earlier in the week, the Chicago Cubs agreed to send first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees in what amounted to a salary dump.
It was a deal that made sense for the Cubs. Bellinger put together a disappointing 2024 campaign after re-signing with Chicago on a three-year, $80 million deal. That prompted the team to pay a steep price to land star outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, leaving him without a role. With a $27.5 million salary due for 2025, the Cubs were more interested in getting as much salary relief as possible.
Even with Bellinger now in New York, Chicago has a lot of outfield depth on their roster. They will likely open the season with an outfield featuring Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, and Seiya Suzuki. The former three figure to get most of the starts in the outfield, with Suzuki as the primary designated hitter. Barring injuries, those four figure will be fixtures in the Cubs' starting lineup.
Cubs will be relying on top prospects for outfield depth
Behind their starting outfield, the Cubs have a couple of outfield prospects on their 40-man roster knocking on the door for an opportunity. Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara rank second and sixth on the organization's Top 30 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Both players are coming off solid 2024 seasons and could be part of the team's future in the outfield along with Crow-Armstrong. While neither player figures to make the Cubs' Opening Day roster — barring a huge performance in spring training — they could become very important depth options in case of injuries.
Having already gotten a three-game cameo to close out the 2024 season, Alcantara is likely the first depth option. 94 of his 109 starts came in center field, so he's the backup option behind Crow-Armstrong at this point. He comes with a tantalizing combination of speed, power, and athleticism for his size, and his glove will play in any spot on the Wrigley Field grass.
With a lanky 6'6" frame, Alcantara has long levers that led to some swing-and-miss concerns. He struck out in 29.1% of his plate appearances in Triple-A, although he also had a 11.5% walk rate. The bat still needs more polish in the upper minors, but he could be considered more of an everyday option in right field further down the road.
Who are some next up prospects for the Top 100?
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 18, 2024
Close, But No Cigar
- Kevin Alcantara, OF, Cubs
There aren’t many baseball players who are athletic enough to stand 6-foot-6 and be plausible long-term center field options ... Alcantara’s power potential is alluring, but he will… pic.twitter.com/ZJz7qFHL7w
While Alcantara is more toolsy and can play center field well, Caissie is more of a bat-first prospect that's purely a corner outfielder. Listed at 6'3" and 240 lbs., he's built more to drive the ball. He has big swing-and-miss concerns with a 28.4% strikeout rate in Triple-A, but he also draws walks at a healthy rate and has 25-30 home run upside. For the Cubs, that type of power potential is worth gambling on.
Owen Caissie (CHC) spent 2024 in AAA and excelled as a 21 year old. He exhibited elite power metrics and solid patience, while his poor contact metrics limited his production
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) December 18, 2024
He launched 19 HR and posted a 121 wRC+ across 549 PA pic.twitter.com/PZqV2l9RC6
Tucker is slated for free agency after the season and could be looking at a massive contract if he hits the open market. Happ and Suzuki aren't too far behind, with their contracts both expiring after 2026. With Alcantara and Caissie both knocking on the door for playing time in Chicago, the outfield picture could look drastically different come Opening Day 2027.