Cubs offseason puts faith on young talent |
The Cubs’ moves this offseason, or lack thereof, seem to illustrate the faith that they, as an organization, have in players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Alexander Canario, Justin Steele, Adbert Alzolay, and Christopher Morel.
By not signing players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, or Josh Hader; not trading for players like Juan Soto or Tyler Glasnow; or not offering contracts to current free agents Jordan Montgomery, JD Martinez, Matt Chapman, and Blake Snell — the Cubs have cemented their belief in their current roster and the core they have built. The Cubs feel Steele is a good enough top starter, Alzolay is a good enough closer, Pete Crow-Armstrong is a good enough everyday center fielder, and Morel and Busch are a sufficient pair at the corner infield positions. This, of course, could work in the Cubs' favor and be a relatively cheap but talented roster they have a lot of faith in. There was more pressure on all of these young players before the Cubs signing Cody Bellinger to a three-year, $80 million deal. Without Bellinger’s presence in the lineup, players like Christopher Morel and Michael Busch would be relied on heavily to provide slug in a lineup that lacks power. Defensively, Bellinger’s arrival in the center field and first base picture should alleviate some pressure off some of the Cubs’ position players. Without Bellinger, the center field position looked like a battle between Pete Crow-Armstrong and Mike Tauchman. Tauchman has an outstanding 2023, adding leadership and a vital offensive threat from CF, but it would be silly to expect him to replicate that. On the flip side, PCA has had less than a sip of coffee at the big league level, and you can tell the Cubs would ease him into the big leagues rather than throw him into a starting role. The easy solution would be a platoon, but both Tauchman and Crow-Armstrong are lefties, so that is hard to do. In this case, signing Bellinger makes oodles of sense. Both Tauchman and Crow-Armstrong can be significant contributors to the 2024 Cubs, but they will not enter the season under the same pressure to perform as they would if Bellinger was not at least in the picture. But the Cubs, as they did often late in the 2023 season, can use Cody Bellinger as a first baseman. Throughout the offseason, first base seemed like the biggest question mark — with Matt Mervis the only by-trade first baseman on the 40-man roster. Patrick Wisdom has learned the position over the last few years but is still new to it. The Cubs acquired highly touted prospect Michael Busch from the LA Dodgers and have big plans for his bat in the big leagues in 2024 — although it was almost instantly reported that Busch would factor into the Cubs' first base picture, not third base like he was in the Dodgers’ system. Not to mention, the Cubs even tried Christopher Morel at first base over the winter as well. The Cubs also recently added veterans Garrett Cooper and Dom Smith into the mix. Initially, a potential Busch and Wisdom platoon seemed likely, with Busch getting the bulk of the starts. Mervis’ strong start to Spring, paired with the Dom Smith and Garrett Cooper signings, also complicated the picture. But, again, retaining Cody Bellinger certainly adds some clarity at first base as well — and takes some pressure off Busch to perform in his first season in Chicago with a brand new position, the same as Wisdom. Additionally, it partially blocks Mervis, Cooper, and Smith from their path to some playing time at first base. Without Bellinger, it was apparent the Cubs believed enough in Busch and Crow-Armstrong to take the reigns on a starting position. That faith in those youngsters will involve pressure to perform as well. But beyond those names, the Cubs are also putting a lot of eggs in the baskets of Alexander Canario, Kevin Alcantara, Owen Cassie, Matt Shaw, Cade Horton, Matt Mervis, and other prospects who the Cubs have chosen not to block their paths to the major leagues by acquiring big league talent at their respective positions. With Bellinger — especially on the team-friendly deal he signed — the Cubs address some of the offensive concerns and some holes in their positional output. But they didn’t block any of their young players from paving their way to some playing time in 2024 and beyond.
