The Chicago Cubs are juggling a few roster issues as they work to keep their lead in the NL Central Division.
They’re dealing with a starting rotation minus ace Justin Steele for the season, Shota Imanaga for at least a few starts, and Javier Assad until mid-season. They’re also dealing with a bullpen that has been inconsistent. Third base is also an issue, currently standing as a gaping hole with no clear answer.
Will the outfield soon be added to the list of roster issues?
Left fielder Ian Happ has now missed two games with oblique discomfort after an at bat on Friday. Manager Craig Counsell told media that Happ is being benched just as a precaution.
But could this be a harbinger of bad things to come?
Chicago Cubs Outfield Relief Needed?
The Cubs outfield has been stellar, ranking among the all-around best in baseball. But, pretty much, this has been a three-man show for the entirety of the season with Happ in left, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center, and Kyle Tucker in right. This threesome has logged some hefty playing time already and will need some relief.
As things stand now, Seiya Suzuki is the only other true outfielder on the major league roster. He’s certainly capable enough to spot start, as he’s shown as Happ’s replacement in left field these last two games, but he’s not a full-time fourth outfielder option. Neither is utility man Vidal Brujan.
With that in mind, could this be the right time to call up outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara?
The Time Is Right For A Call-Up
Matthew Trueblood of North Side Baseball also recently noted the innings logged by the Cubs outfield, especially those put in by Crow-Armstrong, who may already be showing some signs of slippage from fatigue:
“Crow-Armstrong has to rest, because rest is not optional for the modern center fielder. He’s on pace for somewhere around 1,450 innings in center this year, but in reality, only two players (Omar Moreno, in 1979, and Adam Jones, in 2012) have ever played that much in that demanding position in one season.”
Trueblood, in last Monday’s piece, also makes the case that the schedule is just right for Alcantara, who is already on the 40-man roster and can play all three outfield positions, to temporarily be called up as relief for the Cubs outfielders:
“The Cubs have the next four Thursdays off, plus Monday, Jun. 2, which could allow them to occasionally get by with just 12 pitchers and lengthen their bench. They probably wouldn’t have a hard time finding a part of Justin Turner’s body that isn’t working right, if they wanted to shelve him for a while.
Best of all, after a tough week against the Giants and Mets (in the middle of which comes a game that will be started by Giants lefty Robbie Ray), the team’s schedule goes jelly-soft for a while: they play the Marlins (twice), the White Sox, the Reds (twice) and the Rockies in the final three weeks of May.”
Kevin Alcantara Stagnating In Triple-A
The 22-year-old Alcantara is the no. 6 prospect in the Cubs organization, but was recently dropped from the Top 100 prospects list by Baseball America. Formerly ranked no. 66, the editors at the respected sports publication, per Matthew Postins of SI.com, had this to say about the Cubs’ young talent:
“Alcantara remains a solid prospect, but there are concerns that he has somewhat stagnated at Triple-A.”
Although he’s seemed to pick up his pace in recent games with the Iowa Cubs and is currently hitting .266 with a .344 OBP, some of that stagnation may have to do with sitting in Triple-A with no realistic path to a major league roster spot.
Bringing him up for some playing time could help break any doldrums, as well as showcase him for a possible trade at the deadline, to a team where he will have a path to MLB playing time.
And, of course, the starting three outfielders would benefit from some time off as well.
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