Kevin Alcantara – Picture by Todd Johnson

Welcome to the offseason mailbag series!!! Over the next month, we will be rolling out some questions from you and answers from us about a myriad of topics.

Well, let’s begin!

Craig Samsky@CraigSamsky: Does signing Bellinger block some of these OF prospects?

The key to this question would actually be signing Cody Bellinger. And another key to answering this question would be for how long?

Bellinger can play both the outfield and first base. Based on the fact of his current age, he is probably going to shift more towards first base as he ages. He could even slide over to one of the corner OF spots when Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki finish their contracts in three years. Another aspect to answering this question is the fact that Cubs have a designated hitter position to hit Bellinger or the prospect. Technically, Bellinger could be in one of three spots every day and that would really open up two other places plus a bench spot.

If you want me to name names, I’ll name names.

Signing Bellinger is not going to block Pete Crow-Armstrong. He’s pretty much ready to go now. For those of you judging him on last year’s debut, think about it – 14 ABs is what you are judging him on. That’s not even a week of games. PCA’s going to be just fine. Working with Dustin Kelly all winter is going to help prepare him a lot more than heading back to Iowa.

As for Owen Caissie, he is not quite ready yet. He had an outstanding season at Double-A in 2023. And once MiLB changed back to regular baseballs in the second half from the tacked ones in the first half, his strikeout rate plummeted. He is not going to be ready at the beginning of 2024, but I would not be surprised to see him at any point in the second half. The 21-year-old left-handed hitting power slugger would be a welcome addition in the bottom half of that lineup.

Moises Ballesteros (I know he is not an OF) being able to play catcher and first base opens him up to some versatility that Craig Counsell could mix and match with Bellinger in the future. Ballesteros is also not going to be ready this year, but he will be in 2025. He has the innate ability to manage the strike zone and drive the ball with authority and that power is only going to continue to grow.

Kevin Alcantara could blossom into a power hitting outfielder this season and that could make that decision fairly easy for the Cubs. He’s close to being ready, but if Alcantara starts to realize his ceiling, nothing is going to get in his way to Chicago. The Cubs will make room. But for now, he’s not quite there, but he’s close.

As for most of the other outfielders at Double-A and below, they are going to need some help in order to find a place in Chicago.

If you wanted to, a Bellinger signing would actually impact first basemen Matt Mervis and Haydn McGeary more so than it would the outfielders, especially since the Cubs went out and acquired Michael Busch this winter.

Essentially what players are going to have to do is to make the Cubs make a spot for them. And that’s easier said than done. That is true for Mervis and McGeary as well as Brennen Davis and Cole Roederer, who were sort of off the radar the past couple years because of injuries. And you can add Darius Hill, Christian Franklin, and Parker Chavers to this grouping as well.

However, all these points become moot if Bellinger signs with another team, God forbid.

We shall see what happens.

Thanks for the question!