Luis Devers – Picture by Todd Johnson

It’s unreal how fast the season can unfold. In just a couple of days, the first month of the season will be complete and May will begin. Normally, the Cubs are big movers and shakers on May 1 and June 1 Being that the first of the month is on a Wednesday next week, we are probably going to see some moves take place throughout the system. Guys could be moving up or down. For today’s purposes, we are going to look at guys that possibly have the chance of moving up next week.

Let’s break it down by affiliate!

Iowa

We have already seen several guys go up and come back down. That’s going to continue in May as the Cubs try to keep the bench fresh. I would not be surprised to see Luke Little, Daniel, Palencia, and Hayden Wesneski go up for a while and then come back down for a while. I have to believe that Riley Thompson is close. I know he started last week, but he was pitching really well out of the bullpen. The only problem with Riley is that he does not have a 40 man spot and that complicates things quite a bit. God forbid there’s an injury in the infield, but Luis Vasquez is probably as close as he’s going to get to being ready. But there is no spot for him or for Matt Mervis. For the foreseeable future, their best hope to get to the majors and stay there permanently might involve being traded.

PCA is not quite ready for a long term role but there is nothing wrong with him coming up and getting some exposure to big league pitching. Tip of the Day – You can’t learn to hit big league pitching in Iowa. That can only be done in Chicago.

Tennessee

Two names I have on my docket are Cade Horton and Matt Shaw. I know you’re shocked by that pronouncement. Neither of them really need any more seasoning in the Southern League and their promotion would be quite exciting!

Add Zac Leigh, Frankie Scalzo, Jake Reindl, and Eduarniel Nunez to the list of guys ready for Iowa as they are having outstanding seasons in the bullpen. The problem is there is not really a spot left for them in Iowa. With guys going up and down, from Chicago, they might actually stand a better chance of getting called up from Tennessee. Those odds would be pretty slim to none.

South Bend

This team has had struggles in the bullpen and originally at the plate. Jefferson Rojas is having a great season at High-A and is not ready for Double-A yet. However, Yohendrick Pinango looks to have changed quite a bit about how he goes about the game as his attitude has been tremendous this year. People forget that he is still just 21 years old. His approach at the plate has seen his walk rate rise close to 22%. If you remember, he was pretty much a free swinger for a couple of years. As well, his strike rate has dropped tremendously, and when he hits the ball, he hits it hard. I have no issue with him moving up.

Outfielder Brett Bateman has also looked good at times. He has a great approach and gets on base a lot at the top of the order. He plays outstanding defense, but I think he’s going to probably get another month before the Cubs think about promoting him.

When it comes to pitching, Luis Devers is probably ready, he just needs a spot. Jack Patterson needs to work on his control. Things could come together quickly for Jack. And Joe Nahas does not need to be at South Bend any longer. 

Myrtle Beach

There’s only one name that I would consider moving up right now and that’s outfielder Andy Garriola, who is having a monster year. We still got a few days to go in the month and he’s approaching 20 RBI for the month, tops in the system. In addition, he’s hitting for average and walking, and that additional month at Myrtle Beach has made all the difference in his career.

I am also liking what I am seeing from pitchers Nick Dean, Ty Johnson, and Kenten Egbert, college guys the Cubs acquired last summer. They might be more ready in June than now.

As for Cristian Hernandez,I want this guy who was once a top 10 prospect to sit and marinate in domination for a while and take that to the next level. Let him “be the man” at one level for a half a season. He is still very young and will be 20 all season long. To me, he would be at the top of my list for the AFL. Yeah, it’s a bit early to think about that league, but he would be the perfect guy.

Mesa

The name of extended spring training was Alfonsin Rosario. He is now in Myrtle Beach. When I began to write this article, he was coming off at three for three night that also included his fifth home run of extended spring. The 19-year-old has just been crushing it and I’m excited to see him in some games that matter.

Catcher Adan Sanchez is now at the top of my list for guys who could head east to the Carolina League.

Overall, I am expecting a few moves to take place on May 1. However, June 1 will likely be the big moving day.