Every team faces adversity in spring training as they prepare for the regular season, and the Chicago Cubs are no exception. It can come as injuries turn up, players underperform, or lingering awkward contract negotiations continue. It started with contract negotiations for the Cubs. Their offseason hinged on signing Cody Bellinger, and they finally got that done just last week. But now that he’s back, the Cubs’ roster looks solid and ready to roll.
Questions are mounting at third base, with Christopher Morel taking most of the reps. While his bat continues to be proven major-league caliber, his defense continues to be a sore spot. Generating runs on offense is the name of the game. But if you give them all back with your defense, that won’t take you anywhere.
And as the calendar moves closer to Opening Day, the most painful problem of them all has arisen: injuries. It started with Patrick Wisdom dealing with a lingering right quad injury. Ian Happ and Nick Madrigal are currently dealing with familiar hamstring trouble. Brennan Davis is working his way back from concussion protocol after being hit in the head. The big blow was Caleb Kilian, who felt discomfort in his throwing shoulder. That resulted in a right shoulder strain that will have him sidelined until after the All-Star Break.
Cubs’ Roster Can Handle Early Injury Bug
Injuries will always happen at some point in the year, but the Cubs can handle the adversity. They have more major-league talent available to them than the size of an MLB roster will allow. Besides Kilian, these injuries are expected to pass by Opening Day. Davis will start in the minors, but the rest will probably be on the Cubs’ roster in Arlington for the first game against the Texas Rangers.
If they’re not, no worries; the Cubs have reinforcements. Pete Crow-Armstrong probably would have made the roster had it not been for Bellinger’s return. With how he busted on the scene in 2023 and his healthy spring thus far, infielder Matt Shaw is merely waiting for his opportunity to be the Cubs’ everyday third baseman, barring Morel figuring things out there. Ben Brown and Owen Caissie are also in the conversation to help the Cubs’ roster at some point in 2024. But one prospect could be ready to get the call as soon as Opening Day.
Alexander Canario Could Make The Opening Day Roster
When the Cubs traded Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants in 2021, they received Caleb Kilian and outfielder Alexander Canario in return. Kilian’s time in the major leagues has not been memorable thus far, but Canario can speak differently about his time.
Canario went through a devastating injury last offseason while playing winter ball in the Dominican. This sidelined him for quite some time and delayed his emergence. Had it not been for that, we might have seen Canario in a Cubs uniform sooner. But we did see him make his major league debut in September against the Giants, the team that signed him as an amateur. Later in the month, he got to play against the Rockies, when he was met by the man he was traded for at first base after drawing a walk. Symmetry.
Altogether, Canario batted .294 in 17 plate appearances, including his first home run, a grand slam that was part of an anialation of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played the outfield, was the designated hitter, and came off the bench all month to try and help the Cubs get to the playoffs. Ultimately, they fell short. But Canario made a name for himself in Chicago.
As the Opening Day roster starts to be formed, Canario is a real candidate to make the Cubs. He has proven he can start in the field or be productive off the bench. The roster was reduced from 62 players to 50 on Friday, and his name was not on the first batch of assignments. It could mean nothing, but it could be a clue that Manager Craig Counsell trusts him to have a role on the Cubs right from the start.
