Chicago Cubs' Exec Details Role For Newly-Acquired Prospect
On Friday, the Chicago Cubs acquired prospect Michael Busch in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On Saturday, Cubs' President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer spoke about how they plan to deploy Busch in the lineup.
Per ALLCHGO.com:
“He’s certainly going to play,” Hoyer said. “There’s no question. It’s up to Craig where. I think first base is obviously a natural spot for him. He’s played there a lot.”
“How the rest of the offseason plays out, we’ll see, but the mindset is that first base is the most natural spot for him.”
A few things to note now:
1) The Cubs had said that they were going to move slugger Christopher Morel to first base this offseason. What does this do to that plan?
2) What happens to slugging first base prospect Matt Mervis, who the team is reportedly high on and made his debut last season?
3) What about the rest of the offseason? The team had been connected to slugger Rhys Hoskins, formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies. Does this change that?
As for Busch, he's now the No. 3 prospect in the organization. The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:
With his sweet left-handed stroke, patient approach with good balance, uncanny hand-eye coordination, bat speed and strength, Busch is equipped to hit for both average and power. He focused more on the latter in 2022, more aggressively attacking pitches early in counts and driving the ball with authority to all fields. He continued to draw walks and present an offensive profile similar to Max Muncy's, though Busch is a better pure hitter.
The Cubs finished second in the National League Central and missed the playoffs in 2023.
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