Chicago Cubs Future Star 'Grateful' For Transparency Surrounding His Demotions

Despite the criticism that the Chicago Cubs have received when sending their future star down to the minors, he's been pleased with how they have communicated.

Apr 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (52) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field | Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

When Cody Bellinger was still a free agent and the Chicago Cubs looked like they weren't going to hand him a megadeal to get him back, it seemed like their No. 1 prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, was going to take over in center field.

There was ton of excitement from fans when the youngster was called up for his Major League debut late in 2023, but his struggles at the plate made it obvious he had a long way to go before being a potential impact player.

Once Bellinger was re-signed, the writing was on the wall that Crow-Armstrong would continue his career in the minors for the time being.

Then, when the reigning National League Comeback Player of the Year went down with a rib injury, the Cubs gave the star prospect another shot to show what he could do in the MLB on April 24.

This time around, things were much different.

Crow-Armstrong slashed .236/.295/.364 with one homer, three extra-base hits, and nine RBI that was a noticeable improvement from his 0-for-14 effort in 13 games last season.

However, Chicago made an unpopular announcement that they had sent the 22-year-old back down to Triple-A on May 20.

It only took 10 days, and a red-hot hitting performance in the minors, before they decided the youngster should be back on their Major League roster.

While the previous demotion was frustrating for fans, Crow-Armstrong said he was "grateful" for how the organization communicated with him about their plans for him and his standing on the team.

"They did exactly what they said they were going to do with me ... I tried to play my part to the best of my ability and they stuck to their word. That's the one thing is they've shot me straight ... I feel grateful for how I've been treated and brought back up and just how things have been verbalized," he said according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

His performance of going 12-for-31 with three homers, four doubles, five stolen bases, and seven RBI during his demotion certainly helped his case.

It also seems to have impressed his new manager Craig Counsell, as well.

"I was proud of how Pete went down to the Minor Leagues Essentially, it's a demotion, right? And he went and continued to play well. And I thought that was important. Whatever messages we send, the player has to somehow figure out a way to control what he can control," he said.

Now, the graduated prospect is looking to do whatever it takes to stay in the bigs.

He'll have to earn it, though, as the Cubs are looking for someone who can turn things around for this struggling unit, something he hasn't been able to do with his bat in recent weeks.