Chicago Cubs New Acquisition Predicted to Become Their Future First Baseman
One area the Chicago Cubs wanted to upgrade this offseason was first base.
After having a rotating cast at that position in 2023, the front office wanted to ensure they had a full-time first baseman moving forward.
The original thought process was Cody Bellinger could potentially take over that role if the Cubs re-signed him, as Pete Crow-Armstrong operated in center field.
But, with the slugger still a free agent, Chicago made a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers that landed them Michael Busch, an intriguing prospect who was considered top-five in their pipeline every year since 2021.
A consensus Top-100 prospect in all of minor league baseball, Busch didn't make his MLB debut until last season, where he played in 27 games and posted a slash line of .167/.247/.292 with two home runs and seven RBI.
Still, the 26-year-old is a talented player and projects to be a solid contributor for a long time.
That's one of the reasons why Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report thinks Busch will be the Cubs' first baseman of the future as he analyzes what the five-year plan of each Major League team will be at that position.
It makes sense.
Chicago gave up a young pitching prospect, who many scouts think has tremendous upside, to get the young slugger onto their roster.
Busch has shown the ability to mash in the minors, recording a slash line of .323/.431/.618 with 27 homers and 90 RBI across his 98 Triple-A games last year.
He should get the opportunity to showcase what he can do this season with the Cubs and it's possible he takes over the starting role immediately.
