Cubs' Offseason Decisions Could Hurt Top Prospect's Big League Chances

The Chicago Cubs' future offseason decisions could change the outcome of what happens with their top prospect.

With players ready to go in Spring Training, the Chicago Cubs are still a team that has many questions to answer. It's expected that they're going to continue to make moves and that could change things for certain players.

If the Cubs re-sign Cody Bellinger, it significantly hurts the chances of top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong being a full-time big league contributor. With Bellinger taking up an outfield spot, Crow-Armstrong, who went 0-14 in a September callup last season, could spend another few months in the minors.

There's also the possibility of Chicago re-signing Bellinger and playing him at first base, allowing Crow-Armstrong to have an opportunity to show what he can do at the big-league level.

From an organizational standpoint, that might be the better thing to do.

However, if the front office believes they have a chance to compete this offseason, they will likely be more focused on the present than preparing for the future.

MLB.com writes that Crow-Armstrong is the one Cubs' prospect to watch this Spring Training, adding that if they bring in more offensive pieces, he could see a change in the plans.

Crow-Armstrong is regarded as one of the top defensive prospects in baseball and slashed .283/.365/.511 with 20 home runs and 37 steals between Double-A and Triple-A last year.

The defense will carry him in the big leagues, and if the bat can come with it, Chicago has something with the No. 16 ranked prospect.

As Bellinger and other targets still exist on the open market, it's questionable what's going to happen with Crow-Armstrong and other prospects who will be playing in Spring Training if some of the bigger names get added.