Cubs Finally Demote Moises Ballesteros Amid Big Slump

According to the Chicago Cubs' transaction log, the organization has sent Moises Ballesteros back to Iowa.

The team has yet to officially announce the transaction or share whether any subsequent moves were made. They are currently on an off-day and will resume play on Friday at 1:20 against the Toronto Blue Jays at Wrigley Field.

Ballesteros has yet to appear in a minor league game this season, spending the entirety of the year on the big league roster as a regular in the lineup. In fact, the Cubs attempted to find him even more playing time as the season went along, starting to use him more as a catcher as opposed to strictly out of the DH spot.

Nevertheless, Ballesteros has struggled heavily to find his rhythm at the plate in recent weeks. This forced Craig Counsell to limit his starts, with his last coming on June 15th.

Moises Ballesteros Demoted After Extended Slump

May 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros (25) bats against the Texas Rangers during the game at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Much like the Cubs as a whole, it's been a tale of two seasons for Moises Ballesteros.

The 22-year-old started the year as one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Over his first 69 plate appearances, he was slashing .387/.435/.710 and had 16 RBIs with five home runs. He was making incredibly consistent contact and asserted himself as a staple in the Cubs' lineup. But then the tides turned.

Since the beginning of May, things have completely fallen off a cliff for Ballesteros. He's hitting a mere .141 with a strikeout rate of 25.0 percent. His wOBA is a staggering .202, and he's added just 7 RBIs in his 96 plate appearances. It's been a jarring reversal, so much so that today's decision started to feel inevitable.

The impact Ballesteros can have is undeniable. He's proven in recent years that he is a professional hitter with great bat-to-ball skills. At the same time, if those hits aren't coming consistently, it's quite hard to justify keeping him in the lineup and thus allowing him to work through the problems.

Why is that? Well, the five-foot-eight Ballesteros doesn't offer much on the bases or in the backstop. Catcher has always been his natural position, but he's never necessarily been good enough defensively to warrant the starts, hence why he's often slotted in at DH.

This is likely why the Cubs are going to have to see a relatively strong stretch at the plate before they decide to bring Ballesteros back to the North Side. The good news for the youngster, however, is that he's only killed at the Triple-A level over the last couple of years. In 2025, Ballesteros hit .316 with 76 RBIs. He also had just a 13.2 percent K rate and a walk rate that nearly touched double digits.

With that in mind, this could certainly prove to be a short stint away for the team for Ballesteros. Time will tell.

Sign up for our free newsletter to stay up-to-date with all things Chicago Cubs.

Add us as a preferred source on Google