The Cubs have a roster decision brewing, and James Triantos is right at the center of it.
Triantos was called up this weekend for the series between the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, giving the club its first look at the former top-100 prospect. He arrives with two calling cards that can matter fast: defensive versatility and elite bat-to-ball skills. That kind of profile can open up some real flexibility on a roster that may still be sorting itself out.
If Triantos stays, one move becomes pretty straightforward. Justin Dean doesn’t have much of a case to remain on the 26-man roster.
He’s a glove-first player with good speed, but he entered the weekend with just eight plate appearances on the season. With Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Conforto and Triantos all able to cover the outfield mix, the Cubs have more than enough coverage there.
Dean isn’t someone the Cubs need to win right now, and sending him back to Iowa looks like the cleanest option.
Pedro Ramirez is a tougher call, but the path is still there. He has been getting more at-bats lately, which has been a positive, yet the picture changes once Matt Shaw returns.
If Triantos sticks around too, Ramirez could be the one headed back to Iowa to keep playing every day. That would also depend on whether he’s dealt before the Aug. 3 deadline, but for now he looks like a player with long-term value who would benefit from regular reps rather than a limited role.
If Shaw comes back, either Ramirez or Triantos may wind up back in Des Moines.
Then there’s Jonathon Long, who has done just about everything he can at Triple-A to force the issue.
Long was excellent there last year, hitting .305/.404/.479 with 91 RBIs in 140 games. This season, he has kept it rolling with an .812 OPS through his first 400-plus plate appearances.
He gives the Cubs another option behind Michael Busch at first base and has also played third and left field. If the position-player group takes a hit from injuries, Long looks like the most obvious next man up, unless the Cubs keep the Kevin Alcantara shuttle going for the rest of the summer.
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Shelby Miller adds another layer to that late-season optimism, too, since the veteran right-hander has resumed bullpen work after Tommy John surgery and is now preparing for a rehab assignment. For a relief group that has spent plenty of time piecing things together, the possibility of getting multiple arms back before October could reshape how the Cubs handle the final months, even if the exact order of returns is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Suddenly Have A Real Shot At A Familiar Trade Chase
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What has changed is the market around him, and maybe the way Chicago has to think about him. The Marlins asking price appears to have softened from where it was last summer, especially if a trade partner is willing to take on most of the remaining contract, but Alcantaras season has not screamed return-to-ace. He has logged plenty of innings and still brings the kind of fastball that gets attention, yet the broader question for the Cubs is whether this is a rebound target or simply a familiar name whose ceiling may no longer match the old reputation. [Read more 🡒]