Owen Ayers didn’t need much time after the trade deadline to make his position crystal clear. While his name had been floating around as a possible chip, the Cubs kept him in the fold - and with Moises Ballesteros now with the Los Angeles Angels, Ayers suddenly looks even more like a piece Chicago plans to build around.
That matters because the catcher picture in Chicago has some real moving parts ahead. Carson Kelly is a free agent this summer, and that puts Ayers in line as a possible Opening Day option for the Cubs in 2027.
There’s even a path for him to show up sooner than that if Craig Counsell wants more ways to give Kelly and Miguel Amaya a breather before October. None of that guarantees a smooth runway, though.
The Cubs could still shop for veteran insurance this offseason, and a Kelly return might simply be too expensive when the team has other needs to address. Even the idea of a 2027 catching tandem featuring Amaya and Ayers comes with obvious risk.
Still, Ayers has done enough in the system to make the conversation real. His bat has taken a clear step forward at Triple-A Iowa, where he’s now hitting .303/.410/.409. That kind of production doesn’t turn a prospect into a finished product, but it does force attention.
Ayers pointed to a couple of small adjustments as part of the turnaround. In a recent conversation with the Des Moines Register’s Tommy Birch, he said changes in both bat and cleat size helped him repeat his swing more consistently, which has fed into the offensive surge he’s put together this season.
He also made his preference on the deadline unmistakable.
“I’m super grateful I’m still here,” Ayers told Birch. “I love this organization.
This is where I want to play. And I want to play at Wrigley Field, so I’m very happy to still be here.”
The industry is taking notice, too. MLB Pipeline now ranks Ayers as the No. 2 prospect in the Cubs’ system, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he climbs into the Top 100 before the season is over. That’s a pretty sharp rise, and it matches the way his stock has surged inside the organization.
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For the Cubs, the bigger question is what all of this means for an outfield picture that already has plenty of competition on the way. The farm system is loaded with outfield talent, which is a good problem to have if the organization keeps developing bats, but it also means the path to regular playing time is not going to be simple. Conrads rise only adds another layer to that debate, and as he keeps hitting, the conversation about how Chicago fits all of these young outfield pieces together is only going to get louder. [Read more 🡒]