A Horse of a Different Color: Moisés Ballesteros's Promotion Comes at Expense of Vidal Bruján, With Deadline Looming

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Well, after a confusing morning, we gained some clarity on the state of the Cubs' roster—for one game. Beyond today, this update will largely leave us all eager to hear what's next. According to beat writer Meghan Montemurro, the team has designated Vidal Bruján for assignment, and Moisés Ballesteros will join the active roster not in the stead of dinged-up outfielder Ian Happ, but at the expect of Bruján.

This takes much of the mystery out of the choice to recall Ballesteros instead of Owen Caissie or Kevin Alcántara. Ballesteros is the natural option for the role that actually appears open here, which is basically a one-day cameo as the designated hitter. Instead of taking over for Happ on a long-term basis, Ballesteros will plug a hole for one day, and then the trade deadline will pass on the team's off day before they return to Wrigley Field on Friday.

By the time they do, it feels safe to speculate that there will be another position player in their midst, other than Ballesteros. The timing of this little maneuver makes it look a lot like the team expects to permanently upgrade the bench spot Bruján has occupied until now. Could that be Eugenio Suárez, taking over at third base and pushing Matt Shaw into the bench mob? It's a long shot, but it's possible. It could also be Willi Castro of the Twins, or Ramón Urías of the Orioles, two others in whom the Cubs have expressed interest, sources say.

One way or another, the team decided that it was time to move on from Bruján and bolster their mix of position players. It's unlikely that Ballesteros is the permanent plan to do that, because he's still very young and needs more consistent playing time than the roster is likely to offer. Thus, this feels like the prelude to a move that will round out what has been a slightly misshapen positional roster—and it ends up being much better news than a Happ injured list stint would have been, on multiple levels.

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