Top Prospect Alexander Canario Called Up To Cubs; Is Another Move Coming?

Alexander Canario, the 12th-ranked prospect on North Side Baseball, technically got the call last year. Still, after being sporadically used by former manager David Ross, he hasn’t been given an opportunity to show out at the big league level yet. The good news is that it sounds like that opportunity is about to come, as Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported Monday morning that Canario would join the Cubs in Arizona for their series against the Diamondbacks.

He fills a void on this team--namely, monstrous, gargantuan power--that should, at the very least, position him as a valuable platoon option. He’s hit at a fine clip in Triple-A Iowa this season, too: a triple-slash of .269/.377/.481, which is good for a 123 wRC+, with a 13.1% walk rate and 24.6% strikeout rate. There should be no doubt that Canario is ready for the big leagues, and his ability to play all three outfield spots should give the team greater versatility, assuming everyone is healthy.

That last bit, of course, is the catch to all of this. Exactly why Canario is being recalled now is still being determined, as the team will have to open up a 26-man roster spot for him. That could be as simple as sending someone down to the minor leagues in exchange (Miles Mastrobuoni is struggling to start the season at the plate). Still, it could also mean an unexpected injured list announcement is coming. 

Astute fans will notice the Cubs are scheduled to play several left-handed pitchers this week (Tommy Henry on Tuesday, and the Miami Marlins are loaded with them in the weekend series). Canario may be a matchup-based call-up as the Cubs try to give manager Craig Counsell as many options as possible for his lineup. However, if the team merely wanted a right-handed masher, they could have just as easily recalled Patrick Wisdom, who’s at the tail end of his rehab assignment from a back injury. He’s hitting great (.391/.483/783) and looks back to full health. Though his nearly 50% strikeout rate is cause for concern, that’ll always be a part of Wisdom’s game (and should tone down as he gets his timing back at the plate). And if the team is merely swapping Mastrobuoni for another player, Wisdom would be the better choice since he can also play the infield.

As such, an ill-timed injured list stint may be coming. People in the forums are hypothesizing that it may be Seiya Suzuki after he looked tender running out a groundout on Sunday. That would be a worst-case scenario, given Suzuki’s importance to this team as the two-hole hitter, but it would present Canario with the clearest path to playing time. 

Another possibility is Mike Tauchman going on the IL, as he has appeared to be playing at 80% capacity all season. Canario could step in for him and immediately become the reserve outfielder at all three spots. Or perhaps the team wants to give a struggling Ian Happ (30.8% strikeout rate over his last six games) a few days to rest before returning home to Wrigley later this week.

Regardless of why Canario is coming up, he should be expected to actually play this time around. He gets lost in the shuffle in the glut of blue-chip outfield prospects that the Cubs have, but the Dominican Republic native wields a legitimate bat and has the chops to play a solid right field. He’s a valuable player on the major league team, and should he take advantage of this opportunity, don’t expect him to return to Iowa any time soon.