Cubs not shy giving Caissie, Alcántara chances down the stretch

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- In another season under different circumstances, the highly touted outfield duo of Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcántara  might have spent more time in Chicago already. With a stacked Major League outfield and the Cubs focused on chasing down a postseason spot, the prospects have had to remain patient.

With Ian Happ in left, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center, Kyle Tucker in right and Seiya Suzuki getting his at-bats as the designated hitter, there has not been a path to regular at-bats this season for the Cubs’ next wave of young talent. Caissie finally got a taste of The Show over the past few weeks, while Alcántara is now with the Cubs to help off the bench.

“I think in the long run, this is going to be good for those players, that they got a lot of at-bats under their belt,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said of Caissie and Alcántara spending most of this season with Triple-A Iowa. “When players of that age take the jump that establishes them as good Major Leaguers, we don't know exactly when it’s going to happen.

“They’re going to need some opportunity in the big leagues for that to happen.”

The 23-year-old Caissie -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Cubs prospect and No. 44 on the Top 100 list -- had an opportunity in mid-August after catcher Miguel Amaya landed on the injured list and the Cubs were also looking to give Tucker a brief period of rest. Caissie got 11 games under his belt (six starts), but the at-bats became more sporadic leading up to his trip back to Iowa on Monday.

“When you get sent down at this time of year,” Counsell said, “sometimes you think, ‘My Major League season could be over.’ I think it’s important for [Caissie] not to think that.”

Getting Caissie back into Iowa's lineup regularly will, in theory, help the outfielder regain a rhythm in the batter’s box. That would, in turn, make him more prepared to step into the mix for Chicago if a need arises down the stretch. In the meantime, the 23-year-old Alcántara was promoted on Monday to help against left-handed pitching and as Counsell aimed to use this week to offer Crow-Armstrong a “physical and mental break.”

“I only care about winning,” said Alcántara, who is the Cubs’ No. 5-ranked prospect. “I talked to Counsell a lot. He said, ‘If I need you, I’ll put you in the game.’ I said, ‘OK, if you need me to run, you need me to go [play] defense, I’ll do whatever you want.’ I’m staying right here for winning. If I’m winning and I’m on the bench, I’m happy.”

Alcántara got his first exposure to the big leagues down the stretch last season, helping remove the initial nerves that come with a debut. This time around, the outfielder returns having hit .266/.349/.470 with 17 homers, 26 doubles and 69 RBIs in 102 games at Triple-A. Entering Wednesday, Alcántara was batting .323 with a .998 OPS in 105 plate appearances against lefty pitching this year.

“Kevin had a good learning year,” Counsell said. “Basically, a healthy season of playing every day at the highest Minor League level. And he got better because of it. … There may have been other opportunities for him [to be promoted], but the opportunity to be a regular player wasn’t ever there this year. It’s not going to be there here this year, either.

“But we’re at the point of the season where he’s got a full season of Minor League Baseball in and we can take advantage of some spots where Kevin, we think, can be a successful player and help this team win.”