With Opening Day just days away, the Chicago Cubs are putting the final touches on their Opening Day roster. One of the final decisions to make was the current placement of OF Alexander Canario, who has felt like a dark horse to make the big-league club out of Spring Training. However, his fate was determined on Monday and he will begin the season at Triple-A Iowa.
Canario is a fascinating player in the Cubs organization. He had a sensational 2022 season, leading the organization in home runs. However, during that following offseason, he suffered a major injury and it derailed his progress. Canario only suited up for 53 minor-league games in 2023 and another six MLB games after a late-season call up. Despite the small body of work, Canario put some good things on tape in the majors with a .647 slugging percentage.
Canario should see everyday playing time in Triple-A, preparing him for a call up at some point in the season. Chances are he'll be back with the club before the end of April, especially if an early injury forces the team's hand. That said, is this ultimately the right move for Canario and the Cubs?
Given his 2023 body of work and numbers in Spring Training, Canario's venture to Triple-A is definitely the right move. After playing in less than 60 total games a year ago, everyday playing time is a positive for someone like Canario. I believe Cubs manager Craig Counsell saw it the same way, knowing that Canario likely wouldn't see everyday at-bats in the majors right away. Instead, he can venture down to Iowa and see everyday work in one of the corner outfield spots.
The Iowa Cubs will trot out an outfield comprising of Pete Crow-Armstrong, Canario, and Owen Caissie for their first game. All three players have a real chance of making an impact at the MLB level at some point in 2024. For now, they'll have every opportunity to dominate the Triple-A competition as they wait for their chance with in Chicago.
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