Shortstop Starlin Castro has seen a meteoric rise in the ranks of Chicago Cubs prospects since he tore up the Arizona Fall League late last year. Just 19 – he’ll turn 20 next month – Castro has played half a season at AA, but no higher. Still, fans and pundits have expected him to have a very real chance at making the Chicago Cubs big club this year after he was invited to participate in Spring Training.
But are the Cubs really going to give him a chance to break camp with the Cubs? According to assistant General Manager Randy Bush, the answer is no.
Bush was on Talkin’ Baseball with Bruce Levine and Jonathon Hood this weekend, and discussed, among other things, Starlin Castro. Bush explained that Castro still needs “more seasoning,” and it is not realistic to think that he will make the Cubs out of Spring Training.
Now, it seems hard to believe that, if Castro absolutely tears things up in Spring Training, and looks clearly defensively superior at shortstop, he will have zero chance to make the Cubs. That said, clearly the Cubs are no expecting it, and would prefer to send Castro back down to the minors to marinate.
h/t CCO.