Cubs Prospect Notes: Canario Promoted, Wicks Status, Amaya Status, Palencia’s Stuff, Homers Aplenty, More

Plenty to get into this morning from the Chicago Cubs farm system …

  • Fresh off the two-homer game that got him to 31 on the season, with everyone’s reaction “OK, yeah, it’s time for Iowa,” it seems outfield prospect Alexander Canario really is going to Iowa now. As originally reported by Twitter user @TheMcBlack and then confirmed by the crew at Northside Bound, Canario is being promoted to Triple-A Iowa this week.
  • It could wind up a promotion-heavy week, with the ACL ending on Tuesday, and then you could see bumps up from there pushing other bumps up and so on. Now we wait to see if Canario to Iowa means that any of the South Bend outfielders are sent up to Tennessee. Yohendrick Pinango? Jordan Nwogu? Owen Caissie? Jonathan Sierra? I don’t *think* it would be Pete Crow-Armstrong just yet.
  • On the potentially less happy news side of things, we got a couple injury updates from Patrick Mooney. First, on lefty Jordan Wicks, who left his start this weekend after a drop in velocity, an arm shake, and a glove bite:
  • Obviously I like that the word “precaution” was thrown in there, but I have to be honest, that’s what the Cubs would say in pretty much any scenario before they knew the results of any testing. In other words, while I appreciate Mooney finding out what the Cubs were willing to share, these minor league situations just don’t lend themselves to the same level of openness we see at the big league level. Wicks could be getting an MRI as we speak for all we know. Or not getting one at all. Or already having gotten one and it wasn’t good. Or it was great. I just don’t think we actually know much of anything until something definitive happens like he goes on the IL, shows up in a brace in Instagram photos, or steps back on the mound firing bullets.
  • The other injury update from Mooney is a little more detailed – Miguel Amaya is on the 40-man roster – and it does sound possibly encouraging, at least relative to how bad it could have been:
  • Oddly enough, that’s the exact same finger Patrick Wisdom injured this weekend, and it was also not a break. Finger dislocations can have a pretty wide range of recovery time, depending on how much damage happened in the dislocating process. Hopefully Amaya can be back before the season ends and get more of those desperately-needed at bats.
  • Hey, so, uh, is Daniel Palencia maybe secretly the Cubs’ best pitching prospect? Because this stuff is off the charts:
  • I am not comparing the two pitchers, because that would be insane, but I can think of only one starting pitcher that touches 102 mph with his fastball and 94 mph with his slider, and it’s Jacob freaking deGrom. You could never expect Palencia to be deGrom – he’s making short starts in High-A right now – but in terms of how eye-popping the stuff is and how it should be making us sit up and go wide-eyed, this is as good as it gets.
  • As Ryan Davis suggested on Twitter, it’s fun to think about what happens if the Cubs gave Palencia the Jordan Hicks treatment next year – i.e., the jump straight from High-A to the big leagues in the bullpen. It’s unorthodox, obviously, but if you’re already open to transitioning future “starters” to the big leagues as relievers, why not see how Palencia’s truly unique set of pitches plays against big league batters? If you think he can handle it developmentally, you might get a lot of really interesting bits of information – to say nothing of the possibility that he’s just great and ready. That said, although Palencia’s stuff is eye-popping, the results haven’t always matched, even against High-A hitters. Probably best to just let him do the normal development route. He is not Rule 5 eligible until after next year, just in case you were worried.
  • Starting pitching prospect Ben Brown was also showing off some nasty stuff yesterday at Double-A Tennessee, striking out seven over 5.0 innings:
  • Utility prospect Andy Weber joined Alexander Canario in homering twice yesterday for the Smokies, and he remains perpetually right at the edge of “yes, that’s a possible future big leaguer if he stays healthy, if he can still play shortstop, and if he just hits a little more”:
  • Also homering twice yesterday was catcher Casey Opitz, whom you might remember as the consensus very good catching prospect – like, just the catching part – that the Cubs took in the 8th round last year out of Arkansas. The thinking was that this guy could be a big league quality catcher, but that he would never hit at a level remotely close enough to be playable. That may yet be the case, but if the glove is legit, then he really only needs to be “pretty awful” at the plate in order to be a big-league-caliber backup. With his homers yesterday, the 24-year-old is now hitting slightly above league-average at High-A. It’s a start!
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

    Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

    Why Craig Counsell Wanted Miles Mastrobuoni on the Cubs’ Bench

    I don't know why Miles Mastrobuoni bugs some folks, but it's probably heavily-weighted toward his small-sample, bad-batted-ball-luck start last year, and that time he didn't dive while playing in right field. It can be hard to shake initial impressions, I...

    Kinda Sounds Like Craig Counsell May Have a Set Top Three in the Batting Order

    New Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has said, generally, his batting order philosophy is the very simplistic (and very correct): just get your best hitters the most at bats. Sure, there's some play in that to set up good match-ups,...

    Latest News

    Los Angeles Chargers Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Los Angeles Chargers enter the offseason with a new era dawning. After a disappointing season, they landed a marquee hire in Jim Harbaugh, fresh off his national championship win with Michigan. Hailed as the top coaching prospect, Harbaugh brings a...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    Rangers vs. Cubs Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Texas Rangers (0-0) begin their 2024 season with a home game against the Chicago Cubs (0-0) on Thursday, with first pitch at 7:35 PM ET.The Rangers will give the nod to Nathan Eovaldi versus the Cubs and Justin Steele.Rangers...

    Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Boston Celtics versus the Atlanta Hawks is a game to catch on a Thursday NBA slate that includes two thrilling contests.Interested in NBA player prop bets for today's games? This article includes NBA player props for every matchup, so...

    UNC vs Alabama Predictions and Odds: March Madness Best Bets

    We have a great matchup in the Sweet 16 between (1) North Carolina and (4) Alabama. Let's break down the odds, ATS records, and more for UNC vs Alabama as March Madness continues. Read More: Today's schedule and upset picks...

    Seattle Seahawks Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Seattle Seahawks turn the page on a historic era as they enter the 2024 season without Pete Carroll at the helm for the first time since 2010. Carroll's impact on the franchise is undeniable, crafting a period of sustained...

    Who Is In The Sweet 16? Updated Bracket, Odds to Win, and More

    It has been a great March Madness so far and we have more great matchups in the Sweet 16. Check out what teams are in the Sweet 16, odds, and more as the college basketball season rolls on. Latest March...

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Today’s March Madness Schedule: Updated Bracket, TV Channels for Every Game

    The Sweet 16 is here as March Madness brings us some great matchups tonight! Check out today's March Madness schedule along with game times, TV channels, and more as the college basketball season's biggest games continue. The Sweet 16 Begins...

    2024 MLB Mock Draft: Opening Day Mock Draft Projections

    Happy Opening Day! As the new baseball season begins, and hope is present among most fanbases, why not take a look at a new 2024 MLB Mock Draft? Various mock drafts meticulously analyze potential picks, emphasizing the abundance of talent...

    more cubs news