NEWSLETTER
They did it. They finally did it. The Chicago Cubs are calling up that top prospect. The guy we’ve been waiting for. The guy who’s been red hot to start the year. The guy who really deserves it. No, not him. Matt Mervis is still on the Iowa Cubs as far as I can tell (despite the need at first base). And no, it’s not Christopher Morel, either, even though he’s technically the best hitter in professional baseball. Instead, it’s catcher Miguel Amaya! Remember him? Yeah, he’s reportedly on his way to Washington D.C.
I hate to get so excited about the (maybe) call up, given that it took a potential Yan Gomes concussion to make it happen. But I am happy for Amaya, who’s come a long way to reach this point. It’s a huge moment for a guy that could be a very big part of the Cubs for years to come.
That is, if he’s actually joining the team.
Remember, last we heard, Yan Gomes is officially NOT in the concussion protocol and is simply being monitored overnight. That means that even though Amaya is en route to join the team it could be as a precaution IN CASE Gomes does have to hit the IL. If Gomes wakes up and feels good/passes all his tests, he might just get the evening off and be back in the saddle on Wednesday, with Amaya heading back to Tennessee.
And frankly, for as excited as I think we all would be to see Miguel Amaya, a healthy Gomes is the vastly preferable outcome. Obviously — first and most importantly — that would mean Gomes is okay. Don’t want that part to be missed.
But let’s also not gloss over how important Gomes has been to this team, frankly on both sides of the ball, but especially behind the plate. Amaya is a legitimate catching prospect, whose bat could one day be excellent. And as of today, yes, he’s probably the future behind the plate.
But he’s also a guy who’s played in fewer than 70 games since 2019 because of different injuries and the pandemic. He may be having a MONSTER season with the Smokies (and he is: .273/.411/.462; 182 wRC+), but he will not be as up to speed with this pitching staff. Plus, jumping straight to the Majors from Double-A is no small task for any player, but it’s probably toughest on a catcher.
But still … it would be fun. It’s not the prospect we imagined would be next up for the Cubs. But he’s also earned it as much as anybody. He’s also in his last option year, so this was coming sooner than later. Getting a cup of coffee in the show and then returning to the minors, but this time in Iowa, to take over as the full-time catcher, wouldn’t be the worst developmental path. And, hey, he’s the only other catcher on the 40-man roster.
As a reminder, the concussion IL in MLB lasts just 7 days. Let’s see how the Cubs play this.
