Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cubs' Prospect Working at New Defensive Position

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Cubs
By Brad Wakai | Last updated 1/23/24

The future is bright for the Chicago Cubs as they've been able to build one of the best farm systems in all of baseball.

Many of their prospects are on the verge of making the MLB roster and are projected to become impact players in the next few years.

While the more talent in a pipeline the better, it also presents the challenge of having potential roadblocks for players who play the same positions as each other.

That could be the case for the Cubs' elite prospect Owen Caissie, who currently is an outfielder.

Chicago's No. 4 overall prospect played the entire season at the Double-A level in 2023, slashing .289/.398/.519 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI.

However, with Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, potentially Cody Bellinger and their No. 5 ranked prospect, Kevin Alcantara, the outfield unit is fairly full.

This could make it difficult for Caissie to ultimately break through.

But there's some information that the talented 21-year-old prospect is getting work at first base.

Plenty of good nuggets from @biest22 in here about the prospects down in Mesa including a sighting of Owen Caissie at FIRST BASE ⬇️https://t.co/e76c6X3rQ4
— North Side Bound (@NSideBound) January 23, 2024

Whether this will become a permanent position change or is just something the organization is trying during the prospect camp in Mesa will be seen.

He might get some reps there in Spring Training to see how he adjusts to the new defensive role. He might also not be ready so soon, and this is a long-term move that gives him more positional flexibility.

Either way, this is a positive sign that Chicago is looking for ways to get him on the field, and on the field soon.

Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation laid out why this might be the case.

"Caissie, maybe more than any other Cubs prospect, has the offensive potential to transform a lineup almost single-handedly. It’s not just that Caissie put up a .289/.398/.519/144 wRC+ line at Double-A in his age-20 season ... the upside is truly special," he writes.

If the star prospect continues to develop at the plate and lower some of his swing-and-miss issues, he could become an elite hitter at the Major League level.

The Cubs certainly need that and seem to be angling to have him as part of the organization going forward.

Making a smooth transition to first base would be the first step in that.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Cubs and was syndicated with permission.

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