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The Cubs are calling up top outfield prospect , Jeff Pa san of ESPN. Hes expected to be activated prior to tomorrows game. The Cubs will need to make a 40-man roster move in order to formally select Crow-Armstrongs contract. Selected by the Mets with the No. 19 overall pick back in 2020, the now-21-year-old Crow-Armstrong was the headline prospect in the 2021 trade sending Juan Soto Jersey and from Chicago to New York. Crow-Armstrong was already a prospect of note at the time, but his stock has skyrocketed since that swap; he currently ranks 12th on the leaguewide top-100 prospect lists at both and , while tabbed him 18th and pegs him 23rd. While hes long drawn praise as a 70- or even 80-grade defender in center field (on the 20-80 scale), Crow-Armstrong has grown into more power since being traded to the Cubs and now has the look of a potential five-tool center fielder. Hes split the current season between Double-A and Triple-A, turning in a combined .283/.365/.511 batting line with 20 home runs, 26 doubles, seven triples and 37 steals (in 47 tries). Crow-Armstrong has whiffed a bit more often than the Cubs would prefer to see, punching out at a 25.8% rate against a higher-than-average (but far from elite) 9.2% walk rate. Hes also a 21-year-old facing much older and more experienced competition, so theres likely some hope that he can continue to polish those bat-to-ball skills and refine his pitch selection as he ages. The big picture hope for Crow-Armstrong is that he can become the Cubs everyday center fielder, holding down that position for the six-plus seasons which theyll control him via arbitration. In the short-term, however, PCA will give the team an alternative to the struggling Mike Tauchman, whos batting just .163/.295/.188 in 95 plate appearances over the past month. Cody Bellinger, of course, can handle center field as well, but hes spent a fair bit of time at first base and designated hitter since returning from a knee injury earlier this summer. Crow-Armstrong can potentially allow him to continue doing so while still upgrading the outfield defense and perhaps providing some more offense than theyre currently receiving from Tauchman. Even if he doesnt play everyday, Crow-Armstrong adds a dynamic defender and plus threat on the basepaths who can be used late in games. That includes both in the regular season and potentially into October. While Crow-Armstrong wasnt on the 40-man roster when the playoff eligibility deadline pa sed, he was still in the organization at that point, meaning the Cubs can petition the league to add him to the playoff roster in place of an injured player. Teams do this every year, and theres no reason to think he wont be able to suit up during postseason play. In terms of service time considerations, Crow-Armstrong will remain under club control for six full seasons (plus the handful of days hell accrue late in the current year). Barring any future optional a signments that impact the trajectory, hell be controllable through the 2029 season and eligible for arbitration following the 2026 campaign. Also of note for the Cubs is that the looming promotion to the big leagues wont impact Crow-Armstrongs rookie status for the 2024 season. Hell surely be on every major top-100 prospect ranking heading into the 2024 season, meaning hell remain eligible for the new collective bargaining agreements prospect promotion incentives, which could net the Cubs bonus draft picks based on how he fares in future award voting. Luke Weaver Jersey |
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