The Chicago Cubs announced on Tuesday that Miguel Amaya has suffered an oblique strain, which is set to knock him out for at least one month. As frustrating as it is for the team to lose half of its dynamic catcher duo, Cubs fans could at least console themselves with the expectation that top prospect Moises Ballesteros would get recalled to take Amaya's place on the active roster. According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, though, Ballesteros is not being considered.
With Ballesteros not in the discussion, chances are the Cubs will roll with Reese McGuire as Carson Kelly's backup. Sure, McGuire had a multi-homer game for Chicago in his first game with the team over the weekend, but there's a reason that he was in Triple-A before Amaya's injury. He's a fringe option at best, which makes the Cubs passing on Ballesteros, a fellow catcher, that much more shocking.
We know that the Cubs think Ballesteros' bat is ready. He was promoted to the Majors when Ian Happ landed on the IL. When Happ returned, though, he was sent right back down to Triple-A.
What was notable about Ballesteros' Cubs cameo was that all five of his appearances came as a DH; he did not play a single inning behind the plate. Sure, the Cubs didn't need to use him behind the dish with Kelly and Amaya healthy at the time, but the fact that he didn't catch then and isn't being called up over McGuire to catch now feels pretty telling about what the Cubs feel about his defense: It isn't close to being MLB-ready.
And if the Cubs don't see Ballesteros as a catcher, it feels as if his fate with the organization is all but sealed with the trade deadline just two months away.
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Cubs passing on Moises Ballesteros call-up makes him a prime trade candidate
Ballesteros might be a catcher down the line, but the Cubs clearly don't feel that he's close to good enough behind the plate to be an option there at the MLB level right now. If he isn't a catcher, where exactly is he going to play on this Cubs team?
Seiya Suzuki is locked in as the designated hitter at least until his contract expires after the 2026 campaign, and based on how he's performed, the Cubs might be smart to keep him around beyond then. Michael Busch is locked in at first base, and he's under team control for several years to come.
So, the Cubs don't see Ballesteros as a catcher and don't have a long-term opening at first base or DH. Where exactly is he going to play? Defense matters behind the plate more than just about any other position. With that, I get the Cubs' hesitancy if they don't think he's an MLB-caliber defender at that position. Still, while Chicago could keep him down in the Minors and hope he develops as a catcher, they might be better off trading him while his value is still high.
Trading him can help land the Cubs the fixes they need, either in the rotation or in the bullpen, bolstering their odds of winning the World Series this season. It's never fun to trade a top prospect, especially one who has as much offensive upside as Ballesteros, but if there's no room for him on this Cubs team, they're better off trading him now while he can net them a star player in return rather than keeping him stashed in Triple-A hoping his defense will improve enough for them to place him behind the plate.