Former Cubs prospect might have organization thinking twice about giving up on him

Re-signing Cody Bellinger gave the Chicago Cubs yet another outfielder to add to the mix. They already had Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Mike Tauchman at the MLB level and top prospects Pete Crow-Armstrong, Owen Caissie, and Kevin Alcantara in the upper minors.

The glut of outfielders made it challenging for players like Yonathan Perlaza, an outfielder who wasn't quite a top prospect but had put up strong numbers in the minors, to see much of a future with the Cubs organization.

With that in mind, Perlaza, elected free agency after the 2023 campaign and wound up joining the KBO's Hanwha Eagles. It's safe to say that decision has paid off so far.

Cubs organization might regret not giving Yonathan Perlaza a chance

Perlaza's KBO career has gotten off to a roaring start. The 25-year-old has 22 hits in his first 49 at-bats (.449 BA) with six home runs and 12 RBI in just 13 games. He went to the KBO to prove himself and so far, albeit with a small sample, he's doing just that.

Perlaza is a player who has posted solid numbers in the minors. He posted a very respectable .811 OPS in his seven minor league seasons, and was only improving as the years went by.

His 2023 campaign was off the charts as he slashed .284/.389/.534 with 23 home runs and 85 RBI. He tacked on 40 doubles and even stole 13 bases. It's a bit perplexing that he wasn't given a chance last season given the fact that he put up these huge numbers while playing 121 games for AAA Iowa, but that MLB call simply never came.

The Cubs had reasons to not give him a shot given their tremendous outfield depth, but it's also pretty crazy that he wound up in the KBO instead of a different minor league system. Perhaps he'll be just the latest player to go abroad for a brief period of time and return with a MLB deal. If that's Perlaza's plan, it's off to a roaring start. Perhaps the Cubs will come to regret ever letting him go.