Cubs plan for Alexander Canario after call-up

Alexander Canario has been called up to the show, but the Chicago Cubs plan for getting him reps at this stage in the season is perplexing some.

Jed Hoyer spoke to the Chicago Sun-Times about Canario and what the plan is for the outfielder who hit an .866 OPS in Triple-A this season. Canario does not have an easy route to get into games because the Cubs are in the midst of a playoff push and have what they need for the most part in the outfield.

"He'll get at-bats for sure the rest of the way," Hoyer said. "He's not going to be in a position where he's not playing for the entire month. But someone was going to have their every-day playing paused, right? And maybe that ends up being a lot of people at different stages of the month. But we did talk about it, and it was a consideration. But ultimately, he was the right decision."

The balance for a young player here is whether or not he should continue to get consistent playing time in the minors or get exposure, even if it's just observation and bench warming, at the major league level. Some fans are pining to see him hit the field, but pushing him out too early could risk hurting his confidence if he struggles at the higher level of play while teams are battling hard for playoff positioning.

Canario, while he's with the big league roster, still gets the feel of what things are like at the higher level from a lifestyle and culture standpoint, which could prove very useful for him in the long run when he does finally get his playing time call-up down the line.

There's a case to be made for both options, but for now he rides with the big league team.

NL Central race going to come down to the wire

The NL Central race continues to prove to be one of the ones to watch. The Cubs now have a 79% chance of making the postseason either by winning the division or qualifying for a Wild Card slot according to Fangraphs. But they have just a 15.7% chance of winning the division.

Chicago is 3.5 games back in the NL Central and 3.0 games back from a wild card spot.

Here are the Cubs remaining series, including the one that starts today:

• San Francisco Giants
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Colorado Rockies
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• Colorado Rockies
• Atlanta Braves
• Milwaukee Brewers

The series against the Rockies and Pirates are extremely winnable. The Giants still have every chance to make the postseason, so those could be scrappy. The Diamondbacks could go either way, and the Braves will be looking toward the postseason by the time Chicago faces off against them.

Meanwhile, here is what the Brewers have left:

• Pittsburgh Pirates
• New York Yankees
• Miami Marlins
• Washington Nationals
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Miami Marlins
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Chicago Cubs

Unfortunately, the draw is much better for the Brewers, with an easier schedule overall. The opponents Milwaukee faces have far less to play for.

The real interesting wrinkle is that final series. Should the Cubs find themselves within one or two games of the division lead at that point, the series will mean everything. All the marbles will be on the table.

It will be in Milwaukee, but such a short drive from Chicago, expect a large contingent of Cubs fans to make the trip, especially if the division is still up for grabs.

The Cubs need to keep winning to make that an option, though.

Cody Bellinger's free agency is one to watch

Here's the good news: Someone in the Cubs front office is extremely wise. Signing Cody Bellinger, thought to be more or less past the peak of his career, has come close to how he performed when he was NL MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019. His OPS+ that year was above 160, this year he's in the 140s.

It was one of the best signings of the MLB offseason.

The bad news is that the Cubs only signed him to a one-year "prove it" deal, and he's performed so well that he might have priced himself out of coming back to Wrigley. Bob Nightengale's most recent column hit on a number of topics, and speaking on the "second-best" free agent this winter after Shohei Ohtani, Bellinger was the name that came up.

Again, that's a great look for the Cubs, but also potentially prohibitive for their hope to bring him back into the fold next year and beyond.

Nightengale suggests that Bellinger is going to get at least $200 million, and suggests the price could rise above $300 million depending on how the bidding goes. Really, the worst part of this is the teams he mentioned that are expected to chase Bellinger:

• San Francisco Giants
• San Diego Padres
• New York Yankees

All teams with plenty of money, enough money to overspend on a free agent like Bellinger. That may not bode well for the Cubs trying to keep their reclamation project back in town.

The good news for Chicago is that the Giants and Padres, thought to be leading suitors for Shohei Ohtani who wants to stay on the West Coast, may be too distracted trying to land him that there's a window for Bellinger to sign back in Chicago. That would leave the Cubs facing off with the Yankees and a number of other unserious teams looking to sign Bellinger.

Beyond money, it also comes down to what Bellinger wants. This will be his last major deal, so he may prioritize money. At the same time, knowing the slumps he's gone through, can he risk moving out of a place that has clearly reinvigorated his play and given him the confidence he needs to get back on track?

New York does have plenty to offer Bellinger other than money. For one, they need outfield help. Secondly, Bellinger's dad was a Yankee, and Bellinger won several World Series with the Yankees while he was young.

Cubs fans certainly hope Bellinger finds his way back to Chicago after an electric first year at Wrigley.