Outfielder Owen Caissie, the top prospect in the Chicago Cubs minor league system, is set to join the team in Toronto on Thursday. The Cubs plan to officially promote Caissie from Triple-A Iowa before their game against the Toronto Blue Jays. However, Cubs manager Craig Counsell indicated uncertainty about whether Caissie would arrive in time to participate in the game.
“I’d love to have him be in the lineup, but we’re just gonna wait and see what his scheduled arrival time is,” Counsell stated to reporters approximately two hours before the game was scheduled to start. If Caissie does not make it to Toronto in time, his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut will be postponed until Friday, when the Cubs begin a three-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Caissie, 23, has been making waves in the minor leagues this season, boasting a batting average of .289. Over the course of 93 games, he recorded 100 hits, 26 doubles, two triples, 22 home runs, and 52 RBIs. His performance has earned him a ranking as the No. 45 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
Originally selected in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, Caissie holds the distinction of being the highest-ranked Canadian outfielder ever drafted. The cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to the pandemic meant that he never played within the Padres organization. In December 2020, he was traded to the Cubs as part of a seven-player deal that sent right-hander Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini to San Diego.
If he arrives in time for the game, Caissie will have the opportunity to play close to home. He hails from Burlington, Ont., located just a 70-minute drive from Rogers Centre in Toronto. His promotion to the major league roster is expected to fill the spot left vacant by catcher Miguel Amaya, who sustained a sprained ankle during the Cubs’ 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
As excitement builds around Caissie’s potential debut, fans and analysts alike await the impact he may have on the Cubs’ season as they continue their push for a strong finish.
