Cubs’ No. 2 prospect cracks roster; Alzolay DFA’d
CHICAGO — Owen Caissie consistently has been one of the younger hitters at each level as he has moved up the Minor League ladder during his four seasons in the Cubs’ farm system. The outfielder’s steady march has featured steady production.
On Tuesday, Caissie’s climb to the Cubs and Wrigley Field reached an important step: The ballclub added him to the 40-man roster.
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Rostering Caissie — ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect and No. 34 overall — came as part of a handful of moves for Chicago at the deadline to protect players from Rule 5 Draft exposure.
“He’s really proved himself at every level,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said during the General Managers Meetings in San Antonio earlier this month. “He’s still a prospect, but a really good young prospect. And he’s done it at every level at a young age.”
Beyond selecting Caissie’s contract from Triple-A Iowa, the Cubs also selected the contract of infielder Ben Cowles (No. 29 Cubs prospect) from Double-A Knoxville. To clear roster room, the North Siders designated for assignment right-hander Adbert Alzolay and outfielder Brennen Davis. Chicago’s 40-man roster remains at capacity.
Alzolay — signed by the Cubs out of Venezuela late in 2012 — is recovering from Tommy John surgery in August and likely is sidelined until late 2025, at the earliest. After Alzolay’s strong showing in ’23, the Cubs hoped he could lock down the closer’s role. But injuries limited him to 18 games this year and ended his season in May.
Once the Cubs’ top-ranked prospect, the 25-year-old Davis has endured a myriad of injury setbacks over the three years since his breakout showing in 2021, when he was the MVP of the All-Star Futures Game. The Cubs added him to the 40-man roster (immediately placing him on the 60-day injured list) in late September as part of a procedural move.
As far as Caissie’s path to Chicago, the Cubs’ Major League outfield is set at the moment with three-time Gold Glove Award winner Ian Happ in left, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and both Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki as options in right. Caissie and fellow Top 100 prospect Kevin Alcántara (No. 67) serve as the next layer of depth behind that cast.
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