Welcome back to the Cubs Beat newsletter. Jordan Bastian has covered baseball for MLB.com since 2005, including the Cubs since the 2019 season.

MESA, Ariz. -- With Opening Day around the corner, the spotlight will soon be fixed on the Cubs’ big league club and its quest to get back onto the postseason stage. Part of that journey will include having Chicago’s stellar farm system help strengthen the Major League roster.

Spring Training offered a glimpse at some prospects who are coming soon, along with pieces of the future. 

“The great thing that the Cubs have going on right now is there's a lot of kids you can talk about,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And that's fun because they're all on this journey to try to become guys, you know? And some of them will. Some of them won't. But there's enough of them that the odds are really in our favor that there's going to be That Guy.”

Here are some things we learned this spring about Chicago’s prospects.

1. PCA handles the Bellinger situation with maturity

From the day center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong (MLB Pipeline’s top Cubs prospect and the No. 16 prospect on the Top 100 list) arrived at Spring Training, he faced questions about the possible addition of Cody Bellinger. The rookie sang Bellinger’s praises and put the team first in every quote.

Crow-Armstrong held that stance after the Cubs re-signed Bellinger, even though the pact essentially sealed the young outfielder’s ticket back to Triple-A Iowa. Crow-Armstrong has elite defense that can definitely help the North Siders right now, but he can benefit from regular playing time to keep developing and, perhaps, will force his way back to Chicago in the process.

“A true pro,” Bellinger said. “Me and him, we have a really good relationship. I think really highly of him. This whole time, I think that it just kind of goes to show even though he’s a super young kid, he’s very mature in a lot of ways. That’s a good sign.”

2. Horton could force Cubs’ hand later this summer

Two years ago, lefty Jordan Wicks saw righty Javier Assad climb from Double-A Tennessee to the Major Leagues. Last season, Wicks followed that same path, rising from the Smokies to Chicago by the end of the campaign. The Cubs have shown a willingness to push their pitchers when performance and circumstances align.

“It's very encouraging,” Wicks said. “It gets you excited as a young guy to know that when you put in these efforts and you commit to doing these things and you get better at the things that they want you to get better at, that they reward you for it.”

This year, that could be the case for righty Cade Horton, who was Chicago’s first-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and is now ranked by MLB Pipeline as the team’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 26 prospect in baseball. Horton enjoyed an impressive pro debut, climbing three levels in ‘23. This summer, he could pitch his way onto the Cubs’ radar.

3. Caissie, Shaw made strong impressions in Cubs camp

Outfielder Owen Caissie (No. 3 on MLB Pipeline’s Cubs list and No. 47 overall) has put up some of Chicago’s best Cactus League numbers this spring. Through 14 games for the Cubs, the 21-year-old Caissie had hit .344 (11-for-32) with one homer, three doubles, seven RBIs and a .948 OPS. He boasts some of the best power potential on the Top 100 list and fit right in with the North Siders in the preseason.

Matt Shaw (No. 5 on the Cubs’ list and No. 54 overall) was Chicago’s first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and followed up his strong pro debut with a solid showing in his first big league camp. The .200 average (7-for-35) this spring does not tell the whole story. Over 14 games, Shaw racked up two doubles, two triples, one homer, four walks and eight RBIs while showing off some impressive defense at third base (a position he dedicated a lot of time to over the winter).

With less than one week until camp breaks, the Cubs still have looming decisions about the bench portion of the Opening Day roster:

• Both Patrick Wisdom (back) and Nick Madrigal (right hamstring) may be looking at a season-opening stint on the injured list. That could have a ripple effect on how the Cubs fill out their bench, which will include a second catcher (Miguel Amaya), outfielder Mike Tauchman and most likely utility man Miles Mastrobuoni.

• The Cubs have a few non-roster bench candidates in first basemen Dominic Smith (bats lefty), Garrett Cooper (bats righty) and outfielder David Peralta (bats lefty). Smith and Cooper look to have an edge, given Peralta (left elbow) is still working through a throwing program.

• Smith, Cooper and Peralta (plus bullpen candidate righty Carl Edwards Jr.) each have a looming out clause in their Minor League contract. The Cubs could risk losing them to free agency if they do not make the Opening Day roster.

• In order to add any NRI players, the Cubs would have to clear room on the 40-man roster. One spot likely will be opened if/when righty Caleb Kilian (right shoulder) lands on the 60-day IL. Adding a second NRI player would require a more difficult roster decision elsewhere.

• If Wisdom does land on the IL to start the season, Cooper looks like a logical backup plan given his ability to play first and offer a bat against lefty pitching. That said, the 40-man picture complicates things. Looking at the roster, right-handed-hitting outfielder Alexander Canario could also fill a versus-lefties role until Wisdom returns.

Got all that? This is where it is worth reminding again that Opening Day is an artificial deadline of sorts. Counsell has reiterated his stance that the decisions he makes at the end of camp will have the full scope of the season in mind, and not just the season opener.

“It's enjoyable because he's confident. And one of the biggest things for me that was surprising -- well, not surprising, because we knew who he was coming in -- but he pitches off his fastball. And I can definitely have some fun with that when guys can pitch off the fastball and then offset it with other pitches.”-- Cubs catcher Yan Gomes, on catching Shota Imanaga

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