MESA, Ariz. — Cubs first baseman Michael Busch smiled and put his hand up for Alexander Canario to slap as infielders converged post-workout Tuesday. They’d just taken reps at their secondary positions. And while Busch ran through middle infield drills, Canario, an outfielder, tried his hand at first base.
“I felt good,” Canario told the Sun-Times through team interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr. on Wednesday. “I liked it. It was nothing serious. But it was all good.”
The Cubs are exploring their first base options behind Busch, who went from a utility player coming up in the Dodgers organization, to the Cubs’ primary first baseman last year in his first full major-league season. The Cubs could still address that lack of depth with an acquisition this spring. But the coaching staff can’t count on that while building contingency plans.
As it stands, veteran utility man Jon Berti is a backup option. He made three appearances at first base in the playoffs this year for the Yankees, playing the position for the first time in his professional career.
“I actually got a lot of help from a former Cub great, Anthony Rizzo,” Berti said in his introductory news conference last month. “So, he taught me a lot. … It was just a crash course. I was asking him a million questions – anything and everything.”
The Cubs don’t have any other first basemen on the 40-man roster.
Enter Canario.
Canario is out of minor-league options, so the Cubs have to decide whether to put him on the Opening Day roster or part ways.
“There’s no question that it’s an important camp for Canario,” manager Craig Counsell said this week. “For players, sometimes it’s good to be out of options, right? … He’s obviously got some action the last couple years, and he wants to prove himself, and you give him a chance to earn that spot. And always, you want to keep those guys in your organization; you want them to earn that spot.”
Though Canario will play in the outfield in camp, that position group is crowded. So, the Cubs are evaluating whether to pursue playing him some at first base.
The position could provide Canario another avenue to contribute. And even if he never plays there in the regular season, the Cubs have spring training at-bats available at first base, giving him more chances to prove through his offense that he deserves to be on the active roster.
“Of course I’m aware of the whole situation of not having any options left,” Canario said. “But those are decisions that are out of my control. And I just try to come out here and do my best and do my job.”
Canario has done a lot with limited opportunities the last two years. In just 42 major-league at-bats, he hit .280, and his first home run was a grand slam.
He felt good about his swing mechanics going into this winter. But after another year playing in the Dominican Winter League, Canario said he has more of a veteran mindset. He recorded a .955 OPS for the Aguilas Cibaenas this winter.
“You don’t have as much time to develop, so to speak, because there’s so many fewer games,” Canario said. “And you just want to go out there and you win at all costs. That mindset really helped me, and that I took that with me as I came here.”