MESA, Ariz. – Cubs catcher Moisés Ballesteros originally targeted mid-January to leave Venezuela and head stateside, giving him a long runway up to spring training.
Instead, a visa and travel saga kept Ballasteros in a holding pattern until this weekend. He finally joined Cubs camp Sunday, about a week and a half after the report date for Cubs pitchers and catchers.
“Those were things that were out of the control of the team, out of my control,” Ballesteros said Sunday through team interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr. “Thankfully, I’m here. And I’m ready to give it my absolute best.”
This was the first time Ballesteros had to renew his visa in five years in the Cubs organization, he said. And when the United States captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in early January, Ballesteros was anxious about what that would mean for travel outside of his home country.
That didn’t end up being the issue. But the visa process dragged on. And Ballesteros spent the past week and a half in Colombia, waiting for it to be resolved.
“It was unfortunate how it all goes down,” manager Criag Counsell said. “He had to be patient, I think that’s the biggest thing. And so now we’ve got to be a little patient here and give him some time to just run around for a bunch of days, swing the bat casually, and gradually increase the workload and swing volume.
“But he’s here. And it’s Feb. 22. So, we’ve got plenty of time.”
Ballesteros said he had access to a nearby stadium near his hotel in Colombia, where he used the weightroom and field. He was able to still throw and swing a bat in that time.
“Not at the intensity that it happens here,” Counsell said. “So we have to understand that. And he’s not in his home country. It’s one thing being stuck at home waiting to come here, and then there’s being stuck somewhere else and having to come here.”
For the first time in his young career, Ballesteros enters spring training with a strong shot at making the Opening Day roster.
He debuted last season and really found a rhythm in a September stint, when he recorded a .999 OPS in 46 plate appearances, mostly as a designated hitter.
“He showed what got him to the big-leagues,” manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s not always easy to do in a smaller sample and right off the bat. … He’s a gifted hitter, and the ball goes hard all over the field. Kind of no rhyme or reason, but that’s just a sign of a good hitter. … He’s a guy that can handle a lot of pitches, a lot of different pitch types”
Ballesteros didn’t play in the field until the final series of the season. He played first base late in a blowout win against the Cardinals. And then after the Cubs had secured home-field advantage for the NL wild-card round, he started behind the plate in their final regular-season game.
Honing the defensive side of Ballesteros’ game will be the next major step in the 22-year-old’s development.
“I want to give it my 100%,” he said, “and show that I can also be behind the plate.”
That first week and a half of catching bullpens and live batting practice sessions would have been helpful. Because of the delay, Ballesteros likely won’t appear in Cubs spring training games this week. But Counsell said he expects Ballesteros to catch a lot over the next month and take some reps at first base.
“I was anxious,” Ballesteros said of the extended visa process. “But I’m happy to be here, be here with my team.”