It's time to give Brennen Davis a shot with Cubs |
Lost in the shuffle of an ugly weekend by the Northsiders, the Chicago Cubs made a flurry of roster moves ahead of tonight's game with the Atlanta Braves. Dansby Swanson returns from the IL and will replace Miles Mastrobuoni on the active roster. Along with that came the surprising move of Luis Vazquez being called up to make his MLB debut.
The corresponding move was even more shocking, as many thought Nico Hoerner was headed to the IL or Nick Madrigal would be going to AAA. Neither of those plans came to fruition, and instead, Pete Crow-Armstrong will be the one going down, as his time with the Cubs has come to an end for now. That leaves the Cubs with only four outfielders, and three if you count Ian Happ's recent struggles. It's no secret that this team has been in an offensive funk since the final week of April, but things hit rock bottom against the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend when the Cubs were held to just 10 hits in four games. That includes two hits on Sunday and a no-hit bid that was broken up in the seventh inning on Friday. This isn't a problem that can be fixed overnight, but one thing is for certain, and that is the Cubs lack an identity right now, which is never a good thing. This team isn't the most talented roster out there, but they are far more talented than how they have played lately, and there are no more excuses for this putrid offensive performance. To say they need a jolt of energy would be an understatement, but even the guys they have called up have struggled when they have played further, putting this issue on display. With this team needing a jolt, why not give it to someone who is lighting AAA on fire right now, has paid his dues, and is deserving of his shot? Brennen Davis is the person we are talking about, and it is time for him to get his opportunity. For those who forgot about Davis, he was once the Cubs' top prospect and was knocking on the MLB door following an impressive 2021 season. Then came the past two-plus seasons, when Davis couldn't stay healthy and needed several surgeries to get things right and thus fell completely out of the top 30 rankings. Davis also started this season on the IL as his injury history continues to be an issue, but since he has returned, he has lit the world on fire and has once again proven why he was a top 100 prospect at one point. Davis has been the center of attention across the minor league landscape as he has put on an incredible nine-game run. During that time, Davis hit .462 with seven homers, 15 RBIs, and 15 runs scored. That production alone is nearly what the Cubs team has scored in the past nine games, and that alone is tough to imagine. The resurgence of Davis is a story in itself. The Cubs OF prospect is finally healthy again and has gone about his business to show the world he still has it. Now, his recent performance has the fans calling for his promotion, as this is a long-overdue opportunity for him. Take this nine-game run out of the equation, and Davis has still had a solid campaign, as he has now been with Iowa for 23 games. During that time, he posted a slash line of .270 batting average, a .442 on-base percentage, and a .667 slugging percentage. This includes 20 runs scored, a double, eight home runs, and 21 RBIs, as the homers and RBIs would be close to the MLB team lead for this club. Over the weekend, his exceptional run was capped off by a monster game against the Syracuse Mets, where he went 4-5 with a Grand Slam, another Homer, a double, and five RBIs. Given the Cubs' current offensive woes, especially the one surrounding Ian Happ now might be as good a time as ever to call up Davis, even if it is just for a few weeks. Many players are struggling to hit the ball in this lineup, with Swanson and Happ as the two biggest concerns. Swanson is coming off the IL after suffering a knee injury, so you have to wonder if that played a role in his struggles. On the other hand, Happ is in a world of hurt as he looks like a player that is lost at the plate. Sometimes, that calls for a mental reset, and no, I'm not talking about a two or three-day break, but more so those famous Phantom IL injuries to get players some time off. At this point in the season, every player has some injury, and when it comes to Happ, the best course of action right now is to put him on the IL for a few weeks to let him clear his head. He is a much better player than this and has become as close to an automatic out in the middle of the lineup as you can be. The Cubs can't have that, as they need to start scoring runs again. Should the Cubs put Happ on the IL, Davis would be the ideal candidate to come up and get some time in left, as that could be the opportunity he has been waiting on. The worst-case scenario is that he struggles just as badly as Happ and the offense is in a similar position to where it is now. In the best case, he continues to thrive, putting pressure on Jed Hoyer and Craig Counsell to figure out what to do with Happ in the long term. Either way, the time is now for Davis to get the call, as he has earned it.
