The addition of outfielder Cody Bellinger onto the Chicago Cubs’ roster certainly solidifies their depth and gives them flexibility at multiple positions, but it also raises questions about the path of Pete Crow-Armstrong to the big leagues.
Bellinger will likely be the team’s starting center fielder on Opening Day, but Crow-Armstrong would seem to be the heir apparent at the spot.
When it comes to any rivalry between the two, Bellinger immediately dismisses such talk, and says that he’s looking forward to continuing to work with the young phenom.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“I love Pete. I think he’s an amazing kid, and he’s got such a bright future ahead of him,” he said during his press conference Wednesday. “He’s an amazing talent. During this whole process, we’ve continued to chat, just because I really love the kid and respect how he plays the game. It’s nothing but love between us.”
When reports emerged over the weekend that Bellinger had re-signed with the Cubs, Crow-Armstrong spoke glowingly about his impact as a mentor and as a clubhouse leader.
“He was big for me,” he said. “You’ve got guys like me who really responded to the way he carried himself (in the clubhouse). He reaches all aspects of this team. Hopefully he brings that same energy this year. I have all the faith in the world that he will.”
Crow-Armstrong called Bellinger his “friend” earlier in the offseason, and that pervasive love of the center fielder was something agent Scott Boras shouted out during Wednesday’s press conference.
“When Cody Bellinger walks in, you watch the glow of a franchise and the opportunities of a franchise completely change, and that impact is known to the staff and the people that study it,” he said.
It is unclear at this point whether Crow-Armstrong will start the season at the big league level, but with his defensive skill and his ability to hit for power and average in the minor leagues, the Cubs could potentially figure out other ways to utilize him in the lineup moving forward, even with Bellinger firmly in the mix.