Chicago Cubs New Acquisition Predicted to Become Their Future First Baseman

The Chicago Cubs acquired an intriguing prospect this offseason who is predicted to be their first baseman of the future.

One area the Chicago Cubs wanted to upgrade this offseason was first base.

After having a rotating cast at that position in 2023, the front office wanted to ensure they had a full-time first baseman moving forward.

The original thought process was Cody Bellinger could potentially take over that role if the Cubs re-signed him, as Pete Crow-Armstrong operated in center field.

But, with the slugger still a free agent, Chicago made a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers that landed them Michael Busch, an intriguing prospect who was considered top-five in their pipeline every year since 2021.

A consensus Top-100 prospect in all of minor league baseball, Busch didn't make his MLB debut until last season, where he played in 27 games and posted a slash line of .167/.247/.292 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Still, the 26-year-old is a talented player and projects to be a solid contributor for a long time.

That's one of the reasons why Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report thinks Busch will be the Cubs' first baseman of the future as he analyzes what the five-year plan of each Major League team will be at that position.

It makes sense.

Chicago gave up a young pitching prospect, who many scouts think has tremendous upside, to get the young slugger onto their roster.

Busch has shown the ability to mash in the minors, recording a slash line of .323/.431/.618 with 27 homers and 90 RBI across his 98 Triple-A games last year.

He should get the opportunity to showcase what he can do this season with the Cubs and it's possible he takes over the starting role immediately.