Former Philadelphia Phillies Top Prospect Released by Cubs

A former top prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies has been released by the Chicago Cubs.

Feb 16, 2024; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs catcher Jorge Alfaro works out in the bullpen during / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs are continuing to pare down their roster as Opening Day of the 2024 MLB season is approaching.

One casualty of the roster crunch is former Philadelphia Phillies top prospect Jorge Alfaro.

Alfaro was signed by the Texas Rangers in the international period before being traded to the Phillies in the high-profile Cole Hamels trade that sent the Philly legend to Texas.

Alfaro was always seen as a power hitter with a plus-bat which propelled him up the prospect lists and was ranked as high as the top-50 prospects in all of baseball. The catcher was then a key piece of yet another trade package when Philadelphia shipped him off to the Miami Marlins in the trade that brought J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies.

While he has spent periods of time in the MLB spanning over seven seasons, Alfaro's hot start has since simmered off in recent years. He has jumped around and spent time with the Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres in recent seasons.

In 18 games last season, Alfaro slashed .146/.212/.292 with just one home run. He was hoping to have a chance with the Cubs this season before being released. Instead, Chicago has decided to run back the duo of Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya.

While hindsight is always 20/20, it appears the Phillies made the correct move in shipping off Alfaro for Realmuto, the former who has become one of the best catchers in all of baseball and has been a leader in the clubhouse.

Alfaro may have some opportunity to prove he can compete at the Major League level, but at 31 years old and the decline in his bat and glove becoming ever more apparent, time may be running out for the former Phillies prospect.