Even with the Chicago Cubs winning (7-3 in their last 10), there's still drama in the Friendly Confines. These days, the fanbase is split on Alexander Canario, one of the most recent call-ups to the Cubs expanded September roster from Iowa.
Canario joined the team on September 1st, but didn't see the field until he entered as a pinch-hitter in Wednesday's contest against the San Francisco Giants. Canario struck out.
Plenty of fans have expressed bewilderment over Canario's lack of inclusion in the contests he's been available for. Why call him up to the roster if he wasn't going to get big-league reps? Frustrated fans pointed to Canario's relatively limited play time in even the minor leagues (56 games at Triple-A so far) and wondered why he wouldn't stay down to get reps.
David Ross finally explained on Wednesday.
David Ross gives an answer to why Alexander Canario isn't playing much yet
David Ross's explanation, simply, is that the Cubs are in the midst of a heated push to secure playoff positioning and potentially win the NL Central, now just 1.5 games back. He wants to play the guys that not only got them there but also give them the best chance to continue winning. September wins mean everything.
"Look, we're in a really good position to win," Ross said, H/T Audacy. "The guys that got us here are going to play. And the guys that are on the bench, if they've got roles, they'll fill in those roles. (Nick) Madrigal has moved in and out (of the lineup). (Patrick) Wisdom has moved in and out. (Miles) Mastrobuoni is here to run. Canario got called up for a September call-up. He'll play when he's needed and fills in nicely or the game gets out of hand one way or the other – get some at-bats, get in the outfield. I think the future is bright for a lot of our minor leaguers that are coming up, but now's not the time that I'm trying to get those guys at-bats."
As much as Ross haters might not want to admit it, the reasoning makes perfect sense. Should you start an unproven rookie just to get him reps when wins are most necessary? Probably not. His usage of Canario in Wednesday's game was perfect. Low leverage, situational, and an opportunity to add to the leead the Cubs had over San Francisco.
Some fans understand that but still take issue with the team's decision to call Canario up at all. That might be shortsighted. Canario might be missing out on Triple-A reps, but he's exchanging them for quality time at the top level of the sport. Hew's learning the intricacies of what it's like to be on a big-league club in one of the most intense parts of the season. The lifestyle element is a learning curve, too, and that's one less thing for Canario to learn when he gets the call-up for good.
It's hard to argue Ross's reasoning for this one.