Chicago Cubs prospect Owen Caissie
If Owen Caissie ends in a trade before the July 31 deadline, such as the one recently proposed by MLB insider Jon Heyman, he has nobody to blame but himself.
OK, that’s an unnecessarily pointed statement. Should the Chicago Cubs use the Triple-A outfielder as a trade piece to boost their Major League roster prior to the July 31 deadline, there will be many factors involved in the process, most of which are out of Caissie’s control.
Besides, judging by Caissie’s recent comments, it seems like he would rather not be involved in any deadline deals.
In the “Around the Basepaths” section of his Sunday column for USA Today, Bob Nightengale notes that Caissie – the Cubs’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 42 prospect in all of baseball – and Triple-A catcher Harry Ford – No. 5 Seattle prospect, No. 55 overall – are rumored to be the highest-ranked prospects likely traded by contending teams before the month is over. And that is a sentiment that Caissie didn’t appear to enjoy hearing.
“I’m just going to show up at the ballpark every day with a smile on my face and just try to be the best I can be,” he said in response.
“I don’t have Twitter, so I don’t check that stuff at all. I never really paid attention to that stuff, and I’m not going to start now. Playing GM isn’t a good idea because you never know what’s going to happen.
Owen Caissie Has Turned Heads With Recent Triple-A Hot Streak
Of course, Caissie probably wouldn’t have to worry about such things if he wasn’t hitting the ball so well. But such is life for a highly-skilled offensive outfielder at the Triple-A level for a team with highly-skilled offensive outfielders already in place and playoff goals already in view.
In 73 games for the Iowa Cubs, Caissie has posted a slash line of .278/.386/.575, with an OPS of .961. A second-round pick in the 2020 draft, Caissie, who turned 23 on July 8, has 20 doubles, 19 home runs and 42 RBIs.
Caissie was particularly hot in his last seven games before the All-Star Break, going 13–for-29 with seven home runs, nine RBIs and 14 runs scored. He also started in the outfield and batted third in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, hitting an RBI double and walking twice as the National League team won 4-2.
All of which makes Caissie a desired piece for Chicago’s potential trade partners.
“In virtually every Cubs trade conversation, the rival GM will ask about him,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi wrote in a recent post to X (formerly Twitter).
Trade Pitch Sends Owen Caissie, Matt Shaw to Pittsburgh for Mitch Keller, David Bednar, Ke’Bryan Hayes
There has been no indication of Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington making such a query, but Caissie is an important piece in the five-player blockbuster that Heyman has proposed between the National League Central rivals. Noting the Cubs’ desire to boost their pitching staff and improve the situation at third base, the long-time New York Post columnist suggested Chicago trade Caissie and former top prospect Matt Shaw to the Pirates for starting pitcher Mitch Keller, reliever David Bednar and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.
“The Cubs are scouting the Pirates (as are most contenders). Keller will be one of the better starters available and Hayes is a great defender who needs a change of scenery,” Heyman wrote. “The Pirates seek and need young guys who can hit.”
Caissie has shown that he can hit, but with Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ starting in the outfield, along with Seiya Suzuki at designated hitter, the Cubs have no room on their roster. Shaw has also shown that he knows what to do with the bat, although it has not yet translated at the Major League level, and the Cubs can’t afford to be patient with the 23-year-old.
But in exchange for that duo, perhaps Chicago can bring in three valuable players who would all be more than just rental options. Keller signed a five-year, $77 million contract in 2024 and is under team control through 2028; Bednar has another year of arbitration in 2026; and Hayes is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $70 million contract with a club option in 2030.
Sounds like a win for both sides.
