Chicago Cubs Call Up Kevin Alcántara as Owen Caissie Sent Down | Cubs Roster Shake-Up! 🤯

The Chicago Cubs have officially made a major roster move that could have a huge impact on the team’s playoff push in the 2025 MLB season. The front office has announced that Kevin Alcántara, one of the most athletic and talented prospects in the Cubs’ farm system, has been called up to the Major League roster. To make room for Alcántara, the Cubs have decided to send Owen Caissie, another highly ranked prospect and one of the organization’s most hyped young hitters, back down to the minors.

This decision has Cubs fans buzzing across Chicago and the baseball world. With the NL Central race tightening and the Cubs battling for a postseason spot, every roster decision matters, and this particular move highlights the organization’s emphasis on balancing player development with winning now.

Kevin Alcántara, known as “The Jaguar,” has been steadily climbing through the Cubs’ farm system since being acquired in the Anthony Rizzo trade with the New York Yankees in 2021. Standing at 6’6” with elite athleticism, Alcántara brings a rare combination of power, speed, and defensive range that has long made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the Cubs’ pipeline.

In 2025 at Triple-A Iowa, Alcántara was putting up strong numbers, showcasing why he’s been ranked inside the MLB.com Top 100 Prospects list multiple times throughout his minor league career. His ability to drive the ball to all fields, along with his speed on the basepaths and elite outfield defense, made him an appealing candidate for promotion as the Cubs looked to add a spark to their offense.

According to Baseball-Reference, Alcántara was hitting over .260 at Iowa with an OPS north of .850, along with double-digit home runs and stolen bases. More importantly, he was cutting down on his strikeouts, one of the biggest areas scouts wanted to see him improve on.

Manager Craig Counsell has emphasized the need for versatility and athleticism in the Cubs’ outfield, and Alcántara fits that mold perfectly. His call-up adds another dimension to the Cubs’ roster as they continue to battle in the Wild Card race.

⚾ Why Owen Caissie Was Sent Down

On the flip side, the Cubs’ decision to option Owen Caissie back to Triple-A is just as newsworthy. Caissie, another top Cubs prospect, made his debut earlier this season and showed flashes of his massive power potential. The 22-year-old outfielder, acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Yu Darvish trade, has one of the most powerful left-handed bats in the organization.

However, despite hitting his first career home run against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 19, 2025, Caissie’s overall performance at the Major League level has been inconsistent. He struggled with strikeouts and had difficulty adjusting to big-league pitching on a daily basis. While his raw tools are undeniable, the Cubs appear to believe he needs more consistent at-bats in Triple-A to refine his approach before becoming an everyday contributor at Wrigley Field.

🌟 Final Thoughts

The Chicago Cubs’ decision to call up Kevin Alcántara while sending Owen Caissie back to the minors represents one of the most fascinating roster moves of the 2025 season. It highlights the depth of the Cubs’ farm system, the team’s commitment to balancing player development with winning now, and the franchise’s bright future.

For fans, this is a thrilling time. Watching Alcántara debut at Wrigley Field will be a moment to remember, and while Caissie’s demotion may sting in the short term, it’s likely a step toward long-term success.

The Cubs are in a position to make serious noise in the 2025 postseason, and Alcántara could play a pivotal role in how far this team goes. One thing is clear: the future is bright on the North Side of Chicago.

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What is going on Cubs fans? Welcome to Just Another Year Chicago Cubs. I’m Dave Ritterhoff and today we’re talking about Kevin Alcantra being brought up to the main roster. He is joining the team at Wrigleyfield in Chicago, hoping to provide a big spark that the Cubs originally hoped Owen Casey would be able to provide. But based on performances as of late, it was pretty clear Owen Casey needed this time up in the major leagues to learn a little more about the pitching he’s going to have to face eventually. But it’s just not time yet for Owen Casey. And now the hope is that Kevin Elcontra can provide that huge spark they were hoping he would come up and bring. And he’s gonna get that opportunity starting right away as he joins the team in the September run. Don’t forget to hit the like button on this video if you’re excited for Kevin Alcantra being brought up to the major leagues. He had have a little bit of time last year on the main roster before going back down to the minors. But this time around, he’s hoping that he is here to stay, maybe carving out a nice niche. uh not only for the rest of this season, but also moving forward into 2026. And let us know in the comments section below after subscribing, of course, to the channel for all your great Chicago Cubs news. Who do you think’s going to have a better career? Would it be Kevin Alcantra or Owen Casey? Let us know in that comment section below. But this move kind of didn’t come as a surprise. You know, Owen Casey has been having a few at bats here and there, but hasn’t really stuck in the lineup at all. Hasn’t really proved himself as a pinch hitter. just hasn’t been doing necessary to continue staying at the major league level. He had one really, really big day, a day he’ll never forget, as long as many Cubs fans won’t forget, putting up a huge performance in two games against the Milwaukee Brewers uh just a couple weeks ago. But as of right now, it’s time to move on in a different direction. And the Cubs are hoping Kevin Alcantra, who has had that cup of coffee at the major league level already, is going to be able to provide the necessary offensive spark that the team so desperately needs with so many of their players being uh in in mired in slumps right now. There’s no way around it. A lot of guys are not hitting the ball well, not putting a ton of power out there. Kevin Alcantra has power and they’re hoping that he could be the one to get the offense on the right track with that little bit of a boost. Alcantra, the outfielder, is a right-handed bat. He is 23 years old out of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. He is the current number five prospect. In fact, early this year, ranked as high as number three. And he was acquired in the Anthony Rizzo trade uh to the Yankee. So, he’s a part of the Yankee system. They signed him out of the Dominican Republic and then moved him for Anthony Rizzo just a few short years ago. And this year, he’s been a very good player down in Triple A. In 102 games, he is batting .266. He has hit 17 home runs, driven in 69 RBI’s on the year and has an OPS of 818. So, he’s been doing very, very well as well as providing good defense down in the minor leagues. And this is a scouting report according to MLB.com. Of course, they do the 20 through 80 grading scale for prospects. Hitting wise, a 45. Not the best there, but he has a lot of power coming in at a 55. His run is a 60. He’s 6’6. This is a big guy who has big long strides. He is able to get from first to third and second to home very easily and very quickly. His arm is rated at a 55. So, he’s got a pretty solid arm in the outfield and fielding at a 60. So, he’s no PCA, but he is able to hold his own. And his overall grade is 50 for his full prospect file. And listen, I I really liked Owen Casey. He was putting good bats on the ball, getting line drives, but ultimately he’s been mired in a slump ever since that big game against Milwaukee. They tried him in spots where he can come in as a pinch hitter. He never performed in those roles. He has been struggling a lot recently. And it think it was time to say, “Okay, hey, now you understand what you’re going to have to do if you’re going to want to elevate yourself to being a top tier major league player. Now you know the pitching you’re going to face. Now you know the defenses you’re going to face. you’re gonna know more about the at bats you’re gonna have to take to be successful at the next level. And to me, I think this was the right call to bring him up. But I also think now it’s the right call to send him back. Now you know what you got to work on. You can go to Iowa, work on your game, and then next year hopefully you have a spot on the major league roster from day one. If not, maybe waiting just a little bit uh to hone any final skills before going to that next level. And when you take a look at his recent stats, you know, the year he’s had so far, 24 at bats at the major league level. He did get five hits, two of them being extra base hits, a double and a home run. He drove in four RBI’s, but that strikeout number is going to be his undoing. Nine strikeouts is a part of the reason why he’s going back down to work on his game at the AAA level. And when you have the Cubs that are bringing in any sort of talent, hoping to get somebody who can get hot in the final month of the year. Carlos Santana was just signed as a as a veteran free agent. Aaron Seal was just picked up off waiverss as a starting pitcher from the White Socks. When you’re doing this sort of work, trying to bring in any sort of players in order to build yourself a nice roster for the playoffs, you’re going to have to look in some places like the minor leagues. And when you have Owen Casey coming up and just striking out too much, then ultimately he’s not providing that spark you need, that means you have to look other directions. When you have a player like Kevin Alcantra at the minor league level that can come up and bring you that energy, this is the right move. I’m really excited to see Kevin Alcantra come up and see if he can stay a little bit longer than last time. He got a very small cup of coffee then, but now is his time. He’s get an opportunity through this last month of the season to prove that he is not only somebody who can play at the major league level now, but maybe even step over Owen Casey as the top outfield prospect option for the Cubs moving forward in 2026 and belong. Don’t forget to like this video and subscribe to the channel. Let us know in the comments section below who you think is going to be the better player between Owen Casey and Kevin Alcantra for just another year Chicago Cubs. I’m Dave Ritterhoff. Go Cubs go baby.