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Michael Busch was recently traded to the Chicago Cubs. What is the fantasy baseball impact of this move and what is his outlook as the Cubs third baseman?
There have been some notable trades in Major League Baseball this offseason, one of which involves young former Dodgers infielder Michael Busch.
Busch and reliever Yency Almonte were dealt to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope. For the Dodgers, they needed to clear 40-man roster spots for free-agent signings such as Teoscar Hernandez. In return, they were able to net a pair of quality prospects for their elite development team to work with moving forward.
For the Cubs, the main attraction was the 26-year-old Busch, who made his big-league debut in 2023. The 2019 first-round pick, No. 31 overall, rose through the Dodgers' farm system while sporting a big-time bat with prodigious power, excellent contact skills, and an eye for the strike zone. Let's dive in to see where Busch fits with the Cubs and the fantasy impact of his move to the Windy City.
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Michael Busch's Fit With The Cubs
A third baseman by trade, Busch was blocked by Max Muncy at the hot corner in Los Angeles. Of course, moving across the diamond to first base was not an option with Freddie Freeman around. With the free-agent signing of superstar and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, there simply was not room for Busch in Dodger Blue.
That's not the case with the Cubs. First base was a revolving door for them in 2023, but it's where Busch is likely to get the bulk of his reps with Christopher Morel set for utility duty. FanGraphs projects Busch to log 308 plate appearances at first base, 91 at third base, 49 at designated hitter, and 21 at shortstop. That's 469 projected plate appearances with more possible based on injuries.
There isn't a ton to gauge from Busch's 2023 debut as he appeared in just 27 games and hit .167 with two home runs, one stolen base, and a .539 OPS across 81 plate appearances. He walked in 9.9% of those trips to the plate after drawing free passes at a healthy 13.9% clip across 98 Triple-A contests. He also slashed .323/.431/.618 with 27 HR, four SB, 90 RBI, and a .449 wOBA across 469 plate appearances at the minors' highest level.
The bat is big-league ready. It's just about getting his playing time sorted out without a full-time role at any particular spot. For prospective fantasy managers, it will be important to keep an eye on his usage versus left-handed pitching. He more than held his own with a .294 average and .830 OPS versus lefties at Triple-A a season ago but just two of his 27 HR came off of lefties. He homered once every 63 at-bats against lefties versus one homer per 10.6 at-bats against right-handers.
He could be sheltered against same-handed pitching but there is plenty to like about Busch's upside, especially in dynasty leagues.
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