Alexander Canario Potentially Getting Reps at 1B, May Be Michael Busch’s Backup

Several Cubs position players have been working out in Mesa for a while now and the first official team workout is on Friday. Craig Counsell’s roster is almost finished, but there are still some holes that need to be filled. The lack of first base depth has not been much of a topic, with Jon Berti currently standing as the presumptive backup to Michael Busch. However, the 35-year-old has never played an inning of first base in the regular season (he got 25 postseason innings there with the Yankees last season) and might not be the best option.

Justin Turner has recently emerged as a possible option if Alex Bregman signs elsewhere, although his age should lower expectations. Turner has logged over 854 innings at first, most of which have come in the last two seasons. Moises Ballesteros played first base for eight games in 2024, providing another option and a way for the Cubs to get him to Chicago in a pinch. But as we learned recently, there may be another internal option.

Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Wednesday that the Cubs are considering whether to give Alexander Canario some reps at first in camp. Canario has only played in the outfield throughout his professional baseball career, but he’s pretty well blocked by several veterans and at least two prospects. The expectation is that Busch will play a vast majority of the games at first, but it’s never a bad thing to have numerous emergency options.

Adding another position to his arsenal drastically increases Canario’s odds of making the Opening Day roster and could improve his value to other teams. It could also be a matter of necessity because signing Bregman, a possibility that seems to be growing in likelihood, means the Cubs will have to look internally for depth at first. Knowing you have a bench piece who can play both the outfield and first base while hitting for power could be a huge asset for this team.