MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs have not downplayed the situation infielder Gage Workman faces.
As a Rule 5 pick, Workman must be on the big-league roster at the onset of the season — and remain there through the end — otherwise he would be offered back to the Detroit Tigers, the organization that took him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft.
“You’ve just got to go out and do your thing,” Workman told the Tribune on Saturday. “I think adding pressure is not going to help in any way. Obviously, I know the situation I’m in … you have to take it one at-bat at a time, and do all I can do at this point and let the chips fall where they may.”
Hitting coach Dustin Kelly has been encouraged by what the Cubs have seen from Workman, noting how hard he hits the ball and his great swing decisions.
“It’s not like a normal minor-league invite where you’re up there to showcase what you can do and then a lot of times you get sent down and hope you make it back up to the big leagues at some point so he feels a little bit of that pressure,” Kelly said. “But just getting to know him and watching him work, he’s very level-headed, he has a confidence about him so he’s going out there, putting in what he needs to do.”
Workman, 25, is attempting to make the jump to the majors from Double A, where he spent most of the last three seasons in the Tigers system. He has not played a game at the Triple-A level. Workman is getting plenty of opportunities to prove himself. Entering Saturday, Workman’s 17 at-bats led the Cubs in the Cactus League while the lefty’s two home runs (first) and six RBIs (second) are among the top on the team.
“I’ve felt really good at the plate,” Workman said. “You always are just kind of getting back into the swing of things and you want to get your feet under you with some live ABs, and I was able to do that on the backfields and then have it carry over into games a little bit.”
As the Cubs work through the opening roster machinations, they have 10 days until they depart for Japan and subsequently must have a framework in place. The shorter time frame to make a decision on Workman makes every at-bat even more important. The quality of at-bats he delivers this spring will be an important deciding factor.
“You just want to see how comfortable a guy is in a big-league box that’s facing big-league pitching and going out there day after day,” Kelly said. “He’s getting a lot of at-bats, and that’s kind of the idea is, we need to see him and see what he has to offer. And so far, it’s been really good.”
Workman quickly made an impression on manager Craig Counsell and the Cubs when he slugged a home run Feb. 20 in his Cactus League debut.
“It’s easier for this player to put a lot of pressure on himself in spring training, I’ve got to make a good impression is kind of what’s going through your head, right?” Counsell said after his memorable start. “You can’t run from that, that’s the deal, man, like, we’ve got to make a decision on you. … There’s a lot of nerves and anxiety, and it’s so important to him to do good. And so you’re happy for somebody like that.”
Workman’s defense and versatility will also be an important piece the Cubs must weigh. He predominately played third base at Double A last year but has extensive experience at shortstop with limited time at second and right field.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner already has been ruled out for the Tokyo Series. Instead of playing in the two regular-season games there against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hoerner will stay in Arizona to keep building up from offseason flexor tendon surgery. Third baseman Matt Shaw’s status for those games has not yet been determined. Shaw (left oblique) is expected to get into his first Cactus League game Sunday, giving him less than 10 days to get enough at-bats and in-game work at third to be ready.
Hoerner’s and Shaw’s statuses for Japan creates an opening for Workman to make the team and stick with the Cubs as a bench option for at least a few more weeks until the organization must again make roster decisions ahead of the domestic opener. Workman is clearly giving the Cubs something to think about when they start to plot out their roster.
“I just want to be someone that controls the zone, has a good plan up there, puts together professional ABs every time,” Workman said. “I don’t want to go up there and just be an easy at-bat or an easy out.”
