Cubs Prospect Profile: Pablo Aliendo |
Well, that was an unexpected Monday. With the GM meetings getting underway in Scottsdale, Arizona, it was the Cubs that made the biggest splash of the offseason when they parted ways with Manager David Ross after four seasons and announced the hiring of Craig Counsell from the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs then turned around and gave him a five-year 40 million dollar contract to make him the wealthiest manager in MLB history. Talk about a lot of pressure to live up to.
That signing is not only significant for the Cubs this season, but it will be significant for them long term as a lot of players have expressed their desire to play for him. That could make free agency an exciting time in Chicago once again, as the fans will be looking at this offseason much differently than they did even four days ago. This will be a topic for a different day, as right now, it's time to continue to focus on the future of this team, which falls on the prospects. Every year, you have prospects that come out of nowhere to make an impact within an organization and end up landing inside the top 30 list. Pablo Aliendo was one of those guys for the Cubs in 2023, as another strong showing has landed him inside the top 30, where he finished the season ranked No. 27 in the Cubs system. Signed out of Venezuela in 2018, the 22-year-old Aliendo landed a 200K contract before heading to the Cubs Dominican Republic Rookie League complex. At that time, Aliendo was still just a teenager, and you saw that in his game as he did little to nothing offensively. Then came the COVID year, where Aliendo and everyone else, for that matter, lost an entire year of baseball activities. What could've been a major step backward for him instead proved to be a blessing in disguise as he used that year off to improve his game before turning himself into a reliable everyday player. Following that pendemic season, Aliendo came stateside for the first time and bounced between Myrtle Beach and South Bend. He hit a .223 that season in 79 games, but with five homers and 30 RBIs, he had more production than his previous two seasons combined. Then came the 2022 season, where Aliendo started to showcase his complete skillset and gained more attention throughout the Cubs system. Sitting at South Bend all season, Aliendo appeared in 89 games that season, where he hit a career-best .267 with a career-high seven homers and 35 RBIs. The increase in power was minimal, but it is something you like to see at every level, but it wasn't until this season when that power potential came full circle. Now in AA for the Tennessee Smokies, Aliendo played in 91 games, and although his average plummeted to .233, his power numbers didn't, as he responded with 16 homers and 61 RBIs. Whenever you talk to most scouts or players, they often say the Southern League is one of the more difficult leagues to play in. To see those kind of numbers from Aliendo in his first go around in AA is not only encouraging, but has the Cubs front office buzzing for what this kid can do once he fully develops. One thing that Aliendo has going for him is his overall athletic ability, as he is much quicker and more agile than most catchers. Because of that, the Cubs have moved him around a bit, as he has also seen time at 1B occasionally. Far from a polished defender, Aliendo has soft hands that help him receive the ball well, and he has become a much better blocker over the past season. Another thing that coaches continue to rave about with him is his strong and accurate throwing arm mixed with his game-calling ability. Both are crucial to have if you are a young catcher, and it is a rarity that someone this young possesses both those traits already. Despite his lack of an average for the majority of his career, the right-handed Aliendo does put the bat on the ball a ton but needs to make better swing decisions to produce better contact quality. Viewed as a 10-homer or less guy, some felt his wirey strength could lead to 12-15 homer potential, but he shot past that last season. The stronger he gets, the more power will come as long as he can consistently elevate the ball, which he did in 2023. His ability to make further adjustments will determine whether he can be a big-league regular versus a defensive-minded backup. Still, at the very least, he gives the Cubs a nice depth piece within the system that could be used as trade bait later on down the road.
