Chicago Cubs' prospect Kris Bryant and Texas Rangers' prospect Joey Gallo both finished atop the minor leagues in home runs and were clearly the best players in each team's farm system. They're likely to appear in the MLB next year, but it's not known when.
Bryant expressed his frustration earlier this season when he found out the Cubs wouldn't be promoting him to the majors before the year ended. The 22-year-old third baseman batted .325 with 43 home runs (led the minors) and 110 RBIs and also boasted a .438 OBP and 1.098 OPS in 138 total games with Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He watched former Triple-A Iowa teammates Arismendy Alcantara, Javier Baez and Jorge Soler get the call up to the Cubs' roster as well.
"I think now more than ever, I'm realizing this game is a business, and all I can do is go out there and play as hard as I can and make it really hard on the guys in charge," Bryant said in a phone interview, via this Yahoo! Sports article. "I think I did that this year. If I'm taking that mindset, then I'm not really going to be sitting there with my head down at the end of the year."
Bryant is referring to MLB service time, and by not promoting him this season, the Cubs will get an extra year out of him in the major leagues and avoid having him become arbitration eligible a year earlier as well. The 2014 Minor League Player of the Year is expected to be with the Cubs in 2015, but team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have been vague in regards to Bryant's promotion.
"I certainly think he's close enough to where he can start setting his sights on the big leagues," Epstein said, in this CSN Chicago article. "Whenever that time comes - we don't know - but it's getting closer. There's a good chance that as he continues to develop, he'll spend the vast majority of 2015 in the big leagues."
As for Gallo, his promotion was speculated this season as well, but Rangers GM Jon Daniels made it clear in August that he believed the 20-year-old needed some more time in the minors. Gallo slashed .271/.394/.615 to go along with a 1.009 OPS in Class-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Frisco. He also blasted 42 homers and 106 RBIs in 126 games. Gallo is a third baseman, but the Rangers have started to test him in the outfield in the Instructional League to see if his athletic ability allows him to play multiple positions.
"Versatility is a plus," Daniels said in this Dallas Morning News article. "It gives both the club and the player options. Joey's a good athlete and, while we don't doubt he can play third, this is an easy way to give him additional paths to the big leagues, when the time comes that he's ready and we have a need. As we sit today, I expect him to start 2015 at third base in the minor leagues, but Instructional League is the time to introduce new things."
They might be looking to use Gallo in the outfield a bit next year because their current third baseman, Adrian Beltre, is under contract through 2016 (although the final year has a vesting option). Additionally, they could use outfield help because it was reported they're unlikely to pick up Alex Rios' option for 2015 and Shin-Soo Choo underwent both ankle and elbow surgery in the past month, making his health a big question mark for next year.
But just like Epstein and Hoyer, Daniels has been vague about Gallo's promotion, so it'll be a mystery at least until spring training.
