Chicago Cubs Prospect Profile: Gage Workman |
Lost in the shuffle of the Winter Meeting buzz is another very important part of the offseason that is overlooked. It's known as the Rule 5 Draft, and it can play a very important part in many teams' futures. What is special about the Rule 5 draft is that it's broken into an MLB portion and an MILB portion, leaving unprotected players the ability to get claimed by other teams.
The Cubs have had a lot of success claiming Minor Players through the Rule 5 draft in recent years but have also done a great job of hanging on to their unclaimed players. Friday marked the 2024 edition of the Rule 5 draft, and unlike the Cubs of the past, they made a move and selected someone from the Detroit Tigers' 26-man roster in third baseman prospect Gage Workman. Workman's listing as a third baseman and needing to be added to the MLB roster leads you to believe that the trade talks surrounding Isaac Paredes are very real, to the point where he could be on the move sooner rather than later. Workman isn't going to be a long-term option, but he is someone you could add to the MLB roster now to be the short-term placeholder until you have another option. Workman was one of 15 players selected in the MLB phase of the draft, and he is by far one of the more interesting pickups. Kudos to Jed Hoyer on that front, as this year's version of the offseason continues to quiet for the Cubs. Workman is no stranger to being highly regarded, as he was listed on the Tigers' top-30 prospect list. Considering he is still 25 years old, Workman provides the Cubs with an intriguing piece that could be used as a bench option or a short-term starter, depending on Matt Shaw's situation this spring. Despite being on the Tigers' top-30 prospect list, Workman has yet to reach AAA, and that could be the lone reason why the Tigers elected not to put him on their 40-man this offseason. If that is the case, it would be considered a roll of the dice, and you can bet the Tigers aren't going to be too happy that they lost him. Workman broke into the Tigers system in 2021 and immediately started to flash his potential despite needing to be more consistent. This guy hit in the .245 range across his first three destinations but did have 26 homers, including a 14-homer and 61 RBI campaign in 2022. Then came the 2023 season, where Workman not only made some noise but broke out massively to the point where he was knocking on the AAA door. During that season, Workman posted a .288 average with High-A, connecting for six homers and driving in 29. That was good enough to get the bump to AA, where Workman continued to flash his power potential with seven homers, although his average plummeted to .191. As expected, his struggles in AA meant he would return there in 2024, which may have been a great thing for his development. Workman spent the entire last season in AA and did so by putting together another very good season. His .280 average was a massive increase, and what the Tigers needed to see was his career-best 18 homers and 89 RBIs. Throw in 30 stolen bases, and Workman displayed several areas of his game that he often needed to display in years prior. Those numbers are worth noting, and they do make you wonder why he hasn't reached AAA yet. The biggest thing I can think of is that Workman came into the Tigers organization as a switch hitter and has ditched that to become a left-handed hitter only. That adjustment could've led to some of his early struggles, but now he appears locked in and ready to take off. MLB Pipeline thinks highly of Workman and what he can bring to the table. "The most notable adjustment Workman made to take off at Double-A was abandoning switch-hitting," the website wrote. "The 6-foot-4 infielder hits exclusively from the left side now, and while he still struggles against southpaws, the focus on a single side of the box has done wonders for his overall performance. Utilizing a quiet load, he’s cut his strikeout rate from 38.8 percent in Double-A last year to 27.5 percent this summer, and he continues to do a solid job of lifting the ball to the pull side in the air, allowing his raw power to play comfortably in games. Workman always had a decent floor because of his above-average speed, overall actions on the dirt, and impressive arm strength. He’s a solid defensive shortstop as is but has got the lion’s share of his work in 2024 at third base, where he’s an even better fit. His aggressiveness on the basepaths should also make him a constant stolen-base threat. Workman went unprotected and unpicked in last year’s Rule 5 Draft but has made a stronger case for protection this year as a late-blooming utility infielder.” He sounds like an outstanding role player to me and someone who could fit in nicely to take over the role that Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni had. You also must consider the Paredes part of this, as Workman may get an opportunity to play more games should Paredes get dealt. Either way, the Cubs landed an intriguing guy in the Rule 5 draft who can make a difference. That is the good with the Rule 5 draft; now let's talk about the bad where the Cubs did lose someone. Fortunately, it wasn't anyone from the MLB side of the draft. It wasn't a top guy like Christian Franklin, but instead, RHP Richard Gallardo, who is off to Toronto. A few seasons ago, Gallardo had a bright future and was well on his way to being a difference-maker, one of the top 20 prospects in the Cubs system a few seasons ago. Then came a series of arm and shoulder injuries that set him back and made him a thing of the past in the Cubs system. That alone is a big reason why the Cubs didn't keep him; hopefully, a change of scenery does him well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BK8HV1UHB8A
