Former slugging Cubs top prospect signs with Yankees after injury woes

Though he was squeezed out of the Chicago Cubs' outfield picture due to a series of prospect breakouts and ill-timed injuries, outfielder Brennen Davis still has the potential to mash. Now, the 25-year-old slugger will get the opportunity to approach his ceiling with the New York Yankees, a team in need of depth at the minor-league level, specifically in the outfield.

Last winter's one-year flyer (Oscar González, formerly of Guardians fame) is on to greener pastures, and top prospect Everson Pereira is still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Jasson Dominguez, more than likely, will be elevated to the big-league roster semi-permanently, seeking his first Opening Day start next season.

That's left several holes in Scranton's outfield, and ample opportunity for Davis to regrow his brand.

The 2021 Futures Game MVP played just 47 games at the highest level of the minors last year, battling back against a current of recurring bumps and bruises. He still OPS'd .828 in the process, though, and will now try to open the Yankees' eyes during spring training and beyond.

Yankees sign Brennen Davis, former Chicago Cubs top prospect and Futures Game MVP

Davis, a 2018 second-round selection, found himself on the fast track in 2021, buoyed by his success on the national stage at the Midsummer Classic, as well as a .933 OPS in a 15-game cameo at the end of the campaign with Triple-A Iowa. Since then, though, it's been tough sledding for the slender slugger, he played just 43 Triple-A games in 2022, hitting .191 with a .641 OPS, followed by 62 games and dueling .187/.575 marks the next year.

2024 may have represented a solid bounce back, but 47 games does not make a complete picture. Davis' last three seasons have been defined by struggles and myriad issues -- some of them recurring, some of them freak. Back problems can often lead to deterioration of a player's game, and while trying to find a new normal, Davis has also been hit with core muscle surgery, a back fracture, and an ankle break, which saw him carted off the field in a devastating, season-ending scene.

Now, Davis will attempt his comeback anew in an environment that could be conducive to success. Typically, the Yankees end up calling down to Scranton to flesh out their outfield midseason, as their best-laid plans fall apart. In this particular instance, Davis could easily encounter an open door, after so much trouble.