Cubs have 3 HIGH-upside young OFers in Canario, Davis and PCA. It's hard to see any playing a big MLB role in CF next season, but their upside raises issues about what to do with switch-hitting Ian Happ, whose play this season otherwise deserves a multi-year contract offer before his free agency after '23.
Despite his phenomenal last season, PCA won't turn 21 until March and only has about 450 MiLB ABs. Let's hope he can take over CF in 2024 at some point .
Brennen Davis is coming off a major injury and only has about 750 MiLB ABs total (and his '22 numbers due to injury were terrible), so it's hard to imagine he would have any sort of MLB role before late next season, assuming he re-establishes his prospect status before then.
Canario has about double the minors ABs as Davis and - with his fabulous HR power, .550+ SLG, .900 OPS (despite barely hitting .250 for the year) - seems by far the most MLB-ready of the 3 for next season. But he won't turn 23 until May and only had around 50 AAA ABs - seems like he'd have to hit REALLY well in AAA for a while AND establish himself as a CF to get the big-league call to that position.
Depending on how the Cub brass view Canario's internal make up and his play in '23, it's possible they would throw him into CF at some point next season, but it will very likely just be a matter of time before PCA takes over there.
While all of Canario, Davis and PCA have major potential upside; but not all great prospects pan out and Happ has established his MLB starter value.
Still, due to our 3 young potential stud OFers and the generally conservative nature in which Hoyer has operated thus far, I'd guess Cubs will be unlikely to offer Happ a multi-year contract this offseason; seems more likely Hoyer et al will kick that can down the road for a while in '23 to see more of Canario, PCA and Davis (and, maybe, other LH Cub hitters) before deciding what they want to attempt to do with Happ.
Hopefully, interesting problems to have.