December 29, 2020

By J.P. Antonacci

Canadian Baseball Network

Orange Crush is headed to Wrigley Field.

Canadian outfielder Owen Cassie was dealt to the Chicago Cubs on Monday in a seven-player trade that saw the San Diego Padres add starting pitcher Yu Darvish in the club’s latest move to unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers as the class of the National League.

The Padres acquired Darvish and his personal catcher, Victor Caratini, in exchange for starter Zach Davies and a quartet of prospects including Caissie, San Diego’s second-round pick in the June draft.

In moving from southern California to the North Side of Chicago, Caissie is joining the second club in his professional career, which is all of six months old.

Caissie’s red hair and proclivity for launching baseballs far over the fence earned him the nickname “Orange Crush” around the Fieldhouse Pirates training facility in his hometown of Burlington, Ont.

The 18-year-old was the highest-drafted Canadian in the truncated June draft, going 45th overall to the Padres and scout Chris Kemlo (Oshawa, Ont.).

That was a bit of a reach – MLB Pipeline had him ranked 76th ahead of the draft – but San Diego’s director of amateur scouting Mark Conner said at the time that Caissie’s combination of power, baseball smarts and work ethic proved enticing.

Caissie’s history with Kemlo, who coached the young slugger with Prep Baseball Report, sealed the deal.

Caissie’s contract with the Padres included a $1.2 million signing bonus. In the fall, he spent time at the club’s alternate training site and the Arizona League.

Drafted out of Notre Dame Catholic High School in Burlington, the six-foot-four outfielder impressed scouts at the 2019 edition of Tournament 12 at Rogers Centre in Toronto by winning the inaugural home run derby.

Batting from the left side, Caissie also blasted a batting practice fastball into the dome’s fifth deck.

Though he is changing addresses from sunny California to the Windy City – or more realistically to Chicago’s Arizona League affiliate – Caissie’s oft-praised drive to excel figures to remain consistent.

“I just want to get out and play some professional baseball, because it’s what I’ve worked towards, and I want it to happen,” Caissie told Canadian Baseball Network in the spring.