The Chicago Cubs designated Alexander Canario for assignment Thursday, clearing a spot for Justin Turner on their evolving 40-man roster and setting up a potential change-of-scenery trade for the 24-year-old outfielder.

Ahead of a season framed by playoffs-or-bust expectations, Chicago is moving on from the right-handed hitter. Canario, a prospect acquired in the Kris Bryant trade with the San Francisco Giants at the 2021 deadline, never got much runway at Wrigley Field. His arrival was delayed by injuries he suffered while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic after a breakout 2022 season.

That setback changed the trajectory of his career.

In a sense, the clock was already ticking for Canario, as the Giants had placed the young outfielder on the 40-man roster after the 2020 season. Fast forward to this spring training, and he was out of minor-league options, forcing the Cubs into a bigger decision about his future in an organization feeling win-now pressure.

After the Cubs posted an 83-79 record in back-to-back years — and traded for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker among a series of offseason moves to address a flawed roster — two prominent projection models forecasted the team winning between 84 and 92 games. The more optimistic Baseball Prospectus PECOTA system has given the Cubs an 88.9 percent chance to make the playoffs, and FanGraphs has set those preseason odds at 54.3 percent.

“All that matters is what happens when we start playing,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said.

Turner, who signed a one-year, $6 million contract, brings elements the Cubs have been lacking. With an everyday lineup that’s been largely set, the club’s reserves were unimpressive in recent seasons. An improved bench with mix-and-match options would play to manager Craig Counsell’s strengths.

His career production has been worth 38.3 WAR, per Baseball Reference, and almost all of that value came in his 30s. He has also competed in 86 playoff games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, experiences the Cubs hope can help get them back to October.

“It’s a nice thing when you feel like you have a strong lineup on paper but also the opportunity to add to it if the opportunity presents itself,” second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “Whether that’s between now and Opening Day or again at the trade deadline, it’s nice to know that we have a roster that is ready to win a division.”

Canario, who will turn 25 in May, could be an appealing option for a rebuilding club. He has hit 109 home runs in the minors and posted an .866 OPS in 120 career Triple-A games. He made his major-league debut as a September call-up in 2023 but totaled only 45 plate appearances with the Cubs.

An extended opportunity wasn’t going to happen on a Cubs team so stacked with outfielders that Seiya Suzuki is projected to essentially be a full-time designated hitter. If Tucker or Ian Happ gets injured, Suzuki could move to the outfield and Turner could take over as the designated hitter. Kevin Alcántara, a top prospect who was acquired from the New York Yankees in the Anthony Rizzo trade at the 2021 deadline, appears to be the backup option to center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

The early start to the season via the Tokyo Series will accelerate some of these roster decisions that typically occur toward the end of March. The Cubs began Cactus League play Thursday and will leave for their Opening Day trip to Japan in less than three weeks.

“This is a better group than we assembled last year at this time,” Counsell said. “There’s always room to keep doing things and keep improving the roster. That’s a good spot. We’re in a good position from that perspective. Now, we got to go compete.”

Patrick Mooney is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group.