Jed Hoyer adds much-needed Matt Shaw insurance with latest Cubs roster move
By Scott Rogust
The Chicago Cubs have had a perplexing offseason to say the least. They made an all-in move to acquire outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros for just one season, while trading away Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees. Fans, looking for a chance to further improve the team, have implored the Cubs to sign free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. Team president Jed Hoyer said he "couldn't answer" about any interest in Bregman at the Cubs Convention, leading to fans booing him.
The expectation is that the Cubs will rely upon top prospect Matt Shaw to play primarily at third base. Giving a top prospect a chance to play every day on the major league roster is a huge plus, but the team needs to have a fallback option in case things go wrong. Well, the Cubs found a backup option.
FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray was first to report that the Cubs reached an agreement with free agent infielder Jon Berti. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported that the deal is worth $2 million, with $1.3 million in incentives.
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Cubs sign Jon Berti to provide infield flexibility
Berti isn't one of the top names available in free agency, but he does provide one thing for the Cubs — infield flexibility. That is what Hoyer wanted, and he got it in Berti.
This past season with the Yankees, Berti was thrown at first base due in part to Anthony Rizzo dealing with injury. Berti played well at first for three games, recording a 1.000 fielding percentage with 21 putouts, four assists, and two double plays.
Berti played in just 25 games this past season due to a left calf strain. In that span, Berti recorded a .273 batting average, a .342 on-base percentage, a .318 slugging percentage, one home run, six RBI, 10 runs, and 18 hits.
Berti primarily played third base in his career, where he held a .957 fielding percentage (72 putouts, 281 assists, and 16 errors) in 369 total chances. So, there is a lot for Cubs fans to be confident in if he were to fill in for Shaw. They will undoubtedly hope he will have the offensive season like he did in 2023 with the Miami Marlins, where he slashed .294/.344/.405, knocked in 33 runs, and recorded 114 hits in 133 games. Realistically, he is a .259 hitter who hasn't hit double digit home runs or knocked in over 40 runs. But, you're signing him for the defense, and he provides just that.