Chicago Cubs: Team signs Carlos Asuaje to minor-league deal
By Ryan Sikes
The Chicago Cubs had been linked to Carlos Asuaje for a couple of weeks now and signed him to a minor-league deal on Monday.
The Chicago Cubs may have found their 26th man – if you recall rosters expand from 25 to 26 starting next year – in an unlikely source. Carlos Asuaje is a 28-year-old utility man who was initially drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2013 MLB Draft.
Asuaje was sent to the Padres as part of the Craig Kimbrel trade, and now they could potentially be teammates, assuming Asuaje makes the roster out of Spring Training.
He last played for the Padres in 2018 and slashed an unimpressive .196/.286/.280 line with two home runs and 19 RBI in 79 games. The year prior, he slashed .270/.334/.362 with four home runs and 21 RBI in 89 games, so the Cubs are hoping he can return to those numbers in 2020.
As noted, he did not play in the majors last year.
Cubs have signed infielder Carlos Asuaje to a minor league deal. He has a chance to make the team as their 26th manwith a solid spring. Lefty hitting second baseman with an option remaining.
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) January 6, 2020
Instead, Asuaje played 59 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks Triple-A outfit and slashed .239/.339/.403. He also played 49 games for the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization and shined in the Dominican Winter League. In 11 games, Asuaje slashed .372/.449/.535 with four doubles, one home run, and nine RBI. While his average is not impressive, he has the potential to be a perfect bench bat in pinch-hit situations.
The Cubs lacked depth on their bench last season, and the loss of Tommy La Stella hurt more than I think they knew at the time. La Stella was outstanding in pinch-hit scenarios, drawing a walk, or keeping the line moving, and they may have found his replacement. Aside from his offense, Asuaje can play all over the field and will be terrific competition in spring camp for someone to grab the opening at second base.
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Asuaje’s best position on the field is second, logging a .992 fielding percentage and committing just five errors in three major league seasons. I hope I’m not polishing a turd here, but I do see some upside to this signing even though it’s not a guaranteed contract, nor is it flashy. Between the open fifth starter spot in the rotation and the competition at second base, Spring Training reps are going to be critical for everyone involved.