We always say there’s no such thing as a bad Minor League contract, and we mean it. The risk there is non-existent, so you might as well load up on depth and upside when you can. So it is tonight with a report that the Cubs have signed 30-year-old outfielder (and former Alex Bregman teammate) Chas McCormick to a minor league deal.
And I really like this one.
Cubs Sign Chas McCormick
The Astros’ beat writer from The Athletic, Chandler Rome, first broke the news.
The Chicago Cubs are signing outfielder Chas McCormick to a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to major-league camp, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) January 22, 2026McCormick, 30, might be a name that rings a bell to you, and that’s because he was once a pretty significant contributor for a couple of very good Astros teams.
He debuted for Houston in 2021 (when they lost the World Series to the Atlanta Braves), and eventually won a ring on the 2022 squad against the Phillies.
2021: 108 wRC+, 14 HRs, 2.1 WAR 2022: 115 wRC+, 14 HRs, 2.4 WAR 2023: 132 wRC+, 22 HRs, 3.3 WARHe also covered all three outfield spots throughout those seasons, rating out quite well defensively across the board.
So you might be asking yourself … how the heck did the Cubs get this guy on a minor league deal? Well, that’s because he fell off a cliff in 2024, when a right hamstring injury and then a fracture in his right hand limited him to just 94 games (267 PAs), none of which were very successful: .211/.271/.306 (65 wRC+).
© Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesAnd while one injury-shortened/impacted season wouldn’t necessarily be enough dissuade his believers, two is a different story. In 2025, McCormick slashed just .210/.279/.290 (62 wRC+) over 66 games and actually hit even worse in the minors. He again dealt with an injury (an oblique strain) and was slowed by another in the minors, but it was just back-to-back completely lost seasons after a somewhat promising start to his career.
Earlier this offseason, the Astros removed McCormick from their 40-man roster and tried to outright him to Triple-A, but he rejected the assignment and became a free agent instead. Now, he’s with the Cubs, looking for new life in a new org.
And as I said above, I like the fit.
Brett and I were just today talking on the BN Cubs podcast about the need for another right-handed hitting outfielder for the bench. And while McCormick will certainly not be handed that job in Spring Training, his ability to cover all three outfield spots and hit lefties (at least, historically) sure gives him a shot:
Chas McCormick vs LHP:
2021 (90 PAs): 121 wRC+ 2022 (115 PAs): 180 wRC+ 2023 (138 PAs): 177 wRC+ 2024 (89 PAs): 59 wRC+ 2025 (49 PAs): 91 wRC+ Career (237 PAs): .280/.353/.493 (137 wRC+)I know he was down appreciably in 2024 and still below average in 2025, but he’s just 30 years old, is joining a new organization for the first time in his career, and actually posted a career-best hard-hit rate vs lefties last season (45.5%). There’s a reason he’s settling for a minor league deal, but I really like the upside here, especially with virtually no risk and a perfectly complementary role to this roster if he does make the team and succeed.
Speaking of which …
As of today, the Cubs’ four-man bench is likely to be (1) one of the catchers (Miguel Amaya/Carson Kelly), (2) Matt Shaw (primarily 2B, 3B … maybe some outfield), (3) Tyler Austin (primarily 1B/DH), and (4) Kevin Alcantara (outfield) … assuming everyone is healthy.
And while, sure, everyone would love if Alcantara, a right-handed bat who can play all three outfield spots, was ready for prime time, I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s a lock. Plus, he’s still a very solid prospect with a lot of upside, who could benefit from everyday playing-time at Triple-A until he forces the issue or a need arises.
I’m not rooting for Alcantara not to be ready to make room for Chas McCormick. Believe me. I’d love it if Alcantara were looking ready come Spring Training. But this signing is a little bit of protection against that in case he’s not.
Again, I don’t want to oversell you here. It’s just a minor league deal for a guy who has vanished the last two seasons. But you never know when one of these will hit the way Brad Keller did last year. So, good deal, Cubs.
Now, go listen to Thursday’s episode of the BN Cubs Podcast.
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