Busy night, eh?
First, Isiah Kiner-Falefa signed with the Boston Red Sox, making us wonder … is he their big last move on the positional side? Then, the biggest remaining free agent starter, Framber Valdez, signed a short-term, high-AAV deal with the Tigers … who are hours away from learning the outcome of their potentially record-setting arbitration hearing with Tarik Skubal. And now, a smaller, but directly Cubs-connected free agent utility player, Miguel Andujar, is signing a one-year, $4M deal with the Padres.
Like I said, there’s a lot going on! So let’s discuss.
Miguel Andujar to the Padres
According to Jon Heyman, the Padres got Miguel Andujar on just a one-year, $4M deal with a mutual option (and his salary in 2026 is just $1.5M).
That’s a little less than I thought he would be able to command, but not exceedingly so. It’s also more small-dollar activity from the Padres, who may have gotten over their skis (financially) a bit these last 4-5 offseasons.
As for the player, Andujar has had some significant success in the past, including an AL Rookie of the Year runner-up finish behind Shohei Ohtani in 2018, but injuries and surgeries have slowed him down significantly since then.
Even still, he crushes lefties, is cheap, isn’t old, and has some dormant, previously-realized upside. If the Padres really are strapped for cash, this was a nice, affordable upside play for them.
As for the Cubs…
© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn ImagesCubs Do Not Get Miguel Andujar
Andujar, not unlike Zac Gallen, was never seen as a need for the Cubs in 2026, but I could see his fit and value to the roster (and that’s twice as true if the Cubs ever seriously considered trading Matt Shaw).
I explained more when he first popped up as a possibility last month:
Over the last few seasons, Andujar has spent most of his time at third base and left field (though he also played some right field and first base). And even when he wasn’t hitting well overall, he’s pretty much always destroyed left-handed pitching: 121 wRC+.
And that has been especially true over the last three seasons:
Miguel Andujar vsLHP:
– 2023 (38 PAs): 129 wRC+– 2024 (61 PAs): 192 wRC+– 2025 (93 PAs): 171 wRC+– TOTAL (192 PAs): .374/.406/.560 (169 wRC+)
So, in theory, that’s how he fits in on the Cubs.
If the Cubs were to sign Miguel Andujar, you might expect him to take some key pinch-hit at-bats against left-handed pitching, perhaps even earning some starts in place of Ian Happ (left field –> bench), Michael Busch (first base –> bench … though I doubt this, plus the Cubs signed Tyler Austin), and Moises Ballesteros (by way of Alex Bregman starting at DH and opening up third for Andujar).
Alas, it was not to be.
… Which is also not the end of the world, because, as I said back in January, “that’s also sort of the plan for Matt Shaw right now. We know Shaw is capable of playing third, but there’s also been some talk about him covering a corner outfield spot as needed. And at the end of the day, I don’t see a fit for both guys on the active roster.”
Which I guess is also me saying I think the odds of Matt Shaw being traded to the Red Sox just took the slightest hit tonight (from unlikely to very unlikely). Never say never, but I really thought any Shaw trade would align with an Andujar signing.
Okay. That’s it. Now we wait for the next signing to break. Zac Gallen, you up?
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