The Cubs are in agreement with an outfielder Ben DeLuzio on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). He’ll receive an invite to big league Spring Training.
DeLuzio has spent six seasons in the minor leagues since going undrafted in 2016. After five-plus years in the Diamondbacks system, he moved to the St. Louis organization last winter in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The right-handed hitter had a solid season with Triple-A Memphis, putting up a .277/.353/.429 line with a personal-best nine home runs across 408 plate appearances. He stole 30 bases in 36 attempts while playing almost exclusively center field, and that speed and defense profile made him a viable September call-up.
The Cards selected him onto the 40-man roster for the season’s final month. He played in 22 games, mostly as a late-game defensive replacement. DeLuzio worked 65 innings in center field and picked up 25 plate appearances, collecting three hits and walks apiece. St. Louis carried him on their Wild Card series roster and plugged him in both games off the bench. At the end of the year, the Cards non-tendered him and sent him back to free agency.
Now 28, DeLuzio has a bit of MLB experience under his belt. He’ll get a chance to compete for a big league job in Spring Training after his solid Triple-A showing. The Cubs signed Cody Bellinger to play center field, with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki manning the corners. Utilityman Christopher Morel could factor into the outfield mix as well, while DeLuzio will battle Nelson Velázquez and any other non-roster invitees for a bench spot.
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