The Chicago Cubs started their offseason in surprising fashion by firing manager David Ross and hiring Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cubs were speculated as a potential landing spot for Shohei Ohtani but ultimately fell out of the race for the two-way superstar. Most anticipated the Cubs to pivot at that point and re-sign Cody Bellinger, who remains a free agent despite teams starting Spring Training workouts this week.
A slow-moving market has also impacted several Los Angeles Dodgers free agents, including J.D. Martinez, Kiké Hernández, David Peralta and Amed Rosario, among others.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Peralta has now found a new time by agreeing to sign a Minor League contract with the Cubs:
David Peralta has signed a non-roster deal with the Cubs, per source. Should be in the mix for OF/DH at-bats. @ByRobertMurray was on it.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 20, 2024
Peralta signing a Minor League deal with the Cubs comes as somewhat of a surprise given his long track record at the Major League level. He played nearly every game in left field for the Dodgers last season when they faced a right-handed pitcher, though did experience a drop in production.
Overall, he finished the season batting .259/.294/.381 with 25 doubles, seven home runs and 55 RBI over 133 games. Peralta then went 1-for-6 with a double and started in all three National League Division Series games against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Peralta signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract with the Dodgers prior to 2023 and went on to reach incentives that brought its total value to $8 million. Peralta reached all three bonuses by remaining on the Dodgers roster for 50, 100 and 150 active days.
Following the season, the 36-year-old underwent surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his left elbow.
Will Cubs re-sign Bellinger?
Peralta joins a long list of Cubs’ Minor League additions, but they did make a splash in January by signing Shōta Imanaga to a four-year, $53 million contract that includes incentives.
There’s a general expectation the Cubs will re-sign Bellinger, but the sides are also believed to be well apart in contract talks.
In other Cubs roster changes, they acquired Michael Busch and Yency Almonte in a trade with the Dodgers for Minor Leaguers Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope.
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