Reporter Yoon-Jun Ko = The Chicago Cubs, who are having a busy offseason, also recruited players to strengthen their depth.
The Cubs said on the official website on the 18th (Korean time), “The club completed a one-year major league contract with infielder Rios on this day. Welcome him!” he announced.
Rios, from Puerto Rico, wore a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in 2015. He has been on the big league stage since 2019. He bounced back and forth between the minor and major leagues, playing mostly as a backup infielder and pinch-hitter in the majors.
He expected to gradually establish himself, but various injuries, including a shoulder injury and a hamstring injury, held him back. In the end, he moved away from the team’s plans and became a free agent after being cleared as a non-tender after the end of last season. 메이저놀이터
Rios recorded a career batting average of 0.219, 20 homers, 43 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.791. In Triple A, he showed a good performance with a batting average of 0.282, 59 homers, 214 RBIs, and an OPS of 0.875.
He is a third baseman in his main position, but he is a resource who can see first base and corner outfield. Also, the current Cubs’ third base is Patrick Wisdom, which is evaluated as unstable.
Rios is expected to compete alongside Wisdom, Christopher Morel and Nick Madrigal. Also, with one year left on his minor league option, Rios could be left behind at Triple-A.
Meanwhile, the Cubs acquired a lot of players this offseason. Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, Eric Hosmer, Trey Mancini, and Tucker Banhart were recruited to strengthen the batting line, and Drew Smiley and Jameson Tyyon were added to the pitching staff.