Free agent outfielder David Peralta has agreed to a contract with the Chicago Cubs, per FanSided’s Robert Murray. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported that the Peralta is joining the Cubs on a minor-league deal.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that the Cubs are also picking up first baseman Dom Smith on a Minor League deal with an MLB camp invite.
Peralta, an 11-year veteran, spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting .259 and notching 102 hits and seven home runs.
Smith, who spent last season with the Washington Nationals, hit .254 last year, recording 134 hits and 12 home runs.
Peralta underwent offseason forearm surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon, so he will likely recover in the Minors and will likely join the Major League roster once he makes a full recovery.
The deal comes as the Cubs are interested in resigning free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, but have yet to reach a deal with the star.
The Cubs are looking to re-sign Bellinger, but Rickets said, per Rogers, that they are “waiting” for his side to engage in talks.
“I’m like everyone else,” Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said. “We’re just waiting. Waiting for whenever he and his agent are going to engage. It could be any time now or it could be in a few weeks. We’ll see where it goes.”
In his first year with the Cubs last season, Bellinger hit a career-high .307, notching 153 hits and 26 home runs on his way to earning the league’s Comeback Player of the Year Award. Following the end of the season, Bellinger declined a $25 million option for the 2024 season to test the market, and the seventh-year player is still waiting as Spring Training nears.
The Cubs are coming off an 83-79 season that saw them miss the postseason for a third straight season. Chicago is looking to get back into the postseason in 2024, and re-signing Bellinger would be huge in that quest.
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