Cubs Sign a Pretty Solid Bench Player

Truth is that no free agent infielder was really going to excite Cubs fans at this point of the offseason, but Jon Berti is pretty damn solid as the veteran bench player to back up Matt Shaw and give the team cover for Nico Hoerner.

The Cubs reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with Berti on Wednesday night. FanSided's Robert Murray had the signing first.

Free-agent infielder Jon Berti and the Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a contract, according to sources familiar with the deal.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 23, 2025

You can tell how much Berti was valued by the Cubs because despite being limited to only 25 games in 2024 with the New York Yankees the 35-year-old secured a guaranteed deal in Chicago.

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Berti will make $2 million and has the chance to earn an additional $1.3 million in incentives.

Berti gets $2 million for one year from the Cubs, per source. Deal includes $1.3 million in incentives.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 23, 2025

Berti has a career 95 wRC+ in 461 MLB games, so he's been a bit below league average since making his debut in 2018. The right-handed hitter was a late bloomer, getting his first cup off coffee in the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays and then settling into a utility role with the Miami Marlins from 2019-2023.

The infielder has started games at second, third and shortstop, while also starting 63 games in the outfield.

The numbers aren't going to jump off the page, but Berti has been a solid role player for several years. In 2022 and 2023, he was worth 2.2 fWAR and 2.1 fWAR with the Marlins. Berti plays good defense and is a good base runner. In 2022, Berti stole 41 bases in 102 games.

Berti has a career slash line of .259/.337/.366. He's not going to hit for much power, Berti's career high in a single season in home runs is seven in 424 plate appearances in 2023. He ended that year with a 101 wRC+, slashing .294/.344/.405.

He'll also take his fair share of walks, carrying a career 9.6 BB%.

The concern is that Berti is coming off a calf injury that sidelined him from the end of May until the second week of September last season. He ended the year slashing .273/.342/.318, in 74 plate appearances. Hopefully that leg injury hasn't taken away too much of Berti's athleticism and can still be a versatile player for the 2025 Cubs.

Obviously you're not thinking of Berti as an every-day player for the Cubs, but as insurance early in the season with Hoerner's status unclear for Opening Day he's a fine addition to the roster.

Again, is this a blockbuster move? No. The Cubs aren't going after Alex Bregman, he's out of the question. The Cubs want Matt Shaw to play third base and they're not going to block him. So, signing Berti, who can fill in if the rookie struggles, is completely acceptable, while he also provides a backup option at second base and shortstop.