The Cubs still have a depth issue in the infield and it would be wise if they addressed that need before Opening Day. The signing of Corban Joseph doesn't change that, as the 31-year-old is now in the Cubs organization, signing a minor league deal according to Chris Cotillo.
If we see Joseph at Wrigley Field in 2020, then you know things have gone horribly, horribly wrong. The left-handed hitter is purely a depth signing at the minor league level and honestly nothing more. No offense to Joseph, but...yeah.
Playing primarily as a second baseman, Joseph is your typical AAAA player. He's put up decent numbers in the minors, but it hasn't translated into the majors, albeit in limited playing time.
In 2019, Joseph killed it at Triple-A, posting a 1.006 OPS in 97 games. Yet, that comes with the caveat that he played his home games in Las Vegas, a very hitter-friendly environment, and of course we know all about the juiced ball at Triple-A and how everyone was smashing at that level.
Joseph made it up to the majors with three different organizations in 2019, appearing in 11 games for the A's, 9 for the Pirates and 8 for the Giants. Prior to that he played 14 games for the Orioles in 2018 and two games with the Yankees back in 2013. The numbers? Pretty ugly, with Joseph slashing .170/.213/.261, in 88 MLB at-bats.
So yeah, the minor league numbers look good, but at 31-years-old Joseph is truly just an emergency type depth guy. And that's like 4-5 guys are hurt and you need a body on the bench type emergency.
The Cubs are reportedly interested in Scooter Gennett, so you can still expect that kind of signing (hopefully) before Opening Day arrives.
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