Chicago Cubs Officially Sign Veteran Infielder, Designate Rookie for Assignment
![Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Jon Berti (19) tosses to first during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field Oct 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Jon Berti (19) tosses to first during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3662,h_2059,x_2683,y_542/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_cubs/01jjrajghajj95g0qhcs.jpg)
The Chicago Cubs continue to be linked to Alex Bregman.
Actually signing him seems farfetched based on the type of contract the star third baseman is looking for this winter and how ready the organization seems for their top prospect Matt Shaw to get Major League experience this season.
But, the same could have been said regarding their aggressive trade decisions as well, so maybe Jed Hoyer has one last trick up his sleeve.
The much more realistic scenario is the Cubs will head into the spring ready for a third base competition that exists between Shaw and other internal options.
One of those added to the mix was Jon Berti when it was reported he had agreed to a one-year deal with Chicago. And after the initial agreement, everything is now official.
The #Cubs today have agreed to terms with INF Jon Berti on a one-year major league contract. To make room on the 40-man roster for Berti, INF Luis Vázquez was designated for assignment. The 40-man roster currently stands at 40 players.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) January 28, 2025
Welcome to Chicago, Jon! pic.twitter.com/YIVF9vbKQ9
As the announcement states, Luis Vazquez was designated for assignment.
The 17th-round pick of the 2017 draft steadily worked his way up through the pipeline until he made his Major League debut this past season in May before finishing out the year in The Show.
Vaszquez struggled at the plate, going 1-for-12 across his 12 games with one RBI and six strikeouts.
He was a bit better during his time in the minors with a career slash line of .240/.309/.360 with 44 homers and 214 RBI that included a power surge in 2023 where he bashed 20 home runs and had 80 RBI across the Double and Triple-A levels.
However, Vazquez was never considered a top prospect during his time on the farm, and he is now available for other teams to claim him off waivers.
Berti could be a real factor for Chicago this year, especially with his ability to play across multiple positions in the infield that should come in handy throughout the campaign.