The Cubs and Jake Marisnick agreed to a one-year, $1.5M deal, first announced by Jon Heyman.
The Cubs have been fairly quiet this offseason as it pertains to signings. Marisnick is not the biggest name on the market but he does bring depth to the Chicago Cubs. He spent last season with the New York Mets only appearing in 16 games.
If the Cubs were hoping for a solid hitter, someone who can hit over .275 with 15+ home runs, they should have looked elsewhere. Marisnick has a career slash line of just.229/.281/.385 and averages about 13 home runs and 42 RBIs every season. His hitting numbers don’t scream great, but the Cubs might have other options for Marisnick including with his defensive glove.
Marisnick brings his defensive talents to a Cubs’ team that desperately needs it. He has saved 71 defensive runs over his young eight-year career. Marisnick comes into the 2021 season with the Cubs with his defensive WAR (8.6) being much higher than his offensive WAR (3.1). As a result, Marisnick can be used efficiently in late-game situations when the Cubs need their best defensive stars on the field. His role on the Cubs can be very similar to Albert Almora who left in free agency.
It’s safe to say that the Cubs didn’t sign Marisnick for his hitting, rather someone who can provide some energy off the bench. He will compete to earn some starts for the Chicago Cubs this upcoming season.
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