The Cubs are taking a calculated swing with the signing of Tyler Austin, agreeing to a one-year major league deal worth $1.25 million plus incentives. It’s a low-risk, high-upside move for a club that’s clearly looking to bolster its right-handed power options without tying up significant resources. Austin, now 34, hasn’t appeared in a big league game since 2019, but his bat has been making plenty of noise overseas.
After bouncing around the majors from 2016 to 2019 - making stops with the Yankees, Twins, Giants, and Brewers - Austin never quite locked down a regular role. He showed flashes of power, launching 33 home runs in just 583 plate appearances, but the swing-and-miss issues were glaring. A 36.9% strikeout rate over that span made it tough for him to stick, and after being waived by Milwaukee in late 2019, he took his talents to Japan.
That’s where things turned around.
Austin signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball and quickly proved he could be a force with the bat - when healthy. In his debut season overseas, he clubbed 20 home runs in just 269 plate appearances.
That power surge continued into 2021, when he hit 28 homers over 107 games. He was starting to look like a different hitter, one who had refined his approach and could do serious damage at the plate.
But the injury bug bit hard after that. Over the next two seasons, Austin was limited to just 60 total games due to various ailments, eventually undergoing shoulder surgery in September 2023.
Still, he bounced back in a big way in 2024, slugging 25 homers in 445 plate appearances while cutting his strikeout rate to under 20% and drawing walks at a 10.1% clip. His .316/.382/.601 line translated to a 197 wRC+ - meaning he was performing nearly twice as well as the average NPB hitter.
That’s elite territory, even in a league that plays a different brand of baseball than MLB.
This past season, despite battling right knee pain and appearing in only 65 games, Austin still managed to hit 11 home runs and post a .269/.350/.484 slash line. On the surface, those numbers might not jump off the page, but context matters.
The NPB has reportedly been dealing with a dead-ball issue, which has suppressed offensive numbers across the board. Even with that, Austin’s performance translated to a 147 wRC+, still well above league average.
The Cubs are clearly betting that some of that production can translate back to the big leagues - especially in a limited, matchup-based role.
Chicago’s current first base situation is headlined by Michael Busch, a left-handed hitter who had a breakout 2025 campaign with 34 home runs and a 140 wRC+. But his struggles against left-handed pitching (.207/.274/.368, 81 wRC+) leave the door open for a right-handed complement. That’s where Austin comes in.
The Cubs also have a few lefty bats in the designated hitter mix, including Moisés Ballesteros and Owen Caissie, and with Seiya Suzuki likely shifting back to right field following Kyle Tucker’s departure, there’s room to maneuver. Last year, the Cubs tried to fill this right-handed bat role with Justin Turner, handing the veteran $6 million to be a first base/DH platoon option. While Turner held his own against lefties (.276/.330/.429), he struggled mightily otherwise, finishing the year with a .219/.288/.314 line and a 71 wRC+.
Austin, at a fraction of the cost and nearly a decade younger, offers the Cubs a more dynamic alternative. If he can stay healthy and bring even a portion of his NPB production stateside, he could be one of the better value signings of the offseason.
And if it doesn’t work out? The financial commitment is minimal, and the Cubs have the roster flexibility - with multiple 40-man spots open - to take a shot.
This is the kind of savvy, low-risk flyer that can pay off big if the pieces fall into place. Austin’s journey back to the majors is a long one, but he’s earned another look. Now it’s up to him to show that the power, plate discipline, and improved approach he displayed in Japan can carry over to Wrigley.