The Cubs are taking a low-risk, potentially high-reward swing this spring by bringing in veteran outfielder Chas McCormick on a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp. It's a move that adds some intriguing depth to the outfield picture - and if McCormick can tap back into the form he showed earlier in his career, it could turn into a savvy pickup.
McCormick, now 31, had a solid run with the Astros from 2021 through 2023. Over those three seasons, he played in 342 games and made 1,184 trips to the plate.
The strikeouts were a bit of a concern - a 27.6% K-rate is definitely on the high side - but he balanced it out with a decent walk rate (9.4%) and some legitimate pop, cranking 50 home runs during that stretch. His slash line over those years - .259/.336/.449 - translated to a strong 120 wRC+, well above league average.
His 2023 campaign, in particular, was a breakout. McCormick hit 22 homers, swiped 19 bags, and posted a .273/.353/.489 line, good for a 132 wRC+.
He was a versatile defender, too, logging time across all three outfield spots but doing most of his work in center field. FanGraphs credited him with 3.3 WAR that season - a number that puts him squarely in the “impact player” category.
But the last couple of years haven’t been kind. Since the start of 2024, McCormick’s production has fallen off a cliff.
In 386 plate appearances, he managed just a .211/.273/.301 line with six home runs and a 6.8% walk rate. That dip in performance ultimately led to the Astros outrighting him off the roster, and McCormick chose free agency at the end of the 2025 season.
Now, he gets a fresh start in Chicago - and there’s a path, however narrow, for him to crack the big league roster. The Cubs’ outfield mix is still taking shape.
With Kyle Tucker gone via free agency, Seiya Suzuki is expected to shift from DH back to right field, joining center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and left fielder Ian Happ. That leaves an opening for a fourth outfielder - and McCormick is very much in that mix.
There are a few other internal candidates, including Kevin Alcántara and Justin Dean, both of whom are on the 40-man roster. Alcántara is a promising young talent, but the Cubs may prefer to have him playing every day in the minors rather than riding the bench in the majors.
He’s used three options already, though he could be eligible for a fourth. Dean, another right-handed bat, also has minor league options remaining, but unlike McCormick, he doesn’t have a track record of sustained success at the big league level.
That’s where McCormick’s experience could give him the edge. He’s a right-handed hitter with a career .280/.353/.493 line and a 137 wRC+ against left-handed pitching - numbers that could be especially valuable for a team looking to balance out its lineup.
Crow-Armstrong had a breakout season last year, but he struggled mightily against lefties, hitting just .188/.217/.376 in those matchups. If the Cubs are looking for a platoon partner or bench bat who can punish southpaws, McCormick checks that box.
There’s also some roster flexibility to consider. If McCormick makes the team, he would still have minor league options remaining - at least for a brief window.
He’s currently sitting at four years and 161 days of MLB service time. Once he hits five full years - just 11 more days on a major league roster - he would gain the right to refuse a minor league assignment.
That gives the Cubs a little bit of leeway early in the season but also adds some urgency to evaluate him quickly.
At the end of the day, this is a classic spring training flyer. McCormick will need to earn his spot, but he brings a blend of experience, defensive versatility, and platoon upside that makes him a logical fit for the Cubs’ current roster construction. And if he does stick around through the season, Chicago would have the ability to retain him for 2027 via arbitration.
It’s not a headline-grabbing move, but it’s the kind of depth addition that can pay dividends over a long season - especially if McCormick can recapture some of that 2023 magic.