The Cubs are expressing interest in free agent second baseman Scooter Gennett, according to WSCR’s Bruce Levine.
Gennett only played 42 games last season after suffering a severe right groin strain at the end of spring training. He made his season debut on June 28 and the Reds dealt him to the Giants at the trade deadline. San Francisco released him a month later.
Gennett, who turns 30 in May, posted a .226/.245/.323 slash line with two home runs and a woeful 44 wRC+ last season. He fared much better from 2017-18, slashing .303/.351/.508 with a 124 wRC+. He hit 27 and 23 homers those two seasons, making the All-Star team in 2018.
The Cubs don’t have a definitive starting second baseman entering spring training, though Nico Hoerner will get the chance to win the job out of camp. The 22-year-old turned heads during his 20-game call-up last September, hitting .282 with a .741 OPS and 17 RBIs.
Adding a veteran like Gennett could serve as a safety net in the event Hoerner struggles in spring or to open the season. Hoerner, the Cubs first-round pick in 2018, only has 89 minor-league games under his belt, so the Cubs may determine he needs a bit more seasoning to begin 2020.
There’s also the chance Gennett struggles in spring training, should the Cubs sign him. However, he’s yet another example of the type of low-risk, high-reward players they’ve accumulated this winter. If he’s fully healthy, he could be one of the biggest steals of the offseason.
