The Cubs have signed infielder Carlos Asuaje to a minor-league deal, according to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma.
Asuaje has played in 175 games with the Padres in parts of three big-league seasons from 2016-18. The 28-year-old holds a career .240/.312/.329 slash line with below-average figures in wRC+ (75) and wOBA (.284). His best season came in 2017 — .270/.334/.362, 88 wRC+ and .307 wOBA.
Asuaje’s best offensive attribute is making contact, as he holds an 81.5 percent career contact rate. Last season, Cubs hitters posted a 73.8 contact rate, a number which would’ve been better with a full season of Ben Zobrist (85 percent, No. 1 on Cubs).
Nonetheless, this is a minor move for the North Siders. Asuaje has primarily played second base in his career, and the Cubs have a plethora of options there — David Bote, Daniel Descalso, Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner and Tony Kemp.
Although each of those players comes with question marks, they’re more realistic options to make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster than Asuaje. He’ll provide the Cubs with infield depth and has a chance to make the club as the 26th man on the roster, at best.
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