President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has touted the need for the Chicago Cubs to improve their depth.
Their big-league roster and internal options were exposed at times by injuries and performance. The Cubs want to supplement more areas of the 40-man roster and upper levels of the minors to lessen those blows.
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They used one of their open 40-man roster spots Tuesday to acquire infielder/outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor-league pitcher Alfredo Zárraga. Mastrobuoni, 27, slashed .300/.377/.469 with an .846 OPS at Triple-A Durham in 2022. He led the International League with 92 runs scored, tied for the lead in hits and was second in doubles.
Mastrobuoni reached the majors for the first time this year, appearing in eight games during the final two weeks of the season. The left-handed hitter can play second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield spots, giving the Cubs another multipositional player.
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The right-handed Zárraga, who turns 22 Wednesday, posted a 1.93 ERA (four earned runs in 18⅔ innings) in 17 relief appearances between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend.
As expected Tuesday, catcher Willson Contreras rejected the Cubs’ qualifying offer. The team will receive a compensatory draft pick when Contreras, 30, signs elsewhere.
After Monday’s unconditional release of Jason Heyward and Contreras becoming a free agent, right-hander Kyle Hendricks is the only player left on the Cubs roster from the 2016 World Series championship team.
