Chas McCormick joins the Cubs on a minor league deal, aiming to revive his career and secure an outfield spot with strong defense.
The Chicago Cubs are mostly done adding big-name players to their roster for the 2026 season.
Although there are reports that the team is still interested in pitcher Zac Gallen, it’s somewhat unlikely that the Cubs wind up signing him. It’s hard to imagine them giving out another $15+ million in free agency, and starting pitching isn’t necessarily a need.
However, the Cubs could look to improve their bench depth over the next few weeks. The front office will likely give out a bunch of Minor-League deals before Spring Training to fill out the remaining roster.
On Thursday afternoon, the North Siders did exactly that.
According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the Cubs have signed Chas McCormick to a Minor League contract that includes an invitation to Major League camp. McCormick will have a shot to make the team’s Opening Day roster.
He played five seasons for the Houston Astros, where he slashed .247/.321/.413 with 56 home runs, 196 RBI, and 37 stolen bases from 2021 to 2025. His best season came in 2023, when he hit .273 with a career-high 23 home runs, 70 RBI, and 19 stolen bases.
The last two seasons, though, McCormick has struggled to stay healthy.
In 2024, he played in just 94 games after suffering a hamstring strain in April and a finger fracture in September. Then, last season, McCormick missed over 95 games as he battled an oblique strain in May and another side issue in late August.
That resulted in back-to-back subpar hitting seasons for the 30-year-old. He batted a combined .211 with six home runs, 11 doubles, 32 RBI, and 10 stolen bases across those two campaigns. McCormick also posted the worst WAR of his career (-1.0) in 2025.
Things are definitely trending down for him following consecutive poor seasons. But the Cubs are taking a chance on a player who could be a solid outfield depth piece for their team in 2026.
He is just three years removed from a 3.4 WAR season, is a former World Series champion, and has been known as a great defensive outfielder over his career. McCormick has finished in the 60th percentile or better in Fielding Run Value in each of the last five seasons.
McCormick’s defense is one of the reasons why the Astros were able to win that 2022 World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies. He made an incredible leaping grab at the wall in the bottom of the ninth inning to help the team go up 3-2 in the series.
He has experience playing all three outfield spots and finished the 2025 season with 2 Outs Above Average and 2 Runs Prevented. Those numbers were despite him playing in only 64 contests.
So, McCormick will have a shot to prove himself in Spring Training to earn a roster spot on this Cubs team in 2026. Chicago is still looking to fill out its bench for this season, and the 30-year-old veteran could earn one of those spots.
He’ll also see a familiar face on this roster in Alex Bregman. The two spent four seasons together in Houston and were key members of the Astros’ 2022 World Series championship team.
“He’s one of the best teammates I ever had,” McCormick said of Bregman last February.