The Cubs have re-signed free-agent outfielder Cameron Maybin, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. It’s a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, Morosi adds.
Maybin ended last year with the Cubs, who acquired him from the Tigers at the Aug. 31 trade deadline. The 33-year-old didn’t post great numbers as a Cub (.669 OPS in 56 plate appearances), but he was fairly productive in Detroit. Maybin ended the season with a .247/.307/.387 line with one home run and three stolen bases across 101 PA. Defensively, Maybin saw action at all three outfield positions, though most of his work came as a right fielder. He concluded 2020 with minus-2 Defensive Runs Saved and a plus-0.7 Ultimate Zone Rating in 209 1/3 innings.
Along with his defensive versatility, Maybin has typically provided OK offense, having hit .256/.324/.376 with 72 homers and 186 steals in 4,218 PA since he debuted in 2007. While Maybin never developed into the star many thought he would turn into when he was a prospect, he has at least been a useful reserve outfielder. However, Maybin could have his work cut out in earning a spot on a Cubs team that already has Ian Happ, Joc Pederson, Jason Heyward, Jake Marisnick and Phil Ervin among the outfielders on its 40-man roster.
K………
K
Remember when he spiked the ball into the turf at 100mph from the outfield
Hahahahahahaha what a franchise. Embarrassing
But what’s going to happen to Phil Ervin now? I just bought his jersey and now this.
Keyboard warrior
It’s amazing that some White Sox fans feel so much anxiety that they need to comment on every Cubs move.
Sorry for the duplicate
Not amazing actually. It’s all they have.
They just cabt admit to themselves tgst deep down they now they are fans of the wrong Chicago team. #2 team in the city no matter if they won the next 2 ws which they won’t. And they are the definition of self-loathing and envy lmao.
It is unfortunate but true, no matter what the White Sox do they will always be Chicago’s #2 team. Same with Clippers, Mets, Jets, Islanders, Chargers, and Angels.
Agree
Yeah….., And…..?
11 teams in 14 seasons, pretty impressive to somehow remain in the league
It means some MLB team always wants you.
Because he is a great teammate. Just ask the Angels. Maybin > Upton. and many millions less.
If he makes the team it will be his seventh straight opening day with a different team
Incoming…. dumpster something
Cam is a great guy, I went to high school with him and he donated $1mm to help feed the kids in our county. I’ll always pull for someone like that
Sounds like a class act. Gotta love those guys who just put their heart into the game as much as out of the park.
Still waiting for him to break out
Lol
This is his year
He seems like a nice guy anyways.
Seems like an odd move considering the outfielders they’ve already picked up this offseason and the complete negligence of finding anyone to play 2B, but depth is depth I guess
Nico Hoerner
I mean, he is a better choice for all-around backup outfielder than Ervin so makes sense to me.
One of the nicest players that I have ever met. I always wished my favorite team the Cardinals would sign him.
Have to believe he makes the team.
You’re doing great, Cubbies. You’re doing great.
To be fair, they are treading water with the rest of the NL Central…
Best scenario for a NL central team…get to the playoffs, lose first round embarrassingly and repeat next season.
DidmI say “fair?’ I meant realistic.
So—is the division “bad” because all the teams, minus Pittsburgh are good—or is it bad because it lacks a potential 100 win team like the Dodgers or Braves? It seems to me that five months ago FOUR of the teams in the NL Central made the playoffs.
Over the past six seasons each division in baseball has won one World Series title. Just because the NL Central isn’t lopsided like the AL Central doesn’t mean it’s any worse. Last season the White Sox were 22-3 combined against Detroit, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. They were 13-22 against playoff teams. So which is really a weaker division?
That’s true for 2020. But the NL Central has lost talent compared to other divisions gaining it. Projections place the four contenders around .500 and the Pirates among the worst teams. There will probably be a team or two that overperforms but the opposite can happen too. It will be fun to see how it all plays out this season.
This division is BAD because the Cubs, Reds and Pirates completely scuttled their teams and threw up the white flag.
I don’t agree with all the moves that Hoyer and ownership have made this off season but”scuttled” the team is not accurate from my pov. I think ownership is having a bigger say this off season and that’s one reason Epstein left when he did. I’ve been in corporate middle management for over 20 years and when an organization under performs from ownership’s pov and expenses are high, they ask who is underperforming and how much can we save by removing some of these people. That explains the exit of Darish ($50 mil in salary the past 3 years for a 15-14 record), Lester whose arrow is pointing down at this point in his career and who really struggled to get through last year, and Schwarber who hasn’t quite lived up to his high draft pick status.
I would have liked to see management trade for Snell before San Diego got him, even if it means trading a prospect like Amaya and even Hoerner. Would liked to see have seen them get a reliable right handed RBI producer like Ozuna, and allow Javy and Contreras to hit further down in the order. Moves like these and not signing Pederson would mean about $22 mil more in payroll from where they are now but the total would still be down $25 mil from last year and you’d have a team that could legitimately complete with the better teams in the NL.
Been around a long time. First big league dinger was off a guy named Roger Clemens. I hope he has a good spring and makes the team as the 5th OF.
Happ 2B.
I agree with Stevewpants, Maybin should have no problem beating Erving out for the 4th or 5th OF spot on the Cubs. Maybin is an all around better player than Erving even at age 33. Maybin has always been a fan favorite despite never reaching his potential. He plays hard and is a true professional. I really hope he makes the opening day roster. Easy guy to root for regardless of what team he plays for.
I like Maybin too, but have you seen Ervin’s stats against left handed pitching? I have always thought Ervin was a bit underrated.
The Cubs bashing grows tiresome. 5 playoffs in a row. Any other MLB team make that claim currently besides the Dodgers?
Maybin is fine. 4th/5th OF. Depth option.
The problem is they gave up for no reason. They quit. Just like crybaby Ben quit on the team. Now the Cubs are quitting on their fans. And the fans are happy to follow like the sheep that they are, not a word of protest. Maybin super duper nice guy. Embarrassing.
@PeteWard8
Cubs will win their division. I’ll remind you in 7 months of this stupid comment you just made.
lbcubs- I would never call your comments or opinions stupid
Kinda hard to take the high ground after calling Cubs fans sheep.
It was easy to take the high ground there. That’s the kind of guy I am. Okay good night.
I think they finish third In the NL central at best!
Pete Ward- That’s because his comment wasn’t stupid. Yours was, though.
Who isn’t protesting? Almost every cubs fan with a pulse is upset with some of the moves they’ve made these past few seasons. But I do think they have a legitimate chance of winning the division, even if it’s 40%. Win, get in, see what happens. Joc is a good addition, Davies is going to be a QS machine. Enough options to have a good bullpen. Contreras and Baez can’t be as bad as they were in the messed up 2020 season.
Well Pete your comments and opinions are stupid. Don’t be a “crybaby” because you heard the truth.
Guys like this are new to Cubs Fandom. They still think Sammy Sosa saved baseball. They weren’t alive back in the really lean years of the late 70s and early 80s. They actually believe their whining and whatever they count as “protesting” will change the minds of owners.
South side troll.
@Matt Stairsway to heaven.
Cubs missed the playoffs in 2019. But your point stands. Their aren’t many cub fans on this site, but it’s telling when a team attracts so much hate. It’s mostly White Sox fans who feel inferior.
It’s not hate, it’s funny.
Ah yes, 2019, I wish to forget that year.
i had been defending the Cubs for a while and gota little annoyed by the Darvish move, but in reality this team does get WAAAAAAAAAYYYY too much hate for the general success they’ve had. i dont usually like to point to a single ring especially as it gets father in the past, but the fans whose teams haven’t won anything since and perhaps haven’t even won more games would be best suited sticking in their own lanes. (namely the Sox fans stuck in 2005 – you know who you are)
Don’t worry..you’ll learn to appreciate those Sox fans when 2031 rolls around and you just signed Albert Almora to a minor league deal.
The bashing can get tiresome but their collapse was epic. It was so horrific their GM just ran out the door with $10mil just left on the table. The had all that young talent in 2016 and since nada. You are going to take some lumps for that and being the tallest midget in the NL Central doesn’t make you great.
If you call the Cubs an epic collapse because the team held its cards hoping that the then-youngsters would figure out how to play better, then was slowly dismantled when they didn’t learn, what do you call the immediate torching of championship teams like the Marlins of old?
5 of 6 you must mean. 2019.
@stairsway—-it’s not bashing—it’s jealousy. But to your point, it is tiresome. The second that MLBTR creates a block button I jump on board and pay for the site and become a member. Until then, I see a name and scroll right by—-as most Cub comment sections are unreadable. (and I do check out when the Blue Jays or Twins or Rays or any other American League team makes a minor league signing—and not a single bash from a White Sox fan. Seems to me that they should be much more concerned about that than any Cub story—but, you know the drill).
He had an .858 ops in 2019, and yet the peanut gallery on here will lead you to believe that this is a bad signing. It’s a minor league deal. What’s the worst that can happen? He doesn’t make the team out of spring? Solid bench option for a team that will be in the playoff hunt all season long.
it amazes me the anger over the overall organizational philosophy. its said they dont spend but they were over the tax in 2019. (and perhaps before that, I dont quite remember) ridiculous to knock a team for cutting off spending when youre already in the top 3 in the game and your GM has recently struggled with FAs. (Descalso, Heyward, Darvish before last year, etc)
When Cameron was in Egypt’s land: Let my Cameron go
You’re Abe Froman? Sausage King of Chicago?
He’ll keep calling me. He’ll make me come over.
“I don’t trust this kid any further than I can throw him.” – “Well with your bad knee Ed you shouldn’t throw anybody.”
Hey he was signed tho
surely they have the $ to get someone like Puig, who can add much needed power to those OF bats
Who says Puig wants to be the 5th OF? He is probably looking to start.
They already have power in the outfield. Nobody wants puig’s baggage.
Dive dive dive!
Look ^ it’s a troll!
Maybin is not really a CF at this point but with LH in RF and LF (Joc carries serious platoon splits) there will be room for him on the roster. So if Hoerner starts at AAA and Happ plays 2B with Marisnick in CF Ervin could possibly make the team too
Loved Maybins interviews. He was like a baseball professor. Nice guy. Liked his hustle.
Thought Maybin’s career stat line would be a little better than that .256/.324/.376
I remember being so hyped for Maybin and was was shocked when I read he is still only 33. Started looking into his baseball ref page and reviewing all his stats/game logs. I really wonder if he was rushed to the majors and never got a chance to develop. He had all the tools, seems to be good in the clubhouse and put the work in so you wonder how it didn’t click. I never believed he would have big power numbers but I thought he was a batting champion in the making.
If it was not for all the injuries he would of lived up to the hype. When healthy he showed why he was a top prospect but just could not stay on the field for a good chunk of his career.
Prediction: Maybin makes the team, KB has rebound year we trade him to NYM when they’re trailing ATL in the division in July and they massively overpay for him.
No, happ shouldn’t play 2nd base. He sucks at 2nd. Leave him in cf and let him continue to develop offensively while not worrying about his position. Hoerner will be fine at 2nd. The coaches love this kid and his work ethic. He and Alzolay are my picks to have breakout years.
This is a good move that’s why Hoyer cut Phillip
Think what you want ?