The Cubs announced Friday that they’ve designated veteran infielder Eric Sogard for assignment in order to open a roster spot for fellow infield veteran Matt Duffy, who has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
Sogard, 35, signed a minor league deal over the winter but has made his way into 78 games with the Cubs and tallied 180 plate appearances. He’s seen time at second base, where he has a lengthy track record as a plus defender, and third base for the Cubs this season but managed only a .249/.283/.314 batting line at the plate.
Sogard had a strong showing as recently as 2019, when he hit .290/.353/.457 in 442 plate appearances, but he’s struggled both in 2020 and in 2021. The Cubs will have a week to trade him, place him on outright waivers or release him. He has enough service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency if/when he clears waivers.
Duffy, another minor league signee, has been out since late May with a lower back strain. When healthy, the 30-year-old had proven to be a nice buy-low pickup for the Cubs, batting .278/.377/.356 and playing top-notch defense at the hot corner. It’s a nice start to what would be a rebound from injury-plagued stretch for the former Giants/Rays infielder. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end, and while the Cubs may elect to keep him around and stabilize the roster after an expected flurry of trades in the coming days, it’s also possible that a club in need of some bench depth might look at a healthy Duffy as an intriguing addition in his own right.
rip skeeter 4 eva
Dumpster Divin! Like I said!
Having your stroke in installments, as usual.
Thank you sweet jeebus!!!
Maybe now they’ll make the vaccine threshold.
Who will replace him in the bullpen?
Maybe they can trade for Wilmer Difo and his 81.00 ERA.
Garbage in, garbage out.
Nerd Power
Hopefully Happ and his .170 BA is next.
wasnt Happ dawned as the “next big thing” in Chicago?
I still remember his homer on opening day a few seasons ago on the first pitch
He was and last season he was one of the best hitters for the Cubs… He’s still only 26. But everytime he gets a chance to play everyday he fails.
Happ was the next big thing. He came right after Albert Almora.
Yeah, in hindsight Theo’s Cubs drafted very poorly. Or they couldn’t develop guys. Either way, Happ & Almora were first rounders. So was Schwarber. Bryant was amazing his first two years but fragile & not as productive since. Brendan Little still has some time, but hasn’t looked good. Nico Hoerner is up, and has hit well so far this year, but doesn’t look like a future star. And let’s face it, although it’s so hard to make the majors, first round picks should be stars, especially those drafted in the top 10 like Schwarbs, KB & Almora were.
No he wasn’t.
He was regarded as in between the Core of KB, Schwarbs, Rizzo, Baez and Contreras snd the rest.
He was a definite ancillary piece that was thought to be someone who could contribute.
Lol. Top 10 picks are FAR from sure things
To be fair getting hit in the head with a 97mph fastball isn’t easy to comeback from. I was at that game(all 3 that series actually) it was a Sunday day game. I was in the standing room only upper deck at coors. And it just sounded Brutal.
The draft strategy was to pick position players first from 2012-2015. I’d say they did okay. Maybe instead of Almora, they could have picked Addison Russell or Corey Seager. Instead of Schwarber they could have picked Conforto or Trea Turner. But it wasn’t like they whiffed on any of the first round picks including Happ.
We keep in mind that Happ is a converted outfielder. He’s actually not too good in the outfield. I noticed that lately Happ was platooned to left field. Good decision. In center, outside of being slow afoot and misjudging from time to time, hes not bad. See Ya!
Drafted as in infielder, can’t play infield or outfield or hit, but he’s not bad?
He actually ranks as an average defensive CF this season and statcast favors him as well… Do your research, he has improved defensively in the OF… Him playing LF has more to do with Ortega and Marisnick being good in CF than with Happ being bad.
He’s an above average OFer. Unfortunately nothing has clicked.
Stats and actually watching a player are 2 different things-he’s a 1st round pick that flopped. Being able to hit and play a position well is what makes a good ballplayer, enjoy your spreadsheet.
Actually… Metrics were made for people with bias based on the eye test… Fielders that are not flashy but get the job done like Happ.
Haha gets the job done hitting .177. Fantasy rules!
Nerd power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doesn’t something bad have to happen in order to attach strong to a city’s name?
Season saved!!
Thank god. Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out, Eric.
Great. Now who’s going to pitch the 8th and 9th inning in cubs blowout losses?
I’m sure they can find another .100 hitter on their roster
Yeah. His name is Anthony Rizzo
Not gonna happen when on the trading block
To be fair, he was hitting .250 which is a hell of a lot better than what Happ and Heyward are doing…
I concur BGoat, although I like Duffy he has back problems that have reduced him to only 2 full seasons in the bigs. the last one being 2018. To depend too heavily on Duffy isn’t a good idea. Back problems suck.
Might be time for MLB to allow a fan from the stands to pitch when a team goes behind by 10 runs or more which happens too often anymore. Like the runner in extra innings it will save “major league” players from taxing their (multi) million dollar bodies.
Someone needs to trade for Duffy he’s an underrated utility bat
They have a week and 3 hours.
Bryant + Duffy for Bart? hahah
Bye!
@SFBAY314 Sure, throw in Bednar and you have a deal!
Why the hate on Sogard? Best of luck to the career .250 hitter.
Check his and his wife’s Twitters. I haven’t looked in a while and tweets might have been deleted since then, but they are an “alternative facts” kind of couple.
Has carved a career as a light hitting decent fielder. He will catch on with someone. Glad the luster finally wore off with him and Brewers management previously. Was shocked the Cubs gave him a chance. But then again you had to figure this was coming.
I am still laughing the Cubs are on the hook for David Bote. Theo jumped the shark on that one. No wonder he left. He usually does when teams cut payroll.
As average as Bote is, he didn’t sign for very much money, so that has no bearing on anything. Although it is ironic that he was the only young guy to sign a long-term deal.
David Bote is only making 3 mil a year… what’s the problem with that?
Sogard, another space filler, knocked in the tying run in the ninth against the redbirds the other night. Bye bye. They’ll probably trade Duffy.
Nah, they really do like Duffy as a contact bat. Besides someone has to play 3B when Bryant gets traded, and Wisdom has been exposed now that the league has an extended view of him and he’s striking out like crazy.
Yeah, I’m hoping Wisdom is merely slumping a bit. I still like his bat. I think his success depends a bit on who he’s around in the order. Yes, the league always adjusts. My comment on Duffy is related to potential trade chips to go along with the core pieces that are probably leaving.
sigh Mets will trade for him. Be as useful as Hill.
Can have him for a 30 prospect, and the Cubs will pay the freight.
Im thinking that by August our core will be Rizzo, Contreras and that way overpaid guy in rightfield.
You mean that guy in section 316, 2nd row?
Rizzo could be gone, although he hasn’t hit at all the past two years, so I doubt anyone would want him. And Willie will be gone too – you watch. Cubs don’t like guys who rock the boat.
Mets should DA Almora and claim Sogard, need some more contact hitters on this team
Almora is knocking the cover off the ball at AAA right now.
What on Earth for? They already have a light hitting, contact hitter who can play multiple infield positions and gets on base at a better clip in Guillorme.
Thank God
Sogard coming back to Oakland
I am curious if anyone picks him up. He and his wife (if that matters) are anti-vaccine. Will it impact him getting another MLB job? Will unvaccinated FAs-to-be like Rizzo take note?
I would think that Blue Jays execs Ross Atkins/Mark Shapiro would have their eyes peeled on this one (Former Jay, LH bat, can play all over the field), but if Sogard is not vaccinated there is no way he and his family cross the Canada/US border and the Jays probably look the other way. This could be the end of the line for Sogard
Cubs quickly move to obscurity…Fans still shelling out big bucks for a declining team.
Cubs have only $42M on the books for next year. If you think they’re moving to obscurity, I want to thank you for a good laugh today.
So it was Sogard and Joc who kept our Cubs afloat and out of obscurity. Bwahaa! Lmfa at some of these comments
He survived 16 days longer than Adam Eaton, which is mind-numbing on every level. Eaton was not good, but the Sox STILL cut bait on him still down their top 2 OFers.
Thank you for your time in Chicago. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Heroes in a half shell. Turtle power!
Sogard would certainly be an upgrade over Robel Garcia.
Let’s see… Sogard bats .249 and get DFA’d, Heyward hits below the Mendoza line his entire career as a Cub and get $25 million a year. What’s wrong with this picture?