Ryan Roberts opts out of Chicago Cubs’ contract

In the wake of several roster moves made by the organization in the last 24 hours, veteran Ryan Roberts has opted out of his deal with the Chicago Cubs, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The 33-year-old Roberts has spent time in the infield and outfield during his big league career, but has struggled over the past few seasons. He was viewed widely as a potential bench candidate for Chicago, but his Spring Training struggles this year, he failed to catch on with the club.

In 18 games this spring, Roberts has batted .237/.310/.342 in 38 at-bats, collecting three extra-base hits (all doubles) and one RBI for Chicago.

As pointed out by MLBTR, Roberts produced well against left-handers last season, hitting .305/.345/.500 with four home runs in 87 plate appearances against southpaws. His defensive versatility and his success against lefties make him a viable candidate to land a bench job in the coming days as Opening Day nears.