Cubs replace Albert Almora, sign outfielder Jake Marisnick

Looking to add to the outfield depth, Chicago added a light-hitting veteran outfielder on Thursday in former Marlins, Mets and Astros player Jake Marisnick.

The move, first reported by Jon Morosi and confirmed by Jon Heyman, essentially replaces longtime Cubs outfielder Albert Almora, who signed a one-year deal with the Mets earlier this week. Both are historically below-average offensive players capable of covering a ton of ground in the outfield defensively.

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Marisnick, who turns 30 at the end of March, spent last year in New York and turned in a very solid campaign. He batted .333/.353/.606 in an admittedly small sample size of just 34 plate appearances. Let’s be clear: do not expect that type of performance from him this year. If data is any indicator, you should look for him to be more in the range of a low .200s average and sub-.300 OBP.

The deal – almost identical to the one Almora inked with the Mets – is a one-year, $1.5 million pact that boosts the team’s outfield depth. Marisnick is capable of playing all three outfield positions, giving manager David Ross the option of spelling any of his three starting outfielders in Jason Heyward, Joc Pederson and Ian Happ.

Cubs: Jake Marisnick shores up the outfield depth

In his career, Marisnick has been slightly better at the dish against left-handers. That could bode well should Ross look to platoon Heyward or Pederson at any point this year, although that’s not the plan with the latter out of the gate.

Look, this isn’t the headline-grabbing move Cubs fans have hoped for. But if you’re still holding out for that type of signing, odds are you’re going to be very disappointed. Adding depth-level players and fourth outfielders is what you’re going to get – and Marisnick fits that bill perfectly.