Roster depth for the Chicago Cubs is really lacking at the moment as the injuries continue to pile up. Nico Hoerner’s hamstring injury was the latest blow to the roster on Tuesday night, and the cupboard is pretty bare. Wednesday morning the Cubs made a move by bringing in veteran infielder Dee Strange-Gordon on a minor league deal, reported first by Ken Rosenthal.
Dee Strange-Gordon’s resume and what he can bring to the Cubs
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The now 33-year old Strange-Gordon has played in the Majors since 2011 and over that time is a two-time All Star, Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger recipient. In 1,002 games he is a career .286/.319/.360 hitter and is the current active leader in stolen bases (333). He began his MLB career with the Dodgers and has also played with the Marlins and Mariners.
After struggling with the Mariners last year, hitting only .200/.268/.213 in 33 games, he had bounced between the Reds and Brewers organizations in 2021. In 10 games with the Nashville Sounds, Brewers Triple-A Affiliate, he hit .333/.378/.500 before being released last week. It’s worth noting his release was due to the Brewers acquiring Willy Adames.
Strange-Gordon is a singles/speed guy who does not have home run power, nor does he draw a lot of walks. He sports only 18 home runs and a career 4.1 percent walk rate. Only 196 of his career 1,100 hits are of the extra-base variety. Though, he often was able to get extra bases with his stealing ability. His ability to make contact is pretty good as his career strikeout rate is 14.9 percent, not mind-blowing but certainly above average.
What is left in the tank is yet to be seen. He is not super old, nor was he bad in 2019 (.275/.304/.359 in 117 games), but we see how production for veteran players can drop like a rock. Hopefully he still has something left to give. Having a speedy, contact guy kind of fits the mold of what the Cubs are trying to become this year. Plus you have lost two of your best contact/speed guys in Hoerner and Matt Duffy.
It is worth noting that Strange-Gordon is the son of former MLB pitcher Tom Gordon, who pitched for the Cubs in 2001-2002.