3 obvious Cubs bench upgrades after laughable Scott Kingery signing

The Chicago Cubs finally broke their silence on the minor league signing front yesterday by bringing in former top Phillies prospect Scott Kingery. Even among minor league deals, though, it's not a particularly exciting one. The shortstop/outfielder has fallen far since his respectable 2019 campaign, slashing just .145/.205/.239 with a 19 wRC+ in the majors from 2020 on, remaining out of the big leagues for much of 2022 until 2025. As emergency depth, there's nothing wrong with the move, but he doesn't answer the questions the team has about their bench.

Under Jed Hoyer, building a bench worthy of a contender has been a tough problem to solve. Last year's Opening Day utility players didn't last long, with only Justin Turner remaining the entire season, while Jon Berti was released in August, Vidal Brujan was DFA'd in June, and Gage Workman was flipped to the White Sox in mid-April. The lack of value from everyone necessitated a trade for Willi Castro, who experienced uncharacteristic struggles upon his arrival in Chicago. The brightest spot was perhaps Moises Ballesteros, and he didn't really get in a groove until September.

Ballesteros and fellow prospects Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara will have roles to play again in 2026, especially with Kyle Tucker almost certain not to return. However, the Cubs still need a legitimate veteran or two to make their bench legitimately respectable. They can't go into another season relying on aging hitters with serious questions about how much they have left in the tank. Let's look at three options that make more sense to supplement the roster.

3 bench additions the Cubs could make to address a huge weakness

Rob Refsnyder

Although there's been little directly connecting them, everyone from The Athletic's Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma to Ken Rosenthal on his Fair Territory podcast has pointed to Rob Refsnyder as a good fit for the Cubs. The former Red Sox outfielder just makes so much sense. For a team with plenty of left-handed bats, including Caissie, who could get the nod in right field, Refsnyder offers some impressive coverage as a platoon bat with a career .281/.383/.443/128 wRC+ slash line against lefties. In 2025, he was even more impactful, hitting for a 159 wRC+ in 138 plate appearances.

A strong platoon bat like Refsnyder would make it easier to ease Caissie into everyday playing time before handing him the reins. Even if Seiya Suzuki simply returns to right field after DHing in 2025, however, Refsnyder still has a clear use on the team. Being able to plug him in as a DH or have him spell Ian Happ on occasion gives the Cubs some much-needed flexibility to ensure they have the best lineup out there, no matter who's on the mound.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

The Cubs already have PCA, but why not also IKF? Isiah Kiner-Falefa would fit the role that Castro was meant to cover when he was brought in at the deadline, giving them coverage around the infield in case of injury or a need to rest Nico Hoerner or Dansby Swanson, whom they otherwise lack an obvious backup for. Between the Rangers, Blue Jays, Yankees, and Pirates, he's shown an ability to play respectable defense nearly anywhere save for catcher, though his best position is perhaps third base, where he posted 2 outs above average last year. That's especially important considering his other job would be to back up Matt Shaw.

Another right-handed bat who will be entering his age-31 season, he hasn't been the biggest contributor offensively, with a career .262/.311/.349/82 wRC+ slash line. He also has slight reverse splits, posting a 78 wRC+ against lefties and an 84 wRC+ against righties. If the Cubs are going to choose to trust in Shaw rather than go in on a more regular third base contributor like Alex Bregman, Kazuma Okamoto, Eugenio Suarez, or even Jorge Polanco, though, Kiner-Falefa is a fine, versatile reinforcement with a lot of experience on contending rosters.

Sung-mun Song

While the international positional focus has primarily been on Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami, it's worth mentioning the impending arrival of Korean star Sung-mun Song. The Kiwoom Heroes lefty third baseman was posted back in November, looking to follow in the footsteps of his former teammates who have found success in the majors, like Ha-Seong Kim and Hyeseong Kim. At 29 years old, he was a late bloomer in the KBO, breaking out in a big way in 2024 with a .340/.409/.518/143 wRC+ slash line and 19 home runs before following that up with a .315/.387/.530/151 wRC+ and 26 long balls in 2025.

The gap between the KBO and MLB is more significant than that between NPB and MLB, meaning there's always a risk in signing Korean players. Song's track record of success is also quite short compared to some other bats that have made the jump. However, he wouldn't cost much at all to sign, likely earning less than Ha-Seong Kim's four-year, $28 million contract. Unlike many of Hoyer's past additions, he has some tantalizing upside that would be worth gambling on in hopes of adding some offense.