Cubs make head-scratching roster addition ahead of September playoff push

In what I can only call a curious move, the Chicago Cubs have signed 39-year-old veteran Carlos Santana after he was cut loose by the Cleveland Guardians last week in what was coined a 'joint decision' focused on allowing him to latch on with a postseason contender.

That's exactly what happened, with Santana joining the Cubs, a team with near-100 percent playoff odds, per FanGraphs. The roster fit isn't anywhere close to perfect because the logical move to outsiders is probably not what Chicago will do (swapping Santana for Justin Turner). The team loves Turner in the clubhouse and he's been dynamite when used selectively, especially off the bench in big spots.

My guess is Owen Caissie is the corresponding move. Rosters expand from 26 to 28 men on Monday, which adds some flexibility, but the Cubs' sporadic usage of Caissie since he came up sends a strong signal he could close the year out with Triple-A Iowa, just for the sake of regular playing time.

Carlos Santana feels like a strange addition to this Cubs roster

Santana, once a feared slugger, has seen his power completely evaporate this year in his return to Cleveland. In 455 plate appearances, he's slugged a career-low .333, but he still ranks well above average in terms of walk rate and is also a strong defender at first. In his career, he's been more productive against righties (.819 OPS) than lefties (.759 OPS) and anything would be an upgrade from what Turner has done against right-handed pitching this season (.384 OPS).

Michael Busch remains at the top of the depth chart at first base, and with good reason. He's slugging a career-best .503 with 27 home runs on the year and is pushing 4.0 bWAR with a month left in the season. Craig Counsell has continued to insist on platooning him against left-handers, so maybe the flexibility of Santana being a switch-hitter is something that sppeals to the Cubs.

Of course, turning back the clock, Santana played for Cleveland during the 2016 World Series. He hit a career-high 34 home runs that year for the Tribe, although he struggled at the plate in the postseason. Hopefully, he can bolster the Cubs' bench depth in September as the team looks to hit its stride to close out the regular season. Maybe it works out in the end, but at least initially, it seems like a strange fit.