Cubs pick up a low-risk backup plan to Moises Ballesteros in unexpected signing

This is what I get for forgetting my phone (and headphones) in the car at the gym. I come out, still trying to get back in a rhythm after a week on the road - but instead of a chill morning, Jed Hoyer was back in the kitchen, adding former All-Star Michael Conforto to the Chicago Cubs' bench mix.

It's a move that would've been more notable 5+ years ago, but given this is just the latest move in the Cubs' volume-driven approach to rounding out the roster, it's only barely more noteworthy than the team's pick-ups of Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick during the offseason.

Cubs fans shouldn't get too worked up over the Michael Conforto deal

Conforto, who turns 33 on Sunday, spent the 2025 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers - picking up a World Series ring in the process. The fact the former first-rounder racked up nearly 500 plate appearances is really a testament to how problematic Los Angeles' outfield mix was last year. He batted just .199/.305/.333 - all career-worsts - and his defensive metrics bottomed out in left field, to boot.

He's just two years removed from an above-average campaign in San Francisco, in which he mustered a 115 OPS+ for the Giants, but it's safe to say the shine has definitely come off the former top prospect. Conforto shouldn't be viewed as a fourth outfielder on this Cubs team. He's a DH, at best, and in the case of the Cubs, it feels like this is an insurance policy with Moises Ballesteros getting a late start in camp due to visa issues.

Chicago is intentionally taking things slow with Ballesteros, which could put Opening Day in question for the 22-year-old, although he'll still certainly have a chance to be with the team on March 26, when the Cubs open the regular season at home against Washington.

“He’s certainly going to be competing for that job,” Jed Hoyer told MLB.com. “You saw the bat-to-ball skills. You saw the power. He’s a really gifted hitter. Obviously, he’s going to have to come in here and earn that spot.”