Cubs sign former Rookie of the Year runner-up to shore up outfield depth

Forgive me for having PTSD-induced flashbacks to Terrence Gore inexplicably swinging the bat during his 2018 Wild Card Game at-bat when I heard about the Chicago Cubs bringing back Billy Hamilton on a minor-league deal, but it's exactly where my mind went.

Hamilton, who turns 35 this month, hasn't appeared in a big-league game since 2023, spending the last two years playing in Mexico for the Charros de Jalisco. He seems to have something left in the tank speed-wise, piling up impressive stolen base totals even heading into his mid-30s.

In 132 games last season (which included winter ball), Hamilton swiped 80 bags and was caught only eight times, so you can see the appeal of having a guy like this on the depth chart. It's hard to envision a scenario where the Cubs choose to roster him for the postseason over guys like Carlos Santana, Kevin Alcantara or Owen Caissie, but stranger things have happened.

Cubs' outfield picture isn't the dream scenario it was early in the year

The Cubs' outfield picture, which was crystal clear in the first half, looks decidedly less so late in the season. Seiya Suzuki's production has fallen off a cliff post-All-Star break, Pete Crow-Armstrong is still working his way out of a lengthy August slump and Kyle Tucker will get at least the next two days off with a calf injury that forced him out of Tuesday's win early.

Alcantara replaced Caissie on the 28-man once the calendar turned to September and utility man Willi Castro is capable of handling outfield reps, as well (although whether or not he can get anything going offensively remains to be seen). Long story short, there's not a clear path for Hamilton to force his way into the big-league picture, but it's not out of the realm of possibility, either.

Most remembered for his early-career baserunning prowess as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he swiped nearly 300 bags over six years, Hamilton spent part of the fan-less, shortened 2020 season with the Cubs, posting a .964 OPS in 14 contests. He appeared as a pinch runner in the team's Wild Card loss to Miami, but didn't get an AB in the series.