The Cubs are reportedly pursuing Daniel Descalso

The Cubs have been looking into acquiring an infielder who would provide some veteran presence.

Here’s an idea that’s out there:

Ken Rosenthal’s tweets usually have reliable information in them, so let’s look at Daniel Descalso.

He’s played for the Cardinals, Rockies and Diamondbacks in a nine-year career, mostly at second and third base. The Cubs could use a backup who could play some shortstop. Descalso has done so — 179 career games (141 starts) — but not since 2016 (except one 2017 game). I suppose they could get by with him at shortstop in a pinch.

Speaking of “pinch,” the lefthanded-hitting Descalso hit .263/.341/.368 (10-for-38) as a pinch-hitter in 2018, with four walks. That’s a decent OBP for a PH.

So it would seem that Descalso is a slight upgrade over Tommy La Stella for a bench role. In addition to the infield positions, Descalso has played some outfield and has even made five career pitching appearances, so there’s another guy who can pitch in blowouts if needed. 2019 will be his age-32 season. 2018 was probably his best MLB season, with 13 home runs, a .353 OBP, a .789 OPS (101 OPS+) and 1.1 bWAR.

Depending on the price, this might be a reasonable signing.