Chicago Cubs sign Michael Hermosillo to one-year deal

The Chicago Cubs have reunited with outfielder Michael Hermosillo, signing the 26-year-old to a one-year deal late Wednesday evening.

Hermosillo appeared in only 16 games with the Cubs last season, after spending his first three major league seasons with the Angels. His MLB numbers offer a career line of .190/.276/.343, and a career wRC+ of 68. His 2021 campaign was unfortunately cut short due to a forearm injury.

It bears consideration that while his big league numbers aren’t great, he has appeared in only 72 games at the major league level, across four seasons. In Triple-A, he’s been incredible. Over 43 games with the Iowa Cubs last year he hit .306/.446/.592 and had a wRC+ of 178. There’s certainly raw talent there, which is likely why the Cubs have picked Hermosillo up on a major league contract. He’s also a good defensive option in the field, with a DRS of 2 in 2021.

Hermosillo was just non-tendered by the Cubs yesterday, but the re-signing is not altogether unexpected (though perhaps it being a major league deal is a bit of a surprise).

Hopefully, 2022 can mark a turnaround year for the outfielder.