Now-Former Cub Ben DeLuzio is Off to Join the Dodgers

The Cubs’ outfield depth took a mild hit in the transition to the start of the season, as Ben DeLuzio had an opportunity to find a new organization and he took it.

All the best to DeLuzio with the Dodgers:

For veterans who sign minor league deals, there are sometimes clauses that require a retention bonus to be paid if the player is going to stick around. I wonder if the thinking was that DeLuzio and the Cubs got together and decided he would rather have a chance in another org rather than get a retention bonus and maybe never get called up to the Cubs. With the Dodgers, DeLuzio could be some Jason Heyward underperformance away from a big league shot.

The Cubs’ outfield depth at Triple-A Iowa is still fairly robust: Nelson Velazquez, Christopher Morel, Brennen Davis, Darius Hill, and Mike Tauchman.