We haven’t heard much about Nick Madrigal this offseason, after he was non-tendered by the Cubs in the fall. After injuries and underperformance found him without a spot on the Cubs, it was fair to wonder whether Madrigal, formerly a name prospect and 4th overall draft pick, would be able to find a big league deal.
The answer, it turns out, is yes with a caveat. Anthony DiComo reports that the New York Mets are signing Nick Madrigal to a split deal, which means it’s a big league contract that gets him a spot on the 40-man roster, but pays him a lesser rate if he’s optioned to the minor leagues (Madrigal has one option year remaining).
Madrigal, 28 in March, was acquired by the Cubs in the ill-fated Craig Kimbrel trade. That deal in the summer of 2021 netted the Cubs Madrigal and Codi Heuer, whose arm popped the following spring. In his three years with the Cubs, Madrigal hit just .251/.304/.312/76 wRC+, while playing average defense at second base and really good (for one year) defense at third base.