The Cubs have agreed to a minor league deal with outfielder Greg Allen, reports Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. The CAA client has been invited to major league camp.
Allen, 31, has appeared in parts of seven big league seasons. The 2024 campaign was the first time since 2016 that he hasn’t appeared in the majors in a given season. He spent last year with the Yankees organization, hitting .225/.338/.360 with three homers and 13 steals (in 15 attempts) during 58 Triple-A games.
A plus runner with a light bat, Allen has never hit much in the majors. He carries just a .231/.300/.340 line in 828 plate appearances. However, he’s swiped 48 bags in 57 tries (84.2%) and has regularly provided good defense across all three outfield slots — particularly in left field.
The Cubs aren’t hurting for outfield depth by any means. They have Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker lined up to start, with Seiya Suzuki filling a DH role and likely spelling Happ and Tucker in the corners. Utilityman Vidal Brujan has primarily been an infielder but has gained experience across all three outfield slots over the past few seasons. Kevin Alcantara and Owen Caissie, both ranked among the game’s top-100 prospects, are on the cusp of MLB readiness. The Cubs are deep enough that they felt comfortable designating out-of-options slugger Alexander Canario for assignment earlier this week.
That said, the potential loss of Canario and a groin strain for Caissie that currently has him shut down from all baseball activity has at least thinned the group a bit. Allen can add some cover at all three outfield positions and bring an element of speed to the upper levels of the Cubs’ system. He’s unlikely to break camp with the club, but he’ll bring a career .276/.387/.413 line in parts of six Triple-A seasons to the Cubs’ top affiliate in Iowa if he begins the season in Triple-A.
