Veteran catcher David Ross reportedly has signed a two-year, $5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Ross entered free agency once again this year after spending two years with the Boston Red Sox, winning a World Series ring with the club in 2013. The chemistry Ross had with starting pitcher Jon Lester most likely lead to his ticket to Chicago after reportedly being in talks with the San Diego Padres earlier on Friday.
Sources: David Ross to #Cubs, two years, $5M.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 19, 2014
Ross has 12 service years in the major leagues and holds a career .233/.318/.435 slash line. Acquiring Ross takes Miguel Montero‘s bat out of the lineup in order to make room for Lester’s personal catcher, and likely means the Cubs’ starting catcher from last year, Welington Castillo, will be traded in the not-so-distant future.
Last year Ross posted a low .184 average through 152 at-bats, his worst offensive season in 10 years. The soon-to-be 38-year-old will most likely serve as one of the veteran leaders that Chicago was looking to fill the clubhouse this season; something president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has stressed given the tremendous youth on the club’s roster.
The veteran Ross has been to the postseason with three different clubs, which only increases his value to Chicago, given the fact the team has been the National League’s worst over the past five years, including yet-another basement finish in the National League Central last season. Chicago did, however, avoid a 90-loss season for the first time since 2010.