Chicago Cubs Rumors: Five non-tendered players that could be signed
By Paul Ashley
The Cincinnati Reds made a somewhat surprising non-tender decision when they decided to allow a former second round pick to reach free agency earlier than expected.
Billy Hamilton was projected to receive $5.90 million in salary arbitration ahead of next season. After putting together a slash-line of .236/.299/.327, the Cincinnati Reds decided to part ways with Hamilton in order to allocate his expected salary to other parts of the roster.
Prior to the 2018 regular season, the Reds passed on trade offers for the speedy center fielder and team owner Bob Castellini even went on record about his desire to keep Hamilton in Cincinnati “forever.” As the slash-line for Hamilton last season is very similar to his career slash-line of .245/.298/.333, the decision to non-tender him is a surprising change of heart by the Reds.
Nonetheless, as Hamilton has the ability to rate positively on defense in all three outfield positions, he could provide a lot of value to the Cubs next season. According to FanGraphs, Kyle Schwarber, Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, and Albert Almora Jr. combined for a 20.9 UZR last season. Hamilton would have boosted this number as he provided a 5.9 UZR on his own last season.
Hamilton would definitely provide a lot of value for the Cubs on the defensive side, but he is also a phenomenal baserunner. Throughout his 690 games played at the major league level for the Reds, he compiled 277 stolen bases. These numbers also include an incredible four straight 56+ steal seasons from 2014-2017.
Although he is not the most accomplished offensive player, his ability to chase down any balls hit into the outfield alongside his ability to swipe bases at a moments notice would make Hamilton a valuable addition to the Cubs roster.