A series of injuries robbed Jon Berti of a chance to make a greater impact on the Yankees last year.
Groin and calf issues limited the speedy infielder to 25 games in the regular season, while a hip flexor injury kept him off of the World Series roster.
Berti will attempt to deliver a bounce-back season in 2025 with the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago reached a one-year, $2 million contract with Berti that includes up to $1.3 million in incentives, according to MLB.com.
Berti, 35, is expected to provide depth in a Cubs infield that has Nico Hoerner at second base and top prospect Matt Shaw in the mix at third base.
“We’ll just try to continue to bring in guys that can play multiple positions in the infield, give us that depth,” Chicago general manager Carter Hawkins said at a Cubs fan festival over the weekend, a few days before agreeing to terms with Berti.
“Guys that would have experience of being able to play a Major League season and just gives us different alternatives.”
The Yankees acquired Berti from the Miami Marlins in a three-team trade on the eve of Opening Day last March. Berti then batted .273 with a home run, six RBI and a .342 on-base percentage in 74 plate appearances and stole five bases.
Primarily a third baseman for the Yankees, the righty-swinging Berti started three playoff games at first base — despite having never played the position at the MLB level — after Anthony Rizzo suffered two broken fingers in the second-to-last game of the regular season.
A seven-year MLB veteran, Berti led the majors with 41 stolen bases in 2022 with Miami, then hit .294 in 424 plate appearances in 2023.
He has made more than 100 appearances at third base, shortstop and second base in his career and has also started at all three outfield positions.
Berti marks the latest departure from a Yankees infield that’s set to look different this season.
Second baseman Gleyber Torres signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, while the Yankees replaced Rizzo at first base with Paul Goldschmidt, whom they signed for one year at $12.5 million.
Anthony Volpe returns at shortstop, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is set to play second or third, depending on how the Yankees fill out the roster. DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera are among the internal infield options.
