The Cubs have signed infielder to a minor league contract, according to the team’s transaction log on MLB.com. This marks his third stint with the organization, having previously played for them in 2019 and 2022. In between, he spent two seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Now 32, Machado was part of the Astros system for the past two seasons but never made it to the majors with Houston. In 2023, he posted a .230/.369/.356 slash line in 293 Triple-A plate appearances and followed that with a .228/.335/.305 line in 202 plate appearances in 2024.
Despite two previous stints with the Cubs, Machado has never appeared in an MLB game for them. His last big league action came with the 2022 Giants, and he spent the rest of his major league career with the Tigers. Across 177 MLB games, the Venezuelan-born shortstop has hit .226/.285/.292 in 522 plate appearances. While not known for his bat, he makes consistent contact, evidenced by an 18.4% strikeout rate in the majors and just 14.4% in the minors last season.
Defensively, Machado is a versatile infielder, capable of playing shortstop, second base, and third base at a solid level. Since signing as a teenager from Venezuela, he has logged over 12,000 professional innings at shortstop, nearly 1,300 at second base, and more than 300 at third.
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Looking ahead to 2025, the Cubs’ infield is expected to feature Michael Busch at first, Nico Hoerner at second, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, and top prospect Matt Shaw at third. Veteran Jon Berti was signed for a utility role, while Rule 5 pick Gage Workman and out-of-options former top prospect Vidal Bruján are on the 40-man roster but not guaranteed spots. Non-roster options for backup roles include Nicky Lopez, who also signed a minor league deal, and top prospect James Triantos.
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