Cubs Add Versatile Glove, Scott Kingery to a Minor League Deal

Jed Hoyer continues to check off his list of offseason needs as the Cubs signed Scott Kingery to a minor league deal. After spending parts of six seasons with the Phillies and Angels, the University of Arizona product heads to Wrigley with an invite to spring training.

The former 2nd round pick brings the ability to play everywhere, logging innings at every defensive position besides catcher. He also adds contract flexibility: Kingery is still arbitration eligible and has two minor league options available. With the Cubs in need of depth on the infield, Kingery will be able to compete for a bench spot on the 2026 roster and could be around for the next couple seasons.

Though known for his versatility defensively, Kingery has had success with the bat in the big leagues.  His best season was in 2019 with Philadelphia, where he slashed .258/.315/.474 with 19 HR and 55 RBI, finishing with 2.7 WAR across 126 games. Since then, however, he has been on the shuttle between AAA and the Big Leagues, accumulating -1.9 WAR.

After a 19-game stint with the Angels in 2025, the Cubs are willing to see if Kingery can return to his 2019 form and provide a spark off the bench. Even if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster, the Cubs need a middle infielder at AAA, and with his minor league options available, he provides immediate value at that level.

The Cubs' main priority was pitching depth this offseason, but President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer also noted that finding more bench pieces was an objective. Kingery won’t be the last move Hoyer makes to add depth, but this is a low-risk, high-reward signing, and after seeing what they did with Brad Keller, it's worth a shot.