The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a free agent deal with Ben Zobrist at the winter meetings, which paved the way for a Starlin Castro trade to the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. Zobrist has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal with the Cubs, with ESPN reporting that the contract is worth $56 million.
Zobrist was considered to be one of the top targets on the free agent market this offseason and teams like the Mets, Nationals and Giants were interested in signing him. According to ESPN.com, Zobrist is signing a four-year deal with a $2 million signing bonus and he will make $10 million this season, $16 million over the next two seasons and $12 million in the final year of the deal.
The contract with Zobrist allowed the Cubs to make a trade with the Yankees, as Zobrist now can take over for Starlin Castro at the position. The Yankees and Cubs announced the trade on Tuesday and Chicago will acquire pitcher Adam Warren and second baseman Brendan Ryan.
