The Chicago Cubs have signed Nicky Lopez to a one-year, minor league contract. The deal could end up netting Lopez $1.5 million depending on his playing time with the major league roster. Lopez spent last season on the south side of Chicago with the White Sox before being designated for assignment in November. He has previously played in Atlanta and Kansas City over six seasons. The soon-to-be 30-year-old Lopez might have some opportunities for early-season playing time depending on the rehab status of Nico Hoerner and the progression of infield prospect Matt Shaw.
Lopez, a Chicagoland native, will look to prove himself as a viable bench option for Craig Counsell’s team. Lopez has struggled to get consistent production at the plate but brings above-average defense to the Cubs. With the uncertainty in the Chicago Cubs infield, Lopez may be able to wrestle some playing time away from other utility men the Cubs have available on their roster. In a preemptive move, Chicago designated Luis Vazquez for assignment before trading him to Baltimore to make room on the 40-man roster for Lopez.
Nicky Lopez Signs with Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs added to their infield depth by signing Nicky Lopez to a one-year minor league deal. Lopez, 30, has spent parts of six MLB seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves and Chicago White Sox. Lopez broke through with the Royals in 2019 as a middle infielder and carved out a nice role for himself as Kansas City developed into a playoff contender. Marred by an inability to make improvements at the plate and dwindling defensive production, the Royals moved on from Lopez at the MLB trade deadline in 2023, sending him to Atlanta. Lopez was part of an Aaron Bummer trade that offseason.
In his lone season with the Chicago White Sox, Lopez appeared in 124 games and hit .241 with a .312 OBP, .294 SLG, and .606 OPS with 21 RBI. For his career, Lopez is a .248 hitter, with a .312 OBP, .314 SLG, and .626 OPS. He is best known for his above-average defense around the infield, highlighted by his 5 OAA in 2024. His best season came in 2021 with the Royals when he hit .300 with a .365 OBP, .378 SLG, and a .744 OPS with 22 steals and a 4.2 WAR. Lopez’s inability to replicate that season has led to his role as a bench player in recent seasons and the Chicago Cubs are hoping he can thrive in that role in 2025.
Lopez will fit in alongside Jon Berti as newcomers to the Chicago Cubs’ infield looking to fill in roles that had been occupied by fringe major-leaguers who have been moved off the roster this offseason. One of those players is Luis Vazquez, who was designated for assignment and subsequently traded to Baltimore to make room on the 40-man roster for Lopez. The Chicagoland native could end up seeing significant playing time early in the season if Nico Hoerner doesn’t rehab in time for Opening Day, Matt Shaw isn’t ready for major league action to start the year, or if other injuries pop up.
Lopez has shown flashes of being a quality, utility infielder, especially at second and third base, with his above-average defense and ability to put the ball in play. For Counsell and the Chicago Cubs, they hope Lopez can be a viable option to play the field late in games or come up with clutch knocks in pinch-hitting situations, and step in to give regulars like Hoerner and Dansby Swanson a breather.
Final Thoughts
I’m not swayed one way or another on the decision to sign Lopez to this contract. It’s a low-risk, low-reward move that may end up being a footnote of the Chicago Cubs season by the middle of May. Lopez seems redundant when you consider that Chicago signed Berti to fill the role of utility infielder a couple of weeks ago. I’m not sure that the opportunity cost of trading Vazquez to make this move happen is worth it. It could’ve been more advantageous to see what Vazquez could’ve done in terms of improvement with the AAA team and possible production for the major league team.
This deal will likely end up being a small part of the Chicago Cubs offseason that has been very active thus far and has the potential to become even more eventful. The most useful role for Lopez given the other moves Jed Hoyer has made, in my opinion, is part of a worst-case scenario where Hoerner isn’t healthy for Opening Day, Shaw isn’t ready to contribute, and some of the other options on the roster fail to step up and produce on the infield. If the Cubs have a good 2025, Lopez won’t see much of the field.
