MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs are adding veteran outfielder Michael Conforto to spring training camp, bolstering their depth and adding a new wrinkle to the position battle.
The parties have agreed to a minor-league deal, sources confirmed Monday morning. After completing his physical, Conforto is expected to officially join team workouts Tuesday.
“At this point, we’re looking to bring in candidates to just strengthen the roster,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And it’s a sign of just continuing to do that. Michael had a down year last year but has been a good player in this league for quite a while.”
Conforto, 32, hit just .199 with the Dodgers in 2025. But his decade-long career includes an All-Star nod in 2017, a 33-home run season in 2019 and a .322 batting average and .927 OPS during the shortened 2020 season.
“He’s a player that’s had a lot of success in this league, and if he can recapture some of that, you’re going to have a useful player,” Counsell said.
Conforto joins fellow non-roster invitees Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick as outfielders with proven major-league track records. The competition for the fourth outfield spot also includes Kevin Alcantara and Justin Dean, who are on the 40-man roster and have minor-league option years.
There will be plenty of available playing time in the coming weeks, thanks to the World Baseball Classic. Right fielder Seiya Suzuki left Monday to join Team Japan in Tokyo. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is set to depart later this week to join Team USA. Both are expected to enjoy deep runs in the tournament.
“Sometimes when you sign guys, it’s like, where’s the opportunity here?” Counsell said. “And then we show up in five days, and there’s a big opportunity, right? So that’s how you look at this.”
‘New beginning’ for Brown
As the Cubs headed from Mesa to Surprise for Monday’s game against the Royals, right-hander Ben Brown felt emotions bubbling up.
“Just a lot of excitement,” Brown said after throwing two scoreless innings and limiting the Royals to two singles in his first start of the spring. “I’m grateful for new beginnings, new starts, and I felt awesome.”
Brown had an up-and-down 2025, finishing 5-8 with a 5.92 ERA in 25 games, including 15 starts.
“I’ll give Ben credit,” Counsell said. “The day the season ended, he had a plan.”
That plan encompassed everything: his mental game, his mechanics, his arsenal and his physical fitness.
“I had to own up to the fact that I was a non-factor at certain points last year,” Brown said. “And that’s a lonely feeling. No one wants to be that, and that’s what I became. And it puts a little fuel in the fire. No resentment towards anyone but myself. I just wanted to be better than that.”
Rotation schedule
Left-hander Shota Imanaga is set to make his first start of the spring Tuesday against the Padres. The Cubs are easing in right-handers Cade Horton and Edward Cabrera, giving them extra live batting practice early in spring training rather than forcing game action.
WBC-bound Javier Assad (Mexico) threw 1⅓ innings in relief Monday. Jameson Taillon (Canada) and Matthew Boyd (USA) are scheduled to make their second starts of the spring Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, before joining their national teams.
Cubs 3, Royals 2
The Cubs (1-3) collected their first win of the spring Monday with a lineup that was light on major-league regulars, outside of center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Swingmen Ben Brown and Javier Assad led their pitching staff.
• Shortstop Jefferson Rojas showed off his power in the fourth inning with a moon shot to left field that scored the Cubs’ first run.
• Designated hitter James Triantos drove in the winning run with his two-run single in the fifth.
• Third baseman Pedro Ramirez accounted for two of the Cubs’ six hits on the day.
• On deck: Padres at Cubs, 2:05 p.m.
Tuesday, Mesa; TBD vs. Shota Imanaga.
Maddie Lee
