Cubs and White Sox Make Offseason Moves to Enhance Lineups

The Chicago Cubs have signed first baseman Tyler Austin to a one-year, $1.25 million deal, marking their first major-league position-player signing of the offseason, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Austin, who spent the last six seasons in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, recorded a .945 OPS in 403 NPB games. He is expected to provide a right-handed bat to complement left-handed first baseman Michael Busch and has also played in the outfield.

Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox announced they have acquired outfielder Tristan Peters from the Rays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Peters, a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft, made his major-league debut last season but did not record a hit in 12 at-bats.

He is known for his patient approach at the plate, with an 18.1% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate in Triple-A. Peters is expected to compete for a corner outfield position, especially as Andrew Benintendi is likely to shift to designated hitter due to injury concerns.

General manager Chris Getz emphasized the need for outfield upgrades, stating that adding a bat in that area is crucial for the team's production.