Greg Deichmann goes in for the bro-hug with Trent Giambrone. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Cubs Promoting OF Greg Deichmann for MLB Debut

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanAugust 6, 2021

A recent MLB.com piece listed one player each team should call up for a boost at the end of the season, naming outfielder Greg Deichmann for the Cubs. Though not officially announced by the team or MLB’s transactions page as of post time, Deichmann’s Instagram story (h/t Bleacher Nation) reveals that he has indeed been called up.

We got a hint that this could be happening when Deichmann was scratched from Thursday night’s I-Cubs game, but now the news is becoming more official.

Acquired from Oakland as part of the Andrew Chafin deal, the 26-year-old Deichmann is a corner outfielder by trade and probably would have been called up earlier had it not been for COVID. He burst onto the scene with nine homers over 23 Arizona Fall League games in 2019 and was batting .300 with a .433 OBP at Triple-A for Oakland prior to the trade.

Deichmann hasn’t been as hot with the I-Cubs, but he still represents an infusion of talent for a team that has gotten woefully poor performance from its corner outfield spots. Heading into Friday’s game with the White Sox, Jason Heyward is batting .198 and has been worth 0.1 fWAR while Ian Happ is hitting .176 with -0.3 fWAR. Whether there’s a phantom injury for either player or even a demotion for Happ, one or both of them absolutely must lose playing time to the new guy.

As hard as it is to imagine the Cubs eating the remaining $50+ million on Heyward’s deal, which runs through 2023, they could opt to DFA him. There’s no chance he’s being traded over the next two years and his production has plummeted to the point that he’s borderline unplayable because his defense is no longer enough to offset his bat. However, another team might be willing to pick him up on a minimum deal with the Cubs footing the bill.

Deichmann should be in the starting lineup right away, but his travel plans might play a role there. He’ll almost certainly be in the lineup when the Cubs face lefty Carlos Rodon Saturday. Even though Deichmann bats from the left side, Happ has been worse against lefties. Heyward has actually posted better splits against southpaws, though that’s not saying much this season.

Time to start looking ahead to the future.

Update: Jason Heyward has been placed on the 10-day IL with left index finger inflammation to make room for Deichmann

Photo of Evan Altman Evan AltmanAugust 6, 2021
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