With just over a month until the start of spring training, the Chicago Cubs are assembling depth in the outfield.
On Tuesday, the NL Central club announced that center fielder Justin Dean was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. San Francisco designated the 29-year-old for assignment last week to create space on the 40-man roster for newly signed starting pitcher Tyler Mahle.
Dean made his Major League debut in 2025 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he only had two plate appearances in 18 games. Manager Dave Roberts mostly utilized him as a pinch runner and late-inning defensive replacement.
The former 2018 17th-round draft pick thrived in the role for Los Angeles in 13 games in the postseason, becoming an unexpected hero in Game 6 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Dean's heads-up play in the World Series
With the Cubs, Dean can become minor league depth or a stolen base threat in late-game situations in the majors. He swiped 27 bags in 36 attempts in 90 games last season at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
In the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6 of last year's World Series, Dean helped force a Game 7 by throwing his hands in the air to signal towards an umpire that a ball hit off the bat of the Blue Jays' Addison Barger was stuck underneath the center field wall.
He saved a run from scoring from first base, with the dead ball keeping the runners stranded at second and third. Leading 3-1, Tyler Glasnow recorded the last three outs on the mound for the Dodgers.
Dean's heroics will surely be remembered in Los Angeles for a very long time.
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