Cubs sign slugger Carlos Santana, claim RHP Civale

DENVER -- When the calendar flips to September, teams can bolster their roster with the addition of two players. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the limited space forces a team to zero in on areas in need of fortification.

“You can’t solve everything,” Counsell said. “So, it’s kind of, ‘Where are your opportunities to strengthen and provide insurance?’”

When rosters expanded ahead of Monday's opener against the Braves at Wrigley Field, the Cubs finalized a Major League deal with veteran first baseman Carlos Santana, recalled outfielder Kevin Alcántara  from Triple-A Iowa, designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment and optioned rookie outfielder Owen Caissie to Iowa. The moves followed the Cubs' addition of righty Aaron Civale from the White Sox on a waiver claim before Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Rockies.

• Cubs send Caissie back to Triple-A for playing time; Alcántara recalled

The timing of the additions made Santana and Civale eligible for a playoff roster for the Cubs, who are 6 1/2 games back of the National League Central-leading Brewers but hold the top Wild Card spot. Players needed to be in an organization prior to 11 a.m. CT on Sept. 1 to be available for a spot on their postseason roster.

Santana -- released by the Guardians on Thursday and unclaimed via waivers -- has some ties to the current Cubs leadership. He came up with Cleveland when Cubs general manager Carter Hawkins was in that organization’s front office and also played under Counsell with the Brewers during the ‘23 season.

“[Counsell] brought me to Milwaukee [in 2023], and me and him had a very good relationship,” said Santana, who noted other teams reached out to express interest in signing him. “The day before I came here, he called me and said, ‘I need you here.’ So I said, 'Yes, I’m not thinking twice.' He was the only manager that talked to me. He showed me a lot of respect. That’s why I came here.”

The Cubs have regulars at first base (Michael Busch) and designated hitter (Seiya Suzuki), but the 39-year-old Santana could join veteran Justin Turner as bench options for depth and matchups. While Santana has struggled against lefty pitching in ‘25 (.681 OPS), he posted a .934 OPS off lefties in ‘24 with the Twins and has a .819 OPS vs. southpaws in his career.

Santana can also provide strong defense, given he picked up a Gold Glove for his work at first base last season and has been in the 95th percentile for Outs Above Average this year. In the batter’s box, he has always had a keen eye (.352 career on-base percentage and 1,330 career walks), while offering power (335 career home runs).

Santana has posted a .778 OPS and 112 OPS+ in his 16-year career, which has included stops with seven teams. Eleven of those seasons have been with Cleveland, including in 2016, when he played in all seven games of the World Series against the Cubs. This year, Santana slashed .225/.316/.333 with 11 homers, 52 RBIs and 52 walks in 116 games before Cleveland put him on release waivers.

Civale, 30, has logged a 4.18 ERA in 135 starts over his seven-year career, which has included stints with the Guardians, Rays, Brewers and White Sox. In 18 starts this year between Milwaukee and the Sox, the right-hander had a 5.26 ERA with 74 strikeouts against 33 walks in 89 innings.

The Cubs’ current rotation includes Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Colin Rea and Javier Assad, while Jameson Taillon and Michael Soroka are both working their way back from the injured list. Ben Brown is also a starting option, but has been in the bullpen since July 27. Civale has never worked in relief, but Counsell said that is the plan for the righty.

“That’s a nod to just the innings puzzle and making sure we’re covered for innings,” Counsell said of adding Civale. “Aaron will pitch out of the bullpen. And it’s just length options for when we need it, and kind of insurance in case something would happen, just to be covered with a guy who can start if we needed him to.”