The Chicago Cubs released infielder Jon Berti on Wednesday, one day after designating him for assignment. The update was made to his MLB player page.
Chicago DFA’ed Berti to help make room on the 40-man roster for pitcher Javier Assad, who was activated from the 60-day injured list. To activate Assad, the Cubs needed to make a 40-man roster move.
Teams normally have seven days to trade a player like Berti, release him or option him to Triple-A, where he has the right to refuse the assignment and become a free agent. The fact that the release happened one day after the DFA indicates the Cubs quickly went through those options and Berti was ready to move on.
May 1, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Jon Berti (5) runs to third base against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Chicago signed Berti on Jan. 28 to shore up their options at third base after including Isaac Paredes in the trade with the Houston Astros to acquire Kyle Tucker. Berti was seen as a potential back-up play if top prospect Matt Shaw was unable to claim the opening-day job.
Shaw did, but struggled and at one point and was optioned back to Triple-A Iowa to work on his swing. Since his return, he’s become a more consistent hitter, and the Cubs can play him more often at third base.
Meanwhile, Berti’s bat never responded to the playing time he did receive. He played in 53 games with a slash of .210/.262/.230 with no home runs and two RBI. He only took 100 at-bats. The trade for Willi Castro effectively siphoned more of Berti’s playing time.
Jon Berti’s Playing History
Before joining the Cubs this season, he played 25 games with the New York Yankees, where he slashed .273/.342/.318 with one home run and six RBI. He missed most of the season with a left groin strain and a left calf strain, which put on the injured list on two separate occasions. He became a free agent after the season.
May 1, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Jon Berti (5) runs to third base against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
He experienced the best season of his career in 2023, as he slashed .294/.344/.405/.748 with seven home runs and 33 RBI in a career-high 133 games with the Miami Marlins. He also stole 16 bases after he stole an MLB-high 41 in 2022.
He helped the Marlins make the Wild Card playoffs in 2023, where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in two games.
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The Toronto Blue Jays selected Berti in the 18th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. The Blue Jays traded him to Cleveland in 2018 for cash and then re-acquired him two months later.
He was promoted to the Majors in September of 2018 by Toronto. After that season he became a free agent and signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins.
