Report: Cubs haven’t closed the door on Austin Jackson

According to a report from the Boston Globe, the Cubs – along with the Red Sox – are two teams that haven’t closed the door on signing the 29-year-old outfielder.

Jackson came to Chicago in a midseason trade last year and made an impact with the team, making 79 plate appearances in 29 games. He batted .267 last year in 136 games with the Cubs and Mariners.

Chicago appears to be set in the outfield with Kyle Schwarber in left, Jason Heyward in center and Jorge Soler in right, but a little bit more depth never hurts. As of right now, Chris Coghlan and Javier Baez figure to be the primary backups.

Javier Baez working with outfielders at Cubs spring trainingBut Schwarber will likely get some time at catcher and not everyone is sold on Heyward in center field, so Jackson (still an above-average defender who can play all three outfield positions) might be able to provide a little insurance.

The Indians are also reportedly interested in Jackson, who previously signed a one-year deal worth more than $7 million with Seattle back in 2015.

Cubs pitchers and catchers report to spring training

Stats via Baseball-Reference