MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs have signed veteran Maui-born outfielder Shane Victorino to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs have signed veteran Maui-born outfielder Shane Victorino to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Victorino, 35, has a lifetime .275 major league batting average in 10 seasons. Victorino batted .294 in 122 games for the 2013 Boston Red Sox team that won the World Series.
“You can’t put a value on being a winner and winning a championship,” Victorino said. “Being a fan of this game, going 107 years without winning a championship, if we can pull this off and win one here … .
“People talk about Philly being great in 2008, and I love that place. It always will be home. And Boston, we did it for the city with the marathon (bombing) and what happened. But to win it as a Cubbie, obviously the smile on my face says it all.”
Victorino batted .230 in 71 games for the Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels last season. He trained with Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant in the offseason and said he’s healthy.
“Everything feels great,” Victorino said. “A lot of it has changed. As you’re getting older, you understand things you got to do differently.
“You change to a point to be a good sprinter again. You understand why they are injuries. In the way you run, you change your form to work less in areas where injuries occur to let other muscles do the work.”