Zobrist says he joined Cubs to win title with Maddon

Ben Zobrist has reunited with Joe Maddon and it feels so good.

The Chicago Cubs officially introduced their latest addition to the franchise at a press conference Wednesday, and Zobrist was all smiles, as he and his son, Zion, were quick to throw on the uniforms and caps of their new home.

"There were so many good teams to choose from," Zobrist told reporters of his choice to play in the Windy City. "I don't think there was a wrong choice. Our heart wanted to be in Chicago."

Zobrist agreed to a four-year, $56-million deal with the Cubs on Tuesday after multiple teams pursued the super utility man, including the New York Mets, who were a strong finalist for his services. Ultimately, the 34-year-old decided that playing under his former coach, Joe Maddon, who was his skipper during his time with the Tampa Bay Rays, was too much to give up.

"I wanted to play for this team, wanted to play again for Joe Maddon and wanted to win a championship as a Chicago Cub," he said. "That's my one goal the next four years ... bring the World Series trophy back to Chicago."

The negotiations between Zobrist and the Cubs were at a standstill as Chicago looked for a trade partner for Starlin Castro. Once they came to an agreement to trade Castro to the New York Yankees for Adam Warren and a player to be named later, Zobrist received a call Monday and it took him a "split second" to accept the Cubs' offer.

Zobrist fortifies an already potent Cubs lineup that features budding stars like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, and Jorge Soler.

The veteran hit .276/.359/.450 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs split between the Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals, while also providing a big boost to the Royals in their World Series run.