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Report: Cubs to sign Jesus Guzman to minors deal

John Williamson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Chicago Cubs reportedly added offensive depth to the right side of the plate Sunday, agreeing to a minor-league contract with first baseman/outfielder Jesus Guzman, according to Baseball America's Matt Eddy.

Guzman, 31, spent the 2015 season with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan, slashing .230/.336/.420 over 116 plate appearances for the Nippon Professional Baseball league club.

The Venezuelan-born Guzman last played in the majors during the 2014 season, when he hit .188 with two homers in 69 games for the Houston Astros. He was relegated to a bench role that summer after the Astros promoted slugging first baseman Jon Singleton, and Guzman hasn't appeared in the majors since.

Guzman's most productive seasons came during his time in San Diego, where he managed a .748 OPS (112 OPS+) over 322 games for the Padres from 2011-13. He owns an impressive .746 career OPS against left-handed pitching.

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