Report: Cubs showing continued interest in Royals' Merrifield

The Chicago Cubs are showing continued interest in Kansas City Royals second baseman/utility man Whit Merrifield, according to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com.

Earlier this month, a report surfaced suggesting the Royals were not willing to trade Merrifield, despite receiving multiple inquiries.

Last offseason, Merrifield and the Royals agreed to a four-year, $16.25-million contract extension that bought out his arbitration years. The deal includes a $10.25-million team option for 2023, which would be Merrifield's first year of free-agent eligibility.

The 30-year-old is coming off of his first season as an All-Star, hitting .302/.348/.463 with 16 homers and 20 stolen bases while appearing in all 162 games.

Despite being a natural second baseman, the Royals have used Merrifield in various roles, including 77 games in the outfield last year.

With incumbent utility man Ben Zobrist - who the Cubs signed following a stint with the Royals - no longer under contract, Chicago could be looking to fill that specific role. The Cubs have a logjam in the middle infield, with Javier Baez, David Bote, and Addison Russell all looking for playing time.