Higgins signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Monday.
The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training. The 30-year-old had a .639 OPS in 83 games for the Cubs from 2021 through 2022 but spent all of 2023 at the Triple-A level between the Diamondbacks and Cubs organizations, posting an .857 OPS with 11 home runs. The Reds already appear set at catcher with Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile, so Higgins will likely begin the 2024 season at Triple-A Louisville.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Dealt to Chicago
Rotowire
The Cubs acquired Higgins from the Diamondbacks on Sunday in exchange for cash considerations, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Higgins was having a nice season at Triple-A Reno, slashing .316/.407/.471 through 58 games, but clearly Arizona did not have plans for him at the major-league level. Now back with the team that drafted him in 2015, Higgins could get another opportunity with the Cubs down the road if there is an injury or if the team trades a catcher or two.
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Diamondbacks' P.J. Higgins: Heading to minor-league camp
Rotowire
Higgins was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Higgins joined Arizona as a non-roster invitee in January and was unable to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster despite a .913 OPS during spring training. Jose Herrera is poised to begin the season as the backup catcher behind starter Gabriel Moreno, but Higgins could still find himself in the mix at some point with Carson Kelly out with a fractured forearm.
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Diamondbacks' P.J. Higgins: Signs with Diamondbacks
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Higgins signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Higgins was designated for assignment by the Cubs in late December and elected free agency Monday after clearing waivers. He was quickly able to find a new team and will serve as a non-roster invitee during spring training in 2023. The 29-year-old appeared in 74 games for the Cubs last year and slashed .229/.310/.383 with six home runs, 30 RBI and 23 runs.
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P.J. Higgins: Exploring free agency
Rotowire
Higgins elected free agency Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Iowa upon clearing waivers after the Cubs designated him for assignment Dec. 29, Higgins will presumably explore opportunities in another organization for the first time in his career. A 12th-round draft pick of the Cubs in 2015, Higgins reached the majors for the first time in 2021 and appeared in 83 total games with the big club the past two seasons. Over 254 career plate appearances, the 29-year-old has slashed .210/.291/.348 with six home runs and 30 RBI.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
HIggins cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa on Friday.
Higgins had been designated for assignment last week in order to clear a spot on the roster for fellow catcher Tucker Barnhart. He'll remain in the organization.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Designated for assignment
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Higgins was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Thursday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Chicago announced the signing of veteran catcher Tucker Barnhart on Thursday, and Higgins was DFA'd to make room on the roster. Higgins appeared in 74 games during 2022 and had a .229/.310/.383 slash line with six home runs and 30 RBI.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Day off Monday
Rotowire
Higgins isn't starting Monday against the Reds.
Higgins went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout Sunday against Cincinnati and will retreat to the bench for the second time in the last three games. Alfonso Rivas is starting at first base and batting seventh.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Leads offense Wednesday
Rotowire
Higgins went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Mets.
Higgins came into the night batting just .190 this month across 21 at-bats, but he managed to have a productive game from the No. 7 spot in the order. The 29-year-old has been seeing time at first base, where he played Wednesday, as well as catcher with Willson Contreras (ankle) out. Despite the clearer path to playing time, Higgins still doesn't offer a ton of fantasy upside as a career .203 hitter.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Retreats to bench
Rotowire
Higgins is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.
Higgins had started in seven of the Cubs' last nine games, but even with Patrick Wisdom (finger) recently moving to the injured list, Higgins doesn't look as though he'll operate as the team's primary first baseman moving forward. He didn't help his cause by going 1-for-20 with 11 strikeouts in those seven starts, and Higgins' right-handedness is also likely to limit him to the short side of a platoon at the position with the lefty-hitting Alfonso Rivas, who draws the start Monday against Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Filling in for banged-up Wisdom
Rotowire
Higgins will start at first base and bat eighth in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Cardinals.
With Patrick Wisdom (finger) on the bench for the third straight contest, Higgins will stick in the lineup for the seventh time in eight contests. Despite getting ample playing time of late, Higgins hasn't gotten going at the plate. He's gone 2-for-22 with a home run, three RBI and nine strikeouts over the Cubs' last seven contests.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Provides jolt Wednesday
Rotowire
Higgins went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Nationals.
Higgins gave the Cubs an unexpected boost from the No. 9 spot in the order, going deep in the fifth inning with a runner on to put Chicago up 2-1. The 29-year-old has actually been swinging the bat pretty well this season, as he now has six home runs and an .884 OPS across 43 games. He could earn himself a little more playing time down the stretch, potentially at first base because Willson Contreras and Yan Gomes are ahead of him at catcher.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Slugs grand slam
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Higgins went 1-for-3 with a grand slam, a walk and two total runs scored in Sunday's 11-9 loss to the Dodgers.
Higgins punctuated a strong first inning for the Cubs with his grand slam, but that was his only hit Sunday. He's gone 4-for-20 (.200) with three walks and five strikeouts through seven games in July. The 29-year-old catcher has maintained a solid .276/.353/.513 slash line with four homers, 16 RBI, 11 runs scored and four doubles through 86 plate appearances, though his path to playing time behind the dish is likely to close up with Willson Contreras working his way back from a hamstring injury. Higgins could also draw some starts at first base if his hitting earns him a place in the lineup.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Making third straight start
Rotowire
Higgins will start at catcher and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Dodgers.
After manning first base in both of the Cubs' last two games, Higgins will get a turn behind the plate while Yan Gomes rests for the series finale. Gomes and Willson Contreras are likely to occupy either the designated-hitter or catcher spot in most games moving forward, but Higgins could end up encroaching on Alfonso Rivas' role as the Cubs' top first baseman while Frank Schwindel (back) is stuck on the injured list.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Swats homer among three hits
Rotowire
Higgins went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 15-7 victory versus the Reds.
The Cubs' offense exploded for 23 hits in the contest, and Higgins was one of four players to collect at least three base knocks. His final hit in the blowout win was an eighth-inning, two-run homer. The long ball was his first in June and third of his career. This was also his first career three-hit performance.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Hits first MLB home run
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Higgins went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Brewers.
Making the start behind the plate with Willson Contreras serving as the DH in the early game, Higgins popped his first MLB home run in the fourth inning. It was also the first RBI of the season for the 29-year-old. Higgins will return to the bench for the second game Monday, with Contreras taking over as the catcher.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Called up, starting Sunday
Rotowire
The Cubs selected Higgins' contract from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. He'll start at catcher and bat ninth in the Cubs' series finale with the Diamondbacks.
Top backstop Willson Contreras is considered day-to-day with a hamstring injury, so Higgins was brought aboard from Triple-A to provide another option behind the plate. In addition to playing catcher, Higgins received reps at both corner-infield spots at Iowa and slashed .417/.500/.569 in 86 plate appearances with the affiliate this season.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Drives in three Sunday
Rotowire
Higgins went 1-for-3 with a walk, a triple and three RBI in Sunday's win over the Diamondbacks.
Making his first start of the season for the Cubs after getting called up from Triple-A Iowa before the game, Higgins made an immediate impact from the No. 9 spot in the order. The triple was the first of the 29-year-old's MLB career, as were the RBI. Higgins appeared in nine games with Chicago last season, recording just one hit and two walks across 23 at-bats. He should provide some catching depth behind Willson Contreras, who is considered day-to-day with a hamstring strain, and Yan Gomes.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Healthy at Triple-A
Rotowire
Higgins (elbow) has logged 73 plate appearances across 18 games at Triple-A Iowa this season, slashing .377/.479/.508 with a home run and 10 RBI.
Higgins' availability for the start of the 2022 season looked to be in jeopardy after he underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, but he demonstrated enough progress in his throwing program during spring training to make his debut as a catcher back on April 5. He's continued to see most of his action at catcher for Iowa while occasionally dabbling at first base (three starts) and third base (three starts) on his days off from behind the plate.
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Cubs' P.J. Higgins: Appears healthy for camp
Rotowire
The Cubs announced Sunday that Higgins (forearm) is attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee after he agreed to a minor-league contract in November, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Higgins joins John Hicks as non-roster catchers present for big-league camp, though the former is expected to be limited to rehab work while he continues to recover from the Tommy John surgery he required last summer. Though Higgins may face a shorter timeline for his recovery than a pitcher would, he's still expected to miss a large portion of the 2022 campaign. Once he's back to 100 percent, Higgins will likely settle at Triple-A Iowa.
