Cubs Sign Stewart 12/17/12
By: Scott Leber
Updated: December 17, 2012
CHICAGO - The
Chicago Cubs and infielder Ian Stewart have agreed to terms on a one-year
contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
To make room for
Stewart on the 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher Jeff Beliveau was designated
for assignment.
Stewart, 27, returns
to the Cubs after being limited to 55 games last season due to season-ending
surgery on his left wrist, July 10. He batted .201 (36-for-179) with five
doubles, two triples, five home runs and 17 RBI before being placed on the
disabled list June 14 and having surgery nearly a month later. Stewart was
originally acquired by the Cubs from the Colorado Rockies as part of a
four-player trade on December 8, 2011.
The 6-foot-3,
215-pound Stewart is a career .232 hitter (329-for-1,421) with 66 doubles, 59
home runs and 204 RBI in 487 major league games with the Rockies (2007-11) and
Cubs (2012). He has averaged 22 doubles, 20 home runs and 68 RBI per 162 games
in his major league career.
Stewart was
originally selected by Colorado in the first round (10th overall) of the 2003
Draft out of high school and reached the big leagues at the age of 22 in 2007.
He completed his first full season in the majors in 2009, when he hit 25 homers
and recorded 70 RBI in 147 games for Colorado.
Beliveau, 25, made
his major league debut last season and went 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA (9 ER/17.2 IP)
in 22 relief appearances for the Cubs.
