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Outfielder Dave Sappelt is crushing the ball this offseason for the Bravos de Margarita of the Venezuelan Winter League as he works to make a spot for himself on the Chicago Cubs' 25-man roster.
Sappelt, who was acquired by Chicago last season in the trade that sent Sean Marshall to Cincinnati, is batting .336 in 30 games. He is also carrying a .904 OPS with 15 RBIs, 23 runs and five steals.
In 26 games for the Chicago Cubs last season, Sappelt hit .275 with two home runs and eight RBIs. He spent much of his 2011 season in Triple-A Iowa where he batted .266 with a .690 OPS, seven home runs, 54 RBIs, 50 runs and 15 stolen bases in 133 games.
Tony Andracki of Comcast Sports Net reports that Sappelt will be in the running for Chicago's final 25-man roster, in which case he would platoon in the outfield with David DeJesus and newly signed right fielder Nate Schierholtz. Sappelt, 25, can play all three outfield positions.