Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus has announced the return of former Chicago Cubs infielder Bobby Scales to the northside of Chicago.
The 34-year-old scale began in the MLB as a 21-year-old minor leaguer in 1999, but did not get a callup until he completed 10 years in the minors. Scales returns to the Cubs after spending half a season with the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's NPB league.
In Japan, Scales hit .261/.328/.394 with 9 home runs -- above average numbers for a league starved for offense. In 13 minor leagues seasons, Scales has amassed 95 homers while hitting .282/.377/.432. His above average walk rate (often near 14%) may make him a strong candidate for a bench role on a Cubs team reinventing itself under Theo Epstein.
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