Chicago Cubs RUMORS: Ben Zobrist Agrees to 4-Year, $56 Million Contract, Spurns New York Mets

UPDATE: The Cubs have announced the deal.

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The Chicago Cubs have made another surprise signing and this time struck a deal with Ben Zobrist at the MLB Winter Meetings, according to the latest rumors.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting the Cubs and Zobrist have agreed to terms on a four-year, $56 million deal, which is pending a physical.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com confirmed the deal.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says the plan appears to be to sign Zobrist and make room by trading Starlin Castro to the New York Yankees, which has been the subject of recent rumors.

Earlier this evening it was reported the Cubs jumped into the Zobrist sweepstakes and at that point Zobrist was choosing between the Cubs and Mets, putting the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants further away in the rearview.

It's under the assumption that the Cubs will trade Castro because Zobrist's No. 1 preference in free agency was to spend most of his time at second base. The New York Mets were previously viewed as the frontrunner because they were able to guarantee a "regular routine" for the veteran at second.

The same scenario was not the case with the Cubs.

Castro occupied the position for Chicago during the second half of the season after losing the starting job at shortstop to rookie Addison Russell, but it appears as if the Cubs want to move the remaining four years and $38 million on his contract to make room for the Zobrist signing and then add another starter or outfielder to round off the roster. Although Castro and Russell proved to be an effective middle infield duo, Zobrist gives the Cubs more versatility and reunites him with manager Joe Maddon, who utilized Zobrist tremendously during their time with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Stay tuned for more updates and an official announcement.

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Chicago cubs rumors, Ben zobrist, Agrees, Contract, New york mets