Cubs Roster Move: Who is New Outfielder Justin Dean?

The Chicago Cubs used their off-day to tweak the roster.

Following a much-needed series victory over the Colorado Rockies, the organization chose to finally move Moises Ballesteros back to Triple-A. The 22-year-old has been on an extended cold streak, hitting a mere .141 since the beginning of May. His strikeout rate has also hovered around 25.0 percent, making him a true lineup liability in recent weeks.

With that in mind, it only felt like a matter of time before the Cubs made a move. Craig Counsell had been using him less and less in the DH spot, finding more room for a healthy Matt Shaw in the lineup instead. The hope now is that Ballesteros can pick up where he left off in Triple-A ball, dominating at the plate and regaining his confidence in the process.

Ballesteros has shown his time in the bigs that he belongs. While he may be best-suited for a permanent DH spot, the bat-to-ball skills are strong enough to warrant that role. So the expectation should most certainly be that he is back on the North Side soon. In the meantime, however, the Cubs have opted to call up a rather unfamiliar face who will get only his second taste of big league action.

The Cubs Add Justin Dean to the Dugout

Feb 26, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Justin Dean (1) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

I can't imagine many Cubs fans are familiar with Justin Dean. The 29-year-old outfielder was picked up off waivers this offseason from the San Francisco Giants. He proceeded to take part in Spring Training before joining the Triple-A squad.

Dean has gone on to appear in 56 games for the affiliate, slashing .238/.369/.354 with a .723 OPS. While we can all agree those numbers don't jump off the page, Dean is known to be a rock-solid defenseman and is more than comfortable suiting up at any outfield position. Likewise, he offers real speed on the bags with 14 stolen bases so far this year.

Dean's previous lone big league stint came just last season with 18 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nevertheless, he was put into the majority of games late as a defensive sub, only tallying two at-bats and recording zero hits.

All things considered, this does make the Dean call-up a bit strange. It's hard to imagine him getting much playing time, especially with the Cubs' offense struggling as much as it is. At the same time, this might speak to the fact that they don't expect Ballesteros to be down long. Calling up someone like Dean makes it that much easier to decide who will move back down later on. Plus, it removes any sort of lineup crunch, paving the way for Matt Shaw to continue to see daily starts.

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