The Chicago Cubs haven't been involved in many positive headlines this offseason as the franchise transitions into a new era, so Friday's breaking news from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal that they've agreed on a deal with outfielder Joc Pederson should be a somewhat pleasant surprise for fans.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reports the deal is for one year, $7 million.

The Cubs haven't been in the business of adding major league talent this winter after the departure of team president Theo Epstein. Ace Yu Darvish was traded away in a cost-cutting move aimed toward the future, while fan favorites Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber weren't retained. Other Cubs stars such as Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras have been heavily involved in trade rumors.

Pederson is coming off a rough 2020 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he slashed .190/.285/.397, which would seem to temper any excitement about this deal for Chicago. Those numbers certainly aren't pretty, but Pederson was solid in 2019, slashing .249/.339/.538 while hitting 36 home runs and driving in 74 runs. If he can get back to that, he'll be a nice addition to the club.

It is interesting that the Cubs are bringing in a player like Pederson given he's somewhat similar to Schwarber. The 28-year-old Pederson has a bit more versatility in the outfield, but their batting numbers are in line with each other:

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Pederson has been the better overall player in this career, though, and Cubs are getting him at a slightly cheaper price than Schwarber. Plus, adding major league talent is notable in itself considering Chicago has been in cost-cutting mode all offseason. Cubs ownership has come under fire for this strategy of getting cheap despite winning a weak NL Central last season and still having a decent amount of talent on the roster, so getting Pederson on this deal is a win.