The Cubs selected the contract of second baseman Jason Kipnis from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, officially adding him to the 40-man roster.
Kipnis, 33, signed a minor league deal with an invite to spring training in February. The deal is worth $1 million but is prorated in the shortened 60-game season.
"It's exciting for me, to be honest," Kipnis said Friday. "This was the goal - part of the first step of the goal to play for the Cubs was to make the roster first. When I signed here in the offseason, I knew the spot wasn't just going to be handed to me.
"It was going to be something I had to work for. I didn't think it was going to come on July 17th but here we are right now and I'm as happy as I would have been on April 1st or whenever it would have been. No complaints here; I'm excited."
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Kipnis, a Northbrook native who grew up rooting for the Cubs, said he's not taking the opportunity to don the blue pinstripes for granted. He said being able to play in front of family and friends has made him concentrate harder on having a good season.
And, being at Wrigley Field for Summer Camp has brought back memories from his childhood.
"We've had a meeting on the side of the stands where I can almost remember the first time as a kid coming in at Wrigley Field," Kipnis said, "and like coming through the tunnel out to the stadium in that view and that's where we're sitting in the seats when we had this team meeting now.
"I remember, I'm like ‘This view is ringing a bell me to right now,'" he said. "And so there's little flashbacks like that that are just special to me, that I get to enjoy that not many others do. It's only going to get better from here, the more games we get to play and down the road - knock on wood - we get fans.
"I just find myself enjoying this more than probably a normal guy might."
Cubs manager David Ross highlighted Kipnis' performance in camp, from his hitting to his defense and baserunning.
"Just a well-rounded player who looks real good and looking at his résumé, really feel like he can help us out in a lot of ways" Ross said on Friday.
Friday, the Cubs also sent cash to the Padres for the rights to Rule 5 pick Trevor Megill, who otherwise had to make the Opening Day roster or be offered back to San Diego. To make room for Kipnis on the 40-man roster, the Cubs outrighted Megill to the club's South Bend training site.
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Cubs officially add Jason Kipnis, a Northbrook native, to 40-man roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
