Cubs Trade OF Chris Coghlan To Athletics For RHP Aaron Brooks

(CBS) Just days into spring training, the Cubs have made a minor trade.

Chicago has dealt infielder/outfielder Chris Coghlan to Oakland for right-hander Aaron Brooks, the team announced Thursday.

The 25-year-old Brooks has a career record of 3-5 with an 8.38 ERA in 15 big league appearances. He spent much of the 2015 season at Triple-A, compiling a 3.56 ERA in 118 2/3 innings. He averaged 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings with a 4.9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Brooks was a ninth-round pick of the Royals in the 2011 amateur draft.

Coghlan, 30, hit .250 with 16 homers and 41 RBIs in 148 games for the Cubs last season. He primarily played the outfield but also could play second base.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon has been open about his desire for the 23-year-old Javier Baez to be the team's utilityman and wants to get him as many at-bats as possible -- because of his power and also for developmental reasons. Taking that into account with the offseason signings of second baseman Ben Zobrist and outfielder Jason Heyward as well as Thursday's surprise re-signing of center field Dexter Fowler, and there didn't appear to be a lot of playing time available for Coghlan.