Cubs sign 2B Ben Zobrist to 4-year deal worth $56M, sources say

— -- CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs signed free-agent infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist and traded second baseman  Starlin Castro to the New York Yankees to make room for Zobrist at second base, the teams announced Tuesday.  

Zobrist's deal is for four years and $56 million, sources told ESPN.com. It includes a no-trade clause. 

The Cubs received pitcher Adam Warren and a player to be named later in return for Castro, who spent six seasons with the Cubs and made the All-Star team three times. Second baseman  Brendan Ryan is the player to be named, according to ESPN sources and multiple reports.

The move reunites Zobrist, 34, with his former manager in  Tampa Bay, Joe Maddon. 

Zobrist was a key part of the  Kansas City Royals' 2015 championship team. He batted .303 with two home runs, six RBIs, 15 runs scored and one stolen base as the team's No. 2 hitter throughout the postseason. He went 3-for-6 with two doubles in Game 1 of the World Series to set the tone early for Kansas City. He contributed two more doubles and scored two runs in Game 5 to help the Royals defeat the New York Mets and clinch their first title since 1985.

Kansas City acquired the switch-hitting Zobrist in a trade with the  A's days before the July trade deadline. Prior to his stint in Oakland, the two-time All-Star had spent his entire nine-year career with the Rays. Zobrist's 2006 rookie year coincided with Maddon's first in Tampa Bay.

A versatile defender, Zobrist has seen significant playing time at several positions, including second base, shortstop and right field.

He is a career .265/.355/.431 hitter, and his .355 on-base percentage would have been tied with  Kyle Schwarber for third on the Cubs last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He batted .276 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs during the 2015 regular season, numbers that were on par with his career averages.

Zobrist is a native of Eureka, Illinois, which is located approximately 140 miles southwest of Chicago.

ESPN's Buster Olney, Jesse Rogers, Andrew Marchand and Jim Bowden contributed to this report.