CHICAGO — The Cubs acquired utilityman Willi Castro in a trade with the Minnesota Twins, the team confirmed Thursday.

The Twins will receive two Double-A right-handers, Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong, in exchange for Castro.

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman first reported the news, which broke 30 minutes before the 5 p.m. CT deadline.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan also confirmed the deal, citing a source, and his colleague, Jesse Rogers, first reported that Double-A right-handers Gallagher and Armstrong were headed to the Twins.

Castro, 28, has played significant time at several positions this season and throughout his seven-year MLB career, including left field, right field, third base, second base and shortstop. The Cubs will need his versatility, especially after they designated utilityman Vidal Bruján for assignment Tuesday.

“We looked at him as a guy that really provides insurance at so many different places,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told Marquee Sports Network’s Cole Wright about Castro in an exclusive interview. “He can play in the outfield, he can play the infield. We can give our guys more days off now. The way our bench has been set up, we haven’t been using it that much. I think with Castro, we can play him a lot. And like I said, giving those guys days off down the stretch, having a bat off the bench if he didn’t start that day, it’s super important.”

The switch hitter is slashing .245/.335/.407 (.742 OPS) with 10 home runs and 32 RBI. He has been particularly good against left-handed pitchers this season, which is a need for the Cubs. He’s hitting .278 with an .837 OPS, complete with four home runs and 11 RBI when he faces southpaws.

Castro made the AL All-Star team last year, as he set career highs with 31 doubles, 12 homers and 60 RBI. He made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers in 2019 and spent parts of four seasons there before signing with the Twins for the 2023 season. He’s scheduled to be a free agent after this season.