The Chicago Cubs added an All-Star hitter to their lineup in an effort to stay in contention for the National League Wild Card playoffs.
Isaac Paredes is being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Cubs. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.The third baseman is batting .247 with a .793 OPS to go with 16 home runs, 19 doubles and 55 RBIs in 425 at-bats this season.
Paredes, 25, returns to the Cubs, who signed him as an amateur free agent out of Mexico in 2015. He played two seasons in Chicago’s system before being traded to the Detroit Tigers. He will be arbitration-eligible next season, so the Cubs have control over him for three more seasons after this season. Paredes likely won’t be a short-term rental and should be Chicago’s starting third baseman for the foreseeable future.
The Paredes trade is the latest example of the Rays releasing key players ahead of the MLB trade deadline after years of struggle in the AL East.
Earlier this week, Tampa Bay traded slugging outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners, the team also traded pitcher Zach Eflin, who led the AL in wins last season, to the Baltimore Orioles in the division, and relief pitcher Jason Adam was sent to the San Diego Padres.
The question is How will Paredes’ power be exerted? He will play in the major leagues at Wrigley Field, but he would bring balance to the Cubs’ lineup by adding a more reliable right-handed hitter in the middle of the lineup, and he would also provide more defensive versatility having played several infield positions throughout his career.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Tyler Kepner, the Rays will receive third baseman Christopher Morrell along with minor league pitchers Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson in the deal. Morrell, 25, is batting .199 with a .676 OPS and 18 home runs, 51 RBI and seven stolen bases. With one more season before Morrell becomes arbitration-eligible, the Rays will have control over him for four seasons, which is a big consideration for the Rays.
Bigge, 26, was promoted to the majors earlier this month after posting a 0.68 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. He appeared in four games with the Cubs, striking out five in 3 1/3 innings. Johnson, 22, was promoted from low Single-A to high-A in his first season of professional baseball. He has a 3.54 ERA in 18 games (10 starts) with 81 strikeouts in 61 innings.
The Cubs entered Sunday’s game six games out of the final wild-card playoff spot in the National League, but five teams are ahead of them in the standings, including three NL Central rivals. While acquiring Paredes could boost the Cubs’ chances, it also appears to be a move for the future.
