In a stunning move, Cubs deal away Christopher Morel in big trade with Rays

Paredes was initially signed by the Cubs in July 2015 and was then traded to the Tigers in 2017 within the deadline deal for catcher Alex Avila and reliever Justin Wilson.

Jeimer Candelario was additionally despatched to Detroit in that deal, so the Cubs have now acquired each hitters from that commerce in back-to-back Julys (they acquired Candelario from Washington a yr in the past).

Paredes was ultimately traded from Detroit to Tampa Bay in April 2022.

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The best-handed-hitting Paredes is 25 and below staff management by means of the 2027 season, so this can be a transfer that ought to pay dividends for the Cubs this yr and past.

He has changed into a high quality big-leaguer whereas enjoying principally third base together with a while at second and first base.

This season, Paredes has 16 homers and 55 RBI in 100 video games to go together with a .247/.355/.438 slash line (.793 OPS). He hit 31 homers with 98 RBI and an .840 OPS final yr for the Rays. He earned some down-ballot MVP votes final season and was named to the AL All-Star staff this summer time.

Morel can also be 25 and has 18 homers and 51 RBI this yr with a .199/.302/.374 slash line (.676 OPS).

General, it’s a really fascinating transfer for the Cubs, who’re centered on making offers that assist the staff for years to come back. Jed Hoyer stated final week at Wrigley Subject that the Cubs wouldn’t be making strikes at this deadline to accumulate rental gamers who will develop into free brokers on the finish of the yr (just like the Candelario commerce final season).

Earlier within the weekend, the Cubs acquired right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson from the Blue Jays. Like Paredes, Pearson is below staff management past 2024 so Hoyer’s entrance workplace is clearly buying gamers that may assist each instantly and sooner or later. In return, they’ve dealt solely Morel from their big-league roster (although Bigge has additionally frolicked within the Chicago bullpen this yr).

“As we’ve acknowledged, our objective is so as to add gamers that can assist us not simply this season, however into the longer term,” Hoyer stated in an announcement after the commerce. “Within the final two days, we really feel we’ve labored towards that by buying and selling for these kinds of controllable gamers. Buying Paredes provides a confirmed bat to our lineup instantly and for years to come back.”

Paredes represents an improve for the Cubs as a strong defender who can slot in long-term at third base. He was value 4.2 WAR final season and a couple of.4 to date this yr by Baseball Reference’s metric.

By comparability, Morel was value 1.2 WAR final season and -0.1 to date in 2024.

Bigge, 26, simply made his MLB debut this season after being chosen within the twelfth spherical of the 2019 Draft. The hard-throwing righty has been backwards and forwards between the majors and Triple-A Iowa the final couple weeks, posting a 2.70 ERA in 4 MLB appearances.

Johnson was the Cubs’ Fifteenth-round decide in final yr’s draft. He’s a 22-year-old right-hander who has pitched in A-ball and Superior Class-A this season within the Cubs system with a 3.54 ERA in 18 video games (10 begins).