Jed Hoyer (Creative Commons: Arturo Pardavila III)
In what seems to be a deal that seems to have shocked the baseball world. The Chicago Cubs have picked up Tampa Bay Rays‘ third baseman, Isaac Paredes for Christopher Morel, and pitchers Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson. If you have read much of my stuff recently, you know I’ve wanted Jed Hoyer to get off his duff and make a move. And he has done that.
And I applaud him for it
Paredes makes the Cubs better now and solidifies the third base position for 2025. It also opens up the DH position for someone else. Like Seiya Suzuki. And if Suzuki is DHing, that opens up a slot for another outfielder. Somebody like Cody Bellinger.
Of course, Bellinger may still be traded, but with the DH slot now open, Bellinger is a better fit for the Cubs. If Bellinger is traded, a place is opened up for AAA outfielder Owen Caissie. Either possibility is appealing. Assuming Bellinger stays, the Cubs defense looks good. Take a look:
C: Christian Bethancourt/ Miguel Amaya
1B: Michael Busch
2B: Nico Hoerner
SS: Dansby Swanson
3B: Isaac Paredes
LF: Ian Happ
RF : Mike Tauchman
DH: Seiya Suzuki
Looks pretty good to me.
About the losses….
From the Cubs viewpoint, the trade is not risk free. It’s possible that Christopher Morel will become an offensive monster. And that’s fine. By all accounts he is a great guy. But he hasn’t cut it this season and his lack of a defensive position makes playing him a cumbersome proposition. Isaac Paredes does something that is paradoxical. It stabilizes the lineup, while at the same time providing more flexibility.
The Cubs also sent Hunter Bigge to the Rays. Bigge seems to be a relief pillar in the making. In addition, the Cubs are sending relief pitching prospect Ty Johnson to the Rays. So yes, there could be a time when the Cubs regret making this deal. But personally, I’m not worried about what happens beyond 2025. It’s about time the Cubs pushed their chips to the middle of the table.
A nagging question
There is some concern about the Cubs trading away Hunter Bigge. I wonder if Bigge has so much potential and the Cubs bullpen being so bad, why did it take Jed Hoyer and Craig Counsell so long to make even internal adjustments.
And speaking of the bullpen…
The Cubs also recently picked up relief pitcher, Nate Pearson from the Blue Jays. The cost was prospects LF Yohendrick Pinango and SS Josh Rivera. Under the circumstances, I like the move. Pinango and Rivera may come back and haunt the Cubs, but not for a while.
I’ve often talked about how the Cubs are a collection of ill-fitting pieces. At least now the pieces should fit together better.
I like this move in a vacuum. We’ll see if it’s part of a bigger picture.
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