Chicago Cubs land Isaac Paredes as trade deadline nears
The Chicago Cubs sent a shockwave through MLB Sunday as they made a surprise trade to land Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes. The Cubs sent struggling third baseman Christopher Morel and pitching prospects Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson to Tampa Bay in return. The move comes as a surprise since the Cubs weren’t expected to make any big additions before the July 30 trade deadline. If anything, fans in Chicago were playing the guessing game as to who might be traded away, given the team’s struggles.
Another element that made this trade so surprising was the reported bidding war over Paredes between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. This was just hours before the news broke that he was dealt to the Cubs. Jed Hoyer swept in and surprised everyone, proving that there’s always surprise teams that can jump into the picture at the last minute.
This could turn out to be a brilliant move on Hoyer’s part if Paredes continues to progress. This is far from a short-term rental for a team in “win now” mode. The Cubs have team control over Paredes through the 2027 season, making him even more valuable. With the Cubs still on the fringe of being in the playoff hunt, this addition satisfies the Cubs’ short term need for an impact bat while also anchoring the lineup for at least the next three years.
Isaac Paredes got his start with Chicago Cubs
Paredes, 25, returns to the Cubs seven years after they traded him to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Jeimer Candelario. The Cubs had originally signed Paredes in 2015 as an international free agent out of Mexico. He made his major league debut in late 2020 with the Tigers and played in 34 games. After playing in only 23 games in 2021, the Tigers traded Paredes to the Tampa Bay Rays at the beginning of the 2022 season.
Over the past two and a half seasons in Tampa, Paredes has hit 67 home runs while maintaining a .798 OPS. This culminated in his first All-Star selection this season. Paredes plays mostly third base, but he has made appearances at first base, second base, and minimally at shortstop.
Paredes will take the place of Christopher Morel at third base for the Cubs. Morel has promising talent, but has struggled at the plate and on defense this season. Morel is currently batting just .199/.302/.374, giving him a disappointing .676 OPS. He does have 18 home runs and 51 RBIs, but it’s what he’s done (or hasn’t done) between his bouts of power that has killed his numbers.
Meanwhile, Paredes comes to the Cubs hitting .247/.355/.438 on the season, good for a .798 OPS. His advanced metrics are also an upgrade over Morel’s. Paredes has just a 16% strikeout rate in 2024 compared to Morel’s 24.5%. His walk rate (12%) is fairly similar, but still higher than Morel’s (11.2%). Paredes is currently a better hitter in every way than Morel, and he’s also a better defensive third baseman, adding more to his appeal.
The Cubs give up two pitching prospects
Two right-handed pitching prospects were included with Morel in the deal : 22-year-old Ty Johnson and 26-year-old Hunter Bigge. Johnson was drafted by the Cubs in the 15th round in 2023 and has yet to pitch in the majors. He has a 3.54 ERA in 18 games (10 starts) this season between Single-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend.
Bigge made his major league debut this season, but has bounced between the Cubs and Triple-A Iowa. He’s pitched just 3 1/3 innings for the Cubs while posting a 2.70 ERA. Bigge is a guy that the Cubs were excited about as a potential foundational bullpen piece in the future.
The Cubs didn’t have to give up any of their top prospects in this trade. Losing Morel, who is a fan and clubhouse favorite, is tough. However, Paredes has shown he can combine power and consistent contact, which will serve the Cubs better in the future.
