Cubs Trades
Edit: 2021 Opening Series Thread + Goodbye Darvish, belated Goodbye Theo / "Hot" Stove Thread
Trade Assignment Waivers Are On Deck
The deadline for "non-waiver" (unrestricted) trades is 4 PM (Eastern) on July 31st, or 4 PM (Eastern) on Friday July 30th if July 31st falls on a Saturday. or 4 PM (Eastern) on Monday August 1st if July 31st falls on a Sunday.
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Cubs Acquire Wilson and Avila from the Tigers
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Cubs have acquired Justin Wilson and Alex Avila for Jeimer Candelario, Isaac Paredes, and a player to be named or cash.
UPDATE: The deal is official and Dylan Floro has been DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster. The other roster moves will be announced tomorrow.
Quintana acquired from White Sox
The Cubs have acquired Jose Quintana from the White Sox for OF Eloy Jimenez, RHP Dylan Cease, 1B Matt Rose, and IF Bryant Flete.
Quintana, who has been very consistent in his six years with the White Sox, had a very rocky start to the season but has since recovered. Since June 1, he has a 2.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 27 percent strikeout rate in seven starts. For his career, he's 50-54 with a 3.51 ERA. The switch to the NL might turn him from a solid 3-4 starter to perhaps a number 2.
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Cubs Acquire Henry Rodriguez from Nats
The Cubs have acquired 26-year old Venezuelan flame-throwing RHRP Henry Rodriguez from the Washington Nationals for minor league RHP Ian Dickson.
Dickson was the Cubs 35th round draft pick out of Lafayette College in 2011, and was used as both a starter and a reliever at Kane County this season, posting an ugly 6.88 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 35.1 IP and 11 Games (3 GS). He was a candidate to get demoted to Boise (and probably released post-2013) if he hadn't been traded.
Rodriguez was Designated for Assignment by the Nats on June 4th to make room on their 40-man roster for LHP Ian Kroll, so they had until Friday (6/14) to either trade him, release him, or send him outright to the minors. However, because it takes two days to get a player through waivers, Washington really only had until 2 PM (EDT) Wednesday (today) to trade him. (He was NOT placed on waivers, otherwise he could not have been traded).
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Toldja!!! Marmol for Haren
UPDATE #2: Just kidding. November Fools!!! Anyway, Marmol apparently was asked to waive his no-trade clause, that leaked before the Cubs and Angels officially had a deal. Then allegedly the Cubs nixed the deal...some say it was over the medicals but who knows. At the end, Haren's option was bought out and he's a free agent now. Twitter Rumors 2, Cubs 0.
Lilly Declining? Wallach Decent? Looking at the Deal
Now that the trade deadline is behind us, what are Cub fans supposed to pay attention to? The games?! I tried that earlier tonight, and I'm sorry I did.
— I heard a recorded interview with Derrek Lee on WGN Radio early this evening in the run-up to the Cubs/Rockies game. David Kaplan asked Lee about Ryan Theriot, and Lee described him as "a grinder." In that moment, I came up with my own definition of a grinder. It's a guy who plays hard enough to occasionally make you forget that he's not very good.
Garrett Olson Reflects on the Garrett Olson Era
Oriole-turned-Cub-turned-Mariner Garrett Olson talks about what it was like to hear he was Chicago-bound in the deal that sent Felix Pie to the O's.
From the Fresno Bee:
"Going to the Cubs, I had talked to the GM, talked to the pitching coach, a few other guys in the office. You definitely get excited for that. The thing is everybody knows the story about Chicago: haven't won a World Series in 100 years, and playing at Wrigley [Field], that's kind of like an icon in baseball. The opportunity developing in front of you is exciting."
Now Olson is with the Mariners, who have only gone 31 years without winning a World Series.
(Note: seems that we have reached the point in this country where it is physically impossible for someone from outside Chicago to say the word "Cubs" without saying the words "100 years" in the same sentence.)
Orioles Order Pie to Go, Leave Two Pitchers Behind
In what may be a precursor to an eventual trade for San Diego Padres ace RHP Jake Peavy, the Cubs have traded OF Felix Pie to the Baltimore Orioles for LHP Garrett Olson and minor league RHP Hank Williamson. Olson was thought to be one of the pitchers Padres GM Kevin Towers wanted back in a Peavy deal.
The 25-year old Olson was a Supplemental 1st round pick (48th overall) of the Orioles in the 2005 Rule 4 Draft out of Cal Poly (he was selected with the compensation pick Baltimore got for failing to sign their 2004 #1 draft pick, RHP Wade Townsend), and was rushed to the big leagues by the Orioles after being named their Minor League Player of the Year in 2006, logging MLB time in both 2007 and 2008. A scouting report from his senior year in college showed him having three quality pitches, including a fastball that sits at 88-90 MPH but has touched 93, a 12-6 "hammer" curve (his "out" pitch), and a decent change-up. He has performed very well at AAA over the past two seasons (he was a AAA IL All-Star at Norfolk in 2007), although he has been hit hard to the tune of a 6.87 ERA and 1.82 WHIP with 21 HR allowed in 165+ IP in 33 starts so far at the big league level. Olson was a college teammate of Cubs prospects RHRP Rocky Roquet and 3B-turned-RHP Josh Lansford, and he supposedly wants to be an FBI agent if his baseball career doesn't pan out.
The Best Trades We NEVER Made
Time will tell if the Cubs just lucked out by not acquiring Brian Roberts. His strength wouldn't have been in the field as we already have a solid second baseman in Mark DeRosa. Roberts would have given the Cubs a leadoff switch-hitter with a track record of well above average OBP and basestealing ability.
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Recent comments
Cubster (view)
AZ Phil: THAT is an awesome report worth multiple thanks. I’m sure it will be worth reposting in an “I told you so” in about 2-3 years.
Arizona Phil (view)
The actual deadline to select a post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agent signed to 2024 minor league contract (Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta) to the MLB 40-man roster is not MLB Opening Day, it is 12 PM (Eastern) this coming Sunday (3/24).
However, the Cubs could notify the player prior to the deadline that the player is not going to get added to the 40 on Sunday, which would allow the player to opt out early. Otherwise the player can opt out anytime after the Sunday deadline (if he was not added to the 40 by that time).
Arizona Phil (view)
Today is an off day for both the Cubs MLB players and the Cubs minor league players.
Arizona Phil (view)
For those of you keeping track, so far nine players have been called up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy for Minor League Camp and they will be playing in the ACL in 2024:
* bats or throws left
Angel Cepeda, INF
* Miguel Cruz, P
Yidel Diaz, C
* Albert Gutierrez, 1B
Fraiman Marte, P
Francis Reynoso, P (ex-1B)
Derniche Valdez, INF
Edward Vargas, OF
Jeral Vizcaino, P
And once again, despite what you might read at Baseball Reference and at milb.com, Albert Gutierrez is absolutely positively a left-handed hitter (only), NOT a right-handed hitter.
Probably not too surprisingly, D. Valdez was the Cubs #1 prospect in the DSL last season, Cepeda was the DSL Cubs best all-around SS prospect not named Derniche Valdez, Gutierrez was the DSL Cubs top power hitting prospect not named Derniche Valdez, E. Vargas was the DSL Cubs top outfield prospect (and Cepeda and E. Vargas were also the DSL Cubs top two hitting prospects), Y. Diaz was the DSL Cubs top catching prospect, and M. Cruz was the DSL Cubs top pitching prospect.
F. Marte (ex-STL) and J. Vizcaino (ex-MIL) are older pitchers (both are 22) who were signed by the Cubs after being released by other organizations and then had really good years working out of the bullpen for the Cubs in the DSL last season.
The elephant in the room is 21-year old Francis Reynoso, a big dude (6'5) who was a position player (1B) at the Cardinals Dominican Academy for a couple of years, then was released by STL in 2022, and then signed by the Cubs and converted to a RHP at the Cubs Dominican Academy (and he projects as a high-velo "high-leverage" RP in the states). He had a monster year for the DSL Cubs last season (his first year as a pitcher).
Arizona Phil (view)
DJL: The only players who definitely have opt outs are Cooper, Edwards, and Peralta (Opening Day, 5/1, and 6/1), and that's because they are post-2023 Article XX-B MLB free agents who signed 2024 minor league contracts and (by rule) they get those opt outs automatically.
Otherwise, any player signed to a 2024 minor league contract - MIGHT or - MIGHT NOT - have an opt out in their contract, but it is an individual thing, and if there are contractual opt outs the opt out(s) might not necessarily be Opening Day. It could be 5/1, or 6/1, or 7/1 (TBD).
Because of their extensive pro experience, the players who most-likely have contractual opt outs are Alfaro, Escobar, and D. Smith, but (again), not necessarily Opening Day.
Also, just because a player has the right to opt out doesn't mean he will.
Dolorous Jon Lester (view)
I love the idea that Madrigal heads to Iowa in case Morel can’t handle third.
The one point that intrigues me here is Cooper over Smith. I feel like the Cubs really like Smith and don’t want to lose him. Could be wrong. He def seems like an opt out if he misses the opening day roster
Arizona Phil (view)
Childersb3: Both Madrigal and Wisdom can be optioned without any restriction. Their consent is not required.
They both can be outrighted without restriction, too (presuming the player is not claimed off waivers), but if outrighted they can choose to elect free agency (immediately, or deferred until after the end of the MLB season).
If the player is outrighted and elects free-agency immediately he forfeits what remains of his salary.
If he accepts the assignment and defers free agency until after the conclusion of the season, he continues to get his salary, and he could be added back to the 40 anytime prior to becoming a free-agent (club option).
Childersb3 (view)
Phil,
Madrigal and Wisdom can or cannot refuse being optioned to the Minors?
If they can refuse it, wouldn't they elect to leave the Cubs org?
Arizona Phil (view)
In my opinion, the biggest "affirmative" mistake the Cubs made in the off-season (that is, doing something they should not have done), was blowing $9M in 2024 AAV on Hector Neris. What the Cubs actually need is an alternate closer to be in the pen and available to close if Alzolay pitched the day before (David Robertson would have been perfect), because with his forearm issue last September, I would be VERY wary of over-using Alzolay. I'm not even sure I would pitch him two days in a row!
And of course what the Cubs REALLY need is a second TOR SP to pair with Justin Steele. That's where the Cubs are going to need to be willing to package prospects (like the Padres did to acquire Dylan Cease, the Orioles did to acquire Corbin Burnes, and the Dodgers did to acquire Tyler Glasnow). Obviously those ships have sailed, but I would say right now the Cubs need to look very hard at trying to acquire LHSP Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins (and maybe LHP A. J. Puk as well).
Arizona Phil (view)
I think the way it is looking right now (to me), if Jameson Taillon starts the season the 15-day IL (very likely), Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, Kyle Hendricks, and Jordan Wicks are SP (all locks), Drew Smyly will be the temporary #5 SP, Javier Assad and Hayden Wesneski will be the multi-inning bulk guys, and Adbert Alzolay, Julian Merryweather, Hector Neris, Mark Leiter Jr, Luke Little, and Jose Cuas will be the one-inning relievers (although Cuas can throw two innings if needed). Then once Taillon is reinstated, Smyly will replace either Wesneski or Little in the pen (with Wesneski or Little getting optioned to Iowa to make room for Taillon on the 26-man roster).
As far as position players are concerned, Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya are the catchers (locks), Ian Happ (LF), Cody Bellinger (CF), Seiya Suzuki (RF), and Mike Tauchman (4th OF) are the outfielders (locks), and Michael Busch (1B), Nico Hoerner (2B), Dansby Swanson (SS), and Christopher Morel (3B) are the infielders (all locks), with Miles Mastrobuoni (likely but not quite a lock) the back-up 2B-SS-3B-LF, late inning & extra inning PR, and late-inning defensive replacement for Morel when the Cubs are protecting a lead, Garrett Cooper (likely) as the primary RH DH and starts at 1B against tough LHSP and can also play corner OF, and Patrick Wisdom (somewhat likely) as a back-up 1B-3B-LF-RF and RH DH if Cooper is playing 1B, or David Bote (possibly) instead of Wisdom since Bote can play all four infield positions (plus LF) and not just 1B-3B. The Cubs are already paying Bote $5M in 2024 ($3M AAV hit) to play in AAA, so they probably would be fine with adding him back to the 40 and the 26-man roster.
Nick Madrigal will likely be optioned to AAA as soon as he's back from the hamstring injury (and he played in a game at Minor League Camp on Friday), and so he will be at Iowa in case the Morel experiment doesn't work. And and if it doesn't work out, Madrigal would probably get called up and (probably) Wisdom (or Bote, if Bote is on the 26-man roster instead of Wisdom) would be optioned to AAA (Madrigal, Wisdom, and Bote have usable minor league options available, while Cooper and Tauchman do not).
We actually saw something very much like this lineup on Sunday:
TYPICAL PROJECTED CUBS LINEUP:
1. Happ, LF
2. Suzuki, RF
3. Bellinger, LF
4. Morel, 3B
5. Swanson, SS
6. Busch, 1B
7. Hoerner, 2B
8. Cooper/Tauchman, DH
9. Gomes/Amaya, C