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Cubs Close the Book on Geovany Soto and Jeff Baker Trades
RHP Barret Loux (acquired from TEX as the PTBNL in the Geovany Soto trade in 2012) and RHP Marcelo Carreno (acquired from DET for INF Jeff Baker in August 2012) have been released.
The Cubs acquired RHP Jake Brigham from TEX for Soto at the July 31st trade deadline in 2012, but Brigham was returned to the Rangers after the 2012 season as "damaged goods" (pre-existing elbow issue) and was replaced by Loux. But Brigham has continued to pitch and progress (he made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves last month), while Loux has been attempting (unsuccessfuly) to rehab from both post-2013 shoulder surgery and 2014 TJS.
The 26-year old Loux was healthy enough at Minor League Camp this past March that he was able to begin the 2015 season in the AAA Iowa starting rotation, but was placed on the I-Cubs 7-day DL with a right triceps strain in late April after only three starts. He was sent to Extended Spring Training (EXST) to rehab, where he threw in a couple of "sim" games and then started an intrasquad game on May 23rd. But Loux couldn't get his velocity up past 86 MPH, and was shut-down.
Carreno had shoulder surgery two years ago, and has since been unable to return to the mound full-time. He made a couple of brief, furtive attempts to pitch over the past couple of seasons (AZL in 2014 and three EXST "sim" games this season), but he had zero command and couldn't throw harder than 85 MPH. Now 24, Carreno was eligible to be a minor league free-agent (6YFA) post-2015, so his future with the Cubs was already cloudy (at best).
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