Wow, in no way did I think I’d be writing an article about the Cubs being “buyers” for this trade deadline, even though Jed Hoyer already stated that the Cubs will only make moves that will help the Cubs in the future, the Cubs got a guy who can help the lineup today. If you missed it, the Cubs sent Christopher Morel and two prospects to Tampa Bay for Isaac Parades. Fellow Cubs writer Jackson Gross initially reacted to the trade right when it happened on TDT; check that out here and come back to get all the nitty-gritty details on the trade.
So Long Morel
It’s never easy to let go of a fan favorite, especially someone like Morel, who is such a positive person on and off the field. But, as we all know, baseball is business, and that often comes with the tough news of sending a popular player away to improve. Morel debuted with the major league Cubs on May 17th, 2022, where he would hit a home run in his only plate appearance. The Dominican native would have a respectful rookie year where he appeared in 113 games, had a slash line of .235/.308/.433, and hit 16 home runs with 47 RBIs. Morel would also be a fun player to watch as he showed his ability to play five different positions, but as Cubs fans know, Morel's defensive ability may have become his downfall.
Transitioning into his sophomore year, Morel would start in AAA (Iowa) but wouldn't spend much time there as he hit 11 home runs in 29 games and returned to Chicago in early May. Morel started hot, hitting nine home runs in twelve games, and ended the season with a .821 OPS in 107 games. Morel's future was bright and hopeful, as his power and ball skills would make him a promising candidate to be the Cub's next big slugger. However, the big question that arose from Morel’s sophomore year was his defense and where the Cubs could put him to get his bat in the lineup as much as possible in his third season.
(Who can forget this walk-off from his sophomore season)
That brings us to Morel's current season. New Cubs manager Craig Counsell and the front office decided that the best place to put Morel was third base. To say it was an interesting experience would be an extreme understatement. He did have some good plays at the hot corner, and his tremendous arm strength proved to be a worthwhile development. However, with Morel’s power arm also came some wildly inaccurate throws, and there was too much inconsistency with the glove. Morel would have nine errors at the hot corner (third in MLB at 3B) and would start losing the third base starts to Miles Mastrobouni and David Bote. If the field doesn't work out, what about moving Morel to being a full-time DH? Due to a crowded outfield and the slash line of .181/.271/.343 at the DH position by Morel, that experience proved to be a failure. Also, with the expectation that Morel would be the everyday cleanup hitter and MY PICK TO LEAD THE LEAGUE IN HOME RUNS, it never really seemed to click this year with the young slugger.
While still only 25 years old, Morel has the potential to be one of the top hitters in the big leagues, and maybe a change of scenery will help that. It does suck that he didn't work out in Chicago, but it's proven that the Cubs have an obvious hole at third base, and with prospects like Matt Shaw and James Triantos having an unknown, ready time for big league action, the Cubs needed an upgrade now and into the near future. I wish nothing but the best for Morel; he was such a positive player and played the game with a ton of fire.
The Prospects
It took more than just Morel for the Cubs to snag Parades from the Rays. The other two deal pieces were RHP Hunter Biggie and RHP Ty Johnson. Starting with Biggie, who Cub fans may be more familiar with, he made his big league debut on July 9th and appeared in four total games for the Cubs. The hard-throwing rookie had a 2.70 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP in that time frame. Biggie, only 26 years old, features a high-octane fastball (97.8MPH average), a slider, a curveball, and a sweeper. The young righty will be a fun reliever and potentially high-leverage closer for Tampa Bay.
Ty Johnson, who Cub fans may be a little unfamiliar with, was drafted in 2023 in round 15 as the 446th overall pick. Johnson started with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and was promoted to South Bend in June, where he spent time as a starter and working out of the bullpen. In his time with the Cubs, Johnson posted a 1-4 record, a 3.54 ERA, 81 strikeouts, and a 1.15 WHIP in 61 innings of work.
So, Who’s The "Not So" New Guy
That's right, Isaac Paredes isn't a new face in the Cub organization. The 25-year-old was initially signed by the Cubs in 2015 and traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2017 with Jeimer Candelario to acquire Alex Avila and Justin Wilson. Paredes would make his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2020 and would also make an appearance with the Tigers in 2021. While only playing 57 games with the Tigers, Paredes would have a slash line of .215/.290/.302. Paredes would then be traded to the Rays for Austin Meadows on April 5th, 2022.
Being traded to Tampa Bay seemed to unlock a power surge from Paredes (maybe that nasty ballpark in Tampa), as his slugging percentage would go from .319 to .435 in one season. But, it was the 2023 season that made Paredes a name to start paying attention to, as he received MVP votes for his works. The Mexico native would hit 31 home runs, drive in 98 RBIs, and have a slash line of .250/.352/.488 and an OPS+ of 132. Paredes is hitting .247/.355/.438, with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs; he was also named to the all-star team this season. Defensively, Paredes is a primary third baseman and has played first base for the Rays this year. In addition to 1B and 3B, Paredes has played second base and a handful of games at shortstop in his career. Since the Cubs will primarily use him at 3B, I’ll focus on his defensive stats at the hot corner. So far this season, Paredes has a fielding percentage of .974%, has committed just four errors, and has an OAA of one.
There is no question that this is an upgrade for the Cubs. Since Kris Bryant was traded away, the Cubs have failed to find an everyday third baseman to hold down the hot corner and provide consistent at-bats. Adding a guy like Paredes (who has team control until 2027) offers an excellent power bat and some solid defense to the everyday lineup. So, where does Paredes fit into the Cubs lineup and the future of the Cubs? I like him in the cleanup position, as that's where he spent most of his time with the Rays (244 PAs), and the Cubs haven't found a solid hitter who can mop up the bases when needed. Also, with his .283 average with RISP, Paredes should fit nicely in the four-spot.
As for his future with the Cubs, I mentioned that he will still be under team control for the next few years. But what happens with prospects like Shaw and Triantos does beg the question. Do the Cubs move on from Nico Hoerner and expect one of those two to take over soon? Will the Cubs trade one of them in the offseason to add more big-league talent? I like this move a lot, as Paredes is substantially better than Morel, but I have a funny feeling that some top prospects will be moved, or worse, Nico Hoerner.
Jeff Passan of ESPN had this note about the trade and provided a little more in-depth explanation of the context of being a buyer or a seller. He's exactly right about the trade. This was an opportunity for the Cubs to upgrade, and they didn't have to spend too much to get the upgrade they'd been hoping for. So, yes, the decision could've been to wait for Shaw or Triantos, but the upgrade was there, so why not take it now?
To conclude, this is a win for the Cubs. Morel provided too much inconsistency, as the Cubs need to see wins now and into the near future. This also sticks to what Hoyer stated above about helping the organization's future, and not just rentals that will only provide for this season. Also, only giving up two prospects, and only one of them (Biggie) just breaking the Cub's top 30 is another huge win. Trade season is far from over and I’m sure we'll have some more Cubs on the move, Jameson Taillon, Nico Hoerner, and Mark Leiter Jr. are names to keep an eye on if Hoyer decides to back down on competing. Any more Cubs trades will be covered right here on TDT!
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