The Chicago Cubs went into the 2024 trade deadline in a place many felt they would not be in. After expectations were raised to win a division title, they instead found themselves in last place and scraping the bottom of the pool of contenders in the National League. Because of that, decisions loomed.
President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer told the media that the team would not be looking for rentals to fight back in 2024. The plan would be to assess the roster and players available to see if they could add those they felt could help them in 2025 and beyond. Some took this as a sign the Cubs would be conducting their third sale at the deadline in four years. Others questioned how it got to this point with raised expectations to begin the year. Both were fair.
Hoyer and the Cubs ended up doing exactly what they said they would. They did not diminish their chances of a miracle comeback in 2024 and appeared to get better for 2025 and beyond. What they did was not exactly buying, but definitely did not selling, either. So, what do you even call it?
The Cubs’ headliner move was sending fan-favorite Christopher Morel, reliever Hunter Bigge, and prospect Ty Johnson to the Tampa Bay Rays. In return, they received All-Star third baseman Isaac Parades. The Cubs chose Morel to play third base and depended on the upside of his power. His defense was shaky at best, while his batting average was less than .200. Paredes is a contact-first hitter with pull power. He also has versatility defensively and is under team control through the 2028 season.
The Cubs also swapped prospects Josh Rivera and Yohendrick Pinango for Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Nate Pearson. Pearson had a 5.63 earned run average in 40 innings pitched with the Jays. The Cubs see him as someone with an upside that can be worked out through the rest of 2024. Pearson has appeared once for the Cubs, and it wasn’t ideal. After allowing a home run in Cincinnati, Pearson accidentally hit Tyler Stephenson in the head and was ejected from the game.
Mark Leiter Jr. was shipped to the New York Yankees at the deadline on Tuesday for his dependability in high-leverage situations. The Cubs received two prospects in return. Right-handed pitcher Jack Neely was the Yankees’ 11th-round draft pick and now ranks 20th among Cubs prospects. He has a mid-nineties fastball and a lethal slider the Cubs could see coming out of their bullpen as soon as this season. Shortstop Benjamin Cowles rounds out the Cubs’ top 30 prospects, but we will likely not see him until the spring. He is recovering from a right wrist injury. However, it’s worth mentioning that he was a teammate of Cubs prospect Matt Shaw in Maryland.
Hoyer loaded players like Isaac Paredes (under control for three more seasons after this one) and Nate Pearson (controllable for two more years after this one) into that shopping cart. And boom. Suddenly, it all made sense. It makes so much sense, in fact, that I wonder why more teams don’t think that way.
Excerpt from “What we learned from this MLB trade deadline and the execs who drove the market” by Jayson Stark of The Athletic
The Cubs did not sell some of the veteran players many anticipated them to. They also did not sell away their future to make a move in 2024. Instead, they did precisely what Jed Hoyer said they would. He shopped.
While the chances are about as slim as you can find, the Cubs are still in a position where 2024 is out of the question. They still have a wonderful rotation, a surging bullpen, and (at least on paper) a lineup that could turn things around. Isaac Paredes provides defensive relief and has a batting average of 50 points higher than Christopher Morel’s. Imagine having that a month or so ago, like Hoyer says he wanted.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Cubs have a surplus of options. They added two players to enter a pool of capable players to start in the infield for the foreseeable future. We have been scouting the future in the outfield for years with the options available. Spring training could get crowded with talent and potential.
The Cubs will have an opportunity to use their surplus of young, talented players to acquire the immediate needs on the roster. For example, the future behind the plate still looks mediocre at best. Could the Cubs strike a deal with a team looking for help in the field?
Hoyer has received a lot of flack during his tenure at the top of the Cubs. Certainly, there are things that could have happened prior to the 2024 trade deadline that would have put the Cubs in a better position. But for what they are and what they did in their current state, many believe he did about as well as anyone could have.
