In a stunning move, Cubs deal away Christopher Morel in big trade with Rays

The Cubs pulled off a stunning trade Sunday afternoon with the Tampa Bay Rays that will have a big impact on the future of both franchises.

Isaac Paredes is coming to Chicago and in return, the Cubs are sending Christopher Morel as well as young pitchers Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson.

Morel was actually in the initial lineup Sunday afternoon for the Cubs’ 7-3 win in Kansas City for the finale against the Royals. But he was taken out of the game and replaced at DH by Michael Busch:

Paredes was originally signed by the Cubs in July 2015 and was then traded to the Tigers in 2017 in the deadline deal for catcher Alex Avila and reliever Justin Wilson.

Jeimer Candelario was also sent to Detroit in that deal, so the Cubs have now acquired both hitters from that trade in back-to-back Julys (they acquired Candelario from Washington a year ago).

Paredes was eventually traded from Detroit to Tampa Bay in April 2022.

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The right-handed-hitting Paredes is 25 and under team control through the 2027 season, so this is a move that should pay dividends for the Cubs this year and beyond.

He has turned into a quality big-leaguer while playing mostly third base along with some time at second and first base.

This season, Paredes has 16 homers and 55 RBI in 100 games to go along with a .247/.355/.438 slash line (.793 OPS). He hit 31 homers with 98 RBI and an .840 OPS last year for the Rays. He earned some down-ballot MVP votes last season and was named to the AL All-Star team this summer.

Morel is also 25 and has 18 homers and 51 RBI this year with a .199/.302/.374 slash line (.676 OPS).

Overall, it’s a very interesting move for the Cubs, who are focused on making deals that help the team for years to come. Jed Hoyer said last week at Wrigley Field that the Cubs would not be making moves at this deadline to acquire rental players who will become free agents at the end of the year (like the Candelario trade last season).

Earlier in the weekend, the Cubs acquired right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson from the Blue Jays. Like Paredes, Pearson is under team control beyond 2024 so Hoyer’s front office is clearly acquiring players that can help both immediately and in the future. In return, they have dealt only Morel from their big-league roster (though Bigge has also spent time in the Chicago bullpen this year).

“As we have stated, our goal is to add players that will help us not just this season, but into the future,” Hoyer said in a statement after the trade. “In the last two days, we feel we have worked toward that by trading for those types of controllable players. Acquiring Paredes adds a proven bat to our lineup immediately and for years to come.”

Paredes represents an upgrade for the Cubs as a solid defender who can slot in long-term at third base. He was worth 4.2 WAR last season and 2.4 so far this year by Baseball Reference’s metric.

By comparison, Morel was worth 1.2 WAR last season and -0.1 so far in 2024.

Bigge, 26, just made his MLB debut this season after being selected in the 12th round of the 2019 Draft. The hard-throwing righty has been back and forth between the majors and Triple-A Iowa the last couple weeks, posting a 2.70 ERA in 4 MLB appearances.

Johnson was the Cubs’ 15th-round pick in last year’s draft. He is a 22-year-old right-hander who has pitched in A-ball and Advanced Class-A this season in the Cubs system with a 3.54 ERA in 18 games (10 starts).

Paredes is expected to join the Cubs in Cincinnati Monday.

Complete Cubs trade deadline content:

–In a stunning move, Cubs deal away Christopher Morel in big trade with Rays
–Who is Isaac Paredes? The book on the new Cubs third baseman
–WATCH: Christopher Morel shares emotional farewell with teammates and coaches in Cubs dugout
–Cubs acquire hard-throwing pitcher Nate Pearson