Continuing to move prominent players off their big league roster, the Rays dealt Paredes — an All-Star third baseman — to the Cubs on Sunday afternoon, sources told MLB.com. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Tampa Bay is set to receive Christopher Morel and right-handed pitching prospects Ty Johnson and Hunter Bigge.
Bigge was the Cubs’ 29th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline and made his big league debut this season, posting a 2.70 ERA in four appearances.
The clubs have not confirmed the deal.
TRADE DETAILS
Cubs receive: 3B Isaac Paredes
Rays receive: INF Christopher Morel, RHP Hunter Bigge (Cubs No. 29 prospect), RHP Ty Johnson
Paredes is only 25 years old, but he’s been on the move several times in his young career. Two years into his Minor League career, he was dealt from the Cubs to the Tigers at the 2017 Trade Deadline. He spent parts of two seasons in the big leagues with Detroit, only to be traded to Tampa Bay for Austin Meadows only days before Opening Day in 2022.
With the Rays, Paredes has transformed into an All-Star with an unusual offensive profile. He hit two homers in 57 games with the Tigers, but he went deep 67 times in his first 350 games with the Rays — and as of late July, each of his first 69 Major League home runs had gone out to left or left-center field. Tampa Bay hitting coach Chad Mottola and Rays staff helped Paredes tap into his pull-side power, and he’s taken off by combining that strategy with a disciplined approach and better bat-to-ball skills than you might expect.
Paredes pulled 20 homers in his first season with the Rays, then broke out with a 31-homer, 98-RBI season last year. The unassuming infielder scuffled a bit after a red-hot start to the season, but he has rounded out his profile at the plate by employing a two-strike approach that allows him to slap hits to the opposite field, especially with runners in scoring position.
Paredes’ bat is his strength, but he also offers some versatility in the field. While he has mostly played third base this season, he is capable of playing first and second if needed. He is making $3.4 million this season, the first of his four years of arbitration eligibility, and he won’t be a free agent until after the 2027 campaign. It’s unusual for Tampa Bay to trade a productive young player with so many years of club control remaining, but it is worth noting the Rays’ top prospect in Triple-A, Junior Caminero, projects to be a third baseman in the big leagues.
Morel, who was hitting fifth as the designated hitter Sunday against the Royals, has shown flashes at the plate, but entered the day batting just .199 with a .675 OPS in 103 games. Morel hugged Cubs teammates and coaches during the third and fourth innings in the dugout at Kauffman Stadium before making his departure.
The move comes one day after the Cubs swung a deal with Toronto for reliever Nate Pearson, who is also under team control through 2026. Paredes’ addition gives Chicago a starting third baseman for years to come, and the Cubs are still in position to potentialy make moves ahead of the July 30 Trade Deadline.
