The Cubs traded Adrian Sampson, Manuel Rodríguez and IFA money to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league pitcher Josh Roberson, the team announced Tuesday.
Roberson, 27, is a right-handed reliever who's played in the minors for the entirety of his career. In 123 career minor league games, he holds a 3.99 career ERA and 1.435 WHIP.
This season with the Durham Bulls, he holds a 6.00 ERA in 31 appearances on the bump. He's pitched 36 innings, allowing 18 earned runs while striking out 43 and walking 22 batters. Considering he's only played in Triple-A during the 2023 season, it's feasible he'll join the Iowa Cubs upon arriving on the Cubs' roster.
Sampson, 31, has gone back and forth between the big leagues and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs since 2021. He has not pitched in the big leagues yet this season and holds a 9.32 ERA in nine games in the minor leagues.
Rodríguez, 26, has gone back and forth, like Sampson, primarily as a relief pitcher. He pitched 20 games with the Cubs in 2021 and 14 games in 2022, holding a 3.29 ERA in the latter season. He has yet to pitch in the big leagues this season, holding a 4.42 ERA in 35 relief appearances with the Iowa Cubs this season.
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