It's been a busy 24 hours for the Chicago Cubs ahead of the MLB trade deadline, and several huge stars have been sent elsewhere by the retooling organization.
The frenzy started on Thursday when the team traded first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees and relief pitcher Ryan Tepera to the Chicago White Sox, but things were just getting started for the North Siders.
Here are the latest moves and rumors surrounding the team on deadline day:
Cubs Make Flurry of Roster Moves After Trades, Including Activating Jake Arrieta From Injured List
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The Cubs made a flurry of roster moves prior to Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals, including reinstating pitcher Jake Arrieta from the 10-day injured list.
Arrieta, placed on the injured list with right hamstring tightness, will make the start for the Cubs against the Nationals, as the two clubs open a three-game set in the nation’s capital.
The Cubs also recalled pitchers Manny Rodriguez and Michael Rucker. Utility man Andrew Romine was selected by the Cubs, and outfielder Johneshwy Fargas and infielder Frank Schwindel were also recalled by the team.
Chicago Baseball
Rodriguez has appeared in 20 games so far this season, with a 1-1 record and a 1.31 ERA in the minor leagues. He has 27 strikeouts and has given up just three earned runs in 20.2 innings of work.
Rucker has appeared in 19 games this season, with a 3-0 record and a 4.81 ERA in 39.1 innings. He has also struck out 49 batters.
Romine has spent this season at the minor league level for the Cubs, with a .311 batting average and 26 runs scored in 164 at-bats. He has a home run and 11 RBI’s.
Fargas has appeared in 21 minor league games this season, with four home runs and 12 RBI’s in 72 at-bats. He has a .250 batting average in those appearances.
The Cubs claimed Schwindel off of waivers earlier this month. In 20 plate appearances with the Oakland A’s, he hit a home run and drove in three RBI’s while striking out five times.
Cubs Make Bryant Trade Official, Capping Off Emotional Day on the North Side
The Cubs have made the Kris Bryant trade official, sending him to the San Francisco Giants for a pair of prospects.
That trade now means that the Cubs have traded Bryant, Jake Marisnick, Javier Baez, Trevor Williams, Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera and Anthony Rizzo all within the last two days.
Cubs Make Marisnick Trade Official, Sending Him to Padres in Exchange for Minor League Pitcher
The Cubs have made their trade with the San Diego Padres official, acquiring pitcher Anderson Espinoza from San Diego in exchange for outfielder Jake Marisnick.
Espinoza, the number nine prospect in the Padres’ system according to MLB Pipeline, is currently pitching at Class-A Fort Wayne for the Padres. He has an 0-1 record and a 5.02 ERA in 12 starts this season, and has 37 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work.
Cubs Make Báez Trade Official, Sending Him to Mets Along With Williams
The Cubs have made things official, announcing that they have traded shortstop Javier Báez, starting pitcher Trevor Williams and a cash consideration to the New York Mets in exchange for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Nationals Trade Former Cubs Pitcher Jon Lester to Cardinals, Report Says
ESPN's Jesse Rogers is reporting that the St. Louis Cardinals have acquired former Cubs pitcher Jon Lester from the Washington Nationals.
In his first season with the Nats, Lester has a 3-5 record with a 5.02 ERA in 16 starts. He has 51 strikeouts and 29 walks in 75.1 innings of work.
Cubs Trade Outfielder Jake Marisnick to Padres, Reports Say
The Cubs have made another deal prior to the trade deadline, sending outfielder Jake Marisnick to the San Diego Padres, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
In 65 games with the Cubs this season, Marisnick had five home runs and 22 RBI’s, batting .227 and swiping three bases.
It isn’t known at this time what the return is on the deal for the Cubs.
Cubs Trade Kris Bryant to San Francisco Giants, Reports Say
The Chicago Cubs came into the 2021 season with three players entering the final year of their contracts, and now all three have been traded away, as third baseman Kris Bryant has reportedly been sent to the San Francisco Giants.
ESPN's Jeff Passan confirmed the trade, which had been speculated about for weeks:
Bryant, the 2016 National League MVP and a four-time All-Star, had 18 home runs and 51 RBI’s in 93 games with the Cubs this season. He posted a slash line of .267/.358/.503, and is set to become a free agent at season’s end.
Bryant has frequently been the subject of trade rumors during his time with the Cubs, but after the team fell out of contention to start the summer, it seemed inevitable that he would be moved.
His run with the Cubs ends with 160 career home runs and 465 RBI’s. The team made the playoffs in all but one season of his tenure with the club, and he was a key member of the 2016 squad that won the World Series.
Cubs Send Shortstop Javier Báez to Mets as Sell-Off Continues: Reports
The Chicago Cubs have reportedly made another huge move before the MLB trade deadline, sending shortstop Javier Báez to the New York Mets.
The Cubs reportedly will also send pitcher Trevor Williams to the Mets in the deal, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Cubs will acquire Mets outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong in the deal. A first round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Crow-Armstrong had a strong start to his Class-A season in St. Lucie, with a .417 batting average and a .563 on-base percentage in 32 plate appearances before a shoulder injury derailed his season.
He is the fifth-rated prospect in the Mets' system, according to MLB Pipeline, with an expected big league arrival date of 2023.
Báez, a two-time All-Star with the Cubs and a member of the 2016 World Series championship-winning squad, has a .248 batting average with 22 home runs and 65 RBI's in 361 plate appearances this season.
Cubs Trade Craig Kimbrel to White Sox, Twitter Explodes
The Cubs and White Sox have a thing for pulling off blockbuster trades in July.
NBC Sports Chicago's Gordon Wittenmyer confirmed Friday the Cubs have traded All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to the crosstown White Sox.
It's a stunning move between Chicago's two baseball teams, perhaps even more than the 2017 trade involving José Quintana, Eloy Jiménez and Dylan Cease. The Sox now have two All-Star closers in the back of their bullpen in Kimbrel and Liam Hendriks.
Naturally, Chicago baseball Twitter exploded in wake of the news:
White Sox Acquire Closer Craig Kimbrel From Cubs
The Chicago Cubs and White Sox don't make trades very often, but they've now made two swaps in two days, as All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel is heading to the city's South Side.
Bleacher Nation's Michael Cerami was first to break the news, and ESPN's Jeff Passan confirmed the trade a short time later, and the Cubs and White Sox confirmed the trade just before 2 p.m.
NBC Sports Chicago's David Kaplan had reported that the two teams were engaged in trade talks earlier Friday.
The trade is the second between the two clubs in two days, as Thursday saw the Cubs send reliever Ryan Tepera to the South Side in exchange for minor league hurler Bailey Horn.
Kimbrel, who has a mutual option on his contract for next season, has a 0.49 ERA and 23 saves for the Cubs this season. He has struck out 64 batters while walking 13 in 36.2 innings of work, posting some of the best numbers of his career to date.
Kimbrel will join a White Sox bullpen that just added Ryan Tepera from the Cubs on Thursday, and already had closer Liam Hendriks in the mix, giving them an extremely formidable set to late-inning pitchers as they gear up for an October run.
