Chicago Cubs Acquire Jesse Chavez in Trade With Rangers
Chavez has a 3.51 ERA and 50 strikeouts this season
By James Neveau ••
The Chicago Cubs made their first move before the trade deadline later this month, acquiring pitcher Jesse Chavez from the Texas Rangers.
Chavez, who has a 3-1 record and a 3.51 ERA in 30 relief appearances this season, has struck out 50 batters in 56.1 innings for the Rangers. He is a versatile pitcher, with experience both as a starter and as a reliever, and gives the Cubs insurance in their bullpen, which has been hammered by injuries this season.
Chavez is expected to join the Cubs on Saturday, but a corresponding roster move has not been made to put him on the active roster.
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Currently in the final year of his contract, Britton has long been a coveted trade piece, but some struggles this season may be hampering his trade value. He has a 3.68 ERA and four saves for the Orioles in 15 games, but could still be a worthwhile addition for a Cubs team still looking for lefty help due to the struggles of Brian Duensing and Mike Montgomery’s ascension into the rotation.
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Assuming the Mets make deGrom available, the Cubs would be silly not to at least kick the tires on him. The Mets reportedly want a few Major League ready pieces, favouring a retooling instead of a rebuild, and that could benefit a Cubs team that has traded away a slew of top prospects over the last few seasons. The addition of deGrom would make the Cubs’ rotation one of the best in baseball, and with the struggles of Jose Quintana and Kyle Hendricks, could make a lot of sense.
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Dietrich would be a great piece for a Cubs team that highly values its flexibility, as he can play five different positions. The big downside for Dietrich, who is hitting .288 with 11 home runs, would be finding him a regular spot to play. The Cubs already have a glut of MLB-ready hitters, and it’s unclear who they would send out to make room for Dietrich. If another trade requires a player like Ian Happ to complete, then Dietrich could be a very intriguing option to fill that spot.
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The Cubs are likely satisfied with Victor Caratini as a back-up catcher, but the team does tend to try to lock up veterans for that role down the stretch, and Ellis would certainly qualify. A free agent at season’s end, Ellis is batting .284 in 109 at-bats, and could be a great complement to Willson Contreras and allow Victor Caratini to get more seasoning in the minor leagues.
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With the health concerns of Yu Darvish and the struggles of Tyler Chatwood, the Cubs could look at low-cost options to bolster their pitching rotation, and Eovaldi could be intriguing. He strikes out a good number of batters, with 45 in 51 innings of work, but his penchant for giving up home runs could turn teams off on the market.
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He has a 2.88 ERA in 40 appearances, and with Brandon Morrow’s durability a concern, adding another closing option could be a smart idea. nUPDATE: Familia has been traded to the Oakland A's for international slot money and two prospects.
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If the Cubs are looking for a player who could potentially give them some rotation insurance, Happ is a very intriguing option. He has a 4.29 ERA in 19 starts this season, but has looked solid of late and is a strikeout machine, fanning 121 batters in 109 innings.
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One of the more interesting trends in baseball has been the move to valuing relievers with unorthodox deliveries, and Ziegler qualifies. He has just 34 strikeouts in 47 innings, and does have just 10 saves in 47 appearances, but if the Cubs are looking for a value option with past success in his career, perhaps Ziegler could fit that bill.
In exchange, the Cubs sent left-handed pitcher Tyler Thomas to the Rangers. Thomas, who was playing in Single-A, was a seventh round pick of the Cubs in the 2017 MLB Draft, and had a 2.88 ERA in 15 appearances in South Bend this season.
According to the Cubs, their 40-man roster now stands at 39 players.
