BREAKING TRADE: Isaac Paredes Lands in Surprise Destination

It appeared to be the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers battling down to the wire for Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes. But in a surprise turn of events, the Chicago Cubs have swooped in and scooped up the slugging infielder.

The Cubs acquire Isaac Paredes pic.twitter.com/96r7SInxZZ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 28, 2024

In return, the Cubs send to Tampa third baseman/outfielder Christopher Morel and two prospects.

The Cubs were on the fence about whether to buy or sell at this deadline, but in Paredes, they get a player with team control for three more seasons, so either way, they're quite happy with the deal.

According to insider Bob Nightengale, the Rays have had interest in Morel going back to talks with the Cubs about Tyler Glasnow last winter. Also going to Tampa are reliever Hunter Bigge and pitching prospect Ty Johnson.

Morel brings plenty of power to the Rays, as he slugged 26 homers last year in only 388 at-bats, and this season has 18 dingers but with a lowly .199 batting average. Perhaps the wizards in Tampa can fix that.

As for Paredes, the Cubs get their man, an All-Star this season, with 16 homers and a .793 OPS, but he has been slumping of late, going 6-for-his-last-62. Last season, Paredes mashed 31 homers with 98 RBIs. Third base has been a weak spot for the Cubs over the past few seasons, they hope they've now plugged it for good.

And as noted by insider Jeff Passan, once again, this trade does not mean that the Cubs are buyers... or sellers. That remains to be seen.

Just because the Cubs are considering moving players from this current roster doesn’t mean they’re selling. Just as because they acquired Isaac Paredes doesn’t mean they’re buying. Modern baseball is a game about opportunity — the furthest thing from a binary. It is a fundamental…
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2024

Tampa remains the most active team this trade season, as Paredes is the 6th Ray to be dealt, along with Randy Arozarena, Aaron Civale, Phil Maton, Zach Eflin, and Jason Adam).