Rays trade All-Star Isaac Paredes to the Cubs
UTIL Christopher Morel is part of the return.
The Tampa Bay Rays have traded third baseman Isaac Paredes, the team’s only All-Star this season, to the Chicago Cubs.
In return, UTIL Christopher Morel — a top prospect in 2021 with a career 107 wRC+ from 2022-2024 — is expected to be part of the return. A right handed hitter without any true position in the field, his spray chart will look similar enough to Paredes that he serves a similar role in the lineup.
Morel has incredible bat speed and respectable barrel rates, so if anything he’ll easily slot in as the next primary DH in Tampa Bay.
The Rays are also adding reliever Hunter Bigge and pitching prospect Ty Johnson, and if you’re looking for a headliner in this deal, the reliever is the Big(ge) one.
Bigge can easily slot in as the replacement for the recently traded Jason Adam on the roster, but as a reliever has shades of Pete Fairbanks. He’s got a cup of coffee in the majors, a 100 mph fastball, and a familiar throwing motion.
Johnson is a 15th round draft pick from 2023 out of Ball State. In his age 22 season he’s started and relieved between the A-ball levels. He’s 6’6” with some extension, which is sure to make his upper 90’s even harder to pick up.
Saw new #Rays pitching prospect Ty Johnson earlier this year. Take a look. pic.twitter.com/2J5y5a99lJ
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 28, 2024
Grabbing Johnson now is pre-hype, as many of the Rays additions have been this weekend.
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