Rays trade Paredes to Cubs for Morel, 2 prospects

The Tampa Bay Rays traded All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for third baseman Christopher Morel, right-handed reliever Hunter Bigge, and right-handed pitching prospect Ty Johnson, the teams announced.

"As we have stated, our goal is to add players that will help us not just this season, but into the future," Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said in a statement. "In the last two days, we feel we have worked toward that by trading for those types of controllable players. Acquiring Paredes adds a proven bat to our lineup immediately and for years to come."

Paredes, who played all nine innings of the Rays' 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds earlier Sunday, is hitting .245/.357/.435 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs over 101 games this season. He was named to his first career All-Star team earlier in July and clubbed 31 homers during last year's breakout campaign.

Paredes, who's not eligible for free agency until after the 2027 season, also offers some versatility, as he can play both corner infield positions and has a bit of experience at second base.

The trade marks a return to the Cubs organization for Paredes, who was originally signed as an amateur free agent in 2015. He was dealt to Detroit in a deadline-day trade two years later and made his big-league debut with the Tigers before being dealt to the Rays in 2022.

Chicago surprisingly beat out a slew of contenders to land Paredes. The New York Yankees and Houston Astros were also reportedly chasing him ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

Morel, who started Sunday's game for the Cubs at DH, was lifted for a pinch hitter after word of the trade broke. He was then seen hugging his now former teammates in the dugout.

Morel was once a big part of the Cubs as a super-utility player but hasn't been consistent at the plate this season. Despite hitting a Cubs-high 18 home runs, he's put up a career-worst .199/.302/.374 slash line over 102 games and tallied minus-5 defensive runs saved at third base.

The 25-year-old posted a heartfelt goodbye to Chicago on Instagram upon learning of the deal:

The Rays are likely hoping a change of scenery can help Morel finally unlock his full potential. Morel has started games at six different defensive positions during his three-year career. Like Paredes, he's under team control for the foreseeable future and won't reach arbitration until after next season.

Bigge, the Cubs' 12th-round selection out of Harvard in 2019, made his big-league debut earlier this month and got into four games. The 26-year-old right-hander put up a 1.17 ERA and 0.68 WHIP with 20 strikeouts and six saves across 14 total outings at three minor-league levels this year.

Johnson, 22, owns a 3.54 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 81 strikeouts and one save over 18 appearances (10 starts) split between Low-A Myrtle Beach and High-A South Bend.