(670 The Score) The Cubs have agreed to trade third baseman Christopher Morel and two prospects to the Rays in exchange for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN and other reports Sunday.
In addition to Morel, Chicago will send 26-year-old right-hander Hunter Bigge and 22-year-old right-hander Ty Johnson to Tampa Bay, according to reports.
The Cubs had hoped that the 25-year-old Morel would be a key part of their core, but he has struggled at the plate and defensively this season. Morel was hitting .199 with 18 homers, 51 RBIs and a .676 OPS entering play Sunday. The Cubs made him their primary third baseman, but he has ranked among the worst in baseball at that position defensively, according to advanced metrics.
Paredes, 25, was hitting .247 with 16 homers, 55 RBIs and a .793 OPS in 100 games for Tampa Bay this season. He recently represented the Rays in the All-Star Game, the first such honor of his career. He has hit .234 with a .772 OPS in five MLB seasons.
The Cubs originally signed Paredes as an amateur free agent in 2015. They then traded him to the Tigers in July 2017.
Paredes is under contract control through 2027, which was appealing to the Cubs, who had recently acknowledged that their focus in trade talks would be on 2025 and beyond.
Bigge recently received his first taste of big league action, posting a 2.70 ERA in four appearances for the Cubs.
Johnson has a 3.54 ERA in 18 appearances, including 10 starts, in 2024, with his time split between class-A Myrtle Beach and high-A South Bend.