We as a society all get caught up in terms of Buying and Selling. It’s a concept as old as time. In baseball particularly during the Trade Deadline those 2 words are firmly placed whatever your team’s record is… or so many think.

On Sunday the Cubs made a deadline shocker by adding Issac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays. Paredes, who was just an All-Star earlier this month, provides the Cubs with a safe bat who can play adequate defense and provides a power punch the Cubs have been missing. The reason this trade is so shocking is with the Cubs under .500 many assumed they would sell (which they still might). The baseball industry also seemed surprised at the package the Rays received in return.

The headline of the package returning to Tampa includes Christopher Morel. Morel has has been at the majors for the better part of 3 years, is the big piece that many didn’t see getting traded. After all the dude is still loaded with upside in the bat. The fielding, however, has left a lot to be desired and the Cubs were trying to get him to stick at 3rd but his defense has been at best shaky and he also hasn’t been producing in big spots with RISP. The Cubs would have liked to keep Morel after going all off-season without trading him despite constant talk, but Paredes gives the Cubs a safe bat and better defense, and they are both the same age.

More moves are expected, but this one is gonna leave a lot of people head scratching. ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan put it best “MLB Teams are always trying to find value to better their clubs no matter situation”

By Z. Kendall

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