2:45pm: The Rays’ return for Mastrobuoni will be 21-year-old righty Alfredo Zarraga, Topkin further reports. The Cubs announced the trade shortly after Topkin’s report.
The 21-year-old Zarraga (22 tomorrow) has pitched just 18 2/3 professional innings with the Cubs organization, all in 2022, when he posted a 1.93 ERA and 29-to-9 K/BB ratio in 18 2/3 innings across two Class-A levels. Topkin tweets that Zarraga suffered a broken right hand in August, which ended his season, though there’s no indication that he won’t be ready for Spring Training.
2:03pm: The Rays and Cubs have agreed to a trade that would send infielder/outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni to Chicago, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. In exchange, the Rays will receive a minor league pitcher whose identity is not yet known.
Mastrobuoni, 27, was a 14th round draft pick of the Rays in 2016. He hasn’t been a highly-touted prospect for much of his time in the minors, but did crack the FanGraphs list of top Tampa farmhands coming into 2022, getting the #37 slot. He then cracked the Baseball America list for the first at the 2022 midseason update at #20.
He climbed his way onto those lists by continuing to hit up the minor league ladder while showcasing a classic Tampa Bay defensive versatility. In 2022, he got into 129 Triple-A games, hitting 16 home runs and stealing 23 bases, producing a batting line of .300/.377/.469 for a wRC+ of 126. He walked in 11% of his plate appearances while striking out in just 16.6% of them. Defensively, he played second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots. That was enough to get him a brief promotion to the big leagues, as he had his contract selected in September but only got into eight games.
The Rays have a roster crunch that they have been dealing with in recent days, as they have many Rule 5 eligible players that they have to consider adding to their roster prior to today’s deadline. In the past week, they’ve declined a club option on Kevin Kiermaier, traded Ji-Man Choi and put Nick Anderson, Roman Quinn, Jimmy Yacabonis and Brendan McKay on waivers. Now Mastrobuoni is the latest victim of the squeeze.
For the Cubs, they have been rebuilding and have various positions that could be up for grabs, depending on how their offseason goes. Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner seem likely to have regular roles, though Hoerner could potentially be moved from shortstop to second base. Ian Happ will be in the lineup but he’s also one year away from free agency and frequently mentioned in trade rumors. The rest of the lineup is currently a hodgepodge of unproven young players or veterans unlikely to be long-term building blocks. Mastrobuoni’s versatility should allow the Cubs to bounce him around to wherever they need, depending on what players they acquire during the offseason or how their young players develop going forward. He still has a full slate of options and has yet to reach arbitration, meaning he won’t cost the club much and can be sent to the minors if he doesn’t carve out a role on the big league club.
Well., that certainly is a…name.
Well., hopefully he is indeed master of his domain.
Cub fans do that well
Same guy who attacked KC’s first base coach. Pure class.
Yeah, but he’s no Yacabonis.
Dude doesn’t seem terrible. Hit ok last year for AAA
What an unfortunate name.
It makes me think of, uh, something else.
Reese McGuire?
Suuuure. Let’s go with that.
Those were dark days…
Hot women make me think of something else, but to each his own
Who?
C’mon now gents this is a family site.
You just blow in from stupid town? Says his name at the top. Sheesh
Phillies, meet sarcasm.
Hey a paisano! Benevenuti!
In New York accent: “I’ll take a mastrobuoni on Italian no tomato”
I think his Dad was one of the Capo’s Donnie Brasco ratted on.
He might now have the most punable name in baseball now. Previously it went to Yu Darish.
The Cubs thirsting for additional infield depth before signing one of the elite free agent shortstops?
Miles Mastrobuoni, a potential late blooming 27-year old career minor leaguer who finally found some ‘pop’ at AAA last season before finally ‘getting a cup of coffee’ with the Rays in September.
Nah, this IS that SS signing. Jed makes Tom very happy.
That would be a more of a White Sox move, especially this offseason when GM Rick Hahn has already stated trades are more likely than free agent signings because of JR’s budget.
That said, this Cubs deal would put former White Sox 2B Nick Madrigal into the trade market should they sign one of the top shortstops, something many pundits believe WILL happen. Nico Hoerner would slide over to 2B with Miles Mastrobuoni likely assuming a utility role. Mastrobuoni has far more defensive versatility as a 2B/SS/LF than Madrigal who can only play the keystone.
The Cubs also have an even more versatile utility option with INF/OF Christopher Morel on their roster.
I think you’re assuming that there is a significant market for Madrigal. He’s a very light hitting 2B. There are a lot of those type of players available. Might as well keep and see if he improves some. If you do trade him, your value is going be very little in return.
True but the jurybis still out on whether he will get on base enough to be a threat. Plus, his defense needs improvement.
I don’t the Cubs will sign one of the Top 4 shortstops despite the usual media coverage. I certainly hope they do and if they do, that will free up Madrigal for sure as Nico slides to 2nd. With the upcoming limitation of shifting, shortstop range will be key.
There is always a market for a recent former top draft pick. Madrigal also has an MLB track record that includes some nice numbers with the White Sox, especially in regards to his BA and elite contact rate. As a top prospect his ceiling was considered limited but his floor was very high.
I’d love to see what ‘Nicky Two Strikes’ could do over the course of a full and injury free season. Scouts suggested he was a Batting Title and Gold Glove contender. He showed that ability throughout his quick minor league ascension and has flashed each in the big leagues. He posted top BA numbers with the White Sox and improved his defense as a Cub last year with just one error and a .996 Fld% with 251 chances in his limited playing time.
Many White Sox fans were pissed when Madrigal was the centerpiece of the infamous Craig Kimbrel trade. He was a favorite of the older/traditional fan base who saw a potential Nellie Fox at 2B. He was labeled a pariah by many of the younger/analytically driven crowd. Many fans view Madrigal as a throwback, prototypical #2 hitting grunt. The nerds wanted him hitting #9 or gone.
I fall more into the first grouping as a fan who is old enough to have witnessed the latter stages of the White Sox ‘Go-Go’ era in the early 1960’s. I’ve always been a stat freak but also believe advanced analytics might be hurting the game more than helping it. The proof may be in the pudding with the new rule changes being effected and more being considered.
Hahaha this “IS” the signing
Honestly wouldn’t doubt that. Joe Ricketts has proven he’s cheap as hell. Clearly doesn’t give 2 squirts about the team. I’ve never heard of an owner of a sports franchise that wasn’t in some way hands on. It doesn’t help that his kids are silver spoon kids. And until he bought the team they had never worked a day in their lives.
Actually it’s Tom. Tom Ricketts runs the team. Joe is his dad and the guy who started the company but he stays out of badeball business.
I don’t really see how you can say the Cubs ownership is “cheap” considering all the money they invested into the team, renovations, surrounding area, overseas and they continue to spend money in free agency.
The Cubs ownership gave the fan base something they never saw in their life time, which is a World Series title, and had one of the most successful runs in franchise history. They went into luxury tax territory twice, it wasn’t ownerships fault some free agent signings busted and some of the players never played to their full potential.
The only thing “cheap” the Cubs did was ship out Darvish after the 2020 season. The Cubs also faced a massive debt due for the Wrigley renovations but who cares when it’s not your money right? And when baseball announced a full schedule in 21, the Cubs were allowed to spend. When they said they would allow partial occupancy, they again raised the spending limit.
You act like the Cubs have been so cheap, why? Because they didn’t re-sign Bryant? No Rizzo or Baez? Bryant and Baez have been absolute busts so far and Rizzo was offered a fair contract. Or is because the Cubs wanted to become more defensive minded behind the dish and grabbed Gomes to help develop pitching?
You cry about cheap in one hand and disregard the contracts to Stroman and Suzuki. Yelling “Cubs are cheap” blindly ignoring the Kimbrel signing. “Cubs are cheap” disregarding the 30 million plus over 7 years they offered Correa (that was rumored his agent never presented him). “Cubs are cheap!!!” Or maybe Ricketts realized Epstein didn’t stager contracts properly causing the window of competition to slam shut all at once.
“Cubs are a non-competitive dumpster fire!” But yet finished in the bottom 1/3 of the league how many years in a row?
I feel like Hoyer has over corrected from the low contact/high power days.
McKinstry, Hoerner, Madrigal, Mastrobouni all high contact low power middle infield types. Perhaps bigger moves are in the horizon but I cannot imagine Madrigal or McKinstry being key pieces in any potential trade.
As far as Morel, I kind of think he starts next season in AAA. He has a pretty bad second half and completely by passed AAA. I can definitely see the Cubs thinking he can use more development time.
“Rays acquire a future Cy Young Award winner to be named later.”
I honestly wouldn’t doubt it. They traded Chris Archer to the rays for Matt Garza who was subpar with the cubs. I think Robinson Chirinos is the only one active from that trade.
To say nothing of Dylan Cease!
He hasn’t one a Cy young… yet
Won*
What does Cease have to do with the Rays? Awful trade but different team.
I don’t think logjammer made that comment because the Cubs are bad at trading. He made it because the Rays are so damn good at it.
Wagner>Cobb posted, “Rays acquire a future Cy Young Award winner to be named later.” Key word being FUTURE, not current or former. Cease is a finalist for this year’s AL award and is expected to finish runner-up to Justin Verlander.
When news of the trade first broke and reported here the return back to the Rays was unknown.
2:03pm: The Rays and Cubs have agreed to a trade that would send infielder/outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni to Chicago, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. In exchange, the Rays will receive a minor league pitcher whose identity is not yet known.
He has amnesia?
Same age as McKinstry with a similar skillset. Versatile defender with a little pop. Left-handed hitter. Seems odd they’d keep both, when both seem to project more as utility players than regulars.
I thought that also. However maybe they saw enough bad play by McKinstry to know he’s not a keeper. He had his head up his arse a few times, didn’t really hit much and played poor defense.
Yeah, he had quite a few defensive gaffes. His work at 3B was atrocious.
Mckinstry is out of options, so he will be non-tendered
He is a better OF than McKinstry and LH so he can take a run at replacing Ortega. It all depends on which FA the Cubs sign.
Also, McKinstry was awful defensively at 3B as a Cub.
He’s no Billy Grabarkewitz
Put him in an of with Miles Straw you’d cover a lot of ground.
Happy birthday Alfredo! Your gift is being traded.
Marcello Mastrobuoni might not make the starting 9, but he’s got experience as 8 1/2.
Once again, the Cubs fans prove they know the pulse of their fanbase. Cubs fans love players no one’s ever heard of. Life’s a freakin fairytale on the northside.
And remind me, when us the last time the Sox have won a playoff game? How’s the rebuild working put for you weasel?
“How’s the rebuild working put for you weasel?”
I’d say far better than yours, considering the Cubs p!ssed away all their talent for pennies on the dollar, lowlife.
*Cubs prove…
Pale Hoser fans are so …. articulate. Amazing, since they have the Cubs status bouncing around in their obsessed heads so much that they can’t see the hot mess that the ChiSox are.
If you think 81-81 is a “hot mess”, I’d pay 10 cents to hear your thoughts on the Cubs. You pine over a top 5 revenue franchise that agonizes over whether to add ONE $100MM+ player to a AA roster. The more mediocre and overrated, the better (Heyward).
White Sox motto “we win trades, not championships”
Or “We win the offseason, then fall apart in the actual race. Meanwhile, our fans continue to obsess on whatever the Cubs are doing.”
McKinstry…Masterobouni..(which sounds like it would be an awesome sandwich) these players seem to be the can we reincarnate Ben Zobrist who pretty much sucked until he was 27.
Does anyone ever win a trade with the Rays?
Yes
Typical cubs move junk for older junk
I’d rather have the arm.
Gotta be playing for Italy in the WBC…
Next Bote for the Cubs
Did Theo come back ? When the Rays want to trade for a pitcher you should always say thanks but no thanks.. The rays have been pretty good finding pitchers..
Mastrobuoni forced his way onto the Rays’ 40 man by being good at everything. It was a long time coming because he was blocked by the likes of Wander Franco, Taylor Walls, Vidal Brujan, etc which forced him into a utility role. Hopefully he does well with Chicago.