BREAKING: Cubs recent Isaac Paredes acquisition comes with major red flag
The Chicago Cubs acquired an All-Star hitter in third baseman Isaac Paredes, but he may face challenges at Wrigley Field. The 2024 season has not gone as the Cubs hoped, as they hold a 51-56 record, placing them 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and five games out from the third and final NL Wild Card spot.
Despite their lackluster season, the Cubs added one of the biggest bats available before the trade deadline on July 30, acquiring third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for infielder Christopher Morel and pitching prospects Hunter Bigge and Ty Johnson.
Chicago made this acquisition with a long-term vision, as Paredes is under team control through the 2027 MLB season. This year, the third baseman is slashing .245/.357/.435 and has recorded 16 home runs and 55 RBIs.
Cubs addition Isaac Paredes could struggle at Wrigley Field
Although Paredes put together his first All-Star season with the Rays, he may not find the same success in Chicago. According to Baseball Prospectus writer Robert Orr, Paredes would have hit 13 fewer home runs over the past three seasons if he had played at Wrigley Field. Statcast Park Factors indicate that Wrigley Field suppresses home runs to 97 percent of the league average for right-handed hitters like Paredes, while Tropicana Field, where he played with the Rays, inflates right-handed home runs to 103 percent of the league average.
per savant, Paredes would be -13 homers playing in Wrigley the last 3 seasons https://t.co/7VUJeTyR14
— Robert Orr (@NotTheBobbyOrr) July 28, 2024
Joining the Cubs is a full-circle moment for Paredes, who began his career in Chicago’s farm system as an international amateur free agent in 2015. The Cubs traded him to the Detroit Tigers in 2017, and he was eventually dealt to the Rays ahead of the 2022 regular season.
Paredes has a pulled fly-ball rate of 23.7 percent, the highest of any hitter with a minimum of 200 plate appearances, according to CBS Sports.
Paredes will fill in for Morel, who was playing exclusively at third base or designated hitter for the Cubs this season. Morel has recorded 26 home runs this season but was batting just .199 with a .675 OPS through 103 games with the Cubs.
Morel reacted to the trade on an Instagram story with a photo of him in a Cubs uniform, captioning the post: “Right now I can’t think or speak, tears are coming out, but my soul and my heart will always be in Chicago, Philippians 4:13.”