Last night, the Chicago Cubs officially began their Trade Deadline selling spree.
They sent outfielder Joc Pederson to Atlanta in exchange for the Braves No. 12 prospect, first-baseman Bryce Ball.
After joining the Cubs on a one-year deal this past offseason, Pederson batted .230 with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs in 73 games.
“You have to keep one eye on the future and think about what moves you can potentially make that can help build the next great Cubs team,” said President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer. “So yeah, I think you have to think through those things. I think it’d be irresponsible not to take those phone calls and think through it.”
In his first minor league season, 2019, Ball hit .329 while blasting 17 homers while splitting time between Low-A ball and Rookie ball. He was drafted out of Dallas Baptist in the 24th round of the 2019 draft.
As the deadline creeps closer, expect to see the Cubs dangling more of their stars on the trade market, as players such as Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Craig Kimbrel, and Kris Bryant, are all in the final year of their deals with Chicago.
For the Braves, Pederson allows them an option to fill the hole left by Ronald Acuna Jr.’s season-ending injury.
“He’s a high-energy guy and a great clubhouse guy who comes in with a smile on his face every day,” said Braves President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos. “He’s someone who if he gets hot, he can carry you. He hasn’t really had that hot streak yet, but he’s certainly capable of doing that. He’s still young, and his raw power is as good as you’re going to find.
