It was solely a matter of when, not if, the Chicago Cubs would use their deep farm system to bolster their major-league roster.
On the heels of Japanese right-hander Shōta Imagana’s four-year deal turning into official Thursday, the Cubs addressed two extra holes on their roster. They acquired 26-year-old infielder Michael Busch and right-handed reliever Yency Almonte from the Los Angeles Dodgers for 2 prospects: left-hander Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope.
Busch entered 2023 as a consensus top-60 prospect, however alternatives with the Dodgers had been restricted regardless of him crushing the ball at Triple A — he slugged .618 to enrich a .323 common and .431 on-base proportion en path to being named Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player. The lefty slugger appeared in 27 video games for the Dodgers.
Busch, a 2019 first-round choose, can play a number of positions, logging his most time at third base, second and first, making him an excellent match on the nook infield positions for the Cubs.
Almonte, 29, brings six years of big-league expertise to the Cubs bullpen. He had an inconsistent 2023, posting a 5.06 ERA in 49 video games however pitched effectively in 2022 with a 1.02 ERA in 33 video games.
The Cubs additionally reached agreements with their six arbitration-eligible gamers forward of Thursday night time’s deadline, in line with a supply: left-hander Justin Steele ($4 million), right-hander Adbert Alzolay ($2.11 million), outfielder Nick Tauchman ($1.95 million), infielder Nick Madrigal ($1.81 million), Mark Leiter Jr. ($1.5 million) and right-hander Julian Merryweather ($1.175 million).
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Source: www.bostonherald.com