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Chicago Cubs trade for pitching depth

By Benjamin Chase |
ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 21: Jesse Chavez #53 of the Texas Rangers delivers against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Globe Life Park on May 21, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. The Yankees won 10-5. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 21: Jesse Chavez #53 of the Texas Rangers delivers against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Globe Life Park on May 21, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. The Yankees won 10-5. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs made a move on Thursday evening to bring in depth to the pitching staff on the same day they put their closer on the DL

The Chicago Cubs addressed overall pitching depth Thursday night by trading with the Texas Rangers on Thursday to acquire Jesse Chavez.

Who they got

Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 39th round of the 2001 draft out of high school, Chavez ended up signing with the Rangers the next season after falling to the 42nd round (a round that doesn’t even exist anymore!) out of Riverside Community College. He is no stranger to trades, however. In his career, Chavez has been traded seven times now with his deal to the Cubs!

A right-hander that throws six pitches and uses each one, Chavez has worked in the bullpen and rotation in his major league career, making 70 starts over 383 appearances. He’s posted a 4.61 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over his career.

This season with the Rangers, he’s worked exclusively out of the bullpen, but he’s worked multiple innings frequently, making 30 appearances for Texas, tossing 56 1/3 innings, with a 3.51 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 12/50 BB/K ratio.

Chavez works with a trio of fastballs, a sinker that runs up to mid-90s, a four-seamer at the same velocity, and a cutter that works 90-93. He throws one of his fastballs roughly 70% of the time, which allows for good control, but it does mean that he is susceptible to home runs.

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His best offspeed pitch is a mid-80s slider. He tosses his curve in the upper 70s and change in the 85-89 range. The biggest issue for Chavez is a lack of depth that he can trust as he struggles to control his slider and curve at times, but when those pitches are on, he can dominate, whether it’s in the bullpen or as a spot starter.

Who they gave up

Drafted in the 7th round of the 2017 draft out of Fresno State, Tyler Thomas has been a pleasant surprise for the Chicago Cubs this season, threatening to break into what is one of the weaker top 10 lists in the league with a tremendous start to his first full season in the Midwest League.

Thus far, Thomas has thrown 75 innings, posting a 2.88 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a 14/81 BB/K ratio. He works with a fastball that sits around 90, but his premium pitch is a change that some grade as a double-plus pitch. He’s also seen his breaking ball tick up this year to an average pitch with above-average control, and that allows it to play up significantly in generating weak contact.

Next: CTTP's midseason top 150 prospects

While Jesse Chavez won’t be closing for the Chicago Cubs, he could add plenty of depth to the pitching staff to allow the Cubs to get to the playoffs and have success in the postseason.

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