Chicago Cubs acquire Ronald Torreyes

The Chicago Cubs have acquired some infield depth from the New York Yankees.

Ronald Torreyes is headed to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash or a player to be named later, per MLB Trade Rumors. The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for the Yankees while providing depth for the Cubs infield with questions surrounding the future of Addison Russell.

Fans outside of the Bronx probably aren’t too familiar with Torreyes. However, he has proven to be a solid option at multiple positions on the infield. With Russell’s future with the Cubs up in the air, Torreyes is a good insurance option for the team.

Although details of the trade are sparse, it seems Chicago has found a way to supplement their infield depth without surrendering too much value. Torreyes is a versatile defender who will allow the Cubs to deploy Javier Baez and Kris Bryant wherever they need them during 2019.

Torreyes hit .280 while playing in just 41 games for the Yankees during the 2018 season. His best season came in the Bronx the season prior when Torreyes hit .292 and appeared in a career-high 108 games.

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Versatility is the name of the game for Torreyes and gives him his best shot to make the Chicago Cubs Opening Day roster. Although he has hit for respectable averages during his MLB career, Torreyes doesn’t reach base enough to be more than a role player.

The 26-year-old has drawn a total of 24 walks across 615 plate appearances during his short time in the Majors. Although he doesn’t compound his lack of on-base skills with high strikeout numbers, Torreyes doesn’t do enough offensively to be a viable everyday option at the Major League level.

Most importantly, this trade gives Chicago a bit of insurance if they decide to move on from the maligned Russell before the 2019 season. This isn’t a needle moving acquisition for the Cubs bit sometimes it’s these smaller moves that propel a team to greater things.

Only time will tell what type of impact Torreyes will have in Chicago. This trade could be forgotten by the time Spring Training rolls around or prove to be a catalyst for the Cubs 2019 season. My guess is that it lands somewhere in the middle and Torreyes offers Chicago just enough value to make this trade worth it.