Isaac Paredes Trade Update: Chicago Cubs acquire star Infielder from Tampa Bay Rays in blockbuster pre-deadline deal

The Chicago Cubs have made another move before the MLB trade deadline by acquiring Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays. After rumors surrounding the next step of the struggling team, they decided to bolster their roster by adding the star infielder who currently has a batting average of .245, with 55 RBIs.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the news on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"BREAKING: The Chicago Cubs are acquiring third baseman Isaac Paredes in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, sources tell ESPN."

Passan followed up, reporting that the deal involves Christoper Morel and a pair of unnamed prospects.

The Rays previously dealt Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners - this was their first big trade in the deadline period. More moves by the team might come before the deadline arrives.

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Chicago Cubs go all-in with Isaac Paredes trade

Isaac Paredes had been linked with a lot of teams, including the LA Dodgers. In a pretty surprising move, the player is now with the Chicago Cubs, who are in last place in the NL Central, with six games out in the Wild Card race.

Isaac Paredes is a Cub now (Image credit: Imagn)

These deficits weren't enough to convince the front office to send away players like Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki, so they opted to improve their roster as a whole, instead of trading away their key players.

Paredes has been a solid defender this year and has played well at the plate with 16 home runs. This likely means that all the players the Chicago Cubs might have considered trading, including Bellinger, are off the table now.

While it's not uncommon for teams to make small moves at the deadline, this indicates that they will retain their assets to make a playoff push. This was their vision after last season, and with Craig Counsell now at the helm, they're looking to bring it to fruition.