The Cubs’ offseason is picking up steam. On Thursday, they made their first trade of the winter, acquiring corner infielder Michael Busch and reliever Yency Almonte from the Dodgers for prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope.
Busch, a 2019 first-round pick, comes with a high ceiling. MLB Pipeline ranked him as a top-50 prospect last year. He debuted in April, had 72 major-league at-bats and hit .167. But when he made trips down to Triple-A in between, he posted a 1.049 OPS. He was named the Pacific Coast League MVP.
The left-handed hitter can play both corner-infield positions. While the Cubs have their middle-infield and corner-outfield spots nailed down for years to come, they have questions at first and third base. Busch helps fill needs in both the short- and long-term as a first baseman and power hitter.
The addition of Almonte begins to address an area the Cubs identified as a high priority this offseason: the bullpen. The 29-year-old right-hander has a career 4.51 ERA in six seasons, first with the Rockies and then the Dodgers.
In 2022 with the Dodgers, Almonte had the best season of his career (1.02 ERA), but he missed most of August and September with elbow tightness. Last season, his walk rate and hard-hit rate climbed compared to the year before. The Cubs have shown a knack in recent seasons for helping relievers reclaim, and build off of, past success.
For that combination of a young infielder with upside and years of team control, plus an experienced reliever, the Cubs gave up a couple promising prospects of their own.
They drafted Ferris out of high school in the second round of the 2022 draft, signing him for an over-slot bonus. The lefty recorded a 3.38 ERA in Single-A last year. Ferris’ age — he turns 20 next week — and 6-4 frame hold plenty of potential.
Hope, an 11th-round draft pick last year, went from impressing on a high school field in the spring to beginning his professional career in rookie ball in late July. The 18-year-old slashed .286/.419/.543 in the Arizona Complex League.
In a slow offseason market, the Cubs waited until the first week of January to acquire any players on major-league contracts. But they have been busy since.
The Cubs broke the seal last Friday when they claimed catcher Brian Serven off waivers, but they designated him for assignment Thursday to clear room on the 40-man roster for the trade.
On Wednesday, the Cubs made a statement, agreeing to terms with free-agent left-hander Shōta Imanaga. They officially announced his deal Thursday.
In less than a week, the Cubs have upgraded their rotation, eased concerns about first base and started reinforcing their bullpen. Expect more moves to come.
NOTE: The Cubs avoided arbitration with all of their eligible players this year. Before the deadline Thursday, sources confirmed, they agreed to salary figures for this season with six players: rotation ace Justin Steele ($4 million), closer Adbert Alzolay ($2.11 million), outfielder Mike Tauchman ($1.95 million), third baseman Nick Madrigal ($1.81 million) and high-leverage relievers Mark Leiter Jr. ($1.5 million) and Julian Merryweather ($1.175 million).
