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White Sox and Cubs Continue to Disappoint on and off the Field
It’s been a long, downhill slide.
The MLB trade deadline has come and gone and like they have for some time now, and both Chicago teams disappointed. The Cubs because they did so little, and the White Sox because they got so little back for what they traded. Let’s start with the Cubs.
For the Cubs, it’s too little too late
The Cubs moved Christopher Morel and prospects to the Rays for third baseman Isaac Paredes. They followed that up by trading reliever, Mark Leiter Jr. to the Yankees. The Cubs received two prospects in return. They are relief pitcher Jack Neely and infielder Ben Cowles.
I’ve mentioned previously I’m okay with the Morel trade and for that matter, I’m okay with the return for Mark Leiter Jr. Jack Neely has been doing ok in AAA and goes with a fastball-slider combination. At 6'8" he provides a dominating presence, if not force on the mound. Ben Cowles plays all three infield positions and is a right-handed hitter. He has shown some pop and decent control of the strike zone as a hitter. In AA ball this season, Cowles has hit .295 with nine home runs and an OPS of .848. I’m hoping for a Miles Mastrobuoni upgrade.