The Chicago Cubs have made a splash in the trade market, acquiring infield prospect Michael Busch and relief pitcher Yency Almonte from the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
In exchange, the Cubs are sending pitching prospect Jackson Ferris and outfield prospect Zyhir Hope to the Dodgers.
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The move is seen as a way for the Dodgers to clear room on their 40-man roster, acquiring players who won’t need to be added to the mix for some time.
Busch comes to the Cubs after being the second-ranked prospect in the Dodgers’ system, according to MLB Pipeline. That publication ranked him as the 44th-best prospect in all of baseball during the 2023 season.
He blasted 27 home runs and drove in 90 RBI’s while batting .323 in 98 games at Triple-A last season. He also boasted a .431 on-base percentage thanks to his elevated walk rate.
He did struggle a bit after making his MLB debut, hitting two home runs and posting a .167 batting average, but the Cubs are hopeful he could compete for the starting job at third base in the 2024 campaign.
Almonte had a 3-2 record and a 5.06 ERA in 49 relief appearances with the Dodgers last season. In the previous year he had a 1.02 ERA in 33 games with Los Angeles.
Ferris was a second-round pick of the Cubs in the 2022 draft. He had a 2-3 record with a 3.38 ERA in 18 starts with Single-A Myrtle Beach last season, and was the 8th-ranked prospect in their system according to MLB Pipeline.
Hope was an 11th round pick in the 2023 draft. He posted a .286 batting average and hit three home runs in 35 at-bats with the Cubs’ rookie league team last season.