First Impressions of the Cubs' 4 Trade Deadline Acquisitions

[Paul Niemiec]

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images

The Cubs’ first two post-deadline series have concluded, with the North Siders taking two of three from a stripped-down Baltimore team before unceremoniously losing the series to the Reds. Really, though, they were a Caleb Thielbar curveball shy of a sweep in that first series. At least they added some big names at the trade deadline to position themselves to reclaim the division from Milwaukee.

If you can't tell, that last sentence was laced with sarcasm. That high-end starting pitcher? Welcome Mike Soroka and his 4.87 ERA and now-injured shoulder. The bullpen has been surprisingly strong this season, but they needed some arms to take some pressure off some of the older players. Welcome 35-year-old Andrew Kittredge, and 34-year-old Taylor Rogers, who are at least younger than Ryan Brasier, Drew Pomeranz and Thielbar. Utility switch hitter Willi Castro and his .748 OPS is a great fit for this team, but that being the “big move” by default seems very anticlimactic. We've seen each of them play in a Cubs uniform now, so let's discuss how their first impressions are going and what can be expected moving forward.

Taylor Rogers

Rodgers came over to the Cubs from Pittsburgh, just a day after being acquired by Pittsburgh in the confusing trade that sent third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati. Rogers is a journeyman, soft-tossing lefty who is having a mirage of a season. His 2.29 ERA would represent the lowest mark of his career, but his 1.39 WHIP is the second-highest. The most damning stat prior to the trade was his 4.14 FIP, the highest mark of his career, which could mean impending regression and high stress innings.

That's a lot of bad, but here's the good news: Rogers has been good as Cub. He pitched one inning over the weekend in Saturday’s 4-3 loss. He came in after the damage was done in the top of the ninth, opening the frame with a strikeout of Dylan Carlson. He followed it up with two consecutive ground outs for a 1-2-3 inning. He then made back-to-back appearances against the Reds, allowing just one hit while striking out two in 1 1/3 innings in the series.

Moving forward, Rogers should fit nicely with the lefty group of Thielbar and Pomeranz, although a lefty who can throw gas might have been a better complement. 

Andrew Kittredge 

Kittredge was the first new face to appear in a game. He came in to face the team that just traded him a day earlier. On Friday, the bullpen looked great as a whole, and Kittredge was a part of it. Entering the game in the seventh, he retired star catcher Adley Rutschman on a line out before striking out the next two hitters. He was good again against Baltimore on August 3, prior to getting lit up by the Reds (four runs in 1/3 of an inning) on August 5. At least he made up for it by pitching an immaculate inning in the series finale.

 

Considering the high price of relievers at the deadline, Kittredge is a great addition. The 2021 All-Star is having another solid season, posting a 3.24 ERA prior to that debacle against the Reds. The Cubs gave up an interesting 17-year-old in Wilfri De La Cruz, but it was hardly an overpay. With the emergence of Daniel Palencia, Kittredge should pair well with Brad Keller as they handle set-up duties. It is important to note that Ryan Pressly was DFA’d as well, so you will likely see Kittredge fill his role. 

Willi Castro

Castro had the best weekend of any the new faces. The super utility player started on both Saturday at second base and Sunday at third base. He should step right in as the primary Swiss Army knife. Vidal Brujan was removed from the roster, and Jon Berti should be in the lineup less now. Castro had two hits, including a triple, on Saturday and another knock on Sunday. He managed just one hit in 12 at-bats in the Red series, though he continued to show his versatility by playing in both center and right field.

Castro offers a bit more pop in the utility role, as evident by his 28 extra-base hits on the year. He also can run a bit, he has nine steals on the year but had 33 back in 2023. Castro likely won’t be counted on to do that much in terms of offensive production, but if he can continue to hit all across the order while playing nearly every position on the diamond, he'll be well worth the price of admission.

Michael Soroka

Soroka is the last mention here because he did not pitch over the weekend... and then promptly got hurt in his first appearance as a Cub. It's a devastating injury for a Cubs team that needed some rotation help at the deadline.

Prior to the deal, only 3 of his 16 starts went into the sixth inning. If the Cubs were planning on using Soroka in relief, maybe his pitches could play up and he can miss bats like he did early in his career with the Braves. Right now, if Soroka is able to return and be 75% of what Colin Rea is, that would be a win. In other words, this is a very tough trade to stomach, especially in the wake of the shoulder strain that has him on the 15-day IL. For a team in a direct race with the Brewers’ deep and impressive pitching staff, this is a big red flag. 

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