A minor trade for the Chicago Cubs this afternoon, with lefty reliever Eric Stout heading to the Pittsburgh Pirates. If he was still traveling with the Cubs, he could just switch dugouts. The Cubs are getting cash in the deal.
Stout, 29, was flashing huge strikeout stuff at Triple-A for the Cubs this year – he was a minor league signing in the offseason – but walks were a problem, and he was pretty clearly viewed as more of a fill-in-when-necessary guy, rather than someone the Cubs were planning to keep developing into 2023. So when a 40-man roster spot was needed last week, it was Stout who was designated for assignment.
When you see a guy like this traded for cash in a situation like this, it generally means the acquiring team wasn’t sure he would reach them in the waiver priority order, so they send over a little more cash than the cost of a waiver claim ($50,000) to make sure they get the guy. It will not be a substantial amount.
Stout has remaining minor league options, by the way, so this trade doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll immediately join the Pirates’ bullpen for the remainder of this series. It’s possible he will, though, which means REVENGE IS COMING.