NEWSLETTER
As one of many, many deals in the run up to the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline, the Chicago Cubs sent successfully-reclaimed reliever Ryan Tepera across town to the White Sox for pitching prospect Bailey Horn. The 2020 5th round pick was a lefty starter at the lowest levels of the White Sox’s system, and the Cubs saw an opportunity to work with him to next-level his stuff.
The Cubs did that in tandem with a move to relief, and Horn accelerated his way up through the system, adjusting at each level before dominating. That earned him a spot on the 40-man roster last fall, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. He was likely to be an up-down lefty option for the Cubs this year – albeit among a very crowded group of relievers – and he’s got the potential to be a very good late-inning reliever in time.
But it won’t be with the Cubs.
As rumored, the Cubs were trying to put together a trade to open up a 40-man roster spot to make the Cody Bellinger signing official, and now it’s happened:
All the best to Horn, 26, who is going to a great spot to win a big league job. And it’s the organization that drafted him, so they already know him well enough (the Cubs maybe just gave a little assist on his player development).
As for the return to the Cubs, it’s Matt Thompson, a 23-year-old right-handed starting pitcher who spent the 2023 season at Double-A: 4.85 ERA, 124.1 IP, 5.08 FIP, 23.9% K, 15.0% BB, 1.09 HR/9.
That walk rate will no doubt jump out at you, and instantly makes you wonder if this is a bullpen conversion target for the Cubs – simply swapping out a guy on the 40-man for a guy who isn’t on the 40-man.
Thompson was the White Sox’s second round pick in 2019, signed out of high school to a well-above-slot bonus, but hasn’t come along as well as the White Sox hoped since then. The way FanGraphs described it last month when it left Thompson off the team’s list of 27 ranked prospects: “Thompson and Simas may still be upper-level depth arms. Thompson was a low-90s/curveball dev project in high school and has never really gotten better.”
Baseball America, which ranked Thompson 30th in the White Sox system this offseason, was slightly more positive in their scouting report: “Thompson’s above-average fastball flashes plus when he’s on time and throwing the pitch for strikes. It’s a 91-95 mph pitch and touches 97 with tailing life. His best secondary pitch is the power curveball with 1-to-7 shape. It could be above-average or plus with more consistency. He throws his curveball in the 78-81 mph range with good biting action. Thompson’s hard slider/cutter is a relatively new addition. He throws it in the 84-87 mph range and in 2024 he’ll look to make it a distinct slider or cutter. He used his 85-87 mph changeup more often in 2023 but needs to get more confidence in the pitch. Many of Thompson’s issues stem from the effort in his delivery. He’s a short strider and spins off in his finish.”
So this is a true scouting play for the Cubs – well, in addition to just trying not to lose a 40-man player for nothing at all – and it’ll be interesting to see what their plans are for Thompson this year. Depth starter development remains possible, since he’ll be in a new organization that might better help him find that level. Or, as I said, this could be a relief conversion target. More on him soon, I expect.
