Cubs grab slugger Jeimer Candelario to make a postseason run |
It has been over three years since the Chicago Cubs were buyers at the trade deadline, but that changed this season. After putting together three strong weeks of play since the all-star break to put themselves back into the division race, the Cubs have changed their tone and indicated they want to become buyers instead of sellers this season.
With a few areas in mind regarding what they would like to address, Jed Hoyer and company pulled the trigger on the most coveted trade deadline bat as the Cubs acquired former Cubs prospect Jeimer Candelario in exchange for two prospects. Adding Candelario may come as a surprise to some, but this was one of those rumors going around for a while, so to see this deal work out wasn't a surprise. Once a former top 20 prospect in the Cubs system, the Cubs traded Candelario to Detroit in 2017 when they acquired Alex Avila and Justin Wilson at the deadline. After putting together an excellent career with the Tigers, the 29-year-old signed with the Washington Nationals, where he has played ever since. When you look at the season he has put together, the .258 average may not stand out, but it is a better option than some players on their roster can bring. His 16 homers would be second on the team with Christopher Morel, while his 53 RBIs would put him only behind Nico Hoerner, so you can see why the Cubs and many others wanted him at the deadline. Another thing that stands out about Candelario is that he is a switch hitter making it easy for him to be in the lineup every day while being versatile enough to play both third and first. Given that Patrick Wisdom and Nick Madrigal are on this roster and need some playing time, Candelario can move around a lot, which David Ross loves with many of his players.
As expected, this deal didn't come without a price, and the Nationals received a pair of top 25 prospects from the Cubs in exchange for Candelario. To their credit, neither one of them were top 10 guys, but both were in the top 25 as the Nationals will love the players coming their way in this deal.
The big name in this deal is left-hander DJ Herz, who was putting together a great season with AA Tennessee. Known for his off-speed mastery with an excellent changeup and curve, Herz has seen an uptick in velocity this season and has been sitting in the 94 MPH range with his heater. He also ranks third in the Southern League in swinging strike percentage, as he has been overpowering hitters this season.
His stuff plays up due to his unique delivery and arm slot, changeup makes him a reverse-split guy, and now he’s got the fun slider. The book has always been that he’s a reliever, but in a season where the Cubs have pushed many of those moves forward, it’s notable they’ve kept him in the rotation. Across 14 starts this season, Herz went 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 50 innings. He will finish his Cubs career with an 8-12 record and a 3.80 ERA across 66 games.
Kevin Made was the second prospect sent the Nationals way and is the real X-Factor in this deal. Known as arguably the best defensive SS in the system, Made showed real growth as a hitter in 2022 but has fallen on hard times this season. Made was hitting .240 with the South Bend Cubs this season and slugged three homers and 25 RBIs. While the average is up, his power is down, as he had 10 homers and 44 RBIs last season.
Made has a league-average bat in the Midwest League with above-average showings in both walk and contact rates. I don’t think the valuation on him will be super high, so if a team watches him take BP and sees some growth potential in the power department, he’d be a smart one to grab now. This was a deal the Cubs had to make with a player like Candelario available and to get it done without sending a big-time prospect the Nationals way is a win for Hoyer.
"It's awesome ... I'm excited to have him back and a part of this group."
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 1, 2023
Ian Happ on Jeimer Candelario's return to Chicago. pic.twitter.com/Rb81TJnjad
