Cubs News: Grading the Matt Festa Trade |
While the Chicago Cubs and the rest of the MLB await the Roki Sasaki decision, plenty of work still needs to be done to fine-tune this roster. Granted, things have slowed since the start of Christmas, but you have to think that the action will pick up as soon as pitchers and catchers report in just over a month.
Thursday saw the Cubs return to business on the trade market as they once again made a minor move with the hopes of it paying off long-term. This time, it's right-hander Matt Festa coming to the Cubs as the Cubs grabbed him from the Texas Rangers. To create a roster spot for Festa, the corresponding move was to designate Miles Mastrobuoni, as he will now be looking for work or heading back to AAA Iowa. This was one of those moves that practically cost the Cubs nothing, as they didn't even have to give up a player for Festa, but instead, it was a trade strictly for cash considerations. The move comes in the middle of the arbitration process and was lost in the shuffle of Justin Steele and Nate Pearson avoiding arbitration with the Cubs. The 31-year-old Festa turns 32 in March and will now be given a chance to earn a bullpen spot this spring. In his 18 appearances with the Rangers in 2024, Festa posted a 4.37 ERA and 1.059 WHIP, which is nothing to get excited about. Looking at his entire career, which started back in 2018 with the Mariners, Festa has a 4.60 ERA in 160 appearances. All but one of those appearances was in relief, with the only other one coming as an opener with the Mariners. Even if the overall numbers aren't great, Festa has shown signs of promise several times before, indicated by his 7BB to 23K ratio last season. If anything, that shows that Festa has excellent command and can strike hitters out consistently. While his MLB numbers aren't too impressive, Festa was a very good Minor League pitcher, which makes you wonder if the Cubs saw something in him they would like to test out. In 213 career minor league games, Festa has posted a 24-9 record with a 2.71 ERA. He added 18 holds and 49 saves, showing the ability to pitch in several different roles. It's undecided what his role with this team will be should he make the time, but you can bet the Cubs will be willing to use him in a variety of roles.
As part of the roster maneuvering process to open a spot for Festa, Mastrobuoni was officially designated for assignment as his time with the Cubs has ended.
After being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023, Mastrobuoni was always a polarizing figure and one that never seemed to carve out a true role with this team. Whether it be his speed on the bases or the ability to play all over the diamond, there was a lot to like in his game, but that never translated into consistent playing time as he was primarily a AAA or fringe roster player.
When the Cubs did give him opportunities, Mastrobuoni proved he could play. He played phenomenal defense, especially at the hot corner, while also emerging as a solid bat-to-ball contact guy. The Cubs hope to keep him in their organization, but it seems unlikely he will go unclaimed heading into spring.
Grading the Trade: C-
Anytime you trade for a player, and no other player is involved, it's hard to develop an overall grade. This is one of those occasions where you can only grade him based on what you have seen from both players.
Had he posted his Minor League numbers in the majors, this would be one of those home run trades that makes this team better. That isn't the case, as he hasn't pitched well and doesn't have a great MLB sample size. The same can be said about Mastrobuoni regarding his time with the Cubs, as he could never carve out a legitimate role with this team.
This trade isn't going to make or break the team's offseason, but it is another move to get more bodies in camp. Expect more deals to follow, especially if Sasaki winds up in Chicago to address the need for starting pitching.
