Trade Analysis: Cubs trade Nelson Velazquez for righty reliever |
Some trades are tougher to swallow than others during the trade deadline, and the Chicago Cubs made one of those deals on Monday as OF Nelson Velazquez was dealt to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for RH relief pitcher Jose Cuas. Everyone knows going into the deadline that if the Cubs were going to be buyers, then adding relief help would be one of their targets, but Cuas doesn't strike me as a guy that should have been on their radar.
Cuas isn't going to be a household name around the majors, and unless you follow baseball religiously, he is someone you have to dive deep into to get a good feel for him. The 29-year-old right-hander isn't your traditional relief pitcher, as he is one of those rare 3/4 relievers that almost looks like a sidearm hurler. Cuas has pitched to a roughly league-average ERA and FIP this year for the Royals, but the 27.1% K rate is attractive (10.9% BB). I expect the Cubs to see something funky that they like, starting with his elite fastball spin, according to Statcast. When you look at the overall numbers from Cuas, they come with mixed reviews, but that doesn't always tell the whole picture. In 45 games this season, Cuas has posted a 3-0 mark but a 4.54 ERA which is up from his career 4.08 ERA. However, the past month stands out, as he posted a 1.86 ERA in July, which is why this deal is intriguing. Struggles aside, it looks like Cuas has found something in recent outings which could bode well for the Cubs down the stretch. That played into the Cubs making this deal, but Cuas also has minor league options remaining, another reason the Cubs could have made this deal.
For Velazquez, his time with the Cubs has come to an end. It comes with some bittersweet but exciting moments. The top 15 prospect has seen time in the majors the past few seasons, where he has shown his potential as a player. His problem was never having a consistent role with the Cubs, as the outfield jam prevented him from being a significant contributor for long periods of time.
Going back to his 2019 season, when he hit a career-best .288, Velazquez cemented himself as a reliable outfielder in the Cubs system but burst onto the scene in 2021. That year, he hit a .270 but mashed a career-high 20 homers to go with 73 RBIs. He followed that up with a 15-homer and 32 RBI season last year and was hitting .253 with 16 homers and 44 RBIs this season before getting dealt.
Granted, the overall numbers for the past two seasons haven't been great, but they were good enough for Velazquez to see time on the MLB roster, where he produced when given a chance to play. Velazquez struggled to hit the ball at times across 90 career games, with 77 coming last season, as he has just a .210 career average. However, he was hitting close to .250 this season in the time he got while also crushing a Grand Slam in his first game with the Cubs.
Even with his struggles at the plate, Velazquez showed his power potential, which was his meal ticket to the majors the past two seasons. Throughout those 90 games, Velazquez clubbed nine homers to go with 32 RBIs which averages out to 16 homers and 58 RBIs for a 162-game season.
Those may not be great numbers, but they are good enough to, at the very least, earn a bench spot on an MLB roster. With this deal, Velazquez is going to the best situation possible, as he will most likely land in Omaha to get familiar with his new team. However, I don't expect him to stay there that long as I expect the Royals to call him up by mid-august.
Once that happens, look for him to be given the playing time he deserved the past few seasons with a chance to win the starting RF job next year.
Velazquez may not be a star in this league, but it will be nice seeing him get the playing time he lacked the past few years. Best of luck to you and your future as you try and jumpstart your career.
