The Chicago Cubs have traded minor league infielder Dixon Machado to the San Fransisco Giants for pitcher Raynel Espinal.
Espinal, a 30-year-old rookie from the Dominican Republic, has spent most of his career in the minor leagues. In eight seasons, he has appeared in 181 games (69 starts) and pitched to a 3.64 ERA with 628 strikeouts and a 40-33 record across 548.1 innings.
This season with Triple-A Sacramento, Raynel Espinal has had a bit of a down year. In 19 games, he’s thrown 83.1 innings with 102 strikeouts, 38 walks, and a 5.29 ERA in 18 starts. He made one appearance in the majors with the Boston Red Sox, in which he threw two innings while giving up two hits, two runs, and one walk.
Dixon Machado heads to the Giants with the expectation to fill in for shortstop Thairo Estrada, who’s currently on the seven-day concussion list, as well as veteran Brandon Crawford, who’s also on the injured list (knee).
Machado had been tearing up minor league pitching with the Iowa Cubs before the trade. In 86 games, he posted a respectable slash line of .312/.402/.394 with two home runs, 31 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.
No, it’s not the blockbuster deal Chicago Cubs fans are expecting to see happen soon. But after already cutting a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, today’s deal is just a reminder that the Cubs are in sell mode. With the trade deadline now under 48 hours away, Cubs fans should keep their notifications turned on because things are about to get crazy.
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