Cubs Trade Infielder to Tigers, Get Pitcher in Return
With Opening Day just a few days away the Cubs are starting to sort through the bottom of their roster and on Monday they traded infielder Zach McKinstry to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Carlos Guzman.
The Cubs traded right-handed pitcher Chris Martin to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season for McKinstry and the left-handed hitter was in a good spot to make the team’s Opening Day roster this year. Despite having a brutal couple of months with the Cubs to end the 2022 season, McKinstry entered spring training in a good position to make the team. He just had to have a solid camp and it seemed like the Cubs wanted to give him every chance to earn a spot as McKinstry had no minor league options left.
Ultimately though, McKinstry played himself out of a job with the Cubs and he’s now heading to the AL Central.
McKinstry, 27, played in 47 games with the Cubs in 2022. He slashed .206/.272/.361, with four home runs in 155 at-bats. And again, his spring training with the Cubs was so bad this year, ending with only three hits in 38 at-bats.
So, that answers part of the roster crunch for the Cubs as they prepare for Opening Day later this week.
Carlos Guzman
Right-handed pitcher Carlos Guzman has been in the Detroit Tigers minor league system since 2017. Guzman, now 24-years-old, is from Venezuela and spent the 2022 minor league season mainly at advanced A-Ball, while also appearing in two games at Double-A.
Guzman pitched in 27 games last year, making 23 starts overall. He recorded a 4.11 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 107.1 innings. The righty struck out 90 batters and walked 34.
Here’s a quick look at Guzman on the mound.
Since he became a pro, Guzman has thrown a total of 317 innings in the minor leagues, posting a 3.80 ERA in 84 games, 64 coming as a starting pitcher.