Chicago Cubs: Trade grades for every move following a hectic deadline

Chicago Cubs: Ryan Tepera heads to the South Side ahead of the deadline

Even after a season in which Ryan Tepera received an MVP vote, no one could’ve envisioned the veteran being anything more than a decent middle reliever this season. But Tepera broke out this season, cutting his walk rate in half and becoming one of the most reliable arms out of the bullpen. Tepera looked a tad shakier toward the end of his Cubs tenure after returning from an injury, but they were still able to ship him off for prospect Bailey Horn.

Horn, 23, is a left-handed starting pitcher that was picked in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. Horn has a good mid-90’s fastball with a plus slider, so there’s room to develop, but that’s about all to write home about. Horn has solid strikeout numbers, but he walks a good amount of batters and has been hit hard so far this year as well. There are good pitches to work with, but there’s a lot to be done.

Overall this trade was one of the more underwhelming ones for the Cubs. Tepera had slipped a bit lately, but it felt like they could’ve gotten a bit more for him. Horn has just 35+ FV as of now, and while he’s got good pitches to work with, it’s not the best return the Cubs got at the deadline.

Grade: C