Chicago Cubs: Re-grading the fateful 2021 trade deadline

Cubs have potential in the return coming over in the Anthony Rizzo trade

Anthony Rizzo was the heart and soul of the golden era of Cubs baseball, and his departure was a gut punch for the fanbase. The Cubs traded Rizzo to the Bronx in exchange for Alexander Vizcaino, a 25-year-old pitcher with a 60-grade fastball and changeup to go along with a solid slider, and 19-year-old slugging outfielder Kevin Alcantara.

Rizzo was the only Cub traded that wound up staying with the team he was dealt to, signing a two-year extension that fell well short of what he could’ve had in Chicago. Rizzo has been the most productive member of the core traded thus far, anchoring down first base for a dominant Yankees squad. As for the Cubs, it hasn’t been all smooth-sailing so far but both Alcantara and Vizacaino have flashed plenty of potential.

Vizcaino, the Cubs’ 11th-best prospect on Fangraphs, made six appearances in High-A with the Cubs in 2021, and flashed the strikeout potential he holds, sporting a 12.51 K/9 in 13 2/3 innings. Vizcaino still needs work on his command, and has been MIA thus far in 2022, but the pitches are too good to ignore. As for Alcantara, he was moved to Class-A after a dominant rookie league performance in 2021 (OPS above 1.000 in 107 PAs).

Alcantara has been up and down in Myrtle Beach, which is to be expected for a 19-year-old, but he’s held his own with a .767 OPS through 32 games and has flashed the serious power potential he holds. Alcantara will be a bit more of a long-term project, but the early results are encouraging.

Alcantara has certainly established himself as the more intriguing piece in this trade thus far, but each player in this trade has the potential to find their way to Chicago in the future.

• Original Grade: A+
• New Grade: B+