Centerpiece of a controversial Cubs trade signs deal with the New York Mets

Former top prospect Nick Madrigal is reportedly heading to Queens after being cut loose by the Cubs earlier this offseason.

Cincinnati Reds v Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds v Chicago Cubs | Michael Reaves/GettyImages

Already almost four years ago, Nick Madrigal came to the Chicago Cubs in the trade that sent All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to the South Side. To say he never lived up to the promise he showed coming out of Oregon State is putting things mildly and, last fall, the front office non-tendered him in a flurry of moves that shook up the roster.

Now, Madrigal will look to re-set after signing a one-year split deal with the New York Mets, giving the club some nice infield defensive depth behind the likes of Francisco Lindor, Brett Baty and Jeff McNeil. That doesn't even factor in New York's shaky third base situation; given Madrigal's strong showing at the hot corner, he could force his way into that picture at some point.

At this point, Cubs fans are all too well aware of the story with Madrigal. Considered a top bat-to-ball prospect coming out of college, the Chicago White Sox took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. He continued to put up the numbers as he climbed through their system, coming into the 2021 season as a consensus top-50 prospect in the game.

That summer, Jed Hoyer finally managed to get out from under the Kimbrel contract and Madrigal was the centerpiece of the return. After hitting .305 in more than 200 trips to the plate with the Sox that year, his offense almost immediately went into a tailspin with the Cubs.

In 600+ plate appearances during his three years with the North Siders, he slashed just .251/.304/.312 - about 30 percent below league average in terms of OPS+ and was poorly graded in hard-hit and barrel rates, among other metrics. Although he rarely strikes out, he doesn't walk much - and the lack of power certainly hurt him in recent years.

Defensively, he was solid - especially at third base. But, really, you can move him between second and third without worrying too much about the glove. Despite his small frame, he's been successful on the basepaths, as well, and is a nice safety net for the Mets as they look to return to the postseason in 2025. He's got one minor-league option remaining, as well, which certainly didn't hurt his stock on the open market.

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