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Moises Ballesteros' name came up in failed trade negotiations for the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, and it seemed that the Cubs had very little interest in moving one of their top prospects. Ballesteros had a newfound role on the Cubs' 26-man roster, as his bases-loaded double on Wednesday gave the team a much-needed jolt against the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite that success, Ballesteros' return to the Major League level was short-lived as he was optioned to Triple-A ahead of Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
#Cubs roster moves:
— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) August 1, 2025
-INF Willi Castro, RHP Andrew Kittredge and LHP Taylor Rogers have reported and will be active today.
-RHP Gavin Hollowell and C/DH Moisés Ballesteros have been optioned to Triple-A.
One day after deadline, Cubs send top prospect packing
Once the Cubs added Willi Castro in the minutes before the deadline, it seemed clear that Ballesteros was going to be headed back to Triple-A Iowa. Of course, as the Cubs prepare their roster for a postseason rush, two bench spots are in question for Jon Berti and Justin Turner. If the Cubs want to end either of those experiments, it seems likely that Ballesteros would be brought back up.
Friday's roster move also sees Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers added to the 26-man roster. Kittredge likely takes over Ryan Pressly's role. Pressly, a key offseason trade for the Cubs, was designated for assignment by the team on Thursday.
There will be some more roster shuffling in the coming weeks for the Cubs. Jameson Taillon, Javier Assad, and Miguel Amaya are all expected to be ready by the middle of August. Amaya was moved to the 60-day IL on Thursday, but that was a procedural move in order to create space on the Cubs' 40-man roster for their deadline additions. It would seem likely that once Amaya is ready, veteran catcher Reese McGuire will be designated for assignment.
Assad will be an interesting case, considering he does have minor-league options remaining. It's possible the Cubs keep him in Iowa as depth, and then bring him back in September to eat some innings.