Forgotten Cubs’ 2024 trade deadline pick-up is thriving with his new team this season

Acquired in the deal that sent streaky fan favorite Christopher Morel to Tampa Bay last July, the Chicago Cubs hoped Isaac Paredes would bring his potent right-handed bat with him to Wrigley Field. That's not how things played out, though, as the former All-Star struggled down the stretch with his new club.

In 212 plate appearances with the Cubs, Paredes slashed just .223/.325/.307, good for an 85 wRC+ and his power cratered, evidenced by a .084 ISO, a sharp decline from his career mark of .195. Chicago missed the postseason and entered the offseason, yet again, looking for a long-term answer at third base.

They still haven't found one. Paredes was sent to Houston, along with Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith, in the Kyle Tucker trade in mid-December. The Cubs rolled the dice at the hot corner, entrusting the everyday job to rookie Matt Shaw in a decision that, at least as of early July, hasn't looked especially prudent. Meanwhile, Paredes has immediately made an impact in Houston, playing a key role in the first-place Astros' offense.

When the Cubs and Astros did battle in late June, Paredes made his presence felt, especially against Jameson Tallion. The Chicago right-hander threw 107 pitches in the 2-0 loss; Paredes saw 31 of them. He sees more pitches than any other hitter in the American League. And he's not just being patient - he's punishing mistakes.

Isaac Paredes rediscovered his power as soon as he left Wrigley Field

Paredes entered Tuesday night with a .474 slugging percentage that's just shy of his career high-water mark of .488 that came with the Rays back in 2023. He has a very real chance to hit 20 homers before the All-Star break and the only Houston batter with a higher OPS is All-Star shortstop Jeremy Pena, who's in the midst of a breakout campaign.

Whether it was the extreme pitcher-friendly conditions at Wrigley or the dimensions of the field itself, Paredes' swing didn't translate to Wrigley the way the Cubs hoped. But he's taken full advantage of the Crawford Boxes in left field at Daikin Park in Houston as an extreme pull hitter, with every one of his home runs going out to dead left (10 of his 19 coming at home).

This is all happening as the backdrop to Shaw's continued struggles at the plate that have been so regular that the front office is hoping to acquire veteran rental Eugenio Suarez at the deadline to address the complete lack of offensive production they've gotten at third base this year. Again, without the Paredes trade, you probably don't have Tucker - so that alone made the move well worth it.

But seeing Paredes pick up right where he left off during his time with Tampa in his new home with the Astros is frustrating nonetheless given the high hopes everyone had when the Cubs acquired him last July.